When the 2017 NFL season ended, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway wasted no time addressing all the problems the team needed to fix as he offered clues to his master plan. Nevertheless, the path to get this team to where they were just a few years ago wasn’t yet clear.
The Denver Broncos Action Plan for Paxton Lynch
One thing, however, is clear: Elway is on a mission to upgrade certain positions, which is why over the past three months, he and the rest of the Broncos staff members have taken this problem head-on; evaluating current players like Paxton Lynch as well as potential prospects from both free agency and the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, for the Denver Broncos, they’re on the short end of teams eager to add veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to their roster. To make matters worse, if they find a way to acquire Cousins onto their roster, there’s a good chance they’ll leave the 2018 NFL Draft short-handed since they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay new players. If not Cousins, Lynch, or Trevor Siemian, then who? Perhaps the Broncos will pursue the second wave of free agent quarterbacks that include players like Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, or A.J. McCarron. Or they’ll try and trade for players Nick Foles or Tyrod Taylor. So many options, right? On the bright side, if none of these options work out in their favor, they’ll still have the number five overall pick in the upcoming draft.
But what about Lynch?
As of right now, the only thing Lynch has been credited for is choosing the right college and not falling victim to substance abuse throughout the course of all his ankle and knee injuries – despite the fact that college athletes are at greater risk for addiction; which puts him in an unfortunate position considering he’s never had the opportunity to showcase his full potential. Are the Broncos to blame for his downfall, or is it due to injuries? Though the answer remains unclear, the Broncos will have to figure out where he is in the process of developing as a starting quarterback. This means that Lynch won’t only have to compete for the starting job, but compete to remain on the roster.
As Elway said two years ago, he’s looking to win “from now on,” meaning that whichever quarterback gives them a better chance of winning, gets the starting job. Moving forward, though, the Broncos will likely keep Lynch on their roster since he was a hefty investment. One that required them to outbid the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL draft. So he won’t have to worry about packing for a temporary living situation – at least for the time being. That being said, with one quarterback for sure still on the roster, the Broncos can do their best to get better in other areas like protecting him from defensive lineman and linebackers.
In the meantime, fans should keep an eye on the Broncos and see what all John Elway and head coach, Vance Joseph have up their sleeves. After all, a head coaching job could be on the line if things continue to go south in the Mile High City of Denver.
