Denver Broncos mock draft: Building around Case Keenum

Signing Keenum

If the Broncos can’t sign Kirk Cousins, and ultimately set their sights on signing Case Keenum, I think things could get very interesting.

Keenum is 30 years old, and is definitely going to want a nice payday.

He’s earned it.

After the season he had in 2017, Keenum has the right to hold out for as much guaranteed money and as many years on a contract as he can get. For those two reasons, I think he may be a less likely option for the Broncos than many are saying, but he has a relationship with Broncos personnel advisor Gary Kubiak, who brought him into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

With Kubiak helping the recruiting pitch, I think the Broncos could get Keenum at a similar deal to what the Jaguars just gave Blake Bortles. After all, Bortles is younger, has had more production, and just reached the conference championship game, just like Keenum did in the NFC.

An average of $18 million per year seems more than fair for Keenum, who signed a $3 million contract last season with the Vikings.

Even at $18 million per year, the Broncos would likely work to get Keenum on a lower first year hit, and probably have a way to opt out after two years of the Contract. They could guarantee him $25-30 million and similar to the Jaguars, have a cap hit of maybe $10-14 million this year.

This type of a move — to me — would almost prevent the Broncos from taking a quarterback with the fifth overall pick. If they fall in love with someone at the Scouting Combine or before free agency, they should go a much cheaper route in free agency than what I think is reasonable with Keenum.