5 high-upside reclamation QBs Broncos, Sean Payton should target in 2024

The Denver Broncos appear to be moving on from Russell Wilson in 2024, although at this point, nothing is set in stone. If the team does move on from Wilson, there are a lot of different paths to potentially take to solve the QB situation. Perhaps the favorite path of Sean Payton throughout the course of his time in the NFL as a head coach is the reclamation project, taking on players who may not be good for their current situation and putting them in a better one.

Payton's most successful quarterbacks when he was head coach of the New Orleans Saints were talented players who simply didn't fit with the teams that drafted them for whatever reason. Drew Brees was an unwanted castoff of the Chargers when the Saints acquired him. Jameis Winston threw 30 interceptions in his final season with the Buccaneers before Payton and the Saints scooped up the former #1 overall pick and Heisman winner. Teddy Bridgewater was a free agent shot in the dark by the Jets after a career-threatening injury before Payton and the Saints traded for him.

This isn't exactly a habit of only having had success with retreads at the QB position, but true reclamation projects. Every one of the guys I just mentioned played his best football at the NFL level under Sean Payton, no matter how big (or small) the sample size.

Could we see Payton go after another reclamation project in 2024? His comments to Rich Eisen lead me to believe it's something he's already been thinking about...

So who are the options in 2024?

1. Sam Darnold (free agent, 49ers)

Although we're reaching a bit by calling this one "high upside", there's evidence out there that Sean Payton really liked Sam Darnold in the pre-draft process back in 2018. Although 2018 doesn't feel like it was that long ago, we're now pushing six years on Sam Darnold entering the NFL with very little to actually show for it.

Darnold's last most extensive action was in 2022 when he started down the stretch for the Carolina Panthers, and actually did a pretty good job. He was the primary backup this past year to Brock Purdy in San Francisco and only threw a total of 46 passes. I think banking anything on Darnold in 2024 would be a massive risk for Sean Payton to take, and would almost certainly have to be backed up by taking someone high in the 2024 NFL Draft.

2. Mac Jones (trade target, Patriots)

Many in Broncos Country loathe the idea of Mac Jones becoming the team's next starting quarterback, but Jones might be one of the most realistic potential options for the Denver Broncos in the 2024 offseason for a variety of reasons.

We have Payton's history of reclamation projects, for starters.

Next, you have reports from 2021 about the Saints attempting to jump ahead of New England in the NFL Draft before the Patriots eventually pulled the trigger on drafting Mac Jones.

So as recently as 2021, Sean Payton thought highly enough of Mac Jones to try and trade up to get him, although it didn't work out. Here's what Payton had to say in his evaluation of Mac Jones that year just after the Saints played the Patriots in a regular season game:

"He was someone that we were really high on. I think he processes information fast. At Alabama if you watch closely his tape, the ball comes out, decisions are made fast. I think he sees the field horizontally as well as vertically well. He has the arm to make the throws that you want.

His decision-making and processing are where I felt were really strong suits with him and I think he's handling it well. It's not easy to all of a sudden come in and start week one as a rookie, but he's a smart player."

Sean Payton on Mac Jones

Say what you will about Mac Jones, but his ability to get rid of the ball quickly and play in an offense that is predicated on rhythm, timing, and tempo?

Well, that screams "Sean Payton" to me. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if the Denver Broncos made a move for Mac Jones and put him in a "better" overall situation.

3. Justin Fields (trade target, Bears)

Contrasted with the way he talked about Mac Jones coming out of Alabama, we have Sean Payton's thoughts on what he remembers evaluating Justin Fields in the same 2021 NFL Draft class. There's nothing negative in that video from Payton regarding Fields, but there was so much more specificity with the way he talked about Mac Jones.

Which means there was probably more Payton liked about Mac Jones coming out in that 2021 draft class.

Nevertheless, there's now a pro scouting element to the evaluation of Justin Fields that didn't exist when Payton last considered adding him to his roster. Fields has developed over the course of the last three years with the Chicago Bears and the Bears are now in a position to take a new quarterback with the #1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

If they choose to move on from Fields, he becomes a fascinating player on the market, but is he a fit for the Denver Broncos?

Based on what was missing from Payton's offense in 2024, I'm not so sure. Fields is an outstanding talent with his ability to run the football and a live arm to make big-time throws to every level of the field, but is it possible the Broncos would struggle with the same issues with Justin Fields that they did with Russell Wilson this past year?

Fields has completed just 60.3 percent of his throws over his first three NFL seasons, and if timing and rhythm are integral to the offense, then perhaps Fields and his dynamic playmaking ability aren't the right fit. But the talent is enticing.

4. Trey Lance (trade target, Cowboys)

I don't think Sean Payton, who predicted early last year that Lance would be benched by the 49ers, would be interested in acquiring Trey Lance as his QB1, but somebody has to eventually start to utilize this guy's talent.

I think the Broncos should absolutely look into acquiring Lance not only for his intriguing arm talent but for his athletic ability and ability to run the football. Lance was one of the most instinctive open-field runners of anyone I watched in the 2021 NFL Draft class, running backs included.

This guy is wasting away as an "emergency quarterback" when he could be utilized as a weapon offensively in the meantime. Given how much success Sean Payton had with Taysom Hill in New Orleans, I can't help but think he could have even more success with someone like Trey Lance, who has elite speed and playmaking ability at the position.

The Cowboys acquired Lance last year at roster cuts for the price of a 4th-round pick, and I'm not sure his value has really gone up at all. If you could get him for a bargain price, this is a player that might be worth getting into your program and developing as a quarterback while also creating a role for him within the offense where he could actually play some football in 2024.

5. Baker Mayfield (free agent, Buccaneers)

I almost didn't include Baker Mayfield on this list because I think it's obvious that he's not exactly a "reclamation" project at this point. Mayfield finished third in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2023 after a tremendous year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

At this time last year, Mayfield was considered basically a bust. He finished out the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Rams where he looked much better under Sean McVay, and he parlayed that strong finish into a starting opportunity with Dave Canales and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense in 2023.

The way Mayfield played in 2023 wasn't lost on Sean Payton, and there could be a great opportunity for the Broncos to jump at the chance to sign the former #1 overall pick this offseason if he hits free agency. Mayfield could work well in Sean Payton's offense and perhaps he's proven after what we saw with Tampa Bay that he can be a viable option in the long term as opposed to just a year-to-year proposition.

What Mayfield has shown over the course of his NFL career is pretty remarkable, when you think about it. He came to a broken Cleveland Browns organization and helped lead them to the postseason. He picked up Sean McVay's offense in a few days and nearly hung 60 points on the Denver Broncos last Christmas. He took Tom Brady's chair in Tampa Bay and helped the Bucs dethrone the reigning NFC Champs in the playoffs.

I would love to see Mayfield work with Sean Payton, and I think Mayfield has the exact type of mental toughness, leadership ability, and ability to adapt that could make him a perfect fit.