It’s time to start dreaming about 2018.
And who the Broncos’ next quarterback will be.
I penned out my wish list on Twitter Wednesday night, and with help from some smart fans, have made a few adjustments.
Let’s just dive in.
- Andrew Luck
- Kirk Cousins
- Drew Brees
- Alex Smith
- Tyrod Taylor
- Sam Darnold
- Josh Rosen
- Josh Allen
- Baker Mayfield
A smart guy once told me the next time the Broncos play in a Super Bowl the man under center that night isn’t on this current roster. He’s right.
Brock Osweiler has played okay in his two starts, but let’s hope Osweiler cherishes that Super Bowl 50 ring, because that’s the only one he’ll ever have. He’s a borderline starter in this league the rest of his career – not an elite guy capable of winning it all.
Paxton Lynch is creeping closer to the dreaded “bust” label. His injury was called “minor” by Vance Joseph when it happened, and here we are more than 80 days later and he’s finally throwing the deep ball again. I can put on my tinfoil hat some other time, but if you don’t think this Lynch situation is bizarre then I’ll have some of whatever you’re having.
And Trevor Siemian should be cut.
When Joseph likely announces on Friday that Lynch is the new No. 2 QB and Siemian is No. 3, the question should be asked, “Well, why are you keeping him on the roster?”
NFL roster spots are valuable, and even though we all know the Broncos aren’t doing squat this season, shouldn’t John Elway at least pretend like he thinks the team can get hot and miraculously make the playoffs? Why carry a third quarterback when there are so many issues on the offensive line and at tight end? What am I missing here?
With it plain as day the Broncos need a new quarterback this offseason, Elway will have to pull another rabbit out of his hat like it’s 2012 all over again.
Luck, a fellow Stanford guy, should be target No. 1.
Colts owner Jim Irsay ran one future Hall of Famer out of town already in Peyton Manning, and he can absolutely do it again. Recently, Tony Dungy was caught with a hot mic on “The Dan Patrick Show” during what he thought was a break and said, “Jim Irsay made a comment about six weeks ago, ‘It’s inside his head now,’” referring to the injury that will keep Luck off the field in 2017.
Dungy has since denied he had a private conversation with Irsay about Luck, but his explanation is flimsy. As a guy who hosts a radio show, I understand you should always treat a mic like it’s hot. And I even break my own rule sometimes.
Could Elway pull off a miracle trade and land Luck this offseason? Of course. It’d be so very “Elway” to make it happen.
How’s Von Miller straight up for Luck sound? Miller’s a helluva dude and an absolute legend in this town, but he makes quarterback money and the Broncos don’t have a quarterback. It would be the biggest blockbuster trade in recent memory (maybe of all time), but leave it to No. 7 to pull that trigger.
If Luck’s not available, then Elway needs to try to land a proven veteran. Even with as bad as this defense has been the last two weeks, the championship window still hasn’t closed. Put a star quarterback under center, and this defense will start playing like itself again in 2018.
That list would include Cousins, Brees, Smith and Taylor, all guys who could be on the move for various reasons. It’s not exactly a guarantee they play for the Redskins, Saints, Chiefs and Bills, respectively, next season.
It’s not NFL Draft season yet, so there’s plenty of time to dissect who your favorite college quarterback is between now and April 26, but I was stunned how many folks suggested Baker Mayfield to me. Look, I know the kid is good (really good), but he hasn’t been grouped as a top tier option until recently. I’ll start paying more attention to Mayfield down the stretch, and maybe Elway should too.
The Broncos quarterback situation is broken, but this is why being a fan is fun. Because you get to dream.
Start dreaming about who’s under center in September of 2018.
It’s never too early in the holiday season to ask for a Christmas miracle.
