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Denver Broncos roster overview after the 2018 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

ENGLEWOOD, CO - APRIL 27: President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway, left, and Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, right, present their 1st round draft pick Bradley Chubb, center, with a Broncos jersey at Dove Valley April 27, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO - APRIL 27: President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway, left, and Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, right, present their 1st round draft pick Bradley Chubb, center, with a Broncos jersey at Dove Valley April 27, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
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ENGLEWOOD, CO MARCH 16: John Elway, general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Denver Broncos and head coach Vance Joseph present quarterback Case Keenum with his jersey with the no.4 on it during a press conference on March 16, 2018 at Dove Valley. Case Keenum agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO MARCH 16: John Elway, general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Denver Broncos and head coach Vance Joseph present quarterback Case Keenum with his jersey with the no.4 on it during a press conference on March 16, 2018 at Dove Valley. Case Keenum agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

Quarterback

The Denver Broncos started off the offseason making a move at the quarterback position, the position that has prevented them from making the playoffs the past two seasons.

John Elway was aggressive, signing Case Keenum to a two-year contract worth $36 million, an average annual salary for the quarterback position in today’s NFL.

I’ve said it a number of times throughout the offseason, but the Broncos’ wins and losses this past season were a direct reflection of quarterback play. Initially, I was not fully aboard with the Broncos’ decision to keep Vance Joseph, but when I discovered this statistic, it was hard to argue everything was his fault.

The Broncos’ average quarterback rating in their 11 losses?

61.6.

The Broncos’ average quarterback rating in their five victories?

97.5.

Keenum’s quarterback rating in 2017 was 98.3, and over his career, it’s right around 86.

As you can see from that statistic, the quarterback position held the Broncos back in a year where they suffered too many injuries and had too many mental mistakes to truly compete.

But when the quarterbacks played well, the Broncos won. Simple as that.

My theory is that having Keenum aboard instantly makes the Broncos a relevant team in the AFC West, as long as he can maintain above average play week in and week out.

This is a bigger topic to address as the offseason progresses, but the Broncos didn’t draft a quarterback or sign one as an undrafted player, so two of the happiest guys in the building this offseason are Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what Kelly is capable of in a competitive setting again, and Lynch showed some flashes in the regular season finale against the Chiefs.

I expect those three to be on the Broncos’ roster when the regular season rolls around, and I think Kelly has a decent chance of being the team’s primary backup.

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