In seven games last season, Brock Osweiler was a great game manager but nothing more, and the Broncos were smart to let him go.

Admittedly I bought into Brock-mania last season. I was in attendance for three of his starts, including the Patriots Overtime thriller, which was his best performance of the season. Osweiler was exciting, and seeing him rocket the ball into receiver’s hands was a refreshing site, after watching Peyton Manning lob the ball for the better part of 2014-15. If you go back and look at the numbers, he was not very impressive, and John Elway was wise not to overpay the inexperienced quarterback.

Bye-Bye Brocketman: Analysis and reaction to Brock Osweiler leaving Broncos in free agency

Osweiler completed a modest 61.8 percent of his passes in 2015. Considering the Broncos offense was extremely conservative, and were playing to not lose the game with Os, his eight turnovers, (6 interceptions, 2 fumbles), to just ten touchdowns was not very impressive.

Osweiler played good enough to keep the Broncos in games, and the defense took care of the rest. Obviously there were some highs during the Osweiler-run in Denver. Victories over New England and Cincinnati were impressive feats. The Oakland loss was ugly, but Pittsburgh was not really his fault.

At $18 million per-season, Osweiler would have been crazy not to take the deal with the Texans, but the Broncos may have dodged a bullet in the long run. Sure Osweiler has some potential, and paired with Lamar Miller and Deandre Hopkins, the Texans have potential to put up some points this season, something they would have loved to have in the Playoffs last year. The thing is, the Texans are guaranteeing nearly $36 million over the next two seasons. That is a ton of cash for a quarterback that has seven career starts.

Over those starts Osweiler played decent, but as Mark Kiszla pointed out in the Denver Post Thursday morning, Elway draws a line in the sand, when it comes to negotiating contracts. Elway let Dumervil bolt for Baltimore after 2012, and did not budge with Dominique Rodgers Cromartie, before signing Aqib Talib.

“In an NFL where player expenditures are limited by a salary cap, it is folly to pay the going rate for a free agent unless you are absolutely certain the money makes sense for your team. From Albert Haynesworth to DeMarco Murray, one of the quickest ways to do an embarrassing belly flop is by trying to make a splash in free agency.” Kiszla said in his Column titled Why the Broncos are better off without Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler.

Along with multiple reports hinting that Osweiler has had one foot out the door since being pulled Week 17, and the ludicrous $72 million he received from Houston, Denver is just as well off without Brock lobster.

The quarterback options on the open market are slim, but there are experienced players available. Most notably Ryan Fitzpatrick and Robert Griffin III are both free agents still. Elway could trade for a quarterback like Tampa Bay’s Mike Glennon or Los Angeles’ Case Keenum, but the most likely target seems to be Colin Kaepernick.

Reports: 49ers will trade Colin Kaepernick; Jets believe quarterback is headed to Broncos

According to ESPN’S Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Broncos have all expressed interest in trading for the second round pick out of Nevada. Kaepernick wants out of San Francisco, and the defending Super Bowl champions would be an appealing place for anyone.

If the Broncos could get Kaepernick at the right price, he would fit perfectly in the Denver offense. Kaepernick has an absolute cannon for an arm. His athleticism allows him to improvise and make plays downfield, and he is better from the pocket than people give him credit for.

Kaepernick has shown moments of greatness, especially early in his career with Jim Harbaugh. Gary Kubiak resurrected Jake Plummer’s career, and he was able to coach Manning to a Super Bowl victory at 39 years old. If anybody could turn Kaepernick’s career back in the right direction, it would be Kubiak.

Kaepernick’s year-to-year deal means there is a lot of room for restructuring in the future. Kaepernick is only 28 years old and should have a lot of football left to play in his career. With 57 career starts, a pair of NFC Championship appearances, and one Super Bowl appearance, we know Kaepernick can handle the big stage.

Trade talks happen all the time, and there is no guarantee Kaepernick will be out of San Francisco next season, but he might be the Broncos best option at quarterback moving forward. Elway always has something up his sleeve, will it include a deal for Colin Kaepernick?