Why the Broncos are convinced QB Case Keenum is “the best fit” By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post March 18, 2018

Von Miller set out on the recruiting trail around the time of LII in Minnesota, where he made the rounds on radio row to advertise the Broncos and to voice his interest in .

“He knows exactly how I feel about Kirk Cousins and what he would mean to our team and what he would mean to a lot of teams,” Miller told Dan Patrick that week. “… A lot of teams would literally kill to have a like that.”

So, naturally, Miller proceeded to stalk Cousins on social media, hoping their shared love of cereal and rainbows would lure the quarterback to Denver. He later told ESPN that “when you get a guy like that, you’re automatically in Super Bowl contention,” which of course, led to input from Emmanuel Sanders on Twitter — “The (Kirk Cousins) to () and myself combination would be dangerous!!! What y’all think?” — who sought fans’ input with a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Broncos guard Ron Leary gave him three thumbs up.

So surely this had to be awkward when general manager ignored their wishes completely and signed Case Keenum to a two-year, $36 million contract to be the next starting quarterback of the Broncos.

“No, it’s not awkward. Von was the first person to reach out,” Keenum said Friday. “I applaud those guys for wanting to make their team better. I want guys that want their team to be great and that want to do everything they can to help the team. … I’m ready to step in that locker room and earn the right to be a leader.”

That last part of that answer is, in large part, why the Broncos bypassed Cousins in free agency and snagged Keenum before the market opened. It’s one of the many reasons Elway and Co. are convinced Keenum is their guy, despite mixed reviews from outsiders. And it’s a big reason the Broncos believe Keenum’s impressive 2017 season is only the start.

Thanks to an unlikely football journey and an impressive run with Minnesota, Keenum is a guy Elway labeled “the best fit” for the Broncos.

“He may be just hitting his stride right now,” Elway said. “A lot of times it takes different situations to get comfortable, obviously. Case was in a good situation last year with the Vikings. My plan is to put him in that same situation this year where he can be successful and have the year, if not a better year, this year than he had last year and continue on.”

A road less traveled As arguably the second-most coveted free-agent quarterback on the open market, Keenum said he spurned the interests of other teams to sign a short-term deal with the Broncos, a team whose GM he idolized as a child and a team in desperate need of an offensive leader after two playoff-less years.

But his connection to the Broncos ran deeper than that. From the start, Keenum rarely had a team longing for his play. He received only one scholarship offer coming out of high school, from the University of Houston, and went undrafted by the NFL in 2012.

The team that did sign him was the Houston Texans, whose head coach was Gary Kubiak and defensive backs coach was Vance Joseph. After joining the Texans’ practice squad that year, Keenum was elevated to starter in 2013 in place of Matt Schaub — then lost his first eight games.

Keenum’s time in Houston, led to time with the Rams, then back to the Texans, alternating between backup and starter, before signing with Minnesota in 2017. He was supposed to be a backup there, too. He ended up as a starter and hero with a 61-yard pass to Stefon Diggs in the waning seconds of a divisional playoff win against New Orleans.

“He is a battler and every week he is going to give his best shot,” Joseph said. “It won’t be too big for him. He likes to play and win and he’s going to be a great teammate. For our football team, he was the best fit. Every chance he’s gotten to play in this league, he’s been a winner.”

Shortly after stepping down as head coach of the Broncos in Jan. 2017, Kubiak rejoined the franchise as one of Elway’s top personnel advisors and played a significant role in the acquisition of Keenum.

Comfort can breed success. So too, the Broncos hope, does a grit and proven history of toppling the odds.

“I’ve been through a lot of different situations and I’m definitely better for it,” Keenum said. “There are some tough times and there are some really good times. To have a team pursue me — and like John said, to be their guy — that instills a lot of confidence in me and I am ready to be that guy.

Keenum, much like undrafted linebacker Todd Davis and undrafted cornerback Chris Harris, was never really supposed to make it this far. But six seasons of fighting onto rosters and into starting roles caught the eye of the Broncos, who believe Keenum’s mentality will be contagious in the locker room and his skill will stabilize an offense in disarray.

“Gary’s relationship with Case and knowing Case, that was a big feather in Case’s cap,” Elway said. “As far as I’m concerned, an effect of what Gary thought of him really as a man and what he could in that locker room for us. We know that locker room is something that we’ve got to continue to work on. As you can see, the maturity that Case is going to bring I think is going to be tremendous for us.”

“I plan on being better than I was last year.” The last and only time Keenum played a football game in Colorado was Sept. 20, 2008, in Fort Collins. It didn’t go well. Not for Keenum, at least.

The Colorado State Rams were ahead by three when Keenum heaved the final pass of the game, a rainbow into the end zone that was intercepted by some safety named Klint Kubiak.

“Klint Kubiak came over from his safety position and I still remember the play vividly,” Keenum said. “We had a field goal in our pocket and I tried to get a little greedy and win the game on a touchdown pass, and he came down with it. I’m glad we’re on the same team now.”

Klint, the eldest son of Gary, is now the Broncos’ offensive assistant/ coach. A photo of that is still on Keenum’s phone, a recent reminder courtesy of Klint.

Over the years, as Keenum bounced from team to team and weathered the storm of that 2013 season in Houston, his play has improved annually — notably his completion percentage. Year-over-year improvement is a goal and point of pride for Keenum. It’s also a major selling point for the Broncos, who have endured two seasons behind a rotation of starters and string of turnovers.

Last season the Broncos ranked second in the league with 34 turnovers that led to an NFL-high 140 points.

Last season, Keenum threw only seven to 22 and completed 67.6 percent of his passes. Only was more accurate.

Asked Friday of the offense’s biggest point of emphasis for 2018, Joseph didn’t hesitate.

“Obviously taking care of the football,” he said. “That’s a major issue for any offense. We want to build our scheme around our players, so obviously signing Case, that’s a big upgrade for us right now in our minds.”

Though the Broncos have yet to dive into the system and the playbook with Keenum, their plan for 2018 is no mystery. With Bill Musgrave as their full-time offensive coordinator, the system is essentially Kubiak’s, with a focus on playaction and running the ball. Joseph said earlier they must do a better job of adapting to the strengths of their quarterback, but simply having a declared starter from the outset will help that process.

“I’m excited to get in there and start talking about what makes sense, what language I speak and what language they speak, get on the same page and figure out how to move the ball, how to get first down, how to score and how to win some ballgames,” Keenum said.

“I’m excited to earn the right to be a leader and I’m excited to be the quarterback of the Denver Broncos.”

After the team reached an agreement with Keenum, Miller took to social media again, this time with a photoshopped image of Keenum in a Broncos jersey and self-narrated video to sell him on the finer points of Colorado — like “the most beautiful rainbows mother nature has ever created” and “of course, Chipotle” and “most importantly, home of a 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker who will be a great teammate who will not hit quarterbacks in practice!”

With the video, Miller included a message to Keenum and new cornerback Tramaine Brock: “Welcome To Denver! Your Super Bowl journey starts here!”

The Broncos’ options at No. 5 in the draft just got even more interesting By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post March 18, 2018

A day after the Broncos introduced Case Keenum as their new starting quarterback, the team’s options with the No. 5 selection in the first round of the upcoming draft got a bit more interesting.

The , originally slotted at No. 6 in the first round, traded up to land the No. 3 spot from the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets gave the Indianapolis their first-round pick along with two 2018 second- round picks (Nos. 37 and 49) and a 2019 second-rounder to move up three spots.

The Jets, remember, lost out on the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes and quickly moved to Plan B by signing veterans Josh McCown and . The final piece of that plan, it appears, is to nab one of the highly-touted quarterbacks in the first round of the draft.

With the trade, the new top six teams in the draft are, in order: Cleveland, New York Giants, New York Jets, Cleveland, Denver and Indianapolis.

Cleveland traded for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and already declared him the starter for 2018. But it could still draft another quarterback as well as a playmaker, perhaps running back .

That means at least three quarterbacks could be gone before the Broncos are up.

The class of 2018 is heavy with quarterback talent, with , , and . But not one is regarded as the consensus top pick.

The Broncos coached Allen and Mayfield at the Senior Bowl, plan to have Mayfield and Rosen in for visits, and hope to see Darnold in a private workout ahead of the draft. But if they don’t love any of them, they can turn to another immediate impact player. Maybe that’s guard . Maybe that’s pass-rusher .

“Having Case as our starter and Paxton (Lynch) as the two right now, with that fifth pick we have flexibility now,” coach Vance Joseph said. “To have a chance to pick in the top five is obviously a good thing for this football team. Moving forward, we don’t want to be in the top five so we have to take advantage of being in the top five of the first, second and third round. You can really find impact players. When the Broncos last picked in the top five, who was the pick? Von Miller. We want a guy at the level of Von Miller. We’ll see who that person is, but to have a chance to pick in the top five of the first, second and third round for this place is different. We shouldn’t be there anymore.”

Broncos re-sign OL Billy Turner to one-year contract By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post March 18, 2018

As the Broncos continue to search for additional help on their offensive line, they re-signed veteran Billy Turner to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.

Turner, a four-year lineman, first joined the Broncos as a waiver claim in 2016 and served as a backup at guard and tackle last year. But his 2017 season was cut short after he suffered a broken hand while filling in for right tackle Menelik Watson in the Broncos’ Week 6 loss to the New York Giants. Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul pushed off Turner to get to quarterback for the sack, and Turner came out of the play holding his hand in pain.

Though Turner played the remainder of the game, he underwent surgery the following evening and was subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Turner, for now, is expected to vie for a spot at either guard or tackle, but the Broncos’ front five remains an unknown as they continue to shop in free agency and mull their options in the draft.

Keenum had Minnesota Miracle, wants Mile High Magic By Mike Klis 9NEWS March 18, 2018

Case Keenum has endured concerns about his arm strength since he made the transfer from the most prolific passer in history to the NFL in 2012.

The would say his arm is plenty strong enough.

Thing is, had Saints safety Marcus Williams not whiffed on his tackle, the Minnesota Vikings still would have had a makeable field goal attempt for the win.

But then there would not have been the Minnesota Miracle.

Two months later, as he sat down with 9NEWS as the Broncos’ quarterback, Keenum looked back on that once-in-a-lifetime moment with a tinge of regret.

“Incredible time, incredible memory, but to get that close to the big game and see it slip through my fingers, it’s left a hole,’’ Keenum said. “I’m hungry. I am so hungry. I want to get back there. I want to learn from that experience.

“Playoff football, it’s different. I’m going to learn from that, I’m going to grow from that, I’m going to be better for that. I’m going to be ready the next time I get in a situation when I get a chance to get to the Big One and to win one.’’

Keenum played well in the first half while leading the Vikings to a 17-0 lead against the New Orleans Saints in an NFC second-round playoff game on January 14. But Drew Brees led a second-half comeback that had New Orleans ahead 24-23 with 10 seconds remaining. The Vikings were confronting third-and- 10 at their own 39-yard line.

There was no way.

Keenum from the shotgun dropped back to his own 28, glanced across the middle then turned right. He set, shuffled up to where his feet straddled the 30, and drilled a pass down the right sideline to receiver Stefon Diggs, who went up to catch it at the Saints’ 34.

And the pass was drilled. For 35 yards in the air. It went for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired. Diggs did turn left toward the sideline. He could have gone out of bounds at about the Saints’ 32, stopping the clock with 4 seconds remaining, which would have set up a 50-yard, game-winning field goal attempt by Kai Forbath, who had made 49 and 53 yarders earlier in the fourth quarter.

Bor-ing! Williams went low, head down, by Diggs’ left hip. Diggs turned set down his hand on the turf for balance, and quickly observed there was no one behind him.

A little tidbit to the Minnesota Miracle: Diggs cut off his route shorter than how it was diagrammed in the playbook. But he was the intended receiver.

“Yeah. Yeah, I had a couple options,’’ Keenum said in a sit-down interview with 9NEWS that will be played on Sunday night “Overtime” at 10:35 p.m. “Diggs was a higher angle seven, or a corner route, than he ran. He flattened it out a bit because he saw the safety deep. I remember seeing him jump up and catch the ball and thinking, get out of bounds.

“He turns around, puts the hand down and he’s off to the races. It was kind of pandemonium after that.’’

The Vikings won, 29-24, but it was clear they suffered a Minnesota Miracle hangover the following week in the NFC Championship Game and got clobbered by the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-7.

Keenum threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead, but the Vikings sputtered from there. Keenum committed three turnovers, including a pick-six and a lost fumble to kill a red-zone chance.

Despite all Keenum did in leading Minnesota to a 13-3 record and berth in the NFC Championship, the Vikings allowed him to go to free agency, deciding Kirk Cousins was the quarterback who could win them two more games for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

The Broncos have three Super Bowl trophies, most recently from the 2015 season.

“A lot of guys in this building have rings,’’ Keenum said. “I’m excited to get one myself. It’s a great memory, the Minnesota Miracle. We’re ready to make more memories here.’’

The great QB Shuffle of 2018 is well under way By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press March 18, 2018

Already a dozen NFL teams have new quarterbacks, half of them starters. And next month's draft features a deep class of QB prospects, a half-dozen of which could hear their names called in the first round.

Why such a remarkable run on prime-time passers?

"They're hard to find," Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said after introducing Case Keenum as his fifth quarterback since 's retirement just two years ago. "It's a tough spot to play. There are a lot of expectations. It's a hard position. There are a lot pressures on it. You've got to play with consistency and there are a lot of people that rely on that position."

So, proven passers and projects alike see teams jockeying to throw multiple millions their way.

The harbinger of the "Great Quarterback Shuffle" of 2018 came during Super Bowl week when word got out that the Kansas City Chiefs were sending to the Washington Redskins, freeing Kirk Cousins to become a free agent in his prime, one who would rewrite the conventional contract.

Cousins made the media rounds at the Super Bowl, where he secretly scouted out the city he would soon call his own.

Minnesota surged past Denver, Phoenix and New York as Cousins' desired destination after the Vikings decided to let all three of their veteran quarterbacks hit the open market.

While Cousins was working out a three-year, ground-breaking (fully guaranteed) and record-setting ($28 million average) deal in Minnesota , the Broncos, Cardinals and Jets were picking through the Vikings' quarterback bin:

—Coming off a $2 million deal in Minnesota, Keenum commanded a two-year, $36 million deal in Denver after leading the Vikings to an 11-3 mark and the NFC championship game.

—, whose injury opened the way for Keenum's breakout season, signed a one-year, $20 million with the Cardinals, who lost to retirement.

—Teddy Bridgewater, once the Vikings' established starter before a devastating knee injury two years ago, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Jets, who also re-signed Josh McCown for one year at $10 million.

Trevor Siemian, who blew up the Broncos' quarterback plans two straight summers by beating out 2016 first-round flop Paxton Lynch, heads to the Vikings as Cousins' backup after going 13-11 in Denver.

Leading the Bills to their first playoff appearance in 18 years wasn't enough for Tyrod Taylor to secure his long-term future in Buffalo. The Bills traded Taylor to Cleveland, which traded DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers, where he'll back up .

AJ McCarron finally gets his chance to prove himself after spending four seasons in 's shadow. He signed a two-year deal with the Bills and said it makes no difference if his new team adds more competition by selecting one of the highly regarded quarterback prospects in the draft next month

"I try not to ever waste any mental thought on it because it's something I can't control," McCarron said. "... You can either let it affect you in how you go about your work and let that define you. Or you can change everybody's thought process. My mindset is to change anybody that's had any doubt."

Keenum said his mindset won't change should Elway draft a quarterback such as Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, Wyoming's Josh Allen, USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Louisville's or Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph.

"I've been around long enough to know that anything is a possibility in this league. I was a starting quarterback when a team drafted somebody No. 1 overall and traded a bunch of draft picks. I know how that goes," Keenum said, recalling when the Rams selected in 2016.

Teams are also doling out big bucks for backups just two months after watching Nick Foles' MVP performance in leading the Eagles past 's Patriots in Super Bowl 52 while starter Carson Wentz watched from the sideline.

Mike Glennon went from being the Bears' backup to Arizona, Chase Daniel went from the Saints to Chicago and Tom Savage moved from the Texans to New Orleans.

None of them got the kind of money Jimmy Garoppolo did after serving as Brady's backup for several seasons and then getting traded to San Francisco. After sparking the downtrodden 49ers, Garoppolo was rewarded with a record-breaking deal that averaged a whopping $27.5 million a season.

That mark stood until Cousins' deal came in at an average of $28 million, which is sure to fall when the Packers and Rodgers work out a new contract in the next year or so.

In several weeks, the NFL will be flush with a new crop of quarterbacks, some of whom may one day make today's jaw-dropping contracts look a little less eye-popping.

They may have to start out as a backup such as Patrick Mahomes II last year in Kansas City or Rodgers did in Green Bay when was still going strong.

Rodgers said that although there's an ever-widening schism between college offenses and the ones the pros run, today's QB prospects are in many ways more prepared for the NFL because the coaching is better at all levels.

"I think you're seeing more spread offenses in college, which give you the run-pass option a lot of times. You're seeing the NFL incorporate some of that. But in general, I think there's just so much more education about quarterbacks that allows these guys to be more ready to play than, say, myself or Alex Smith or Jason Campbell were in 2005 when we got picked in the first round," Rodgers said. "So, it's a testament to those coaches but also those players for getting themselves ready to play earlier.

"But for any young quarterback, it's about opportunity and fit, situation. So, you've seen guys like Big Ben (Roethlisberger) go into a good situation and play great his rookie year, this year with a good team around him, Carson in his second year. Those guys spoil us with their ability to make plays and to be great. Not every situation is like that. And I hope for those guys they get the right opportunity, and for some of them it's sit and learn. That's what I did and it worked out well for me."

Broncos plan to keep linebacker Brandon Marshall, per NFL source By Troy Renck KMGH March 18, 2018

The Broncos continue to demonstrate a first priority this offseason was securing their second line of defense.

A few days after re-signing Todd Davis to a three-year, $15 million contract, the Broncos will keep linebacker Brandon Marshall. His 2018 salary becomes guaranteed on Monday, and an NFL source told Denver7 he will return.

Marshall battled through an injured shoulder last season that he has let heal through rest and rehab over the last 11 weeks. Despite playing through shoulder pain from the third game of the season, Marshall finished with 106 tackles and three sacks, rebounding from a disappointing 2016 campaign.

A former practice squader, Marshall worked his way into starting status through stellar effort on the scout team. He formed a dynamic duo with linebacker Danny Trevathan in 2015, helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. Marshall, 28, agreed to a four-year extension worth $32 million, with $20 million guaranteed in June 2016.

The Broncos continue to seek upgrades this offseason through free agency and, eventually, the draft. They are looking to add a right tackle (Oklahoma's Orlando Brown is an interesting candidate if he falls out of the first round), tight end and possibly cornerback and safety depth. Denver became part of Saturday's NFL conversation when the Jets traded for the Colts' third overall pick. The Colts moved back three spots in the first round and added a trio of second-round picks, including two this season.

It suggests the Jets will take a quarterback. It also means the first three picks in the draft could be quarterbacks. The Broncos own the fifth pick overall, and have the flexibility of not taking a signal-caller after signing Case Keenum to a two-year, $36 million deal, with $25 million guaranteed. As such, the Broncos can remain open for business if a team like Buffalo or Arizona wants to move into the top five.

Denver, too, can stand pat and take the best player on the board such as guard Quenton Nelson, defensive back , defensive end Bradley Chubb or Clavin Ridley.

The Broncos also have decision to make on safety Darian Stewart. His 2018 salary of $4.5 million guarantees Monday as well.

Denver Broncos got their guy, who's next? By Woody Paige Colorado Springs Gazette March 18, 2018

The Broncos, Boss John Elway said, "got our guy.''

Nevertheless, the Broncos need more guys to become relevant again.

Casey Austin Keenum is the "new starting quarterback'' of the Broncos, Elway announced on Friday in a cramped room at The Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse.

C.K. will become the Broncos' 47th starting quarterback in the franchise's 59th season. Elway was the starter in 16 years. The rest averaged less than one season.

It's not Case closed for the Broncos, though. Keenum is signed for just two seasons, but he did say he hopes to finish his career in Denver. Conspicuously, few have. In the Broncos' building there are three - Elway, Gary Kubiak and Bill Musgrave (one start in 1996). Peyton Manning, who lives in Cherry Hills, retired from the Broncos after the Super Bowl, and , a Boulder resident, quit prematurely and in anger.

Keenum made $7.157 million his first six years in the NFL, according to spotrac.com. He could receive more than five times that amount in the next two seasons. Of his $36 million contract, $25 mil is guaranteed. Case received a $6 million signing bonus spread over two years and will get a $4 million roster bonus. He will make $8 million in base salary in 2018 and $18 million next season.

In 2020, Keenum will be an unrestricted free agent.

In 2017, the Broncos paid $3,920,966 to four quarterbacks. Trevor Siemian (traded) and Brock Osweiler (free agent) won't return, and, the other two - Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly - may.

That decision will be determined by what the Broncos do, or don't do, about a quarterback in the draft. They can pick one at No. 5 overall, or later, or Elway can stick with who he's got.

There will be another quarterback competition in training camp - for the backup job.

I suspect that because of Elway's love for Lynch and Vance Joseph's adoration for Chad Kelly ("my favorite quarterback in the draft''), the Broncos will trade back in the first round - especially after the Jets' bombastic trade Saturday for the Colts' third overall selection.

The Bills are trying to climb into the top five to choose a quarterback - and now own the 12th and the 22nd slots. The Broncos should consider trading their first-round spot, a second-rounder and a fourth- rounder (1,969.5 points on the NFL draft value chart) for Buffalo's two first-round picks (1,970).

They could use No. 12 for Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey and No. 22 for UTEP guard Will Hernandez. With that pair and left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Ron Leary, center , and guard-center Connor McGovern, the Broncos would be established on the offensive line into the next decade.

With their later choices, the Broncos could draft a running back, a wide receiver, a tight end, a defensive end, a defensive tackle, outside and inside linebackers and a defensive back.

It's very possible that the Broncos' roster could include as many as two dozen players from the 2016- 2018 drafts, and another four undrafted free agents from that span.

They must, though, try to add two more players in veteran free agents.

It was if the Broncos went into a Target on Black Friday, grabbed their big-ticket item and fled. The free agent store has been picked over. Out of the most prominent 100 free agents, fewer than 10 are unsigned.

The Broncos resigned their own starting inside linebacker - Todd Davis - and potential nickel cornerback Tramaine Brock, and that's it. Elway said Friday the Broncos are searching, but admitted they missed on two offensive tackles. If they want experience and familiarity at wide receiver and tight end, former Broncos Eric Decker and Julius Thomas are floating. But Elway won't bite. How about Antonio Gates, who is free of the Chargers? But the future Hall of Famer is 38. Eric Ebron, late of the Lions and a former No. 1 bust, is out there, but the Broncos likely have no interest. Cameron Fleming, who took over as a right tackle for the Patriots last season because of an injury, is available.

Otherwise, the field is like the "Dr. Strangelove'' pilot - Slim Pickens.

The Broncos did get their main man, and Casey's at the, uh, bat.

Case Keenum determined to improve beyond breakout 2017 season By Ben Swanson DenverBroncos.com March 18, 2018

Case Keenum has long fought past expectations.

The Broncos' newest quarterback had only one scholarship offer out of high school and became a historically proficient college quarterback at Houston. And then after NFL decision-makers let him go undrafted, he fought for spots on multiple teams before making his case as a dependable quarterback in 2017 with the Vikings.

So as the Broncos evaluated Keenum's fit, his determination proved to be a factor in why they ultimately decided he'd be the team's top target in free agency.

"If you look at Case's history and what he's done, he's come through a lot being undrafted, but he's battled his way through everything," President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway said.

Now as Keenum begins the next chapter of his career, he has his eyes on his next battle: proving himself as a consistent, long-term starting quarterback.

"I think the two years is an opportunity for me to continue to prove myself as a starting quarterback, as a franchise quarterback and as someone that a team and a franchise can count on," Keenum said. "… For me, I’ve earned everything I’ve gotten. Nothing has ever been handed to me and I want to continue to earn everything from this point on."

For that to be the case, Keenum's breakout 2017 season that saw him pass for 22 touchdowns and only seven interceptions must be just the beginning.

On Friday, as Keenum reflected on his growth, he emphasized that his progression has been consistent from year to year, and that wouldn't stop just because he had the best year of his career thus far.

"I’m not the same player I was five years ago, four, three, even last year," Keenum said. "I’m going to be a different player this year — and by different, I mean I’ve gotten better each year. I understand the pro game better, I understand pro defenses better, I understand how the flow of the game goes and knowing as a quarterback what’s important — third-down, two-minute, red-zone and those crucial situations that as a rookie you’re just trying to get the play off and get the ball downfield.

"It’s a craft, and I’ve really worked every day of my entire career on being the best quarterback that I can be and taking the things from all these coaches that I’ve ever had and all the players that I’ve ever been around. I’ll be different, and I’m going to be better."

As Head Coach Vance Joseph sees it, that mindset was a result of the circumstances that Keenum fought through at various steps in his career.

"Most guys like Case Keenum, when they play and survive, they get better and better each year," Joseph said. "He said it, he’s going to be better this year. To have a chance to finally be 'the guy' walking into the building — this is his first time being that guy — and he’s excited about it. Those guys who play and survive, they get better. Most guys who play and don’t survive, they’re out of the league. For him to be here at this moment and be our guy, with what he’s gone through as a free agent out of college, and the work he’s put in with four or five teams, he’s hardened because of that process."

That kind of drive will be a welcome addition to the Broncos' offense, which greatly struggled to limit turnovers and sustain drives in 2017. But Elway knows that his and the rest of the front office's efforts will be instrumental in facilitating further improvement and success for Keenum.

"I think he may just be hitting his stride right now," Elway said. "… Obviously Case was in a great situation last year with the Vikings, and my plan is to put him in that same situation this year to where he can be successful and have the [same kind of] year — if not a better year this year than he had last year and continuing on."

If that happens, Keenum may finally have fewer things to prove in his future.

Broncos hope Case Keenum's 'dream come true' ends their QB nightmare By Alex Marvez Sporting News March 18, 2018

Case Keenum says Minnesota’s NFC title game loss to Philadelphia last season left “a considerably big- sized hole in me that left me hungry.”

When it comes to filling their own void at quarterback, the Broncos are starving.

Both sides must now feed off each other to get what they want — the Lombardi Trophy. Shortly after Keenum inked his new two-year, $36 million contract, Broncos football czar John Elway proclaimed, “We got our guy” during an introductory Friday news conference.

Yes and no.

The Broncos initially had strong interest in Kirk Cousins, but as the odds of signing him diminished, Denver quickly turned its focus toward securing what many feel was the second-best option on the free- agent market. Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that, considering the huge gamble Minnesota took by signing Cousins to an unprecedented three-year, $84 million deal.

Elway also was wise to quickly change gears: Keenum told co-host Mark Dominik and me on SiriusXM NFL Radio that “there were honestly a few teams” showing interest.

“We got with our agents and went through the options of what teams might be looking for quarterbacks,” Keenum said. “Denver was on the list and far-and-away, as we did our homework, emerged as the top one. Not only the team, organization, city, but the players, coaches, all the staff here.”

That includes one of the biggest factors in Keenum’s arrival: his former head coach, who now has Elway’s ear when it comes to building rosters.

MORE: NFL free agency winners, losers

Keenum spent his first two NFL seasons in 2012 and '13 in Houston under Gary Kubiak, who was added to the personnel department in January. Keenum acknowledged Kubiak “obviously gave me my shot in this league so I owe him a lot.” Kubiak, though, isn’t the only familiar face from Keenum’s days with the Texans. Broncos coach Vance Joseph was in charge of Houston’s secondary during Keenum’s two seasons there.

“His meeting room was right across from us in the quarterback room,” said Keenum, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent despite setting the all-time FBS records for career passing yards (19,217), completions (1,546) and passing touchdowns (155) while playing for the Houston Cougars.

“We had some great conversations that really helped me quite a bit as a young guy trying to lead a team," Keenum said. "I’m excited to work with him.”

If his 2017 season is an indication rather than outlier, the Broncos will soon be ecstatic with Keenum after two uninspiring years under center in the aftermath of Peyton Manning’s retirement.

Mind you, that's a big “if.”

Keenum may very well have turned the corner in his journeyman career after last year’s unexpected success in Minnesota. He was far better in every major statistical category — completion percentage (67.6), touchdowns (22), interceptions (seven), passing yards (236.5 per game) and quarterback rating (98.3) — than in six previous seasons when starting for Houston and the Rams.

More importantly, Keenum won games. He enjoyed an 11-3 starting record and led the Vikings into the postseason after replacing an injured Sam Bradford. His previous career mark was 9-15.

“Everybody wanted to know, ‘Why were we winning? What was clicking for us?’” Keenum said. “It’s a lot of things.

“I think, at the heart of it, it’s the people. We had great people in our locker room. We had great people on the coaching staff. And it just clicked.”

Still, it’s obvious the Vikings felt they could do better by pursuing Cousins. That means Elway better be seeing something in the 30-year-old Keenum that Minnesota didn’t.

Elway’s failure to adequately address the position put the Broncos in position where this sort of risk was necessary. The two high draft choices Elway used at quarterback during his previous seven years running the team, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch, failed to pan out and forced Denver into going the free agent route this offseason. The Broncos still have to evaluate whether to use the No. 5 pick in April on a quarterback.

Such misses have raised questions about whether Elway can effectively scout the position, despite having been one of the greatest to ever play it.

Elway’s on-field legacy with the Broncos and success in his first four seasons as general manager — Denver went 50-14, won a Super Bowl and reached another — have bought him time to try and reverse a two-year downward cycle. But the past can only go so far if the Broncos don’t start thriving again in the future.

Keenum is anxious to prove Elway knows what he’s doing.

“I’ve been a fan of Elway and the Broncos for a long time,” he said, “So this is a childhood dream come true.”

Now let’s see if Keenum can end Denver’s quarterback nightmare.

Jets get aggressive in QB search with trade for No. 3 pick in NFL draft By Mike Jones USA Today March 18, 2018

Determined to solve their long-standing need for a franchise quarterback, the New York Jets on Saturday agreed to a deal with the Indianapolis Colts that affords them perhaps their best possible shot at accomplishing that goal.

The Jets agreed to send the sixth overall pick of the draft, both of their second-round picks (37th and 49th) and a 2019 second-rounder to Indianapolis for the third overall pick.

That’s quite a haul to move up just three spots. But the third overall pick gives the Jets their highest selection since they took first in 1996. And although this year’s draft class features potentially five or six first-round passers, management didn’t want to risk missing out on one of the team's top choices.

Most analysts rank the top quarterbacks as UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen, respectively, with Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph also in the mix for the first round.

The Jets went into the offseason determined to find a franchise quarterback. They badly wanted Kirk Cousins and pursued him aggressively in free agency. But general manager Mike Maccagnan said at the NFL scouting combine that the team had a plan A, B, and C for quarterback.

After missing out on Cousins, who signed a three-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings (all fully guaranteed), the Jets signed Teddy Bridgewater — a young talent but coming off a major knee injury — and re-signed 15-year veteran Josh McCown, their starter for 15 games last season. But both are on one-year deals.

The other part of the plan now appears to include the drafting of one of the top few prospects. The Cleveland Browns hold the first and fourth overall picks and could use one on a signal-caller. The Giants hold the second pick and could tab a successor to , but they also could look to address other positions instead.

The have been working to move up the draft, sending the 21st pick and tackle Cordy Glenn to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 12th pick, in an apparent attempt to improve their chances of getting one of the top rookie quarterbacks. General manager Brandon Beane said the team might not swing another trade or take a quarterback, but the team had widely been expected to make another deal to rise up the draft order, including perhaps with the Colts.

That would have hampered the Jets’ efforts of landing their prime target. Now team officials don’t have to worry about that.

Should the Jets opt for a quarterback at No. 3, it would mark the highest draft pick the team has invested at the position since taking first overall in the 1964 AFL draft. Since 1992, the Jets have drafted 13 quarterbacks. In 2009, they traded up to take with the fifth pick, but the USC star failed to live up to expectations — a common refrain for the team at the position.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis is determined to upgrade a roster littered with holes. The season-long injury absence of quarterback exposed just how many needs the Colts had without a difference- maker passer to mask them, as the team finished last in sacks allowed (56) and 31st in sacks generated (25). By stockpiling picks, they now have a better chance of pulling off their home improvement project at an accelerated rate.

Here are the winners and losers from the blockbuster Jets-Colts trade By Jason La Canfora CBSSports.com March 18, 2018

The blockbuster trades executed between the Colts and Jets on Saturday officially ushered in the NFL's annual pre-draft madness period.

Free agency is over, it was fraught with high-risk players by and large and the best of the bunch were gone before the league year even began. Most of the big-name salary and cap casualties have been already made. From here on out, it's all about the draft, and the Jets move to the third overall pick will trigger a handful of other trades as well, with the ripples of this transaction spreading around the league and impacting war rooms far and wide. Both teams did what was clearly in their best interest, as New York was all-in on being able to land a franchise quarterback after losing out in the Kirk Cousins derby, while the Colts were always going to trade out of this slot with a QB-needy team and now, with the sixth pick, are still in line to land a stud blue-chip player, and quite possibly the best defensive player in the draft.

Somebody was trading up to third overall, and it might as well be the Jets. As one person involved in this trade put it, "the price for the third pick was only going to go up the closer we got to the draft." Kudos to the Jets for swinging this swap – they gave up three second round picks over the next two drafts to move up three spots – mere days after Cousins went to the Vikings. This regime simply has to land a quarterback and now they are positioned to likely get the second taken off the board (who might end up being the passer they covet the most, anyway).

At this point I'd bet even money that the first five picks of the draft go: QB, RB/Pass Rusher, QB, QB, QB (yeah, four of the fop five picks are quarterbacks), setting the stage for a wild draft full of trades and plot twists. Here's a look at who I believe stands to gain the most from the swap:

WINNERS Browns GM John Dorsey Things keep falling the Browns' way. Finally. If the Giants do what other teams I speak to expect – draft running back Saquon Barkley or edge rusher Bradley Chubb – then Dorsey is going to be doing backflips while simultaneously eating steamed crabs and maybe sipping from an ice cold Natty Boh Crab Shack Shandy. Dorsey is already in line to land any quarterback of his liking with the first pick, then the Giants take a non-QB, the Jets take a QB, and you have to go through Dorsey to get ahead of the QB-needy Broncos to get the best of the top three passers still available (Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen in some order). Oh, and Dorsey will have the Broncos (we've seen teams trade up a single spot to get their guy, like the Bears a year ago), Bills, Cardinals, and possibly Ravens to pick from. He's always open for business and the value he gets for that fourth pick will be extreme. "All quarterback roads go through Dorsey now," said one NFC executive. "He's controlling that market now."

Mason Rudolph and Lamar Jackson I've been trying to tell people that at least five and most likely six quarterbacks are going in the first 30 picks. I may have undersold it. If four quarterbacks go in the top five picks, then I've got news for you – six may go in the top 16 picks. Quarterbacks always get pulled up by a run at the top of the draft and this year will be no different. "You're going to see a few kids get over-drafted, now," said a high ranking official from a team not in the QB market. "I guarantee you it will happen. It's like that year (2011) when (Jake) Locker went way too high and then (Blaine) Gabbert and (Christian) Ponder all went in the top 12, too. At this point, how does Baker Mayfield not go top five? And after that, Louisville (Jackson) and Oklahoma State (Rudolph) are going to end up going a lot higher than they probably should."

Colts GM Chris Ballard The young GM is smartly trying to take a slow and steady approach to rebuilding this team, but is getting heat for not spending (blowing? wasting?) more of his abundant cap space in free agency. But the draft has to be his lifeblood and now, with the sixth pick, he could conceivably have his choice of Barkley, Chubb, or stud defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. He badly needs blue-chip players and now can make a lot happen up and down the second day of the draft as well, pocketing two additional selections in the second round this year in this trade.

The Jets They absolutely, positively, have to get a quarterback. Now they are poised to perhaps get the one they like best. And, perhaps they could also flip veteran Josh McCown, who they recently re-signed, to another team to recoup some of what they gave away in this trade. They didn't lose enough games this season to be able to control their own fate in this draft (in no small part due to how well McCown performed before he got hurt). If they finally find a franchise quarterback with the third overall pick, no one is going to care or remember all they went through to get him.

The bottom half of the top 10 If things go as planned, the draft essentially now begins with the sixth pick. That run on quarterbacks will push a slew of players with top-five grades down several picks, which is great news for teams like the 49ers, Bucs and Raiders, who don't need a quarterback. "Everybody picking six, seven, eight, nine, 10 should be high-fiving," said one AFC exec, "because they are going see a bunch of blue-chip kids fall their way."

As for the individuals who probably are not exactly celebrating this first of many quarterback-related trades, well, there are a few:

LOSERS Buffalo Bills Their aggressive and savvy young braintrust already made one big trade to move up to pick 12, finally moving tackle Cordy Glenn to the Bengals. But now they still have their work cut out for them. Would Dorsey be willing to move all the way back to 12, where the Bills now sit, from 4? "I think John would be open to it, especially if he thinks four other quarterbacks besides the one he takes first overall are off the board by the 12th pick," said the source who was involved in this trade. "If five of the first 11 selections are quarterbacks, that still leaves value at other positions. But it won't be cheap to move up there, I can promise you that."

Cardinals and Ravens These teams are very interested in the top quarterbacks in this draft as well, but now sitting at picks 15 and 16, respectively, they are in quarterback Siberia. So many needy teams already ahead of them and the odds of one of the top four kids being there when they pick are bleak at best. So many teams to try to jump in front of, perhaps it ends up making more sense to try to navigate up the board in the second round for a potential quarterback of the future. And if the Dolphins at pick 11 fall in love with one of these quarterbacks it only further complicates the scenarios. Do they punt on landing a badly needed long-term quarterback replacement or get ready to pay a heavy price by trading up? Either way, not ideal.