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As the Denver Broncos continues to wait for Peyton Manning to decide if he will sign with the team, they may have seen the door close on a potential trade partner for Tim Tebow.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne to back up 2010 No. 10 overall pick Blaine Gabbert. Tebow is from Jacksonville and the team’s new owner, Shahid Khan, has said he would have drafted Tebow in 2010 had he owned the team.

The Jaguars may not have any room for Tebow now. It would be surprise if there was much interest in him on the trade market elsewhere around the league. If Manning does sign, Tebow may have to be kept to season behind Manning.

In other AFC West news:

Oakland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has yet to hear from the Raiders. More than $17 million in salary and bonuses will kick in by the weekend if the Raiders don’t cut or restructure the deal. Odds are Wimbley will be cut, because there has been no communication. Wimbley is open to doing a new deal, but is not taking a pay cut.

Maybe the Raiders are resigned to keeping the strong pass-rusher, since they won’t get better by cutting him. Again, the odds are Wimbley will be cut, but Oakland’s silence makes one wonder what its plans are.

The agent for former Oakland guard Robert Gallery said the Seahawks will cut him. San Diego could be a possible destination if the Chargers want a veteran left guard and he conceivably could go back to Oakland if the Raiders want to move Stefen Wisniewski to center. Both teams could do a lot worse.

Weekend mail call:

James from Colorado wants to know what quarterbacks could replace Tim Tebow as the Broncos’ starting quarterback without fan scrutiny.

Bill Williamson: Of the quarterback available this year, I think it is small group. I think there’s Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III and that’s it. Luck and Griffin are out of the picture. Yet, the Broncos are trying aggressively to make Manning Tebow's successor. I think would be accepted, even by Tebow’s most ardent supporters. They would have to understand. Any other of the available quarterbacks would likely invoke some sort of backlash.

James from Azusa, Calif., wants to know if the Raiders could sign a backup quarterback.

BW: Kyle Boller was connected to former coach Hue Jackson. I think the Raiders will look to move on. There is a chance Terrelle Pryor could become the No. 2 quarterback. Still, I would expect a veteran to come in to produce competition for Pryor. There are several backups available. If new Oakland coach Dennis Allen liked what he saw of Brady Quinn in practice when both were in Denver last year, the Raiders could be interested.

Tyler from Denver wants to know if there is any way Jacksonville would trade the No. 7 pick to the Broncos for Tebow.

BW: New Jacksonville owner Shahid Khan has said he would have drafted Tebow, who is from Jacksonville. Tebow would surely sell tickets and he would be a shot in the arm for the struggling franchise. But the Jaguars just drafted Blaine Gabbert with the No. 10 pick last season. If would be very surprising to see the Jaguars give up the No. 7 pick for Tebow. If they were interested, I’m sure it is something the Broncos would be willing to do, especially if they land Manning.

New Jacksonville owner Shahid Khan caused a stir when he said he would have drafted Tim Tebow in 2010.

Khan later clarified that he wouldn’t have taken Tebow -- who is from Jacksonville -- with the No. 10 spot, but in a trade down. Denver took Tebow with the No. 25 pick.

Khan said it would have been a natural fit for Tebow to play in his hometown. One has to wonder if he will ever try to bring Tebow to Jacksonville. It is now in his power.

The Broncos said Tebow is their starter going into training camp. But if Khan really wanted Tebow, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Broncos were willing to listen. It would be difficult for the Jaguars to make any deal for a quarterback now since they took Blaine Gabbert in the first round last year. Gabbert was not good as a rookie, but the Jaguars have a lot tied into him.

Still, because of Khan’s words, we all know how much he’d like to see Tebow in a Jaguars’ uniform.

If the Oakland Raiders or Denver Broncos want one of the top-rated quarterbacks, they may want to move quickly.

Auburn’s Cam Newton (No. 1, Carolina), Washington’s Jake Locker (No. 8, Tennessee), Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert (No. 10, Jacksonville) and Florida State’s Christian Ponder (No. 12, Minnesota) all went in the first round.

Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, TCU’s Andy Dalton and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick should all go in the second round. The Raiders and Broncos (although I don’t expect it), could take one of these players. The Broncos have visited with all three. Denver has the No. 36 and No. 46 picks in the second round. Oakland has the No. 48 pick.

Buffalo (No. 34), Cincinnati (No. 35), Arizona (No. 38), Washington (No. 41) and San Francisco (No. 45) could all take a quarterback.

Here’s a name to consider in the third-through-fifth rounds: Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi. Denver and Kansas City are among the teams that like him.

Weekend mail call:

Daniel from Bremerton, Wash., wants to know if the Chargers draft a pass-rushing linebacker, does that mean they are giving up on 2009 No. 1 pick Larry English?

Bill Williamson: It wouldn’t be a complete signal that the team is giving up on English. But it would certainly put English on notice. English has been hampered by injuries and has done little in two NFL seasons. Had English (the No. 16 overall pick in 2009) been productive in his first two NFL seasons, the Chargers likely would look elsewhere in the first round. English’s early inability to make an impact has forced the Chargers to look for more pass-rush help. If he doesn’t develop quickly, English could be on the outside looking in in San Diego.

Brian Piazzi from Chicago wants to know what the odds are of Arizona moving up from No. 5 to No. 2 to take a quarterback.

BW: Denver would love to move down to the No. 5-8 range and take a defensive player and pick up other premium picks. The only way this happens is if the Panthers take a quarterback at No. 1 and the Cardinals think they must move get past Buffalo at No. 3 to ensure they get someone like Blaine Gabbert. It’s feasible, but the only question will Arizona be willing to give Denver a huge package to move up three spots?

Robbie from Santa Barbara wants to know if I think 2010 Oakland fourth-round pick Bruce Campbell will live up to his potential.

BW: I think the guard will get the opportunity to prove himself this year. Oakland will have at least one opening at guard; the athletic Campbell will get a chance. He is still a project, but the team is excited about his long-term chances.

In a conference call with Denver Broncos' season-ticket holders, team executive John Elway was asked which quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft reminds him most of himself.

Good question, season-ticket holder.

The legendary quarterback’s answer? Washington quarterback Jake Locker.

“Jake Locker, if you talk about height, weight and speed, he’s probably the closest to me,” Elway said. “We’re the same height, he’s faster, probably, and heavier than I was, but when you think about play style, Jake Locker is probably the closest even though [Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick] are all very mobile themselves, too.”

Elway and the Broncos have looked at all of the top quarterback prospects. There is a school of thought Denver could draft a quarterback in the second round. Locker will likely be taken late in the first round or early in the second.

While Elway gave Locker a huge compliment, Denver coach John Fox compared LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson to a Hall of Famer he coached: Rod Woodson, who is now an assistant in Oakland.

"I'll be honest with you, I had Rod Woodson, Gil Byrd, I've had some pretty good guys. I've never seen anything like [Peterson], with that size, that speed,” Fox told the Denver Post. “I don't think there's been a 219-pound guy run a 4.3. He's a special talent. That's the way the game (has) changed, he's about the same height as Rod, but 219 pounds and ran 4.3.”

Peterson could be a top-five pick; Denver could take him, especially if the team slides down a few spots from No. 2.

In other AFC West-related nuggets on Friday afternoon:

The San Diego Union-Tribune looks at the defensive ends the Chargers could consider with the No. 18 pick.

A Bay Area columnist thinks new Oakland coach Hue Jackson is consumed by kissing up to Oakland owner Al Davis. Tom Cable publicly did the same thing. It didn’t work for him. My advice to Jackson: Just Win, Baby.

The Kansas City Star looks at the Chiefs’ need for a No. 2 receiver.

ESPN analyst Jon Gruden conducted a lively conference call with media members Tuesday to address the upcoming draft.

Several of the topics Gruden broached involve the AFC West and this draft. Among the topics he addressed were the quarterbacks in the draft (each team in the division could take a quarterback), the top pass-rushers available and the defensive tackles Denver may choose from at No. 2.

Let’s take a look:

Was there one guy you sat down going into the QB camp that you came away really impressed by or you may not have thought as much of until you sat down with him and broke down the film with him?

GRUDEN: You know these five guys that we had in, three of them are juniors: (Cam) Newton, (Blaine) Gabbert and (Ryan) Mallett. They're all underclassmen. Cam Newton with 14 career starts, the thing that impressed me, not only his physical attributes and his size, but his charisma. I think his eagerness to learn and prove that he can adapt to a pro style on offense. He showed very good retention to me in the meetings and the material that we covered. I just like the look in his eyes, the eagerness and feeling that he has a lot to prove to everybody including himself. I think Newton impressed me the most in that regard.

When you look at Andy Dalton, you see him evolving into what long term? Is he best for a West Coast offense, or could you see him becoming a starter in any style of offense?


GRUDEN: I think Andy Dalton can play in any offense. I think when you become a pro quarterback and play in the National Football League, as the hash marks change, the field becomes more available. When you're on a college hash mark and you're throwing the ball to the wide side of the field, that's almost an impossible task for anyone. So I think putting the ball in the middle of the field favors Andy Dalton. I've seen him be an accurate passer down the field. I've seen him manage a high volume offense with great success at TCU. He's got four years of production. And if you look at Texas Christian football, who would have thought they'd be 13-0 and Rose Bowl champions? I really think Andy Dalton can fit any offense. But the more you put on him above the neck mentally to make decisions and play the game with his heady nature, I think the better Andy Dalton's going to be. He's an outstanding, well versed quarterback that I think will fit a lot of schemes.

Wanted your take on Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, and whether it's harder to project him because he's playing in the pistol and against WAC competition?

GRUDEN: Well, the pistol does make it tough, but you can't deny production. No one's thrown for 10,000 yards and rushed for over 4,000. I wanted to see Randall Cunningham when I picked up the film. This guy's got a fastball and he can really throw it. He's a Chicago Cub draft selection. I mean, he threw the football 60 miles an hour in Indianapolis. But the pistol offense is hard to really define what kind of pure passer he is. I watched him in the Senior Bowl, the workouts. I think he showed some improvement going underneath the center. But I do think you're getting a double threat. You're getting a guy that has a contagious, charismatic personality -- a guy that really wants to compete. You're getting an exciting prospect. Might take him some time, but you're getting a guy that can run and pass, just needs some development and needs to make the transition to the next level.

Talk a little bit about premium placed on pass-rushers and cornerbacks. Every year it seems more and more, and how does that match up with the strength of this particular draft?

GRUDEN: There is a premium on pass rush. You don't want to have to blitz five, six, seven guys to get there. You want to be able to get there with four, if you can for sure, and use seven men in coverage. Play two deep, five under, three deep, four under. Mix your coverages up. Don't telegraph to these quarterbacks what you're playing, but you have to put pressure on these quarterbacks. Defensive ends are a premium in this draft. I think this is an outstanding class of defensive end. There are some good defensive tackles. But Bowers, providing his knee is healthy, and Robert Quinn at North Carolina, Aldon Smith is special at Missouri. I think J.J. Watt is a physical guy coming off the edge, like Ryan Kerrigan at Purdue. Adrian Clayborn has some excellent tape. There are a number of good pass rushers in this draft. I think if you look at Nick Fairley, you're seeing one of the best inside pass rushers from a tackle position. So this is the strength of the draft. You throw in guys like Von Miller, who is a Derrick Thomas size speed guy coming off the corner. There are some guys that can provide pressure quickly, and I think that is the strength of this draft.

Cam Newton is visiting the Broncos today, and of course they have Tim Tebow. You had them both in your camp in the last two years. Is it true that Cam is superior with the throwing mechanics and a better athlete because he's faster, but Tebow is far better in the intangibles? That's what I'm getting as everyone talks about these guys.

GRUDEN: Well, Tebow's body of work was much more extensive than Cam's. Cam Newton has come from nowhere. I was watching film with Cam Newton. I showed Cam Newton throwing a pass for the Florida Gators against the Hawaii Rainbows two years ago. Cam Newton has exploded on to the scene out of nowhere and threw in 14 games. Whereas, Tebow was a Heisman Trophy winner [as a sophomore], came back for his senior year, and part of two national championship teams. They're different guys. One's a left handed guy with different mechanics. And Newton is a work in progress in his own right. But they are similar from the standpoint that they both physically dominated college football. I think there are some interesting intangibles with Newton also. You're getting a guy that you can build a very unique offense around. I hear the elevator music. I don't know what is reality. I just got to spend a day and a half with Cam. I was impressed with him. I know people that have had him in for individual meetings. They like his retention. They like his attention to detail. There are some similarities in that they're physical status type guys. I'd like to have either one of them.

On D tackle, Marcell Dareus seems to be rated higher than Nick Fairley coming into this draft, and Fairley's getting this criticism on work ethic and technique. But production wise, Fairley about doubled Dareus this past year. Your thoughts on those two guys?

GRUDEN: Well, Dareus, if you watch Darius play two years ago, his film is even better than it was this year. He got hurt in the Arkansas game. That ankle lingered throughout the season. He missed the opening game because of a rules violation. But I think Dareus is a different player than Fairley. Dareus is a three position player in a 3-4 front. He can play nose, either defensive end. He is legitimate, sheer power. This is a power player. He is rare. You've seen the physical nature this guy's put together with a rare combination of explosive physical play, and a guy that's well versed under Nick Saban. Fairley is an under tackle. He's the guy that reminds me of Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings. He's a one gap penetrator and a premier pass rusher in his draft, if you ask me. A lot of the sacks and hits he put on quarterback were not by accident. He, again, has one year of production, really. I think he's on the rise. I think he's getting better. I think Coach Rocker at Auburn did an excellent job with Fairley developing him.

Christian Ponder at Florida State, have you gotten to spend much time with him? Have you broken down his film? What do you think of him as a quarterback and as a person?

GRUDEN: I have not had a chance to individually work Christian Ponder out. I have had a chance to study his tape. Here's a guy that is a three-year starter. He's won 22 games at Florida State, Senior Bowl MVP. He's already graduated. There are a lot of upsides here. He's had some injuries, which are the big concern. He's a great leader. Two-time team captain of the Seminoles. Two years ago he threw for almost 70 percent. I think the injuries got to him a little bit this year. But you see a couple tremendous throws in the Florida game. One, a red zone post where you see the anticipation, the accuracy, the toughness in the pocket. There are a lot of guys I know that that like this guy because he's got the aptitude to learn. He's got the leadership traits that you want, and he's got a lot of playing experience. And Jimbo Fisher does some good things on offense. But I think he's an accurate, intermediate passer. People want to see him push the ball maybe a little more down the field. Like to see a little more arm strength. But I think those things will develop and come to Ponder when he gets healthy and continues to physically get stronger. He's a very good collegian. He's got good enough size, good enough mobility, and he's won a lot of games and shown tremendous toughness for the Seminoles.

The New York Times is reporting that the city of Oakland could save money if the lockout cancels the NFL season. This is a unique situation because of a one-sided lease the Raiders have with the city.

“Because it costs us so much to put on the games, this is not going to be much of a loss for us,” said Deena McClain, interim director of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, which owns the Raiders’ home stadium. “It’s probably a net gain.”

The Raiders reportedly pay $525,000 a year in rent, which is extremely low. The Raiders are reportedly not in charge of all stadium maintenance and game-day operating costs, either. The team has a great deal. But it does put a strain on the city, which like many California cities, is not in great financial shape.

Still, as this article points out, a lost season could help with stadium costs, but the city would lose money generated from fans who travel to the city for home games.

In other AFC West nuggets Tuesday afternoon:

The Kansas City Star rewinds the Chiefs’ 2009 draft.

Denver owner Pat Bowlen and Kansas City linebacker Mike Vrabel are attending Tuesday’s mediation session in Minnesota.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is scheduled to visit Denver Tuesday and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert is expected to visit Denver on Wednesday. These visits have long been planned. Still, it would be an upset if Denver uses the No. 2 pick on a quarterback.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper looks at the overrated and underrated players in the draft.

With the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders all working out quarterbacks prior to the draft, there is a strong possibility a quarterback could be drafted into the AFC West.

San Diego could also draft a quarterback at some point as insurance if No. 2 quarterback Billy Volek leaves during free agency.

Please pick a quarterback prospect that you would most like to see end up in the division. Your choices are TCU’s Andy Dalton, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, Washington’s Jake Locker, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Florida State’s Christian Ponder.

All of those prospects could be gone by the end of the second round. We didn’t include the two top quarterback prospects – Auburn’s Cam Newton and Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert – because we don’t see an AFC West team making the commitment it would take to land either player.

Fill up the comment section below with the reason why you’re voting the way you did.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Washington Redskins are trying to move up and get a quarterback.

The Denver Broncos are willing to listen to offers for their No. 2 pick. The Redskins have the No. 10 pick. The two quarterbacks who are expected to be taken before No. 10 are Auburn’s Cam Newton and Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert.

It is natural to think the John Elway and the Broncos and the Redskins and former Denver coach Mike Shanahan could be trading partners.

However, there are some obstacles to that pairing. It’s been widely believed that the Broncos would prefer to trade down no further than No. 8 to ensure they get a top defensive player.

Also, the Redskins could have difficulty moving all the way up to No. 2. According to the NFL draft trade value chart, the No. 2 pick is worth 2,600 points and the Redskins’ first two picks – No. 10 and No. 41 – would leave the Redskins about 800 points too shy. The Redskins don’t have a third or fourth-round pick. So, the Redskins would likely have to add their first-round pick in 2012 to the mix and hope Denver would be happy with it. The Broncos want help now and I think they could get a better package from Arizona (which picks No. 5) or Tennessee (No. 8) if those teams want to move up.

In a conference call this week, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay added credence to the importance of landing Newton or Gabbert for the quarterback-hungry teams.

“There are a lot of good quarterbacks in this class but not many great ones,” McShay said. “I think when you start to look at it, there’s Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, then there’s a drop off. Then it’s kind of ‘pick your poison.’”

Meanwhile, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and current NFL analyst Phil Simms believes in Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.

The Tim Tebow debate rages on one year after he was the most dissected prospect in the 2010 NFL draft.

Last year, the Denver Broncos shocked the NFL by taking Tebow with the No. 25 overall pick. Now, it is the Broncos who are considering Tebow’s future.

The Broncos are working out or visiting with several of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. Legendary Denver quarterback and new Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway has said Denver’s interest in quarterbacks is not a smokescreen to confuse other teams. Yet Elway also said the team’s interest in quarterbacks doesn’t mean the team is not sold on Tebow. Elway insists the Broncos simply don’t want to bypass a franchise quarterback if he’s available.

Earlier this week, ESPN’s John Clayton said he thinks Elway might take a quarterback in the second round and admit that the Tebow pick -- which was made by former Denver coach Josh McDaniels -- was a mistake. With Tebow’s future perhaps unclear again, we polled several draft experts and experienced NFL scouts about what they think Denver should do and how Tebow stacks up against the better quarterback prospects of 2011.

Tebow remains a polarizing figure. The experts are divided. Some think Tebow is a born leader. Others wouldn’t touch him because of an unrefined throwing motion.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper still has a difficult time grading Tebow because he doesn’t think he can be a pro-style quarterback. Kiper thinks Tebow would likely be a fourth-round pick in 2011. Former NFL scout Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. thinks Tebow is the answer in Denver because he projects better to the NFL than Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, who could be the No. 1 overall pick by Carolina. Horton said it would be “ridiculous” and Denver would be “absolutely crazy” to draft Newton or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert at No. 2 and ignore its massive defensive needs after drafting a quarterback in the first round last year.

The other quarterbacks who could be taken in the first three rounds are Washington’s Jake Locker, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, TCU’s Andy Dalton, Florida State’s Christian Ponder, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi. Kiper and Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson and Steve Muench think most of them are better NFL quarterback prospects than Tebow.

“Tim Tebow is interesting because so many people have different opinions about him,” Muench said. “That’s what Denver is probably trying to figure out right now. In a lot of ways, I’d say there are a lot better options than Tebow, but then, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tim Tebow succeeds because of what kind of person and leader he is. … It’s not easy.”

Muench said Scouts Inc. had Tebow rated as a late second-round or an early third-round prospect last year. He was the fourth-rated quarterback on Scouts Inc.’s list behind Sam Bradford (who went to St. Louis at No. 1), Jimmy Clausen (No. 47, Carolina) and Colt McCoy (No. 85, Cleveland). Muench said this year’s quarterback class is much better than the 2010 class. Thus, he thinks Tebow would be a fourth-round prospect, and a similar prospect to Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor. Some teams think Taylor is best-suited for another position. Last year, Kiper looked at Tebow as an H-back prospect (and perhaps some teams did, as well). Kiper’s thoughts haven’t changed.

“I don’t think many teams would look at him in the second or third rounds,” Kiper said. “He’s not up there with Newton and Gabbert, then he’d be behind second-level guys like Andy Dalton. Ponder is moving like crazy. … I think Tebow would certainly be the fourth or fifth, sixth or seventh quarterback on teams' boards.”

Still, Horton would rather have Tebow than Newton, who’ll certainly be a top-12 pick.

“There are football questions about Tebow, but there’s also football questions about Newton,” Horton said. “There are no intangible questions about Tebow. But there are intangibles questions about Newton."

Horton thinks Denver should either let veteran quarterback Kyle Orton start the season and replace him with Tebow when the season goes south or go with Tebow to start the season. Horton reasons that quarterbacks emerge as top draft prospects every year and there will be plenty of options next year if Tebow fails, perhaps even Stanford gem Andrew Luck.

“If it doesn’t work with Tebow, well, then you move on, but you have to see what he can do,” Horton said. “Tebow was drafted as a developmental guy. Don’t run out of patience with him before he gets a chance to develop.”

Williamson said he never thought it was a good idea for Denver to draft Tebow and he would support Elway’s decision to pull the plug now. He thinks there are several second-round type prospects who would be better options than Tebow in Denver.

“I would certainly rather have Gabbert, Newton and Ponder over Tebow, in that order. And there could be an argument made for the others,” Williamson said. “I would take Mallett for sure over [Tebow]. Tebow and Locker are similar -- big, strong guys with suspect accuracy/passing skills, but Locker is further along coming out of school than Tebow.”

However, former Carolina and St. Louis draft executive Tony Softli said he had Tebow ranked as a low second-round pick last year when Softli was with the Rams. He said he wouldn’t draft a quarterback this year. He believes in Tebow. Softli raved about Tebow’s leadership ability, his history as a winner and his intelligence. Softli said Tebow, Matt Ryan, Bradford and Josh Freeman were the brightest quarterback prospects he’s seen in the past 10 years when it came to working on the grease board and breaking down the game.

“I understand why Denver is looking at quarterbacks -- they’re doing their homework and that’s smart -- but I think Tebow is going to be the guy,” Softli said. “I think the Broncos should forget about his throwing motion and just let him be who he is. His intangibles are off the charts. When it’s Tebow time, he’ll show he’s the answer.”

It’s clear. The Tebow debate is not over.

The AFC West may be adding a rookie quarterback or two in the April 28-30 draft.

In case it happens, we’ll get an opportunity to preview some of the prospects on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” Jon Gruden’s QB Camp will return this year. It will air April 21 at 7 p.m. ET.

Gruden will break down the games of Auburn’s Cam Newton, Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, Washington’s Jake Locker, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and TCU’s Andy Dalton. Last year’s version was very entertaining as Gruden didn’t hold back punches with the quarterback prospects. Viewers got a good sense of each quarterback’s game.

Gruden is doing what at least half of the AFC West teams have been doing this spring. Denver has worked out or met with all of the above mentioned quarterbacks, plus others. Kansas City has talked to Dalton and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick. There haven’t been any reports that Oakland has met with any quarterback prospects, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Raiders drafted a quarterback.

Neither Mel Kiper nor Todd McShay had a quarterback going to AFC West teams in their three-round mock drafts, which were released an Insider pieces Wednesday. McShay expects quarterbacks to go faster than Kiper does. McShay has seven quarterbacks – the above mentioned six and Florida State’s Christian Ponder -- going in the first 41 picks. Kiper has those seven quarterbacks going in the first 75 picks.

John Clayton made an intriguing call in his mailbag on ESPN.com.

He is getting the feeling that new Denver Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway might draft a quarterback early in the draft and begin to move away from Tim Tebow.

This is part of what Clayton wrote:

I'm starting to think Elway might take a QB in the second round and call the Tebow selection a mistake. That interest creates tantalizing possibilities on draft day and thereafter. Thinking that Cam Newton can go No. 1 to Carolina, the Broncos could entice a team such as Tennessee to trade up to the No. 2 spot to get Blaine Gabbert. The Broncos could then take a quarterback in the second round and eventually trade [Kyle] Orton for a second-round pick in 2012.

The Broncos are looking at all of the top quarterbacks. Among the quarterbacks they could look at in the second round include Washington’s Jake Locker, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, Florida State’s Christian Ponder, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and TCU’s Andy Dalton.

Elway said last week that the team’s interest in quarterbacks is not a smokescreen. I don’t think it is. The Broncos are spending too much time on quarterbacks simply in the name of espionage. Plus, what’s the point of trying to fool other teams when it comes to second-round prospects?

If Denver does take a quarterback in the second round, it would certainly be a major indictment on Tebow’s future in Denver. I’d still be surprised if Tebow doesn’t get a chance to prove he can be the guy in Denver. It’s within Elway’s right to make that call now.

He inherited Tebow. If Elway wants to call Tebow’s selection at No. 25 a mistake by former coach Josh McDaniels and move on, that’s reasonable. Elway is the boss. It’s his call.

If Denver does take a quarterback in the second round, it would be the story of the second night of the draft and could be the beginning of the end of the three-game Tebow era in Denver.

There wasn't a debate in the Carolina Panthers’ draft room in 2002.

The Panthers’ brain trust was certain it had identified the player who best fit their needs. All they had to do was wait to see what direction the one team in front of them would take.

“It was stressful because we knew what we wanted, but we still had to wait,” former Panthers executive Tony Softli said. “At No. 2, you can almost control what you want to do, but not totally.”

Softli and the rest of the Carolina brass were overjoyed when the Houston Texans used the No. 1 pick to take quarterback David Carr. That left the Panthers to take their top choice, and they grabbed defensive end Julius Peppers. They survived their short wait.

That was John Fox’s first year as the Panthers’ coach. That experience of having the No. 2 pick ended happily for Fox. Will it happen again? In his first season as the Denver Broncos’ coach, Fox also has the No. 2 pick.

“Knowing John, he’ll want defense,” Softli said. “We’ll see what happens with picking at No. 2 again.”

The Broncos have been busy this offseason studying players at several positions in their attempt to get it right at No. 2. The only team in Denver’s way is Carolina, which has the No. 1 pick. No matter what the Panthers do with the No. 1 pick, the Broncos know they must get this pick right. The Broncos were 4-12 in 2010 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2005. They need an infusion of talent.

“We know that the key thing is -- and we have talked about the fact that we have to be good in the draft -- we cannot miss in the draft, especially with where we are,” said John Elway, the Broncos' new vice president of football operations. “We have to be dead on. … We cannot miss in the draft. We have to be good there.”

Added Fox: "There'll be a player there who's worth that pick in this draft. Some years you don't want to be there, but there's a lot of players there in this draft.”

Softli knows plenty about picking at No. 2. In addition to being in Carolina in 2002, Softli was an executive with the St. Louis Rams in 2008 and 2009 when they had the No. 2 pick.

“Picking No. 2 is a great place to be if there are multiple players to pick from at the spot,” Softli said. “This is a good year to be at No. 2. There are a number of high-quality players. Denver can’t go wrong.”

Softli said it will help the Broncos that there is a chance the Panthers will take a quarterback at No. 1. The Panthers have been linked to Auburn’s Cam Newton and Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert.

The Broncos finished last in the NFL in total defense and points allowed. The draft is stacked with top defensive prospects. If the Panthers take a quarterback, Denver would have its pick of any defensive player on the board.

“I think a great spot to be in is No. 2 and not need a quarterback if there is a top quarterback available,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “The stud quarterback is going No. 1. If you pick No. 2 and you really need a quarterback, you probably aren’t going to get him. But otherwise, it’s a solid place to be.”

There haven’t been many quarterbacks taken at No. 2 in recent history. Since 1990, only three quarterbacks have been taken with the No. 2 pick. Each time, a quarterback was taken No. 1. The last time it has happened was 1999, when Philadelphia took Donovan McNabb at No. 2 after Cleveland took Tim Couch No. 1. In the same time span, a quarterback has been picked at No. 1 12 times.

“Usually, there aren’t two quarterbacks worthy of the first two picks,” Softli said. “So, the presence of a quarterback can really make a difference between one and two. If you pick No. 1 and you need a quarterback, you usually take one. That can help the team picking No. 2.”

While the failures of the team picking No. 1 are most remembered, success at No. 2 has been far from guaranteed. There have been epic failures at No. 2 in the past 20 years. Ryan Leaf, taken by the Chargers in 1998, is considered one of the greatest draft busts in NFL history. The Colts took Peyton Manning at No. 1 that year. Other major busts since 1990 at No. 2 include Jets running back Blair Thomas (1990), Seattle quarterback Rick Mirer (1993, taken after New England drafted Drew Bledsoe) and Detroit receiver Charles Rogers (2003).

There have been plenty of draft hits at No. 2 in the time span. Some of the solid picks in that spot include running back Marshall Faulk (Colts, 1994), McNabb, Peppers, receiver Calvin Johnson (Lions, 2007) and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (Lions, 2010).

Softli was with the Rams last year when they picked No. 1. Softli said he feels there is nearly as much pressure drafting No. 2 as there is at No. 1.

“It’s almost as hard,” Softli said. “I know everyone concentrates on the No. 1 pick, but an owner will look at you funny if you mess up the No. 2 pick, too.”

There have been reports Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers -- who Denver could take with the No. 2 overall pick -- is dealing with a problematic knee that won’t heal after a January arthroscopic surgery.

However, his agent, Joe Flanagan, emailed ESPN.com to say Bowers is healthy and he will perform all drills at his pro day next week.

"Bottom line: Da’Quan's knee has progressed ahead of schedule, in every regard, since the day he walked out of his procedure," Flanagan wrote. "There have been no 'setbacks' or 'new concerns,' and Da’Quan is very much looking forward to his workout on April 1."

Bowers is set to visit Denver in April. Bowers can end the negative talk about his health with a strong pro day and by passing physicals with teams prior to the draft.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s Denver visit will be April 18. Denver will visit with several top quarterback prospects, including Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. The reserved Gabbert is profiled in this ESPN.com piece.