Virgil Green knows Mike McCoy‘s offense. He knows how hard it can be to master as a tight end, let alone as a quarterback. So it’s promising that Green sees positive progress from Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch in grasping McCoy’s complex offense.

“This is a difficult offense. There is a lot of substance to this offense,” Green told reporters following Tuesday’s OTA practice at UCHealth Training Center.

Green and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas are the only offensive players still with the Broncos from Mike McCoy’s first tenure as offensive coordinator, 2009-12. It was McCoy’s offense that served as the framework for Denver’s record setting offense in 2013. That year Denver set an all-time mark for points scored, most games scoring 30-plus points, most passing touchdowns and most net passing yards.

All that was done with one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, Peyton Manning, at the helm at the peak of his career. Now, McCoy is trying to implement that same offense with a pair of quarterbacks that have just one and two years of experience under their belts.

“I’ve always said I wouldn’t wish quarterback on my worst enemy,” Green said, “but they still have a lot of time. We have training camp. I do think these guys are learning, not just what we’re doing, but they have to see the different things that our defense is doing.”

The fact that the young quarterbacks are trying to learn their second offensive system in as many years – one that is now far more complex – is complicated by the fact they’re doing it against arguably the top defense in the NFL over the past two seasons.

“Our defense, hands down, is one of the best in the league. It is tough to go against those guys,” Green said.

That’s coming from a seventh-year player. Siemian and Lynch have just 16 NFL starts to their credit. Still, Green is confident in the progress the duo has made in this offense.

“I think we’re making a lot of progress. We’re making a lot of plays for as much substance as this offense has. I think these guys have adjusted really well.”

Featured Image Credit: Ryan Greene, 5280 Sports Network