Paxton Lynch, Broncos Agree to Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Denver Broncos reportedly signed quarterback Paxton Lynch, the 26th overall selection in the 2016 NFL draft, to a four-year contract Thursday.

Mike Klis of 9News first reported the deal, noting Lynch would have a fifth-year option in the contract. James Palmer of NFL Network confirmed Lynch would sign the deal Thursday.

Agent Leigh Steinberg confirmed the agreement:

Over the Cap (h/t NFLTradeRumors.co), noted Lynch's deal is worth $9,476,306 and includes a signing bonus of $5,091,860.

The Broncos traded up five spots on draft night to select the Memphis quarterback. Adding another signal-caller to the roster was paramount after Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler joined the Houston Texans in free agency.

Denver had been rumored as a possible landing spot for Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and Sam Bradford of the Philadelphia Eagles in trades before the Broncos added Lynch in the draft, per Klis. Lynch joined Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian on the roster.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak told Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com the franchise was intrigued by all of the tools the coveted prospect brought to the table:

Lynch is an ideal fit for Kubiak's scheme, too. He's certainly a better option than Manning, whose ability had faded amid a string of injury concerns, which left him as a mere game manager while the defense carried the Broncos to last season's Super Bowl title.

Marc Sessler of NFL.com discussed the rookie's ability to fit the mold in Denver's offensive approach:

The question is how quickly he'll be ready to start. His lackluster performance (16-of-37 with no touchdowns and one interception) against a fast, athletic Auburn defense in the Birmingham Bowl raised obvious questions about his NFL readiness.

One college game isn't enough to make any definitive judgments about his 2016 outlook, though. Klis noted Lynch doesn't believe he's any further behind the learning curve than other rookie quarterbacks despite hearing the "project" label connected to his name:

Ultimately, Sanchez is the favorite to start Week 1 based on experience and the uncertainty surrounding Lynch and Siemian. He's capable of playing a role similar to the one Manning filled during the latter stages of last season in terms of providing a steadying veteran influence.

Lynch undoubtedly possesses the most upside of the trio, however. And since his main competition has a career 74.3 passer rating, the bar is quite low to earn the top spot on the depth chart. So it wouldn't be a surprise to see him end up starting a majority of the games in 2016.

Now that he's got the contract formalities out of the way, he can focus solely on getting prepared for whatever opportunities may arise in the coming months.