Broncos' lack of faith in Brock Osweiler sealed with Peyton Manning offer

While many fans have been dead-set on the potential of Denver Broncos' backup quarterback Brock Osweiler, the numbers simply aren't there.

Osweiler for his career owns a 56.7 completion percentage, 159 passing yards, one touchdown and two sacks in 13 regular season games. Those numbers would not be quite so damning if they weren't nearly reflective of his 12 preseason games where he owns a 57.7 completion percentage, 930 yards, three touchdowns, five interceptions, three fumbles and 12 sacks.

Clearly what the Broncos have said publicly about Osweiler's progress or the teams' willingness to play this season with Osweiler at the helm was all lip-service. Denver made that evident when they agreed to pay Peyton Manning $15 million of his contracted $19 million to be their starting quarterback in 2015.

Manning will earn a $4 million bonus in the event that he wins the Super Bowl this season.

Coincidentally Osweiler's contract will expire at the end of this coming season, something that Osweiler himself has pointed out,

"When I was drafted here, I knew I was brought in to sit on the bench and learn from one of the greatest quarterbacks to have ever played this game," Osweiler said. "I also knew that his contract was one year longer than mine. We understood that.

"And really, in this business, the way I've looked at it is we take it one year at a time."

One year ago today, there were rumors that as many as four teams had called Denver to express interest in trading for Osweiler:

On @PeterBurnsRadio's show this morning it was said that two of the four teams contacting Denver for Brock Osweiler were the Browns & Texans

— The Orange Page (@theorangepage) March 5, 2014

The Broncos are obligated to boast the trade value of Osweiler now more than ever, so expect propaganda from all of the usual sources, which will spread to some fans vehemently defending a quarterback that has yet to do anything in three NFL seasons.

Denver needs to get a trade done before the draft when they select a quarterback that may actually have the potential to be Manning's replacement. Drafting that quarterback would essentially nullify Osweiler's trade value, as teams will know that the Broncos will take nearly anything for a quarterback that is worth nearly nothing to them.

UPDATE (3/15/15):
Former Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Tyrod Taylor reportedly turned down more than two-years and $7 million dollars from Denver to sign with the Buffalo Bills. Taylor reportedly wanted a chance to start this season.

Now why would Denver want to pay a third string quarterback that much money?