Trevor Siemian wins Broncos QB job again
Vance Joseph was admittedly enamored of the idea of a towering, chuck-it-or-tuck-it quarterback with firstround pedigree and a lightning bolt for a right arm leading the Denver Broncos in 2017.
Even more captivating for the rookie head coach was the notion of his egghead seventh-rounder with the sneaky fastball and penchant for making the right decisions calling the signals.
So, it’s Trevor Siemian and not Paxton Lynch who will start for the Broncos.
Joseph made the announcement Monday following a five-month audition that represented the biggest position battle in the NFL this offseason.
Joseph suggested Lynch may still represent the future in Denver, but with a team that’s just 18 months removed from a championship parade and so good on defense, he had to think about today, not tomorrow. So, Siemian is his guy. Just as he was Gary Kubiak’s choice a year ago.
“It’s all about performance, not potential,” Joseph said. “And Trevor is ready to lead our football team. We’ve got two receivers that are All-Pro caliber, we’ve got a great backfield, we’ve fixed the offensive line. So, we need a guy who can operate at a high level all the time.”
The book on Lynch coming out of Memphis’ spread offense was that he needed multiple years of seasoning at the pro level and Joseph said what’s holding Lynch back is “probably experience.”
“It’s tough to play quarterback in this league. A lot goes into it and it’s not simply about how tall you are or your arm strength, how fast you run,” Joseph said.
Joseph demurred when asked if he felt Lynch was right where he should be on his developmental arc.
“I can’t say that. But he is a guy that again has rare talent and he works at it. He does work at it,” Joseph said. “Some guys need more time. He’s a young player. So in a year or two, he might be ready to take over the reins. But right now he’s not.”
Siemian beat out veteran Mark Sanchez last summer then went 8-6, throwing for 3,400 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2016 despite playing three-fourths of the year with a sprained left shoulder that required offseason surgery.
Siemian found himself fighting for his job again after Kubiak retired from coaching in January and was replaced by Joseph, who brought in Mike McCoy to author the Broncos’ new playbook.
“Honestly, I think you have to compete for your job every day, every week,” Siemian said.
Although Joseph declared it a “50-50 competition” this spring, Siemian’s edge in experience was a major factor in him pulling away from Lynch, the 26th overall pick in last year’s draft.
That’s not to say it wasn’t a close call, however.
Joseph said there was some debate among the group of decision-makers that included himself, McCoy, QB coach Bill Musgrave, GM John Elway and player personnel director Matt Russell.