Denver Broncos: Kyle Sloter deserves another look from team

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 11: Kyle Sloter #1 of the Minnesota Vikings is sacked from behind by Jeff Holland #46 of the Denver Broncos during week one of preseason at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 11, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Vikings defeated the Broncos 42-28. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 11: Kyle Sloter #1 of the Minnesota Vikings is sacked from behind by Jeff Holland #46 of the Denver Broncos during week one of preseason at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 11, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Vikings defeated the Broncos 42-28. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Sloter is currently sitting on his couch, waiting for the phone to ring.

It’s a wonder why it doesn’t. Undrafted out of the University of Northern Colorado in 2017, Sloter has already played for four teams in his young career. He was most recently with the Detroit Lions.

But he should get another look from the Broncos.

During the preseason in 2017, Sloter was fantastic for the team. He went 31-of-43 passing that summer for 413 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in limited work. He had the highest quarterback rating of any rookie quarterback that preseason.

So what do the Broncos do? They promptly waive him.

At that time, the team still had Paxton Lynch on the roster and were hoping he would turn into the guy the team thought it was getting as a first-round pick. Sorry, but Sloter was quite a bit better in every setting.

I went to several training camp practices that year. Sloter was better at every one of them. He was far better than him on the field in the preseason. But because he was an undrafted player and Lynch was the No. 26 overall pick the year he was drafted, Lynch was given the benefit of the doubt.

The Broncos wanted to bring Sloter back and place him on the practice squad, but the Minnesota Vikings swooped in with a lucrative deal.

Sloter also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals before being taken off of their practice squad by the Lions. He recently had a workout with the Chicago Bears, so there is still current interest out there.

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We have recently touched on the idea of Sloter being the team’s quarantine quarterback, should that become an option, and that is a great idea. But that shouldn’t be the only reason the Broncos should have an interest.

Look, behind Drew Lock, the Broncos have Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien. There’s not exactly a lot to be excited about there and neither one of those guys has ever done anything to suggest they would be a better option than Sloter, who was stellar in his brief time in Denver.

Yes, you can say that his success came against third and fourth-string guys, many of whom are no longer even in the league. But releasing Sloter in the first place was a poor decision and he can still compete, especially with the team’s current crop of quarterbacks.

It’s unlikely the team would add Sloter at such a late stage, but if either Driskel or Rypien leaves much to be desired in terms of a backup quarterback, similar to Kevin Hogan last season, he wouldn’t be a bad option,