Trade will be a boon behind the scenes
Ten thoughts for new Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco and his 10 career postseason wins: 1. I was guilty of overthinking the Broncos’ plans. I thought Option A might be keeping Case Keenum to begin the season but then giving the 10th overall pick (or higher) a chance to play with an eye toward 2020. Uh, not quite. The Broncos went the Conventional Route. They targeted a veteran quarterback and traded for him. Neat and simple. They also went the Old-School Route. In a developing era of mobile quarterbacks, the Broncos acquired themselves a gunslinger.
2. Flacco was 4-3 all time against the Broncos (nine touchdowns, five interceptions). At Mile High, he won 38-35 in January 2013 (playoffs), lost 49-27 in the 2013 season opener and lost 19-13 in the 2015 season opener.
The playoff win was memorable. Flacco threw a 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. The Ravens finished that season by beating San Francisco in the Super Bowl.
3. Flacco is 34 years old. He has never been to the Pro Bowl. He lost his job to a rookie last year. But for a fourth-round pick, he is worth the risk … and, really, it’s not a risk. What stands out about him is completion percentage (64.9 and 64.1 his last two full years), his durability (played all 16 games in nine of his 10 years) and his playoff form (10 wins).
4. Flacco should be good for the Broncos behind the scenes. This is a team that will have a first-time head coach (Vic Fangio), play-caller (Rich Scangarello) and quarterbacks coach (T.C. McCartney), second-year players in receivers Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton and running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman and a to-be-determined offensive line. Flacco’s input with the game plan from Tuesday-Saturday and his leadership ability off the field will be critical.
5. Flacco has never been the most mobile quarterback (345 rushes for 811 yards) but knows how to slide around the pocket to create time. But his style of play — drop back, stand tall, survey the field — makes rebuilding the offensive line even more important than it was pretrade. Mike Munchak is the new offensive line coach and the Broncos should trust him to suggest at least three linemen to draft in the opening five rounds.
6. Trading for Flacco opens up the Broncos to do anything they want with the 10th pick. They could trade down with Miami at No. 13 or Washington at No. 15 (both of whom could want a quarterback), picking up extra picks and still getting the player they want. They could stay put and draft a cornerback (Byron Murphy, Greedy Williams or Deandre Baker) or a top available offensive tackle (Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford or Greg Little).
7. Case Keenum is no longer in the Broncos’ plans. If a team looking for a backup quarterback/mentor, they could offer a late Day 3 pick for Keenum on the condition he re-structures his contract, adding a year or two in exchange for significantly lowering his $21 million cap hit. Keenum had a chance to prove he can be a 16-game starter; now his goal should be to show he can be a No. 2 for the next 6-7 years.
8. What about the Broncos’ backup quarterback situation? Kevin Hogan remains on the roster. They will have an estimated $28.5 million committed to the position so that should rule out a veteran backup. But maybe the second round? It’s something the Broncos should consider. Even if Elway and Co. feel the 2020 class will be stacked with Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason, etc., the Broncos may not be in a position to even trade up for them.
9. Acquiring Flacco should be a big sigh for Fangio. The last thing he should have wanted in training camp is a quarterback competition, like deciding if Keenum is better than The Drafted Quarterback. Now he can start the offseason program in April knowing Flacco is his trigger man, allowing him to focus on other things.
10. Among the coaches and executives I reached out to Wednesday, the views on Flacco went both ways. One thought Flacco had a “couple years,” of effective football left. Another thought the trade was a “good move for both teams.” But a defensive assistant said Flacco has “very little” left in the tank.