It’s been no big secret that the Denver Broncos, in the span of a week or so into free agency, quickly became one of the most quarterback-needy teams in the country following the losses of Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler in free agency to the Houston Texans. For most of the offseason, they were stuck with only two quarterbacks in eight-year veteran Mark Sanchez and second-year Northwestern product Trevor Siemian.
Despite many assuming the Broncos would add another established veteran quarterback, they decided to opt for the draft, adding Memphis standout Paxton Lynch. As the most experienced quarterback on the roster, Sanchez sees the decision to stick with him as the veteran presence as a sign of trust from the Broncos.
“Absolutely,” Sanchez said Monday afternoon. “And that’s been the message that I’ve received. I’m thrilled about this opportunity.
“Whether it was a veteran that came in, any of the names that were out there, any of these guys in the draft that are becoming pros this year — my focus wouldn’t change. And the most important thing for me was to get involved with the players here, meet these guys, develop a relationship, learn this playbook as fast as I can, and then get involved in the community and establish myself as a leader on this team. That’s going to take time and it’s going to take reps, no matter who was here.”
To that end, Sanchez has been taking steps in creating chemistry at his new home in Denver. Whether it’s been organizing training session with the skill players in Orange County, California or taking the entire offensive line to a Colorado Rockies game, Sanchez has certainly been using the offseason to establish that veteran presence among his teammates.
He has also gotten along well with Siemian, who has been instrumental in helping Sanchez learn the Broncos’ system as he adjusts to a different style of offense.
“He came out to the camp, and has been just an impressive young guy,” Sanchez said. “For a young guy going into his second year, not playing as much, he’s got a good grip on the system, and really helped out in California. He’s almost like a player-coach on the field — helping me out with reads and footwork and things like that.”
As Lynch prepares to enter the fray, Sanchez expects to become the role model envisioned of an eight-year veteran, and is confident in his ability to do so. As a fellow first rounder, Sanchez is well aware of the pressures associated with being drafted that high.
“You’ve got to be yourself,” Sanchez said. “And if you’re confident in your ability, you have no problem helping a guy — whether it’s protections, reads, footwork, anything like that.”
This is certainly a different, more confident Sanchez than the one everyone remembers from his butt fumble days with the New York Jets. It was certainly a head scratcher when the Broncos added him and didn’t look to even add any other veterans (Ryan Fitzpatrick or Colin Kaepernick, for instance).
But while Denver has invested in Lynch as the future of the franchise, it is certainly reassuring that Sanchez could very well be the kind of quarterback the Broncos need to aid their rookie quarterback in his development, especially early on. It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds and if the Broncos truly feel comfortable handing the reins to Sanchez as a potential starter if they feel Lynch isn’t quite ready for primetime.
