Never underestimate John Elway's ability to pull the rabbit out of a hat.Thirty years after he orchestrated "" to extinguish the most realistic hopes in Cleveland history, Elway is locking horns with the ' front office in a game of high-stakes quarterback poker.As unlikely as it might have seemed when took his job, is in the free-agency parlor game.NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported Thursday that Abdel Nader Jersey Kaepernick is to replace Peyton Manning and at quarterback -- and the are amenable to a trade.With the looming as a threat to swoop in, the are hedging their bets by contacting 's agent.The , meanwhile, are lurking on the periphery of this three-team quarterback parlay, prepared to on a trade if .Conventional wisdom suggests Elway has painted himself into a corner, leading just the second team in NFL history (2001 ) to win a and enter the following season without its top two quarterbacks.Can he outbid the while also satisfying the demands of the and Kaepernick?Elway worked his way out of a much bleaker corner a half-decade ago . He not only landed the biggest free-agency fish of the 21st century (Manning) while drafting a valuable second-round insurance policy (Osweiler), but also checkmated billboard-wielding acolytes at the climax of Tebowmania.For his next magic trick, he'll have to lure Kaepernick to Denver, jumpstart his and propel him back to the .Here's what else we learned on Thursday:As if the quarterback conundrum wasn't puzzling enough, Elway finds himself in a bidding war for running back after the signed the restricted free agent to a on Thursday. It's fair to wonder if the might have avoided this backfield predicament by simply shelling out the extra $882,000 to with a second-round price tag.While Elway is forced to work out of a jam, that his late-season benching drove his decision to leave Denver for Houston. Although Osweiler said it was "the most difficult decision of my life," he believes strongly that the give him "the best opportunity to be succe sful" going forward.In other quarterback news, coach Doug Pederson left no doubt that will enter the offseason program as . "That means he ," Pederson told NFL Media's Albert Breer. "He's earned that position."Although Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman both laughed off the notion that Bradford might be placed on the trade block, it's fair to question the length of his leash after the paid to .Two years ago, owner Mark Davis warned that there were for general manager Reggie McKenzie, who had proven capable of roster "deconstruction" but not "reconstruction." Thanks to a strong 2014 draft that yielded young franchise quarterback and Defensive Player of the Year candidate , McKenzie has built a foundation that is finally luring quality young talent on the open market.After signing the top offensive lineman available () and a bookend edge rusher () to pair with Mack, McKenzie from the rival . Will the upheaval in Denver give Oakland a chance to pry the AFC West title away as early as 2016? Deonte Burton Jersey