Denver Broncos: Why Gardner Minshew is a great plan B
As the current Denver Broncos’ roster stands, there is only one glaring weakness, the quarterback position.
In the perfect world, Denver Broncos’ General Manager George Paton will swing a trade for elite quarterbacks, Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers. However, if Rodgers decides to stay in Green Bay, and Wilson gets shipped to a different franchise, what should the Denver Broncos do?
This would be a massive disappointment to Broncos Country, as we all can sense this team is in a fine window right now. They really are just a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender.
Leading up to the month of December, George Paton has watched four potential prospects in the upcoming draft:
- Malik Willis, Liberty
- Matt Corral, Ole Miss
- Carson Strong, Nevada
- Sam Howell, North Carolina
While some of these prospects are intriguing, none of them seem like immediate game changers. It would be wise to haul in a veteran along with one of these prospects if that is the direction Paton takes.
Some of the potential free-agent quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft class are:
- Nick Foles
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Andy Dalton
- Marcus Mariota
- Jameis Winston
- Jacoby Brissett
- Tyrod Taylor
This list of quarterbacks does not wow anyone, if there was anyone that did, they wouldn’t be pending free-agents. Elite, or even starting-caliber quarterbacks, don’t get to just test free agency willingly.
Current starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly seeking a new multi-year deal in the range of $25 million per season. That is excessive, ask the Carolina Panthers who are still currently paying Bridgewater to play for the Denver Broncos.
Even before this report came out, I stood strongly against bringing Bridgewater back for the 2022 season. On multiple occasions this season it has felt like Bridgewater simply isn’t as tuned in as he should be.
He has made business decisions, as well as making comments about “not wanting to put bad play on film,” which tells me he is more concerned about his future employer seeing his flaws in his play than he is about making plays in the moment.
Bridgewater may be the best option for the rest of 2021, but that is where the bridge should be burned. His lack of passion and sense of urgency has driven me bananas at times. With a team that has an abundance of youth, energetic pieces, and a burning desire to win, there are times when Teddy seems to be the water that douses the fire.
This is purely my perspective, but having a quarterback who brings fire and desire could ignite a flame in this passionate roster and propel them to the next level. Now, this guy certainly wouldn’t make the Denver Broncos a Super Bowl contender, but I think he could be one heck of a leader until the rookie is ready to step into action.
This quarterback has shown what he is capable of to Broncos Country in person, on September 29th, 2019. His magic even dazzled now Los Angeles Ram, Von Miller. Gardner Minshew is a guy that could bring some moxy, passion and a cheap contract with a desire to prove himself.
In the 25 games that Minshew has appeared in, he started 21 of them. Throwing for 5,783 yards, with 39 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, it is incredible how overlooked he is. Minshew has a career quarterback rating of 94.4 and a completion percentage of 63.5.
Throughout his career, he has been throwing touchdown passes to the likes of Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley. None of those names are putting fear into anyone’s eyes.
Maybe if Minshew was throwing to Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jerry Jeudy, and the fantastic tight ends of the Denver Broncos, he could even see a burst in production. At the very least, Minshew has made chicken stew out of chicken poop, the Denver Broncos already have chicken stew.
It also wouldn’t cost much to swing a trade for Minshew, in draft capital, or from a contractual standpoint. He will be in the last year of his rookie deal, on the books for just $965,000. Minshew has shown that he is a fiery guy, as well as someone who could hold down the fort.
Minshew may not be the long-term solution, but he could be a better stop gap option than any of the potential free-agent quarterbacks in the 2022 class. Minshew is also a guy I wouldn’t mind seeing a young guy learn from, as I want my quarterback to play with the same passion that Minshew does.
He could be the best case scenario for the Denver Broncos, if a trade for the big guns does not pan out. Pairing him with someone like Malik Willis would be my ideal scenario if that were to happen. He is willing to lead with passion, push the ball downfield, make good decisions, and still be productive when he is outmanned.
Give me Gardner Minshew over Teddy Bridgewater, or any of the other free-agent quarterbacks, if the Denver Broncos can’t pull off a trade for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.