If Gary Kubiak has his way, Peyton Manning will be his quarterback in 2015.
"No doubt I want him to be," the Denver Broncos coach said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I think all indications are that everything that he's said, and through his conversations with John (Elway), he feels good. He's had his self-assessment or however you want to label that, and he feels good about moving forward. We'll just continue with the process. ... I feel good about where we're at right now, and I feel good about my conversations with him."
Combine on NFL Network
In advance of the draft, Marcus Mariota and others will look to showcase their skills at the combine (Feb. 17-23), only on NFL Network. **SCHEDULE**
Kubiak said when he talked to Manning, the quarterback expressed that he feels good physically.
"I think he's feeling very good," Kubiak said adding that Manning has seen a couple of people regarding his health. "As of my conversation last week he felt very good. He said he felt great."
As for a scheme fit, Kubiak said that he's not worried about Manning running bootlegs and being mobile. The new coach said he'd tailor the offense to what Manning does best, noting that last year in Baltimore Joe Flacco only ran the bootleg "maybe 25 times."
"We are going to run the Denver Broncos' offense," he said. "And that's a big challenge for me right now, meshing things together and getting ready to do things that Peyton does so well."
Other notes from Kubiak:
» The coach said Wes Welker told him he feels good.
"I had a good conversation with Wes," he said. "I'd known him and know people that know him for many, many years. I know he wants to play some more football. Like I said, like any of these free agents we're talking about right now, would love to have him back. We'll see how this thing works out. I know he's feeling. He told me he's feeling good and actually was working, I think, down in Arizona at the time I talked to him."
» Is it the place of a head coach to tell Wes to consider his future health?
"Nah, that's Wes. I do not think that's my place. I'm just developing a relationship with Wes from the standpoint of hopefully I'll get an opportunity to coach him and be a bigger part of his career. I have great respect for what he's done and the job he's done, and he did a very good job in Denver. Only he can work through that -- know how he's feeling -- but he's very positive with me."
» Kubiak said he'd leave the free agent situations -- Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, etc.- - to Elway.
"I know we are going to do everything to hang onto our players," he said.
» Kubiak said the offensive line personnel would fit his system and attributed last year's struggles to injuries.
» Is Joe Flacco elite?
"You bet he is," Kubiak said. "He helped me, that's probably why I'm standing here today."
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews this week's NFL Scouting Combine with Bucky Brooks. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
