Colorado loves No. 1 on the Denver Broncos, quarterback Kyle Sloter. The undrafted rookie from Northern Colorado has played stellar football this preseason, showing composure, athletic ability and a command of the Broncos’ offense.
Don’t take my word for it. It seems most of “Broncos Country” is all aboard the Sloter hype train as roster cuts loom:
Whether #Broncos Sloter has played vs. 2nd stringers or 10th stringers, he's passes every test he's been given.. Can't fault him for that.
— Eric Goodman (@EricGoodman) September 1, 2017
The #SloterHouse must stay on the #Broncos’ 53. https://t.co/fnBDidbVkM
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 1, 2017
Kyle Sloter got the @AqibTalib21 seal of approval pic.twitter.com/amZvPLIIpa
— ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) September 1, 2017
Statistically, he finished the preseason with 413 passing yards, three touchdowns and a 125.4 quarterback rating, which was the highest of any AFC quarterback in the preseason.
Simply put, Sloter deserves a spot on this team.
Recently, Ronnie K of The Morning Blitz had an extensive interview with R.C. Fischer, an independent football scout and the head scout for collegefootballmetrics.com. Fischer had followed Sloter’s path to the draft long before the Broncos signed him to an undrafted rookie free-agent contract.
In the interview, Fischer shared some in-depth knowledge and scouting information about Sloter, having followed Sloter since his days at Southern Mississippi. Fischer claims that when he received a tip from a fellow scout to “check this guy out”, Fischer “immediately shot up out of his chair and knew I was watching an Aaron Rodgers-type quarterback.”
Fischer stated that Sloter’s natural release reminded him of that of Aaron Rodgers, while also adding that Sloter’s backstory “reminded me of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.”
Fischer continued to compare Sloter to high-caliber quarterbacks, stating: “there are guys who come into the NFL and just look natural. Guys like Dak Prescott, like Sloter, just come in and make things happen.”
When asked about the Broncos’ current quarterback situation, Fischer stated that: “He’s clearly better than Paxton Lynch — and it’s not even close. I know draft-status and contracts complicate things — that’s just how the NFL works.”
Some will be quick to point out that Sloter had such a good preseason because he was playing against opponents’ third-string defensive units. But those who actually watched the Broncos’ four preseason games will certainly agree that Sloter showed something special, no matter who he was playing with or against.
Fischer has an answer for that too, stating that the Broncos “should have had him in with the twos (second-team offense) sooner so that they [could] see if they truly had something special in Sloter.”
Listen to the full interview on the Blitz podcast below.
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You can also find Fischer’s full scouting article on Kyle Sloter here.
While the Broncos appeared to have their third quarterback set when they selected Chad Kelly, nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, Sloter has played well enough to warrant consideration to be the Broncos’ third quarterback, especially with Paxton Lynch set to miss time with a shoulder injury.
Selecting Chad Kelly was a bold move by the Broncos that provided a low-risk, high reward opportunity as Kelly posses raw, natural ability, but has numerous off-the-field character concerns, coupled with a history of injuries that led to his fall to the bottom of the seventh round in the 2017 NFL Draft.
No one outside of Fischer expected an undrafted rookie out of Northern Colorado to come into the Broncos’ preseason and play lights-out football. The young man has done an incredible job at the helm of the offense. Whether he makes the cut as a member of the Broncos or not, Sloter should be commended for what he’s done so far in a Broncos uniform.
Sloter has done something Kelly (and to an extent, Lynch) have not: he’s been on the field and he has produced. And the results he has produced should be worthy enough to earn a spot on the Broncos’ roster.