The Denver Broncos are in quite a predicament in regards to their quarterback situation. I look and see if Trevor Siemian could be NFL ready to lead the Broncos.
So, no more Peyton Manning. No more Brock Osweiler. Are the Broncos in trouble?
I would not go that far in saying that. Broncos Country is all about In Elway We Trust. However, there are some that are a bit concerned. But it is only Day 3 of free agency. And Super Bowls are not won in free agency.
The Broncos do have options at quarterback. There is Ryan Fitzpatrick and Robert Griffin III in free agency. There are also talks about the Broncos acquiring Colin Kaepernick in a trade. That one seems like the most realistic option, although there have been conflicting reports as of late.
But let us look ahead. What if Kaepernick does not come to the Broncos via trade? What if Fitzpatrick and Griffin III sign elsewhere? That could put the Broncos in a tough spot.
A trade for A.J. McCarron makes no sense for both parties. McCarron hasn’t proven himself in the NFL for the Broncos to consider it and the Bengals could look at him for the future.
If the three options I mentioned above are gone, the Broncos might just go with Trevor Siemian while they sign a veteran backup and draft another quarterback.
I am going to weigh in on Siemian. Is he ready to make that jump to starting NFL quarterback? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons.
The two negatives that I can see with Siemian is his ACL injury and throwing him to the lions this early in his development. The only snap he took in the 2015 season was a kneel down in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reason being was that Osweiler took off to the locker room early with an injury.
So, without any key snaps in the NFL yet, it would be difficult to see what he could do for the Broncos. His ACL injury he suffered in his final year in college does not help the case either. Even when healthy, that injury could take some time. But I am certain at this time, the knee is alright.
Who knows, perhaps it will be in better shape in 2016. So, no key NFL experience and a knee injury. What are some positives?
He does have a lot of potential. The Broncos are certainly developing him into a solid quarterback. Gary Kubiak and John Elway think highly of him. Kubiak even praised him on his throwing ability.
In fact, the Broncos think so highly of him that they let Christian Ponder go when Manning was close to full strength. That speaks of how much confidence they had in Siemian backing up Osweiler.
As we know, confidence in a player does not warrant a starting job. It is pretty much a given that Siemian will be at best the No. 2 option at quarterback. But nothing wrong with playing a little what if and weighing the options.
Next: Broncos and 49ers playing games with Kaepernick?
I think somewhere down the road, Siemian will be a great player. Who knows, perhaps he could get his shot if the starting quarterback goes down. Then we could really see what we have there. But for now, it is unlikely. But hey, can’t hurt to think about it right?
In short, I think if it is an absolute last resort, Siemian is an option. But for now, he will most likely fill in the back up quarterback role.
However, don’t sleep on Siemian. This guy has some serious potential once he is ready.