Case Keenum has taken the reins of the Denver Broncos offense.
Actually, as Demaryius Thomas explained on Tuesday, Keenum is in control of the entire team. And, that’s a good thing.
“Well, the first thing is, he takes control of everything,” Demaryius Thomas said of Keenum after OTAs Tuesday per DenverBroncos.com. “Not just offense, the whole group; offense, defense, special teams and all. [He] takes control of the huddle. I noticed, we were in the huddle one day and I was like, ‘Wait, we’re missing…’ and he was like, ‘Hold on, I got this.’ And I was like, ‘OK,'” Thomas said smiling.
After going through a laundry list of quarterbacks the last few years, getting reps with multiple QBs in practice every day and not knowing which one would be “the guy” on Sundays, Thomas explained it makes it easier on the receivers to have one, main man. Not only that, but Keenum — taking control — will also host a passing camp after OTAs to even better develop that much-needed chemistry with the wideouts.
“It’s always good to have that one guy,” Thomas explained. “We’ll be able to work with each other after OTAs over with. I’m going to go to Houston, we’re going to work together. That’s big for us.”
And, it should be huge for the Broncos offense in general. Especially if they want to come out firing when the season kicks off in September.
For Denver’s offense, quarterback was the biggest question since winning Super Bowl 50. Now, after finally finding “the guy” this offseason, the Broncos still have work to do on that offensive line. Pieces are coming together there, too, and if the front five can play consistent, high-level football, the playmakers will have a chance to flourish.
Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders make up one of the most dynamic receiving duos in the NFL today, and when the Broncos added Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton in the draft, it only make the receiving group that much more versatile. At tight end, Jake Butt is finally healthy and could provide a much-needed pass-catcher at that position as well. And running back has been revolutionized, with C.J. Anderson gone and a whole host of young, explosive players ready to run the pigskin.
Of course, in football, it all starts and ends with the “trigger man,” the quarterback. For the Broncos, Keenum stepping up to take control this early is a great sign, and the fact he’s willing to host a passing camp after OTAs is even more reason to believe the Broncos offense will take a necessary step forward, starting this offseason.
That will hopefully carry over into training camp and then into the season, giving Denver the best chance possible to improve, finally. Last year, the Broncos were 27th in points per game (18.1) and 31st in turnovers (34) as well as interceptions (22), with those costly turnovers ending far too many drives to allow Denver to be competitive.