Denver Broncos Already Committed To Starting QB
By Erik Lambert
The Denver Broncos have gotten over the Von Miller hurdle, but they still have a major question mark heading into camp at the quarterback position.
Peyton Manning is officially retired. There will be no flirting with comebacks in Brett Favre-like fashion. This means head coach Gary Kubiak faces the daunting task that no head coach in the Super Bowl era has been able to pull off. Somehow repeating as champions with a different starting quarterback the following year.
The Broncos front office and coaching staff seem confident that with their defense and a solid array of weapons, this team will compete regardless of who’s under center provided the player can avoid too many mistakes. As it stands there are three options. There is 1st round pick Paxton Lynch, veteran trade acquisition Mark Sanchez and former third stringer Trevor Siemian.
The three of them have different reasons to warrant at least a shot at the job. Siemian is the most experienced within the offensive scheme. Sanchez is the most experienced overall and has been to the playoffs before, while Lynch is the most talented. Still, based on what starting defensive tackle Sylvester Williams believes, the decision is already all but made.
"“Right now, they’re giving all three of those guys equal reps, so I don’t think either one of them has created any advantage at this point, because they haven’t consistently been with the ones yet,” Williams told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday. “But I think, going into the camp, I think coach Kubiak kind of let us know he’s going to go with Mark and give Mark the opportunity to see what he can do and then go on from there.”"
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. The Denver Broncos still believe they have a strong enough roster in place to make another run at the title. It’s not like the offense lit the world on fire when they won it last year. All they have to do is replicate the same formula and they should be able to achieve the same results. At least in theory. Sanchez gives them the best chance.
He understands how to win games when he has the help. In 2009 and 2010, backed by a strong running game and a suffocating defense he reached back-to-back AFC championship games. So the ability to play at that level isn’t impossible for him. It’s a matter of whether the Broncos can get him over that final hump. Barring any unexpected changes, they’re going to find out very soon.