The Denver Broncos are confident in Drew Lock. For the first time in forever, John Elway is at the NFL Combine not looking for the franchise’s next quarterback. Elway has looked for Peyton Manning’s successor since the quarterback’s retirement in 2016. But here at the Combine, he’s feeling a lighter weight on his shoulders.
The Denver Broncos Are Confident In Drew Lock
The Right Direction
Elway is clearly optimistic. In an article by Broncos local reporter Aric DiLalla, Elway said, “It feels a little better coming here without having to worry about that position, knowing which direction you’re going to go.” Lock won four of his five starts at the end of his rookie season. While he still needs a lot of polishing, he looks very much like he is that “right direction” Elway speaks of.
The ‘It’ Factor
Elway believes Lock has the ‘It’ factor. He’s shown enough skill to motivate head coach Vic Fangio and Elway into building a game around him. Elway is impressed that Lock can make all the throws and adjust his arm angle. That Lock is athletic enough to move around and make plays and throw on the run. That physically, he’s as good as anyone else from the 2019 season.
“That’s the hardest part about that position, is figuring out what’s inside. Drew’s got that — so far — he’s got the ‘It’ factor. He’s got the confidence to play the position. As I told him, ‘The sky’s going to fall down. It’s going to come caving in. It’s how you handle it when it caves in.’ I think he’s got the ability to do that because of the confidence he has in himself.” Fangio also expressed that he is “comfortable” and “optimistic” when it comes to Lock.
Lock Ahead Of Brady And Rivers
With Tom Brady and Philip Rivers potentially becoming free agents, Elway is happy to let Lock lead the Broncos moving forward. When asked about Brady, Elway said they would talk to Brady, but were already happy with what they had in Lock.
A Leap In Progress
It’s a hefty jump between a player’s first and second season but playing five games was more than most rookies could hope for. It is expected that the OTA’s will be much better for him this offseason. He will be armed with more knowledge than he had last year. Elway expects big things from Lock at camp too – “knowing what to expect, he’ll be leaps and bounds — I hope — from where he was last year.”
Getting The Right Guys Around Drew Lock
Lock has the right stuff to fill Elway’s vision of the ideal quarterback. And he now looks forward to “the fun part of [getting] the right guys around him as well as [taking] care of Vic on the defensive side.” Lock was a bright spot in a mostly disappointing season. And now Elway is excited “to continue getting better around him and give him an opportunity to be successful.”
The future is looking somewhat brighter for the franchise and Broncos fans. It’s been an arduous few years of high hopes and bitter disappointments. And Drew Lock could be the answer.
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