Denver Broncos: QB Trevor Siemian Appears Ready to Lead Offense into 2016

It may have seemed silly early in the offseason to consider Trevor Siemian a legitimate piece of the Denver Broncos QB battle, but the second-year pro is proving that he has the talent to lead the offense.

The Denver Broncos lost both of the 2015 starting quarterbacks this offseason—Brock Osweiler to the Houston Texans and Peyton Manning to retirement. The team then brought in journeyman Mark Sanchez and used a first-round pick on Memphis product Paxton Lynch in order to put some pieces into the search for Manning’s successor.

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Throughout most of the offseason, it has felt like Sanchez’s experience, both in the NFL and the postseason, would make him a smart option to lead the offense until Lynch was ready. Trevor Siemian, a 2015 seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern, was in on the competition too, though most saw him as a bit of an afterthought.

The perception changed, though, once we actually got to the preseason. Lynch looks like he might not be quite as much of a project as some initially believed (and I personally think he will be starting before the 2016 season is over). Though he still needs a bit of pro seasoning, he clearly has the highest upside of the group.

“I think he’s very calm. I can tell by the way he handles the team in the huddle, he’s got control of what’s going on. What I see is I see a guy getting better every time out.” – Gary Kubiak

Sanchez, meanwhile, has shown that he has virtually no upside. He is a game-manager at best and a complete offensive liability at worst. He seems to have a penchant for turning the ball over—three giveaways in the first two preseason games—which is an obvious problem for a team that wants to win with a steady offense and a smothering defense.

Siemian may be on his way to locking down the starting job to open the season simply by being at the middle of the two extremes. He appears more prepared than Lynch at this point, and he has done a better job of protecting the football than Sanchez.

The Broncos gave Siemian the starting nod for Saturday night’s “dress rehearsal” exhibition against the Los Angeles Rams. Though he didn’t produce a breathtaking performance, Siemian was solid against a stout Rams defense.

Siemian finished the game 10-of-17 for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He helped produce 10 first-half points against the Rams and executed an impressive field-goal drive with less than a minute remaining in the half.

Sanchez didn’t even get on the field against L.A., which may or may not be an indication of his standing with the team.

It would seem that Siemian was given the start against the Rams as sort of a test to see if he could play winning football against a strong defense (Denver will play another strong defense in the season opener against the Carolina Panthers). If so, Siemian seems to have passed.

“I’m impressed,” Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said of Siemian, per AP sportswriter Arnie Stapleton. “I think he’s very calm. I can tell by the way he handles the team in the huddle, he’s got control of what’s going on. What I see is I see a guy getting better every time out.”

The Broncos likely recognize that Siemian is still young and is still learning. However, they probably also recognize that his floor is higher than Lynch’s right not and that his ceiling is higher than Sanchez’s. He seems to have the talent to be a good-but-not-great starter for the Broncos out of the game.

While Denver fans might not be too excited about the prospect of running with a signal-caller who is merely “good,” it’s important to examine the makeup of this team. This is a group that captured the Lombardi Trophy just last season—and one that didn’t need stellar quarterback play to do it.

While both Manning and Osweiler had their bright spots in 2015, neither was consistently good. Pro Football Focus rated Osweiler just 26th overall among all quarterbacks and rated Manning 65th overall.

Merely good is likely enough at quarterback for the Broncos to continue winning in 2016. The team can protect Siemian with a strong defense and running game. As long as he can make a few play at key moments and a high rate of turnovers (you know, like the 17 Manning had in 10 games last season), Denver should be just fine.

The question now might become whether or not the Broncos even keep Sanchez on the roster. If the team releases or trades him (to the Dallas Cowboys, perhaps?), it can save $3.5 million of his 2016 base salary.

The question to come later in the regular season is whether or not the Broncos offense is too conservative with Siemian at the helm. If the second-year man appears to be holding the offense back too much, the Broncos may then decide that it’s time to gamble on Lynch and his potential upside.

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For now, though, it’s looking like Siemian is prepared to take the reins of the offense for the season opener.