Broncos sign ex-CSU quarterback Stevens

Denver’s decision to add a fourth QB for OTAs benefits the undrafted player

Agent Lynn Lashbrook asked his client, former Colorado State quarterback Nick Stevens, a simple question Wednesday afternoon.

“You ready to be a Denver Bronco?”

Stevens delivered a similarly simple answer.

“Hell, yeah.”

And with that, Stevens signed with the Broncos early Thursday morning and went through a full day of meetings and onfield work at Dove Valley.

“Definitely a great day,” Stevens said in a phone interview. “Super, super thrilled that I was able to land here.”

Stevens, who finished his Colorado State career with a school record 70 touchdown passes, joins a room led by Case Keenum, followed by Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly. Adding a quarterback represented a course change for the Broncos. After last month’s draft, general manager John Elway said the team did not plan on adding a fourth quarterback for OTAs, but their plan changed and Stevens benefited.

The odds for Stevens to stick in September are slim, but at least he is on a 90-man roster in time for the final four weeks of the off-season program. He was a tryout player at the Green Bay and Washington rookie camps earlier this month.

Well behind the veterans and two weeks behind the rookies, Stevens called his first day an “information storm.” But he did see some familiar faces — he was high school teammates in

California with safety Su’a Cravens and played in the Shrine Game with tailback Phillip Lindsay.

Stevens was first-team All-Mountain West last year, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 3,799 yards, 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Rams went 7-6 and Stevens had eight 300-yard games.

Even though he checked the generally required boxes for experience (all or parts of three years as a starter) and size (6foot-3/215 pounds), Stevens was not invited to the Scouting Combine.

Stevens made a pre-draft visit to the Tennessee Titans, but was not one of the 13 quarterbacks selected in the draft nor was he signed to any team’s 90-man ros- ter.

Ahead of the draft, Stevens trained in Denver and Fort Collins with former NFL and college coach Steve Fairchild.

“It surprises me every year when the draft comes and how they select quarterbacks,” Fairchild said. “I just think it’s the nature of the position — everybody looks at it differently and I was very surprised somebody didn’t take a lateround shot on him.”

Stevens said the tryouts with the Packers and Redskins prepared him for what he experienced on Day 1 with the Broncos.

“That helped out a ton just with play-calling and the terminology — some similar concepts here and just being back in football mode and actually being out there practicing,” Stevens said. “If it weren’t for those two weeks, my prior field action would have been the Shrine Game in January.”

Fairchild adjusted Stevens’ footwork during their time together.

“I was very impressed with his deep ball by the time we were done,” Fairchild said. “He got quicker with the ball and he got a little more velocity on it by getting his feet changed. … I’m excited for this opportunity because I really think he has a chance to make it.”

Stevens knows the key starting next week is equal parts capitalizing on his snaps but not pressing.

“I have to take advantage of those opportunities and that starts the next couple of days by diving into the playbook to make sure I know what I’m doing,” Stevens said. “If you know what to do, at least you have a chance. If you don’t, then you don’t have a shot.”