Denver Broncos: We should still pull for Drew Lock
Even though the Denver Broncos have named Teddy Bridgewater the starting quarterback, I am still pulling for Drew Lock, even if it’s with another team.
The decision to name Teddy Bridgewater as the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos just might put an end to the mishandled Drew Lock era in Denver.
If this is the end, Lock’s career in Denver would stop after just 18 starts and right as he apparently took a significant leap forward this offseason.
The third-year quarterback has been praised by coaches and players for the improvements he made during the offseason, and many of us thought he would be named the starter, given his ceiling compared to Bridgewater and his untapped potential.
The fallout from Broncos Country at this decision tells me that many of us wanted Lock to start, and for good reason.
Personally, I’ve been a Lock fan since day 1. I love his personality, demeanor, leadership, and I truly think he’d going to be a quality starter in this league. The stretch of play in 2019 gave me immense hope for the future.
And even during 2020, I saw stretches of play from Lock that never questioned my belief in his abilities.
Fast forward a few months, and it’s evident that the Denver Broncos have severely mishandled developing Drew Lock. We can talk about why they ultimately chose Bridgewater all day, but as a Lock fan, no matter where he ends up, I am rooting for his success.
If Lock can only become a high-end backup, then I’ll root for him in that regard, but if Lock gets traded, and another team takes a chance, then I’ll root for him even more.
You see, he has carried himself with a degree of professionalism that not every NFL player has.
He did all the right things in the offseason and has said all the right things during media availability.
He’s well-liked by his teammates and is exactly what you want in a franchise quarterback. It’s a shame that the Broncos have mishandled his development. I get that Fangio and company prefer Teddy in a make-or-break season for the team, but, by doing so, they’ve furthered the unknown–who in the heck is going to be the Denver Broncos’ long-term quarterback?
Do I think Teddy will be the long-term answer? No, I don’t. Cycling through the Keenums and Flaccos and Lynchs never brought me any hope that they could be the ‘guy’.
Drew Lock was and is different than those before him, though.
My hope for Drew is that he gets the chance that he deserves. Hopefully, some team will look at the product he produced for the Broncos during this offseason and preseason and take a true chance. I get that Lock will already be 25 this year, but I think age is just a number in his case.
It’s clear that the Denver Broncos do not value Drew as a player, and if I was Drew, I would approach the team for a trade.
There are quite a few teams that have aging quarterbacks who could take a chance on Lock.
I’m not saying he’ll definitely have success outside of Denver, but, if he does, I’ll be his biggest fan.