The Denver Broncos’ quarterback position is once again in focus for the 2021 offseason, which means that speculation is going to run rampant until a clear decision is made.
There could be a very large number of teams making substantial moves at the quarterback position in the 2021 offseason including the Broncos, and one of the biggest names known to be available is Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Under new general manager George Paton, it’s unclear what the Denver Broncos’ direction this offseason will be. With John Elway pulling all of the strings, the Broncos made every effort to upgrade the quarterback position year-in and year-out through veteran acquisitions.
It paid off for him in a big way early on when he was able to land Peyton Manning in free agency, and the Broncos won four straight AFC titles with Manning at quarterback as well as two out of four AFC titles.
After the Broncos won Super Bowl 50, the team explored a wide variety of veteran options including Colin Kaepernick, Tony Romo (remember that?), and others like Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, and probably plenty more we never heard about.
The Broncos took Drew Lock in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and after his final five games of the 2019 season (the first five games of his NFL career) it looked like the team may have landed a long-term option at the position. In 2020, a variety of circumstances led to a season full of tough growth for Lock, but he once again showed great improvement down the stretch.
The question is, will it be enough for the Broncos to pass up on alternatives like Matthew Stafford? Those kinds of quarterbacks don’t just become available every year, even if Stafford is going to be 33 in 2021.
The oddsmakers seem to think the Broncos will be players in the Stafford sweepstakes.
Broncos have 3rd-best odds to land Matthew Stafford per BetOnline, behind Colts and 49ers.
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) January 25, 2021
Sportsbetting though, gives Broncos best odds of landing Stafford, followed by Colts and Washington. Stafford Sweepstakes should heat up soon. #9sports
The Indianapolis Colts continue to pop up as a leading candidate to land Stafford for some obvious reasons. First and foremost, the Colts are currently the team with the best record and most cap space who will be in the market for a new quarterback in 2021 following the retirement of Philip Rivers.
The New Orleans Saints are also in the market for a quarterback, but there is very little chance they could make the financials work to acquire a player like Stafford.
Because the Colts have no quarterback right now (their backup Jacoby Brissett is also a free agent) many expect them with their cap space to be the most aggressive in pursuit of Stafford, and that makes plenty of sense.
What could give the Broncos an edge (if they are actually involved) is if Stafford ends up having some kind of say in the matter. Or, if the Broncos and Colts both offered first-round picks, the Lions would have an easy time choosing the 9th overall pick versus the 21st overall pick.
George Paton noted at his introductory press conference that the Broncos would be “in every deal” and that they would be aggressive without being reckless in building this team. He said there would be no shortcuts to success and he wants to emphasize drafting and developing.
That doesn’t mean that veteran options at the quarterback position — as often as they come up without having a solution that you like in place — will be ignored. The Broncos obviously need to show dramatic improvement offensively in 2021 to be relevant in the AFC, and with seven playoff spots up for grabs, they certainly can be.
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It would be shocking to me if the Broncos were not at least involved in the discussion for Stafford. Who knows if they will end up acquiring him, but with Elway as a sounding board, I think George Paton will undoubtedly explore the idea and find out what the price is.