NFL Notes: Broncos, Browns, Packers, & Texans

Broncos

• While HC Gary Kubiak said that Peyton Manning‘s workout would be “big” today, Mike Garafolo mentions that there isn’t expected to be any announcements regarding Manning.

Browns

• Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer expects impending free agent C Alex Mack to test the open market in the coming months and have plenty of interest from other NFL teams.
• However, Pluto doesn’t rule out the possibility that the Browns could offer Mack a larger contract to be back in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
• One issue that could convince the Browns to offer him a big-money deal is the struggles of first-round OL Cameron Erving.
• Another free agent who is likely to have a decent amount of interest, according to Pluto, is RT Mitchell Schwartz.

Packers

Packers veteran OLB Julius Peppers said he’s feeling great and can see himself playing another.

“I feel great now,” Peppers said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “If I was making the decision today, yeah, of course I can play another year. But we’ll see. We’ll see when the time comes.

Demovsky points out that Peppers is under contract for for less money ($8 million in salary and bonuses) next year than the Packers are paying him ($9.5 million) for the 2015 season.

Cutting Peppers would free up $5.5 million, but Demovsky seems to think Green Bay would prefer to keep him around.

Texans

• John McClain reports that the Texans will, in fact, be starting Brandon Weeden in Week 16’s game against the Titans.
• Ian Rapoport adds that Brian Hoyer still has yet to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol, but he also hasn’t been ruled out of Sunday’s game either.