The quarterback names my change, but Denver general manager John Elway's philosophy remains the same: the Broncos aren't going to overpay for a quarterback.

Talks with free-agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick have stalled because the Broncos aren't willing to acquiesce to his asking price, according to ESPN.

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"The Broncos have reached out to free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick's representatives, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, though Denver currently is unwilling to pay the salary that the quarterback is seeking," ESPN reported.

"The Broncos and Fitzpatrick could revisit those talks down the line, but for now, Denver will monitor Fitzpatrick's situation while continuing its attempt to bring in another quarterback to compete with Mark Sanchez, sources said."

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Denver now basically has refused the contract demands of three quarterbacks this offseason - Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler and now Fitzpatrick. The reported holdup between the Broncos and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick is the 49ers' asking price. They want Denver's second-round draft selection, and Denver is offering its third.

The irony is that Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Broncos during his NFL career, is downplaying the importance of quarterbacks.

Perhaps, his career has served as the basis for his beliefs as an executive. When Elway was the focal point of the offense, Denver kept coming up short in its quest for a Super Bowl victory. When the Broncos supplied a strong running game around Elway and improved their defense, Elway won a pair of Super Bowls.

And to be fair to Elway, it isn't as if he's refusing to pay a quarterback with the resume of a Tom Brady or 2012 Peyton Manning. None of the quarterback the Broncos have dealt with have proven themselves to be in an elite class.

As for Manning, Elway saw him break records for the Broncos and the team still fall short of the Super Bowl. When Manning only was able to offer caretaker talent to the offense, Denver's built-up defense won Super Bowl 50 for Elway.

So don't expect the Broncos' next quarterback to command the same money that Osweiler got in moving on to the Houston Texans.

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