Denver Broncos: Case Keenum was a different player in 2017
What are the Denver Broncos getting in quarterback Case Keenum? He was a completely different player in 2017 than he had been before…
Which version of Case Keenum are the Denver Broncos going to get — the player who we saw in Houston and St. Louis, or the player we saw last year in Minnesota?
In case you didn’t realize it, Keenum played at a very high level for the Vikings this past year, and it wasn’t a case of the team carrying a bad quarterback on their backs.
Statistically, Keenum was one of the better quarterbacks in the league despite not starting a full season, ranking second in the NFL in completion percentage and 12th in touchdown passes. Keenum was also incredibly effective in the red zone, throwing 17 touchdowns compared to just one interception.
Living in the midwest, I watch most if not all Vikings games every year. I can say with confidence that Keenum was a different player in 2017 than he had ever been at any point in his NFL career.
More than just putting up solid numbers, Keenum was helping elevate the Vikings to victories, including three regular season game-winning drives (tied for second in the NFL) and obviously helping the Vikings avoid a defensive collapse in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Saints with the Minneapolis Miracle play.
Keenum’s ascent in 2017 was remarkable to watch, and hopefully that’s the guy the Broncos are getting at a reported $18 million per year average on a new contract.
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As I’ve said all offseason, what makes this a non-ideal move for the Broncos is creating a quarterback competition and letting a rookie drafted in the top five sit on the bench for any period of time.
As much as I like Case Keenum, and as much as I like the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, I don’t really like the idea of one of them sitting on the bench for the Broncos.
What this does hopefully, is give the Broncos a chance to really compete for a championship. We saw how far Keenum was capable of going in the playoffs this past year, and while the Vikings have a younger roster than the Broncos, I think Denver has a couple of years with their current core of players to compete for a title yet.
This will be fascinating to watch, as in all likelihood, the Broncos will supplement their QB position and signing of Keenum by drafting someone in the top five picks at the same position.