Peyton to work out for Broncos; Miami out of race
Free agent QB Peyton Manning has officially crossed the Dolphins off his list of potential employers and will soon be reconvening with Denver officials.
This article was written by Nate Davis and appeared in USA Today.
The Broncos sent their private team jet to Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, per KUSA in Denver. Manning has been working out at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Per The Denver Post, Broncos VP of football operations John Elway is on the flight. NFL Network's Albert Breer says HC John Fox, GM Brian Xanders and team doctors are also en route.
Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the four-time MVP will work out for Elway and Co. at the Blue Devils' facilities.
In addition, the four-time MVP informed Miami officials Thursday night that he won't play for them, per NFLN. Of the four teams Manning met in his free agency tour, the Dolphins are the only one that didn't host him on their turf. However NFLN correspondent and former Dolphins beat writer Jeff Darlington reports owner Stephen Ross did get a chance to personally make a pitch to Manning.
The Cardinals could be the next club out of the race given the $7 million roster bonus they owe Kevin Kolb this afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.
The NFL universe still awaits Peyton Manning's next professional move, however it appears his short list may soon be getting shorter.
Elsewhere, the Dolphins are preparing to host free agent QB Matt Flynn, though he is in Seattle meeting with the Seahawks today. (Matt's going to have some serious jet lag.) However Miami seems compelled to move on from Manning and toward Flynn (who worked under new Dolphins HC Joe Philbin in Green Bay) and/or Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill, who played collegiately for new Miami OC Mike Sherman. The franchise currently selects eighth in the first round of the draft.
Despite early buzz on South Beach, Manning may have never seriously considered the Dolphins. According to The Palm Beach Post, he only met with Miami coaches (albeit in Indianapolis, not the club's Davie, Fla., facilities) as a courtesy to his friend and former Miami QB Dan Marino.
That would seem to leave the Broncos and Titans vying for the four-time MVP's services.
Tennessee owner Bud Adams said he was ready to make Manning a Titan "for life" after he met with team executives and coaches nearly all of Wednesday. Denver was the first team awarded a visit from No. 18 last weekend.
Manning's former college offensive coordinator, David Cutcliffe -- he's now Duke's head coach and has been working out his former pupil in Durham, N.C., recently -- thinks whomever gets the quarterback will be pretty happy with his physical progress despite the multiple neck surgeries he's undergone and nerve damage endured in his throwing arm.
"It's incredible how much progress he's made in throwing the football," Cutcliffe tells The Tennessean. "He's gotten his arm strength back and his accuracy is there. I'm not an NFL coach, of course, but I think I know what it takes to complete passes in the NFL, and it's clear that Peyton can make all those throws.
"From what I've seen, he's right on target. ... Everybody knows what a hard worker he is, and he's dedicated himself to getting ready for the season."
This article was written by Nate Davis and appeared in USA Today. 
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