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Peyton Manning answered one question, choosing to play quarterback for the Broncos next season, multiple sources told ESPN.

But here's another one: Whom are you going to throw the ball to, Peyton? Some might answer Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace.

As I speculated earlier this morning, the one team I would watch going after Wallace is the Broncos. They have the cap room ($40 million before the Manning signing), the late first-round pick (25th overall) and the need for a dependable wide receiver.

The Broncos have a promising playmaker in Demaryius Thomas if he stays healthy, and they can always bring along a Manning favorite in tight end Dallas Clark. But look at the other options -- Eric Decker and Matt Willis -- and you can see why the Broncos might be tempted to go after Wallace. And, if you look at the wide receivers left -- Braylon Edwards, Ted Ginn and Early Doucet -- no one will make more of an impact than Wallace.

Of course, the Steelers have the chance to match any offer given to Wallace, a restricted free agent. The deadline to extend offer sheets is April 20.

Weekend mail call:

Jeff Roebuck from Wichita, Kan., wants to know if there is any way the Chiefs could package Dwayne Bowe in a deal to St. Louis in an attempt to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick.

Bill Williamson: It’s an interesting thought. I think the Kansas City Chiefs would love to get a chance to take Griffin, but they will have a hard time putting together a winning package. Teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins will all offer better trades. The Chiefs have the No. 11 pick in the draft and the three other teams all pick higher in the first round. Adding Bowe would sweeten the pot. Still, I’m not sure if a package of Bowe and the No. 11 pick would be enough. The Chiefs would likely have to add, at least, a future first-round pick to the mix. That’s a steep price.

Shaun Lee from San Clemente, Calif., wants to know if I think the Raiders could sign San Diego running back Mike Tolbert if they can’t sign Michael Bush.

BW: It is starting to look like Bush will probably get an offer to leave the Oakland Raiders. While I think Tolbert would be an attractive option for the Raiders if Bush leaves, he may be too expensive for a team that has bigger needs. I say Oakland fills the backup running back job with an in-house candidate.

Marilou from Anchorage, Alaska wants to know if the Broncos could sign Pittsburgh Mike Wallace in restricted free agency.

BW: There is a chance Wallace (who the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted with a pick acquired in a deal involving the Denver Broncos) could leave for the price of a first-round pick. He would be worth the No. 25 pick. But I think Wallace may be intrigued by other possibilities -- he has already mentioned New England and San Francisco as teams that may appeal to him. In the end, I don’t see this pairing happening.

In an Insider piece, Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. looks at the five best destinations for San Diego free agent receiver Vincent Jackson. In the end, though, Horton reasons that the best spot for Jackson is to stay in San Diego. That’s the scenario both Jackson and the Chargers want.

However, because there is a remote chance the Chargers will place the franchise tag on Jackson by Monday’s deadline, the more likely scenario is that the Chargers and Jackson will discuss a deal once he hits the open market. If the Chargers are in the same range of Jackson’s best offer, he will likely be inclined to stay in San Diego.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Titans are not expected to place the franchise tag on cornerback Cortland Finnegan. That is relevant to the AFC West for a couple of reasons. Finnegan will provide competition for Kansas City cornerback Brandon Carr on the open market. Finnegan will also likely attract the interest of the Broncos and the Raiders. Both teams are looking for cornerbacks, although Finnegan will be pricey on the open market.

Former Denver cornerback Perrish Cox was acquitted in a sexual assault trial Friday. I have been asked often Friday if I think the Broncos could re-sign him. I don’t see it. I think the Broncos have moved on. Perhaps Cox will get a chance elsewhere in the NFL, but I don’t expect it to be in Denver.

In a radio interview, San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers talks about the retirement of guard Kris Dielman, and how strange it was to recently work out with a division rival.

An Insider piece connects LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers to the Broncos. I think the Broncos would do back flips if Brockers was available at No. 25.

Former NFL coach Brian Billick looks at why he thinks the Chiefs are a good fit for Peyton Manning.

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that Peyton Manning has been throwing better. Manning could be cut by the Colts within the next six days since he's owed a $28 million roster bonus on March 8. If he becomes available, the Chiefs will monitor his progress.

The Football Outsiders believe San Diego free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson would be a perfect fit in Chicago to team up with former AFC West rival Jay Cutler.

Raiders running back Michael Bush is likely on the way out in free agency. One possible destination to keep an keep an eye on: Cincinnati. The Bengals are expected to pursue a running back.

The Steelers cut Chris Kemoeatu. He is a massive guard who could attract interest from the Chargers if they decide to go the free-agent route to replace the recently retired Kris Dielman. Kemoeatu has been injury-plagued and his level of play has gone down some. The Chargers may opt to give backup Tyronne Green a chance to start.

The Steelers have announced that they will release receiver Hines Ward. I don’t think there will be great AFC West interest in him, but I could see San Diego being interested in adding the reliable veteran on a short-term deal. Ward, who turns 36 on March 8, could be a nice third or fourth receiver for Philip Rivers. I’m not sure if the division's other three teams would be perfect fits at this point.

Ward said he plans to play in 2012. He has former Pittsburgh coach connections in Arizona, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, among other places.

In other AFC West news:

Alex Marvez thinks the Broncos and Chiefs could show interest in free-agent quarterback Chad Henne, who played for new Kansas City offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in Miami last season. Henne would present a strong challenge to both Tim Tebow in Denver and Matt Cassel in Kansas City.

Here is a transcript of Carson Palmer’s entire interview with SiriusXM Radio.

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that talks between the Colts and prospective free agent Robert Mathis are heating up. Mathis could be a target of the Chargers if he hits the open market.

Chargers guard Kris Dielman will formally announce his retirement at a press conference Thursday morning. He is leaving the game on physician's advice after suffering a serious concussion last October. Here are my thoughts on Dielman’s retirement.

Mid-week mail call:

Danny from Kansas City wants to know if I think the Chiefs could sign Miami quarterback Chad Henne in free agency.

Bill Williamson: I think he has to be considered one of the possibilities. The Chiefs have said Matt Cassel will get some competition. Among the possibilities mentioned have been re-signing Kyle Orton or signing former Oakland starter Jason Campbell. Henne is younger than those players, but he is less accomplished. Perhaps the Chiefs could like Henne as a backup to Cassel. He played for new Kansas City offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in Miami last year. However the Dolphins’ offense improved once Matt Moore took over for the injured Henne.

Adam N. from Topeka wants to know if I think the Broncos could sign Albert Haynesworth.

BW: I think Haynesworth is cooked. Yes, he’d potentially a fill a need in Denver but this is a guy who has been on four teams in the past four years and two teams in the past season. His skills are declining and he has been a character problem. I don’t think he’s worth signing.

John-Allen from San Diego wants to know if I think the Chargers could be a fit for Hines Ward if the Steelers cut the receiver.

BW: I’m usually not one for aging veterans (see above), but I kind of like this fit. Ward, who’ll turn 36 next month, doesn’t have much time left, but he is a wily veteran and he is a winner. He’d be a perfect one-season option for a team like San Diego. I think Philip Rivers would find a way to use Ward. If he becomes available, I think the Chargers could consider signing him.

The word is Oakland may be closing in on hiring Johnny Holland as linebackers coach. He was fired last year as the linebackers coach in Houston. He worked with Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie in Green Bay and he played at Texas A&M prior to new Oakland coach Dennis Allen playing there.

Former Kansas City defensive line coach Tim Krumrie is a candidate for the same job in Oakland.

UPDATE: The Raiders announced the hiring of Holland and announced former Ole Miss secondary coach Keith Burns will be the assistant special teams coach.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin spoke glowingly of Todd Haley when he introduced him as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator Thursday. There had been speculation Tomlin was forced by ownership to hire Haley.

Haley grew up in Pittsburgh and he is the son of legendary former Pittsburgh personnel man Dick Haley. The Chiefs fired Haley as their head coach in December.

Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs' brass said quarterback Matt Cassel will have competition for the starting job.

However, the team’s new offensive coordinator made it clear Tuesday that Cassel has a strong chance of remaining the starter. Cassel played for new Kansas City offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for his first two years of his career in New England.

"A have a lot of confidence in Matt Cassel. I've watched him on tape and I know the player,” said Daboll according to the team’s website.

These comments backup what I have thought. There may be some competition, but unless there is an unforeseen addition, Cassel is the player the Chiefs expected to be their starting quarterback in 2012.

Meanwhile, Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel said he wants quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn to stay on the staff. Zorn was bypassed for the offensive coordinator job when Crennel hired Daboll.

Meanwhile, the Steelers formally announced the hiring of Todd Haley as offensive coordinator. He was fired as Kansas City’s head coach in December.

Sans getting another head-coaching job, former Kansas City Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley couldn’t have bounced back any better than he has.

With it looking like he might sit out the 2012 season, Haley -- who was fired by Kansas City with three games left in the 2011 season -- was been hired to be the offensive coordinator by the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen confirmed the story.

Haley was a Steelers’ ball boy while growing up in Pittsburgh. His father, Dick Haley, is a legendary former Steelers’ personnel man. It has been reported that the Chiefs are not honoring the final year of Haley’s contract because they fired Haley with cause. The team has not commented on the report.

So, getting this job might not only help Haley financially, it gives him a chance to revive his career in his hometown.

The Steelers’ job was considered a prime job. Haley, who was Arizona’s offensive coordinator prior to being hired by the Chiefs in 2009, can potentially become a head-coaching candidate again if the Pittsburgh offense flourishes.

Haley is considered a strong quarterbacks coach, and he will have a good student in the form of Ben Roethlisberger. Haley has been known for yelling at players during games, so it will be interesting to see how an established quarterback like Roethlisberger will handle it if the situation arises.

The Chiefs play at Pittsburgh in 2012, which has a chance to be one of the more interesting weeks of the Chiefs’ season.

By the way, of the seven head coaches to be fired during or after the 2011 season, former Oakland coach Hue Jackson is the only one not to get a job elsewhere in the league as an assistant coach so far. NFL.com reported the Steelers talked to Jackson before offering the job to Haley.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ long journey for a new offensive coordinator took them back to one of the first names that popped up for the job.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Chiefs will hire Brian Daboll as coordinator of the potentially dangerous offense. Daboll, 36, was a finalist along with Kansas City quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn and Al Saunders, a former Kansas City offensive coordinator who was just replaced in Oakland.

Daboll emerged as an early candidate. He continues the New England Way in Kansas City. He was in New England with Kansas City general manger Scott Pioli and Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel during the last decade.

There were reports last month that the Chiefs were looking for a dynamic offensive coordinator and Schefter reported that former Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman, who ended up as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, was on the Chiefs' radar. While Daboll is considered a promising young coach, it would be inaccurate to describe his previous experience as an NFL offensive coordinator as dynamic.

He was the Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2009-2010 and he was Miami’s offensive coordinator in 2011. Those offenses struggled. However, Miami’s offense made strides in the second half of last season and running back Reggie Bush had his best NFL season under Daboll’s guidance.

Daboll has a reputation for being a hard-edged coach. He was particularly hard on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy when he was a rookie in 2010.

Daboll’s hiring may be a good sign for Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel. They worked together for two years in New England. Both Pioli and Crennel said this week that Cassel will face competition. It is not known yet if the team will bring in someone to legitimately push Cassel or not.

Daboll is inheriting a potentially strong offense. The team will get star running back Jamaal Charles back after he blew out his knee in Week 2. Promising tight end Tony Moeaki will be back after missing the entire season with a knee injury. The passing game has a chance to be very good, particularly if free agent Dwayne Bowe returns. So, there are plenty of pieces for Daboll to work with.

It will be interesting to see if Zorn stays or if the Chiefs bring in a new quarterbacks coach. The Kansas City Star reported that Zorn may quit if he didn’t get the promotion.

UPDATE: NFL.com reported Saturday that Zorn will stay in Kansas City unless the Steelers approach him for their offensive coordinator job. This decision should serve the Chiefs well. Zorn had a good relationship with the quarterbacks last year and keeping him will ensure continuity.

One of the biggest storylines of the Super Bowl week is that New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has a chance to all but secure a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The general consensus is if a quarterback wins a second Super Bowl, he is all but guaranteed to make it to Canton. For the most part, that is true. Then there is former Raiders’ quarterback Jim Plunkett.

Of the five quarterbacks who won the Super Bowl twice who are eligible for the Hall of Fame, four are in. Plunkett is not. The other quarterback who has won two Super Bowl rings is current Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The three Hall of Fame eligible quarterbacks who have won more than two Super Bowl rings have been inducted.

“False premise,” Plunkett said this week with a laugh. “If winning two makes you a shoo-in, well, that’s just not the case.”

Plunkett led the Raiders to wins in Super Bowls XV and XVIII. Yet, he is not in Canton. He is considered by many as a journeyman. But the truth is, he was a leader who willed his team to two titles. And it may never change. There hasn’t been a big recent push for Plunkett to get into the Hall of Fame. He has never been a finalist.

“I had my up and downs, I struggled early in my career,” said Plunkett, who noted he played during an era in which running the ball was at a bigger premium than it is now. “I was very fortunate to play on two very good teams."

Plunkett said he believes his Raiders’ coach, Tom Flores, should be in the Hall of Fame. Flores coached the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins. Like Flores, Plunkett, 64, may have hope. He could someday get in as a Senior Committee selection.

“I really don’t think about (not being in the hall of fame) too much,” Plunkett said. “My family and my friends do. I might get ticked off about it once in a while, but I don’t think about it every day.”

Perhaps the talk centering on Manning’s quest for a second ring will ignite talk amongst voters to revisit Plunkett’s candidacy.

The Steelers’ website reports that the team interviewed former Kansas City head coach Todd Haley for the offensive coordinator job. He was fired by the Chiefs last month. It has been reported that the team fired Haley for cause and is refusing to pay him the final year of his contract. The team declined comment on the report last week.

Haley has also talked to the Jets and Cardinals about a position. Haley would likely prefer the Steelers’ job. He is from Pittsburgh, and his father, Dick, was a legendary personnel man for the Steelers.

In other Kansas City news, the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Chiefs denied the Bears permission to talk to quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn about the same position. That is an indication Zorn will remain on the Chiefs’ staff.

In other AFC West news: San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers discussed being a finalist for the NFL Man of the Year. It will be awarded Saturday.

The nice play is over in the AFC West. It didn’t last long.

When Dennis Allen was hired to be the Oakland Raiders’ head coach last week, his former boss John Fox wished Allen well. And, now, Allen is on his own.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos have denied the Raiders permission to speak to linebackers coach Richard Smith for the Oakland defensive job.

Previously, Kansas City defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas and New Orleans defensive line coach Bill Johnson were dropped off as candidates. It’s not a surprise Fox denied Allen permission. He wants to keep as much stability on his defensive coaching staff as possible. It seems more and more teams are denying permission these days and it’s no shock this intra-division hard stance was made.

Potential coordinator candidates may now include former San Diego defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and San Francisco defensive backs coach Ed Donatell.

UPDATE: CSN Bay Area reports Oakland special teams coach John Fassel has reported to St. Louis. The Raiders have had one of the best special teams in the NFL in recent years. Fassel was a strong coach, but the talent remains for Oakland in this area.

Meanwhile, NFL.com is reporting that Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is considering pursuing former Kansas City coach Todd Haley as offensive coordinator.

That would be an interesting pairing. Haley is known for being high strung and vocal in his coaching. Tomlin is intense, but he’s not much of a screamer and a yeller. Also, Haley is known for getting on his players often during games. It would be interesting to see an established quarterback such as Ben Roethlisberger adjust to playing for Haley.

I’m sure Haley would love the job. He is from Pittsburgh and his father, Dick, is a former legendary Steelers’ personnel man.

New gig: Allen was hired as the Raiders’ head coach Tuesday night.

Previous job: He was the defensive coordinator in Denver for the past season.

Age: 39. Allen will be the NFL's youngest active head coach — six months younger than Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin.

Coaching history: From 2002-10, he was an assistant in Atlanta and New Orleans.

Playing history: He was a standout safety at Texas A&M and earned an invitation to Buffalo’s training camp in 1996.

Known for: He is an aggressive, smart coach who has seen several players develop under his guidance.

Did you know? New England coach Bill Belichick is the only other active NFL coach who was hired directly from a division rival. He was with the Jets prior to joining the Patriots in 2000.

It is fitting that Brian Dawkins’ final game could be played in Hawaii.


The Denver safety was named to the Pro Bowl on Thursday, replacing Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu because of an injury. It is Dawkins’ ninth Pro Bowl — tied with John Lynch for the second-most career Pro Bowl berths by a safety.

Expect Dawkins, 38, to try to play. He missed all but a quarter of Denver’s final five games because of a neck injury, but the injury has been improving steadily in the past few days. Dawkins, a potential Hall of Famer, wouldn’t have accepted the invitation if he wasn’t going to be cleared to play.

Dawkins told a Denver television station last weekend that he will consider retirement. He played the past three seasons with Denver and has been the team’s undisputed leader. Dawkins played well in 2011 when healthy, recording 51 tackles and three sacks.

Dawkins joins a strong Denver contingent — the team's most at the Pro Bowl since 2001 — for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu. Running back Willis McGahee and tackle Ryan Clady were named to the team as injury replacements. Cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and linebacker Von Miller are also representing the AFC West champions.