Over the next few weeks, we will learn a lot about this team for the Denver Broncos. However, there will few days that teach us more about the upcoming season and the franchise’s long-term future than Monday.
Considering Monday was such an impactful day for the Broncos, let’s take a look at the two pieces of news which will have the greatest impact on the team.
We’ve got a true QB competition
The people of Broncos Country are no strangers to the concept of a quarterback competition. In fact, they’re so familiar with them they’re able to discern the different types from one another, much like an elite sommelier with wine.
This is no Joe Flacco vs. Drew Lock or Mark Sanchez vs. Paxton Lynch. This is a real, 50-50, quarterback competition.
Now, a pessimist might argue, ‘doesn’t the fact that the quarterback competition is 50-50 between Lock and Teddy Bridgewater point to Lock not making some massive developmental leap this offseason?’ And they’d be right.
However, as the incumbent, Lock will certainly have every opportunity to hold onto the starting job, as evidenced by the fact he’s getting the first snap of the practice session on Tuesday.
Beyond that though, he won’t get any extra advantages.
“[The reps] will be 50/50 unless it’s an odd number,” Head Coach Vic Fangio told the media Monday. “Then, somebody got one more. We’ll take a look at it after the first off day and maybe we have a day where one of them gets 70 percent and the other gets 30, and then flip it the next day. I think when you look up to the point where we make a decision, it’s going to be a 50/50 thing, both from a rep standpoint and working with what group.”
Fangio also said that both quarterbacks will “probably” get to start a preseason game, and that although there’s no rush for the team to make a decision, they do want it solved as soon as possible.
“Ideally, you’d like to come to that decision sooner rather than later, but we’re going to let the decision be made for us hopefully,” Fangio said. “Whenever that happens, it happens. If it’s so close that we can’t make a call and it stretches into the first week of preparation, then I’ll probably be playing games with you all week during that first game week as to who the starter is. We’re like everybody else. We want it to decide itself quickly and sooner rather than later. We’re going to let the process play itself out.”
That should come as music to the ears of Broncos fans who are sick and tired of endless quarterback controversies.
1. Broncos ownership holding steady…for now
The Broncos’ ownership situation has remained murky for a large majority of the last decade, but it seems we’re now finally getting clarity on the matter.
While speaking to the media on Monday, CEO Joe Ellis made it very clear what we can expect to change in terms of ownership.
“Our goal is a timely, responsible and orderly determination of ownership,” Ellis said in an opening statement. “What that will entail for us—there’s some things that we still need to work through—but our goal is to be able to lay out, when the season is over, and Vic has promised that will be in the middle of February, that we lay out for everybody a timeline to a transition of ownership that will take place next year prior to the start of the season. That’s important. It’s important to the organization. It’s important to the beneficiaries—Pat [Bowlen]’s children—to get it resolved and we’re moving forward on that. The team is not for sale. There are a few options out there as to what we can do. You’re probably aware of those. We’re going to get through this season. Our goal is to focus on that, have a good year and hopefully be competitive and be around for the postseason tournament once that begins.”
In case there was any confusion as to what that mean, Ellis was quick to clarify.
“Ownership will be concluded,” Ellis added. “We’ll have a transition. Yours truly won’t be the controlling owner by sometime in the spring or early summer. I can’t put an exact deadline on it, but believe me, we need to get it resolved.”
The next question that needs to be answered is, ‘will that transition of ownership keep it inside the Bowlen family?’ And it seems like that is certainly a possibility.
“In some form, [Brittany Bowlen] being able to run the team is a consideration, for sure,” Ellis said. “It will require some conditions from beneficiaries and others, perhaps. If she is going to run it, that conclusion will be made sometime next year as well. That’s one of the options, for sure. As I said, there are certain conditions that come with that. I’m not going to comment too much on those because those involve discussions with other beneficiaries and those are private in my view.”
It appears by this time next year, the Broncos will have a new owner. That new owner might be a Bowlen, but unfortunately, that’s beginning to look like one of the less likely endings.
