Though their pursuit of Colin Kaepernick continues, the final truth for the Denver Broncos will be their big trade for a quarterback will come from elsewhere.
The rumors have cooled over the past week but continue to persist. John Elway and the Broncos remain in hot pursuit of a quarterback, and Colin Kaepernick remains their primary target. All signs had pointed to an agreement on compensation, but the 28-year old has put a halt to everything due to his unwillingness in accepting a restructured contract.
Complicating matters further is the fact the San Francisco 49ers are perfectly content keeping him on the roster. Head coach Chip Kelly has said multiple times he’s anxious to work with Kaepernick and their salary cap is under no serious pressure despite his contract as it is. Thus comes the reality that Denver may not have enough leverage to work out a deal the way they want it.
This means their hopes of swinging a trade for a quarterback may not come from that route. With the pool drying up fast, it’s becoming ever clearer that if the Broncos want to get a legitimate talent under center, it will have to come via the draft, and already a name is being tagged to them.
#Broncos, who still need a QB, have an area scout at #Memphis QB Paxton Lynch's Pro Day. No worries. They'll have him for a predraft visit
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 6, 2016
There is no doubt Paxton Lynch would be quite a good fit for Gary Kubiak’s scheme. He’s big, mobile and features a live arm that can push the ball downfield off play action. It is not a question of whether he’s on the same talent level with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, but a matter of fundamentals. Accuracy, pocket poise and delivery are all things he must work on.
This is why some feel he may drop to the bottom half of the 1st round. However, people should be under no illusions. Lynch may drop but there is no way he falls to #31. So if the Denver Broncos want him, then they’ll have to trade up to get him. How high? Based on how the board is set up, they would need to at least jump in front of the New York Jets at #20, who still haven’t been able to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Jets-Ryan Fitzpatrick standoff could be reaching crunch time https://t.co/m8fqehnsIy
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 3, 2016
The Buffalo Bills at #19 are also scoping out quarterbacks given rumors of dissatisfaction with Tyrod Taylor. Unfortunately for Elway and his front office, they may need to go even higher. The Los Angeles Rams are another team at #15 who have a glaring hole at quarterback, no matter what they might try to play off by stating Case Keenum is their starter. Problem is they might not be able to get the 14th pick, it being held by the rival Oakland Raiders.
Thus it may have to be a step higher at #13 with Miami. Then it becomes a question on if any of those teams would have any interest in dropping back that far and whether the Broncos would be willing to pay the obvious steep price it would take to make the jump. Make no mistake, the situation is looking less and less optimistic by the second for the defending champs.