At the quarterback position, the field is set for a “50-50” competition for the right to be dubbed the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback heading into 2017.
Barring any unexpected trade or early draft selection, Denver’s starting quarterback will be Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch. The general consensus across media outlets and analysts seems to be that this is Siemian’s job to lose. No one seems to think that Lynch will earn the position.
But he should. It should be Paxton Lynch as the team’s starting quarterback for the upcoming season. He was drafted as the Broncos’ quarterback of the future and this is the opportunity to make the future the present.
Fans don’t need to look far to see what a 2017 season would look like with Siemian at the helm. Looking back at how the team performed last year under Siemian’s play, Denver finished 27th in yards per game and 22nd in points per game.
Subsequently, the Broncos missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
The Broncos have seen what Siemian can do. They’ve seen the type of quarterback he is and how he produces on the field. He had 14 games to prove that last year. It’s time to look at Lynch, who Denver has only seen action in three regular season games.
Towards the end of the season, opposing defenses began to catch on to what Siemian’s trends were and how they could best stop the young QB. But a quarterback like Lynch, with a cannon arm that makes the deep ball a threat on every play, would give Denver’s offense the unpredictability and moxie that it so missed last year.
While Siemian has one year of experience over Lynch, both quarterbacks enter the offseason program learning a new offense under new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. With both quarterbacks equal in terms of experience in the new offense, Lynch’s physique and physical tools make him a much more appealing option at the quarterback position.
Siemian’s health is also a reason to let Lynch takes the reins. Siemian missed two games last season before electing to have offseason shoulder surgery on his non-throwing arm. His inability to stay healthy means that it would be only a matter of time before Lynch entered the game anyway.
Staying put in its current state of offense won’t do the Broncos any good. Denver needs to see what it has in Lynch and if Lynch is capable of being the quarterback they thought he was coming out of college.
Siemian undoubtedly performed admirably in the awkward transition away from Peyton Manning/Brock Osweiler. Watching Siemian pilot the three-and-out ship like the did last season will only put a strain on an already frustrated fan base that will only clamor louder and louder for No. 12 as the season goes on.
Lynch was the “sexy” pick that brought excitement for the team’s future. While Denver’s defensive core remains intact, the future cannot be delayed while Siemian displays another 2016-esque performance.
With a new coaching staff looking to spice things up on offense, defense and special teams, it’s time to focus forward to the 2017 season and beyond. That is done best with Paxton Lynch at the helm.
