Denver Broncos Expect Paxton Lynch to Compete for Starting Job Right Away
The Denver Broncos made a splashy move in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. They moved up in the first round in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks so they could select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.
This was the first time under general manager John Elway the team had selected an offensive player with their first pick in the draft. Defenses win championships, and the Broncos have constructed the league’s best defense largely through the draft. However, with a glaring need at quarterback the Broncos decided to go in a different direction with their first pick this year.
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According to Elway, the Broncos began the day on Thursday targeting Lynch.
“Yes, we did. We started working early. We worked the phones from noon on today to try to find where we could slide in. We talked to everybody starting at [No.] 17 all the way up and finally were able to do a deal with the Seahawks.”
With a new quarterback of the future in the fold, how soon before Lynch gets a chance at the starting job? Let’s take a look.
Is Lynch a Project?
How much time does Lynch need to get up to speed in the NFL? That’s something the team will have to find an answer to in the months leading up to the start of the 2016 season. Coming from a spread system in college, many have pegged the young quarterback as a project.
Lynch doesn’t feel that’s an accurate description:
“I wouldn’t say I am a project. Obviously every quarterback coming out of college, we have stuff that they need to work on. There are some good quarterbacks on the roster right now, and I know there will be good competition between all of us.”
The Broncos have the luxury of giving Lynch the time to develop as a starter. Even with time on Lynch’s side, head coach Gary Kubiak has big expectations for the rookie.
“There are no givens on our team. Everybody competes, and I’m expecting him to come in here and make up some ground really quick. But I think it’s a great group to go to work with. I know [quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Greg Knapp] and [offensive coordinator Rick Dennison] are very excited about him, so we’ve got to make up as much ground as we can,” he said
The Kubiak System
Last year in Kubiak’s first season as the team’s head coach we didn’t see his offense true to form. Instead, we saw the Broncos implement a hybrid system of what Peyton Manning liked to do paired with some Kubiak tendencies.
With Lynch under center, the Broncos should be able to go back to some staples of the Kubiak offense. Bootlegs, rollouts and designed quarterback runs will now all be back near the top of the playbook for the Broncos.
Kubiak is excited about what Lynch brings to the table:
“When I watch him on film, the thing that’s really exciting is that this guy extends plays. He has the knack for making people miss, extending plays, and it’s really hard in this business to coach guys to keep their eyes down the field when they’re moving, and this guy does a great job of that.”
Besides fit, Elway was drawn to another aspect with Lynch:
“The other thing that I think really was the one thing that we really liked about Paxton is the enthusiasm that he plays the game with. I think if you watch tape, he’s the first down there if they have a long touchdown or what not—Paxton is the first one down there in the end zone to congratulate the guy. He’s involved, so I think we really liked what we saw on tape. And his enthusiasm and the way he plays the game.”
Lynch is a good fit for the Kubiak system, and he should be able to thrive in an offense that will take advantage of his natural assets.
The Pursuit of Other Quarterbacks
A player the Broncos had been linked to for quite some time is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Broncos were trying to work out a deal for the veteran, but they didn’t want to be on the hook for his entire $11.9 million salary in 2016, as noted by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Instead of working something out on draft day, the Broncos went in a different direction and drafted Lynch.
Elway admitted the team is likely done pursuing Kaepernick:
“Yeah, we’re probably over with Kaepernick. We’re thrilled that we could get Paxton and have Mark…with his experience and the way that he’s going to come in and compete for that job with Paxton and Trevor, and we’ll see what else we have.”
Even though the team is done with Kaepernick, they may still look to add another veteran quarterback to the mix.
“I think we’re going to continue to look at other quarterbacks that can quarterback us too. I think that right now we have Mark [Sanchez] as well as Trevor [Siemian] and now Paxton, so we’ve got two real young guys and a veteran so we’ll stay open to everything. But obviously we’ve got to fill out our roster once we get through the draft and so we’ll have spots and we’ll continue to look and see if we possibly add another veteran quarterback, too,” Elway concluded.
What About Mark Sanchez?
With Lynch as the clear quarterback the team will build their future around, what becomes of veteran Mark Sanchez? The team traded for Sanchez earlier this year with the idea that his veteran experience would give them a starter if no other passer emerged.
Kubiak had nothing but good things to say about Sanchez on Thursday night.
”We have a lot of confidence in Mark. He’s doing a great job, working extremely hard,” the coach said
Like Sanchez, Trevor Siemian gets a back seat to Lynch as well. Siemian has a rocket arm, but accuracy problems and lack of durability are issues with the young passer. Even if he develops, Siemian is likely to only be a backup quarterback in the NFL.
Training camp will determine who is the starter when the Broncos open the regular season against the Carolina Panthers. Sanchez has the experience, and if Lynch needs a little more work then the Broncos should feel okay about starting the veteran at the beginning of the season.
Summary
After one of the most bizarre offseasons for a Super Bowl champion, the Broncos finally have a quarterback that gets the fanbase excited. Not only are the fans excited in Denver, but the front office and the coaching staff were thrilled to get their guy.
Under the guidance of Elway, the team has used a “best player available” strategy each year in the draft. They don’t let team need override the basic philosophy and key principle for building their championship team.
Elway revealed that Lynch had always been high on their priority list.
“Paxton’s the guy we had after the first two quarterbacks were gone. Paxton was the guy we had targeted. It was a long night. It’s been a long couple months, actually.” Elway admitted. “He was our target all day, and he was our target once those first two quarterbacks went and (we were) trying to figure out where he might fall and if we had an opportunity to do something. He was the guy, and we’re thrilled to have him.”
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided by the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.
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