Poll: Who should be Broncos starting quarterback in 2017?
Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Tony Romo, a college quarterback, or another veteran quarterback? Who will be the next Denver Broncos signal-caller?
There's a case to be made for both QBs on the roster, and we'll get to them in a minute.
But first, quarterback is incredibly important to all fans of American football, as the most key position of any in all of our land's sports. One only has to glimpse at the final four teams in this year's playoffs to realize the importance of a top-level quarterback: Tom Brady — a sure-fire Hall of Famer — faces could-be MVP Matt Ryan in the Super Bowl after defeating perennial playoff threats in Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers.
Want to have an elite team? You need an elite quarterback.
And, beyond quarterback being crucial to having a well-run offense, the position holds a special place in Broncos fans' hearts due to the legendary play, leadership and winning ability of John Elway.
When he had little help at receiver, a so-so offensive line and running backs no one had heard of, Elway propelled his Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s. Watch "The Drive" and see Elway literally do everything in his power by running for a huge first down on a third-and-long.
A decade later, there was Elway — at 37 years old — running for a key third down conversion on the way to delivering Denver their first World Championship in Super Bowl XXXII. Then, he and the most dominant Broncos team of all time started l3-0 before winning back-to-back championships.
After Elway retired in 1999, it became even more evident to Broncos fans how valuable a talented quarterback is to a football team. Brian Griese, Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Chris Simms, Brock Osweiler: those are not elite quarterbacks.
Elway knows the necessity of a stellar quarterback: After he signed Peyton Manning, the Broncos attended two Super Bowls and won one.
So, can Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch become an elite quarterback?Unfortunately for Broncos fans, the answer is this: The jury is still out.
Some want to write Siemian off, while simultaneously anointing Lynch. The truth is, the likelihood neither will be elite is higher than one of them reaching greatness.
Siemian had his shot in 2016, and, considering he was basically a rookie in his second year, played well. But elite? No.
Early on in the season, Siemian was limited in what he could do, with zero 20-yard attempts in the first two games. Then Gary Kubiak decided to open things up to keep the defense honest in Week 3, when Siemian showed off his arm strength and connected with both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders for deep touchdowns. That game's 132.1 passer rating was his highest of the season.
The next week, Siemian was injured and Lynch entered. The rookie, first-round pick played well to end that Tampa Bay game but his inexperience showed the next week against Atlanta. Not only did Lynch throw an interception in the game, he was sacked six times and lost 40 yards, simply holding onto the ball too long multiple times.
Back in with Siemian, who threw a far too many 50 times in a loss to San Diego. The next two weeks, Denver won, despite struggles from Siemian, as the defense led them to victory. But, the next week the Broncos lost to Oakland — due to a soft interior defense — and then Denver won in New Orleans even though Siemian threw two picks.
Then, there was his best game of the year, throwing for 368 yards and three touchdowns, in an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That loss wasn't on the quarterback, he played his best football likely of his life, that night, but the Broncos as a team couldn't overcome the Chiefs.
Lynch got his second start due to injury of Siemian, completing only 12-24 passes for 104 yards, though the Broncos beat the lowly Jaguars 20-10.
Then, Siemian was up and down to finish the season and the Broncos lost three of their last four games, falling out of the playoffs.
Simply, Siemian was at his best a game-manager, needing the defense to win games for him and the offense. Of course, the lack of a running game hurt Denver's offense, forcing the young QB to throw too many times, some games.
What Siemian has are the smarts needed to truly understand an offense, while he lacks some of the physical attributes Lynch has.
Lynch looked like a true rookie, not understanding the offense completely, though his 6-7, 240-pound frame excites any football fan. That type of build is reminiscent of Roethlisberger.
"He's really doing a good job," Kubiak said after Lynch's participation in the win over Tampa Bay. "John [Elway] and I sat down and talked about it today before the game and I said 'John, I think he's really growing.'"
But, as Chris Harris admitted, "He doesn't know the whole offense yet, so as long as we keep growing, that's all we need from him."
Now, Lynch will have to learn his second offense in two years in the league, with Mike McCoy taking over as the offensive coordinator. Which, even with his Northwestern background and smarts, will be difficult for Siemian, too.
Who should start for Denver in 2017? Most Broncos fans are done with Siemian, pining for Lynch. Of course, the backup quarterback is always the most popular player in town.
Lynch, though, was a first-round pick and he can't simply sit on the bench for ever.
The answer is: If the Broncos don't go after some big-name player like Romo, the two young QBs should battle it out in camp and preseason, with the best one getting to play.
May the best man win.
