Since Peyton Manning went out with injury midway through the season last year, we’ve been asking ourselves what the future looks like for the Broncos at quarterback. And while we’ve contemplated many options, in the end it always came back down to Brock Osweiler.
Well … shucks.
Today, Osweiler decided to take his talents to Houston, and the Denver Broncos are now left without a starting quarterback — no, Trevor Siemian is not a viable option.
This truly is the doomsday scenario. Maybe John Elway was completely right in not giving Osweiler, a quarterback with only seven starts to his name, $18 million a year, but that doesn’t mean we’re in a desirable situation. While there are a lot of names floating about, there’s no guarantee that the Broncos come away with anybody that’s better than Osweiler, even if he were to cost $18 million.
Nonetheless, here are five quarterbacks who could be starting in Denver next season:
5. Paxton Lynch
EXPERIENCE: 0 years DRAFT: Projected late-1st, early-2nd round pick (Memphis)
CAREER STARTS: 38 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: N/A PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $1.5 M
LAST YEAR: 66.8% completion; 3,778 yards; 28 touchdowns; 4 interceptions
WHY IT MAKE SENSE: If the Denver Broncos can’t bring anybody in during free agency, their last option may be the draft, and that’s where things get tricky. The top two prospects, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, are sure to be long gone by the time the Broncos pick at 31, and that leaves Paxton Lynch, the consensus No. 3 quarterback in the draft, as the best option in the first round.
At times this year, Lynch was seen as a top-10 talent, but the draft process has worn down his stock. Maybe the Broncos bet on his upside, even if he is a quarterback that likely needs to sit a few years.
4. A.J. McCarron
EXPERIENCE: 2 years DRAFT: 5th round (164th overall) out of Alabama
CAREER STARTS: 3 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $369 K PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $555 K
LAST YEAR: 66.4% completion; 854 yards; 6 touchdowns; 2 interceptions; 97.1 QB rating
WHY IT MAKE SENSE: The Broncos saw what A.J. McCarron was capable of when they faced off against him in Week 16, and it was impressive. Forced into the starting role with the injury to Andy Dalton, not unlike Osweiler, McCarron looked solid.
Is he great? No, not yet. But he’s capable of winning behind a strong defense; we’ve seen that. Plus, he’s insanely cheap.
Denver would have to trade for McCarron, but given that the Bengals fully expect Dalton to return to the lineup for the long haul, he’s probably expendable.
3. Robert Griffin III
EXPERIENCE: 4 years DRAFT: 1st-round pick (2nd overall) out of Baylor
CAREER STARTS: 35 HONORS: AP Offensive Rookie of the Year; Pro Bowl (’12)
’15 CAP HIT: $6.7 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $4-6 M
LAST YEAR: 68.7% completion; 1,694 yards; 4 touchdowns; 6 interceptions; 86.9 QB rating
WHY IT MAKE SENSE: Robert Griffin III has been broken, both literally and mentally. Since he tore his ACL for the second time, the athletic freak we used to love has never been the same, and neither has his confidence.
That said, with a year on the sidelines, where RGIII was able to rest both his body and mind, maybe he’s ready for a second chance. Whether you like him or not, there’s no denying that he has some special talents.
And according to Adam Schefter, he’s already on the Broncos list of options.
With Brock Osweiler off to Houston, RGIII is on Broncos' list of replacement quarterbacks, per source. Could be visiting Denver.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2016
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
EXPERIENCE: 11 years DRAFT: 7th round (250th overall) our of Harvard
CAREER STARTS: 105 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $3.25 PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $12-14 M
LAST YEAR: 59.6%; 3,905 yards; 31 touchdowns; 15 interceptions; 88 QB rating
WHY IT MAKE SENSE: Ryan Fitzpatrick may be the best chance the Denver Broncos have at repeating as Super Bowl champions. He’s exactly what they’re looking for: a veteran quarterback who can get the ball to his big-time weapons and let the defense do their work.
Really, if he was able to do exactly what he did for the Jets last season, the Broncos could easily be right back where they were in 2015.
The question, though, is can they afford him? Apparently, he’s holding strong for a big-money contract from the Jets, and I have a hard time imagining he’ll be giving the Broncos a discount; this is his last shot at a huge deal.
That said, this is a risky option, too. Fitzpatrick may be coming off a great year, but we’ve also got a decade worth of work that tells us that he’s inconsistent at best. And at 33 years old, he’s ceiling isn’t getting any higher.
1. Colin Kaepernick
EXPERIENCE: 5 DRAFT: 2nd round (36th overall) out of Nevada
CAREER STARTS: 47 HONORS: None
’15 CAP HIT: $15.3 M PREDICTED ’16 CAP HIT: $15.9 M
LAST YEAR: 59.0% completion; 1,615 yards; 6 touchdowns; 5 interceptions; 78.5 QB rating
WHY IT MAKE SENSE: Colin Kaepernick’s career has seemingly fallen apart, but a little perspective is important in this case. Remember, it was just a few years ago that Kaepernick was a first-and-goal away from winning the Super Bowl and a Richard Sherman-tipped pass away from going back to another.
There’s no denying that the guy can win, especially when he’s surrounded by a strong defense and supporting cast.
And as was reported this morning, Kaepernick is already high on John Elway’s radar. Of course, they’ll have to find a way to trade for him, but it’ll be worth it if he can get back to his old self.