This is the NFL offseason, the time between OTAs and training camp, when players flee to exotic landscapes for one last vacation before the hard work continues, and when fans hope and pray they don’t see their favorite player’s name and “arrested” in the same sentence.
We often say that the NFL season never stops, and that’s mostly true, but if it ever did, it would be during these few weeks in June and July.
Fortunately, that gives us some time to regroup, take stock of the Broncos’ draft and free agent class, and look forward to training camp. In the next few weeks, we’ll be publishing positional previews three times a week in preparation for the franchise’s run towards a fourth championship.
Today, we start with the most important position in sports and the most overrated position on the Denver Broncos: quarterback.
Projected Depth Chart:
Starter – Mark Sanchez
Backup – Paxton Lynch
Third String – Trevor Siemian
Biggest Question: How quickly can Paxton Lynch learn?
Mark Sanchez may be the starter Week 1, but Paxton Lynch is the future. And while I believe the Broncos will give Sanchez every opportunity to earn and keep the starting gig in 2016, the only thing holding back Lynch from taking over as starter is himself.
Lynch is unquestionably the more talented quarterback — on talent alone, he may have been the best quarterback in the draft — but he has a long ways to go before he’s ready to play in a pro-style offense against NFL-level defenses.
If he, though, can pick up the playbook, develop his footwork and come to understand defensive schemes faster than most draft evaluators expected, then maybe he finds himself out on the field as soon as Week 1.
For Lynch, the most important thing is matching his mind to his physical attributes. Until he does that, the only thing he’ll be handling on game day is a clipboard.
Most-Important Player: Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez may be the last guy Broncos Country wanted leading their offense following a Super Bowl victory, but he’s the man they’ve got, and any chance of repeating is in his hands.
Luckily, I’m bought in.
I will continue to argue that if it wasn’t for the “Butt Fumble,” nobody would be speaking about Sanchez with the level of disdain that we’ve seen over the last few months. The truth is that he’s fine. Not great, not good, but fine. An above-average backup and a below-average starter.
Do you want him as the cornerstone of your franchise (sorry, “Sanchize”)? Of course not. But can he steer the ship in open waters, with the league’s best defense and an improved running game in tow? Yeah, yeah he can.
Last season, between Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, the Denver Broncos posted a team quarterback rating of 76.3, second to last in the NFL. In the last two seasons, with 10 starts in 13 appearances, Sanchez has a quarterback rating of 86.6.
Take that for what it’s worth, but it’s hard to argue that he’s any worse than the quarterbacks Denver ran out last season, and they won the Super Bowl.
Surprise Player: Trevor Siemian
If you think you know what kind of player Trevor Siemian is, you’re lying to yourself. A few series in the preseason, coupled with absolutely zero first-team reps last year, is not enough to tell us anything.
He’s a complete unknown, but he has an opportunity — quite possibly the best one he’s ever going to have in his career.
If Siemian, who knows the offense better than anyone, can compete toe to toe with Sanchez, I would not be surprised if they decide to give him the job and move on from Sanchez, saving a few million bucks in the process.
Grade: C-
It is what it is. The Denver Broncos’ quarterback corps is anything but inspiring, but it wasn’t last year, either.
If you’re a Broncos fan, your hope is that the surrounding talent, on both offense and defense, can lift this team back to the same heights they experienced in 2015.