Picking a Denver Broncos starting quarterback for the upcoming season has almost become as complicated as handicapping a good horse race. Currently Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian are the only quarterbacks employed by the Broncos, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have options.
Brian Hoyer will visit with the Broncos today. It seems like Hoyer would only be a slight upgrade over what the Broncos already have in Sanchez. Hoyer is a solid competitor, but he really seems to struggle when the lights are on. I don’t think Denver needs to spend any money on a player that committed five turnovers in a playoff game, when the Broncos are expected to make the playoffs.
Ryan Fitzpatrick remains a free agent, unable to agree to terms with the New York Jets. he is a solid veteran and seems to fit in well wherever he ends up, but it just seems unlikely that Denver will pay the money Fitzpatrick is demanding, even if he is a significant upgrade over the Sanchez.
Making a trade is certainly a possibility for the Broncos. Denver had a proposed deal done with the San Francisco 49ers that would have sent Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos for a mid-round draft pick. However, Denver was not willing to pay Kaepernick the entirety of the $11.9 million he is owed in 2016. Kaepernick seems like the best fit for the Denver offense since he has mobility and a strong arm. Unfortunately, with Kaepernick comes a serious leadership question.
The Broncos could also strike a deal to acquire Mike Glennon or Josh McCown. Both are serviceable quarterbacks in the NFL, but both have spent most of their time as back-ups in the league. To be honest, the Broncos already have this on their roster in Sanchez.
The Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles have moved up to the first- and second-overall picks, respectively, in the upcoming draft. This means that there is a real possibility that Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Sam Bradford could all be on the market if Denver wants to inquire about any of them. Again, though, it seems as if all these guys fall into the category of average to below-average quarterback.
There have also been reports regarding Denver’s interest in Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. A possible trade for Taylor would make a lot of sense for the Broncos. However, how realistic is it for Buffalo to part with their starting quarterback when they do not have a realistic replacement at this time?
Finally, there is the upcoming draft. It is nearly a certainty that Denver will select a quarterback next week. The top two options in Jared Goff and Carson Wentz should be taken with the top two picks, leaving the Broncos with realistic options in Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook and Dak Prescott as a potential first-round picks. Or Denver can select a quarterback in the mid to late-rounds.
There are not many particularly great options out there at quarterback, but there are plenty for John Elway to choose from.
If Denver wants a true upgrade over both Sanchez and Siemian, the best way to do that, in my opinion, is to swing a deal for either Kaepernick or Taylor. If they cannot accomplish that, Denver should draft a quarterback early in order to have a true three-way competition during training camp between the rookie, Sanchez and Siemian. I just do not see the point in Denver picking up another average quarterback.
Those are all of the options, but who do you want as the next starting quarterback of the Broncos? Let the handicapping begin.
For more Broncos quarterback talk, listen below …
Catch MHS Late Night with Sean Walsh every weekday from 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
