The quarterback competition taking place during Denver Broncos OTAs between Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian has already brought with it many positives. Although there is no clear-cut option at the helm yet, competition has forced both players to bring their best effort.
The heightened competitiveness between the two has drawn the attention of three-time Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward. He recently spoke with Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro of Afternoon Drive on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 to share his thoughts on where the two have improved.
“Definitely their confidence,” Ward said regarding the biggest difference he has noticed this season. “You can tell that their demeanor is a lot better. Paxton doesn’t look like a rookie anymore, he’s come in and he’s commanding the offense a lot better than he did last year. Same with Trev, it’s a battle, I don’t know who’s winning right now. They make goods plays and they make some errors, that’s what you expect from two young quarterbacks.”
The return of Mike McCoy and Bill Musgrave to Denver has also generated attention from players. (McCoy was Denver’s offensive coordinator from 2009-2012; Musgrave was a backup QB to John Elway in 1995 and ’96.) McCoy and Musgrave each had offensive success with the Chargers and Raiders, respectively, last season. They have already made an impact on Denver’s offense early this year.
Playing against the offense on a daily basis, Ward has noticed the difference in the McCoy-led offense. But he doesn’t solely credit the scheme for the quarterbacks’ success so far this offseason.
“I think the system on offense is a lot better than we had last year, honestly,” Ward said. “They’re spreading us out a little bit more, more matchup based, they’re using that to their advantage. But the quarterbacks are a bit more accurate, too. A lot of times last year you’d see the ball was overthrown when guys were open, and now they’re hitting those guys.”
In addition to the offense mixing things up, Ward suggests that Denver’s defense will feature some new looks this season.
“We’re just gonna mix some stuff up,” Ward said. “You’re used to seeing us just line up playing man with some blitzes here or there, but we’ve got a lot of different schemes and we’re mixing some looks up.”
Despite the many changes that the Broncos have made this offseason, the team’s adjustments to them have been positive. Compared to the same time a year ago when the Broncos were still celebrating their Super Bowl 50 victory, Ward feels the Broncos are in a better place.
“I think we’re better than we were at this point, for sure, last year,” Ward said. “We’ve had a lot of time to think about not being as successful as we were and getting back to the point where we want to be. Guys came in with that on their mind. Everyone is a year older, a year wiser, a year better.”
Listen to the full interview with Ward, including his personal experience with the revamped offensive line, in the podcast below.
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Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
Featured Image Credit: Ryan Greene, 5280 Sports Network
