Is John Elway planning to hand the Broncos over to an old friend?
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Denver's general manager will meet with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak this Saturday about taking over as coach, per a source close to the Baltimore assistant.
Elway also interviewed with Broncos play-caller Adam Gase on Thursday. He was scheduled to interview Doug Marrone on Saturday, but the former Bills coach cancelled on Friday, Rapoport reported, per a source informed of his plans.
But as we mentioned on NFL NOW, the gravitational pull toward Kubiak is no surprise.
Kubiak initially declared no interest in meeting with coach-needy teams, but the idea of taking over a Super Bowl-ready Denver squad is attractive. Whether or not Elway views Kubiak as a long-term solution, his former backup would enter the fray as someone the general manager can trust. Elway spoke repeatedly this week about wanting to bring in a "like-minded" leader for what could be Peyton Manning's final season in Denver.
One issue? We don't see Manning as a fit in Kubiak's boot-heavy, play-action scheme and we don't expect the passer to start over in a new attack. The plan on offense would need to be ironed out between the coach and his quarterback if Kubiak is brought on.
Gase, meanwhile, is a talented young play-caller whom Manning adores, but it's unclear where Elway stands with his celebrated coordinator. After John Foxmutually parted ways with the team on Monday, Gase and the rest of Denver's coaching staff were given permission to seek new jobs.
The lynchpin for any potential hire is Manning. With the quarterback pondering his playing future, candidates will want to know where Peyton stands before signing on. So will Elway, we'd imagine, because Kubiak is a much better fit as a patch hire to oversee Manning's swan song. If Denver must start over with backup Brock Osweiler, a deeper search for the right long-term hire would make sense.
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