Kelly has a chance as Broncos’ backup

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Not even the signing of free agent Case Keenum could keep the Denver Broncos from staging yet another quarterback competition this offseason.

This time it’s a battle for the backup job.

After bypassing a quarterback in a draft that was deep on passing prospects, General Manager John Elway declared that Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly would duke it out for the No. 2 job.

That served as a vote of confidence in Lynch, his 2016 first-round pick who hasn’t been able to win the starting job, and a golden opportunity for Kelly, “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2017 as the last player picked in the draft.

“With Paxton, we still think he is young. We are not kicking him to the curb. He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, we knew it was going to take some time,” Elway said. “Paxton is going to compete with Chad for that backup spot. We are not going to bring another one in for OTAs.”

That marked the first time Elway had publicly mentioned Kelly as having a chance to win a roster spot a year after missing his entire rookie season while recovering from wrist and knee surgeries.

“I thought of it as, OK, perfect, I can get more reps,” Kelly said Saturday after serving as the only quarterback during a 90-minute walkthrough that capped the Broncos’ three-day rookie orientation. “I just look at it as another opportunity to get better each and every day and each and every rep.”

Kelly’s offseason work habits have resulted in a reshaped body.