Is the Paxton Lynch Experiment Over for the Denver Broncos? by Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post March 30, 2018
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Is the Paxton Lynch experiment over for the Denver Broncos? By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post March 30, 2018 The Denver Post’s Nicki Jhabvala answered your questions about the Denver Broncos in a live Lunch Special chat on Thursday. Here are the highlights: Does Chad Kelly really have a chance to be the No. 2 or starting quarterback in the future? Nicki: At this point, anyone has a chance. The odds are longer for Chad Kelly right now because John Elway and Vance Joseph have made it clear that Paxton Lynch is the No. 2 and that they aren’t ready to move on from. Which means Kelly is No. 3. For now. The Broncos still have the draft and will likely bring in another quarterback, possibly even with their first-round selection. That will obviously change the pecking order in the Broncos’ quarterbacks room; Case Keenum will be the starter for 2018, but behind him is a big unknown. Kelly has been putting in the time this offseason and appears to be in top shape. He even worked with Phil Simms or a bit. And his body of work in college is proof he has the skills (especially the arm), but the opportunity is limited in Denver. He had no time on the field to prove himself because of his recovery from injuries last year, and with the smallest contract of the quarterbacks on the roster, the Broncos could cut him at minimal cost. At the very least, the hope for him is the Broncos keep him on the roster to compete in camp so he can try to earn a roster spot. Is the Paxton Lynch experiment over? Nicki: Not according to Elway and Joseph, Silas. At the NFL combine in February, Elway told us that, “By now means are we kicking him to the curb.” Joseph echoed that sentiment at the league’s annual meetings this week when he said, “By no means is Paxton done.” So there you have it. The Broncos have already invested a lot in Lynch, a former first round pick. And at this point it would cost more to cut him than to keep him. They want to continue to try to develop him so he’s at least a reliable backup to Keenum this year. But he is undoubtedly a factor in their decision-making for the upcoming draft. Although the Broncos want to continue to help him improve to be a quarterback in this league, and they’re hopeful that the arrival of Keenum will help him to do that, if the Broncos don’t feel confident that Lynch can step in at any point and lead the offense, then they’re going to have to find reinforcement early in the draft. So just based on the current roster, who’s the third receiving option? Bennie Fowler? Jake Butt? Nicki: Bennie Fowler is a free agent; the Broncos did not tender him as a restricted free agent, so he’s unrestricted and free to sign with any team. The Broncos have high expectations for tight Jake Butt as a target and red-zone threat, and they hope he can revitalize a group that has kind of lagged for years now in terms of production. For now, the top No. 3 receiving candidate is a player who has yet to play an NFL game or even practice during the regular season. Carlos Henderson, the Broncos’ third-round pick last year, has the size and skillset to play in the slot or outside, and they need him to contribute immediately. I would imagine the team continues to look for veteran help though. That group is incredibly thin with the exits of Fowler and Cody Latimer (New York Giants), and they’ve lacked a consistent No. 3 receiver years. They have a pair of all-pros in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, which is more than most teams, but to take advantage of having those two, they need others to step up to try to create one-on- ones with defensive backs. Otherwises defenses will resort to doubling Thomas and Sanders. This is what Vance Joseph had to say about it at the league’s meetings this week: “We saw a lot of bracket coverage. We saw a lot of where the safety and corner doubled D.T., the safety and corner double ‘E’ and left those guys one-on-one. We have to find a way to attack those kind of coverages with our tight ends, with our slot and with our back so we can get more one-on-ones outside. Yes, we have to get better there because that is going to allow us to get better on third downs, and even on first and second downs. Our running game was good enough last year where we saw a lot of single- high on first and second down. We have to take advantage of that. Third downs, it was more shell and bracket coverage. Let’s take away your two best guys and force a tight end, the slot or the back to beat us. We didn’t do a good job there. We have to do better there. Obviously having Butt back is going to be big for us. He’s going to be healthy. Heuerman took some steps last year. Carlos Henderson, he missed last year as a third-round pick. We’re counting on that kid to come in and play for us, especially in the slot. Or even ‘E’ goes to the slot and (Carlos) goes outside. Someone has to go into the slot and win the one-on-ones so we can get fair coverages on third downs.” Nicki, do you get the feeling that Elway is hedging his bets on the QB situation giving Keenum a two-year contract and keeping Lynch, hoping that one of them proves to be a reliable NFL QB and extending whichever guy works out? Makes me wonder if Elway’s not thinking QB at No. 5 given the investments he’s made at the position. Nicki: I think it’s a contract that makes sense for both sides. Keenum is coming off one great year at Minnesota, but there’s a looming question or whether he’ll be that player in Denver, or more like the quarterback he was early in his career. So the Broncos signed him to two years, making him the starter this year so they can re-evaluate in 2019 and beyond. It’s team-friendly deal, too, compared to the money others received in free agency. Kirk Cousins’ deal is fully guaranteed, which is a significant risk considering he’s yet to win a playoff game. Sam Bradford, a quarterback with talent but a concerning injury history, was handed $40 million on a two-year deal with Arizona. And there wasn’t much of a chance the Broncos could have landed Drew Brees. So of the options on the open market, I think the Broncos made the best move. And for Keenum, it allows him to essentially double-dip as a free agent. If he plays well, the Broncos could sign him to an extension, or they could go their separate ways and Keenum could get another deal. But because it’s a shorter-term deal, it inevitably raises the question of the future. I could see the Broncos getting a quarterback at No. 5. The urgency isn’t what it was before they signed Keenum, but they have to consider what happens a year or two down the road. Again, I think that pick will say more about their confidence level in Lynch than anything else. If they truly believe he could be a starter of the near future, then they don’t need to spend a high pick on reinforcement. But if they question it at all, then they need to protect themselves at the most important position on the field. How he fits: Su'a Cravens By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com March 30, 2018 When Su'a Cravens went through the pre-draft process two years ago, he was listed as a linebacker. That status reflected part of his responsibilities during his years playing for USC, when he handled linebacker and safety duties. There was a time when Cravens might have been called a "tweener" -- too light for linebacker, too big for safety. But as the game continues to evolve and defenses need players who exist somewhere between the templates of safety and linebacker, Cravens, a 6-foot-1, 224-pounder, fits the bill. With Darian Stewart and Justin Simmons sitting atop the depth chart at safety, he likely will not settle into the starting lineup right away, but he has a chance to work into the Broncos' six-defensive back sub package. That could leave him in a competition with fellow 2016 draft pick Will Parks and second-year veterans Jamal Carter and Dymonte Thomas for playing time. "I'm anticipating being a strong safety. On third down, when teams get into sub packages, I'm expecting to play dime linebacker and cover tight ends and running backs -- kind of like what I did my rookie year with the Redskins," Cravens told KOA-AM 850. "But predominantly safety and whatever they need to get down in that box and be a run stopper, blitzer and whatever else they need to help aid the defense." Cravens could be well-suited to work in that sub package, which would likely have him playing at least half of the downs. His size, physicality and coverage ability make him one of the NFL's most unique young defensive backs, and he has the potential to match up well with opposing tight ends.