Denver Broncos: Paxton Lynch sounds like he’s in a great mindset
Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch sounds like he’s in a great mindset as OTAs finally come to a close. Up next: Training camp…
No one has heard from Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch since the team signed veteran quarterback Case Keenum and named him the starter for the 2018 season.
Lynch ended the 2017 season as the team’s starting quarterback and based on reps given to quarterbacks at OTAs, he looks like the odds-on favorite to be the backup quarterback entering training camp.
The Broncos’ former first-round pick spoke to the media for the first time this offseason, and he sounded like he’s in a great mindset about everything the Broncos have done so far this offseason.
He seems thrilled about the opportunity to compete and specifically to compete with and work with Case Keenum:
"“I was really excited actually when we got Case just or the fact that he’s a veteran guy whose kind of been through it a little bit. He’s had his ups and downs but the way he carries himself and the way he handles himself, he’s a pro and I think that only benefits me and other guys in the locker room and other guys in the quarterback room being around that. I think that that’s a really good addition to our team to help everybody.”Paxton Lynch (quotes via Broncos PR)"
Though the mystique of Chad Kelly has dominated the headlines this offseason, the improvement of Lynch is something that can’t be overstated.
The Broncos didn’t commit to a long-term deal with Keenum, they signed him for two years.
Incidentally, that’s all Lynch has left on his rookie contract.
Just listening to Lynch speak, it’s clear he’s in a better place this offseason than he was last year.
Last year, Lynch seemed like he was always one misstep away from Trevor Siemian being named the starter. Now that he’s not necessarily competing for a starting job it’s been wrongly assumed he’s not really fighting for anything.
On the contrary, Lynch is fighting for his NFL life.
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He’s got to start putting some better tape out there, or his two years with the Broncos will his first and last stop in the NFL.
Lynch showed some great signs as a rookie, so hopefully, his regression in 2017 is something he can bounce back from.
There hasn’t been a ton of news out of Broncos camp about Lynch, which may be a good thing. If he were playing poorly or constantly making mistakes, the media would have noticed in limited practices.
Last offseason, literally every one of his and Siemian’s throws were documented throughout the course of the offseason. Having a year to be allowed to make mistakes and get healthy could be exactly what Lynch needs to make necessary strides.
The Broncos’ actions spoke louder than words with their belief in Lynch as a prospect.
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They signed Keenum to a short-term deal and didn’t draft anyone. Lynch didn’t seem too worried about it either way but he seemed impacted by the fact that John Elway showed that kind of belief in him after two years of very limited sample size and plenty of struggling.
If Lynch turns it around, the Broncos’ patience and decision to pass on quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft will have the rest of the league clamoring for whatever crystal ball they have in the front office.