Why the Denver Broncos Are Searching for Another QB in the Draft or Free Agency
The Denver Broncos are in a “win now” mode as they seek to make another postseason run in 2015. As general manager John Elway says, the team is also looking to “win from now on” as they build for the future.
They overhauled the offensive coaching staff in the flurry of activity after they lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Gary Kubiak is the new head coach, and he returns to the Broncos with a proven and productive offense. Rick Dennison is the new offensive coordinator, and he’ll be able to implement an offense that features the ground game.
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The Broncos have an interesting collection of quarterbacks, with question marks surrounding each one. This is one of the reasons why they will be searching for more quarterback talent this offseason. It’s not a strong draft at the quarterback position. Free agency also yields little help, but there are a couple of guys who could help.
Let’s examine why the Broncos are searching for another quarterback—and who Denver could be looking at picking up.
The Current Roster
Peyton Manning is likely to return for 2015, according to Woody Paige of The Denver Post. Pending a physical in March, Manning should be back for one more year of leading the Broncos.
Building a playbook for Manning will not be a difficult task for Kubiak.
“That’s easy to build a playbook for him. He’s been the master at it for many, many years. You talk about a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person,” Kubiak said.
Brock Osweiler has been developing behind Manning for the last few seasons, and his natural skill set is a great fit for the Kubiak system. In fact, there are several similarities between Osweiler and they guy who worked under Kubiak in 2014, Baltimore Ravens starter Joe Flacco.
Like Flacco (6’6”), Osweiler is tall (6’7”) and has a rocket arm. Osweiler can also keep plays alive with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield like Flacco does under pressure. In the Kubiak system, a quarterback can be asked to bootleg often. Osweiler would be quite capable of running those types of plays effectively.
His strong arm would be able to stretch the field and hit defenses over the top with speedy weapons like Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders. In order to play up to his potential, Osweiler needs to make quicker decisions and learn how to throw with more touch.
Elway is confident in Osweiler.
“We’re excited about Brock’s progress. He’s been here for three years and he’s done everything that’s been asked of him. He’s been a tremendous student, he’s worked his tail off—he’s worked his tail off over in the weight room. So if that would be the case [Manning retires], I do have confidence that Brock can step in.”
Osweiler is only under contract through the 2015 season. While the Broncos could extend his contract if Manning comes back, the team might just let him leave in free agency when the 2016 league year begins. The thinking behind that would be they would get a compensatory pick for losing him in free agency that would be greater than what they would get via trade for Osweiler.
Zac Dysert was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2013. He made the final roster that year and served as the team’s third quarterback. Last year, Dysert was cut, but he did manage to stay with the team as a practice squad player. His strong arm and athleticism also make him an intriguing fit for Kubiak's system. Dysert is a long shot to make any sort of impact, but he’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot in 2015.
Free Agents
There are few free-agent quarterbacks who would be worth adding, but none that really stand out above the pack.
Mark Sanchez is arguably the best free-agent quarterback available. That pretty much sums up the entire free-agent crop.
Sanchez signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014. He came in for an injured Nick Foles and ended up appearing in nine games. Sanchez showed flashes as a starter for the Eagles, but his game still lacked consistency. As the best free-agent quarterback available, Sanchez could be priced (modestly) out of the Broncos' range.
Jake Locker is a talented but oft-injured quarterback who is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He’s never played a full season during his four-year pro career, and Locker has only played in 14 games over the last two years combined. The former first-round pick (2011, eighth overall) has a strong arm and good scrambling ability. He’s not accurate, and that could be one of the reasons why Denver decides to pass on Locker.
T.J. Yates won a playoff game with the Houston Texans under Kubiak in 2012. He fell down the depth chart in Houston, then was traded to the Atlanta Falcons before the start of training camp in 2014. Yates could easily be a target for Kubiak since he knows the systems and expectations of the Broncos' new head coach.
2015 NFL Draft
The Broncos could look for a quarterback in the first four rounds of the 2015 NFL draft. Sitting at the 28th overall pick, it would be highly unlikely to see either Jameis Winston (Florida State) or Marcus Mariota (Oregon) fall to the Broncos. Perhaps Brett Hundley (UCLA) could still be on the board at that point, but even that is a question mark at this time.
If they want a quarterback in the draft, the Broncos might have to look around the third round.
Garrett Grayson (Colorado State) could be on the board at that time. On film, Grayson shows the ability to read the entire field before making his decision to throw. He’s not a timid thrower, and Grayson will frequently attack a defense on the edges or deep.
During the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl, Grayson was arguably the best quarterback on either roster. I was impressed with Grayson’s ability to work with new teammates and successfully distribute the ball all over the field. He regularly used his eyes to manipulate defenders in the secondary.
Bryce Petty (Baylor) could also be available when the Broncos pick in the third round. On film, Petty ran the pass-happy shotgun offense effectively. He’s got a ton of experience throwing underneath passes against zone coverage, but Petty also has the arm strength to test a defense deep if need be.
Petty’s week of practice for the Senior Bowl was not as impressive as Grayson’s. He struggled with timing and touch as a passer, and Petty’s placement was a bit off throwing to new teammates. Most importantly, Petty struggled to even take a snap. Petty spent most—if not all—of his college career taking shotgun snaps. He has to start at square one as a dropback passer from under center.
If the Broncos wanted to wait until the later rounds, perhaps a guy like Tyler Heinicke (Old Dominion) could be an option.
I was impressed with Heinicke during the week of practice for the 2015 East-West Shrine Game earlier this month. Heinicke can run a West Coast offense effectively, and he has the arm strength to make every throw required in the pros. He’s very accurate on short and intermediate targets, but Heinicke needs to work on bucket accuracy on deep throws.
| Garrett Grayson | Colorado State | 4,006 | 32 | 7 |
| Bryce Petty | Baylor | 3,855 | 29 | 7 |
| Tyler Heinicke | Old Dominion | 3,476 | 30 | 14 |
This isn’t a great quarterback class, but there are a few players the Broncos should be considering at the position.
Summary
Searching for another quarterback is the right move for the Broncos—regardless of whether or not Manning comes back for 2015. It’s a boost for the Broncos if Manning returns, but they have to be preparing for life without him.
Quarterback talent is so difficult to find in the NFL. Smart teams are looking everywhere for quarterbacks who have starter’s upside. If they don’t become “the man” for their team, these quarterbacks can be dealt for other players or draft picks.
For example, since the New England Patriots selected Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft they have selected seven other quarterbacks. Guys like Rohan Davey (2002, fourth round), Kliff Kingsbury (2003, sixth round), Matt Cassel (2005, seventh round), Kevin O’Connell (2008, third round), Zac Robinson (2010, seventh round), Ryan Mallett (2011, third round) and Jimmy Garoppolo (2014, second round) have been drafted by the Patriots in an effort to find another potential starter.
Some did not work out, others were dealt to be starters elsewhere and Garoppolo looks like he could eventually develop into a decent starter for the Patriots. It’s clear the Patriots have no problem shuffling through quarterback talent in order to find the right guy.
The Broncos need to follow a similar path—even if Osweiler turns into a quality starter.
Yes, the Broncos are likely to look for another quarterback this offseason. It’s not only the wise move, it’s the right move for the Broncos.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via DenverBroncos.com unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com. NFL draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.
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