Paxton Lynch

Extra Points: Broncos, Jags, 49ers, Falcons

February 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have been connected to quarterback Tony Romo, whom they could pursue in free agency if the Cowboys cut him, but head coach Vance Joseph insisted Tuesday that Denver’s 2017 starter is already on its roster. On whether he’s committed to Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, Joseph said (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com): “Absolutely, I am. They’re both smart guys. Obviously different skill sets, but I’m committed to both of those kids. They’re good football players and we’ve got to build around those guys.” Joseph’s offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, echoed his boss, saying he’s “happy with the guys we have.”

After the Broncos hired Joseph and McCoy last month, Mike Klis of 9News reported that the club would rather start Lynch than Siemian next season. As a first-round rookie last year, Lynch sat behind Siemian – who fared OK in his first season as a No. 1 – but did see action in three games and pick up two starts.

Broncos Want Paxton Lynch To Start In 2017

January 20th, 2017 at 10:01am CST by Sam Robinson

During the final days of the Gary Kubiak regime, the Broncos appeared pointed toward giving Trevor Siemian another chance. They are also reportedly Tony Romo‘s preferred destination if the Cowboys trade or release him. But Denver’s plan now is to turn the keys over to Paxton Lynch.

The Broncos hope to determine during OTAs and minicamp if Lynch has developed enough to be their starter next season, Mike Klis of 9News reports, adding the team wants to “do everything it can” to push him in his second year. Although the 2016 first-rounder struggled when summoned this season and will now have to learn a new offense after entering the league as a project, the Broncos remain convinced Lynch has the talent and character to make this ascent.

This would mean usurping Siemian, who should probably be viewed as the safer choice right now after starting 14 games this season. The Broncos will be pivoting back to an uptempo, aggressive offense under Mike McCoy after two years in Kubiak’s slower-paced, zone-blocking attack. So, that could point to Siemian being more apt to be ready. Both QBs completed 59 percent of their passes this season, but Lynch struggled in his two starts — against the Falcons and Jaguars — after playing well in relief of an injured Siemian against the Buccaneers in Week 4. Siemian underwent surgery to repair an issue in his non-throwing shoulder but is expected to be ready by OTAs.

McCoy successfully adapted his offense to fit the strengths of Tim Tebow in 2011 then incorporated plenty of Colts concepts in the ensuing Denver system to allow for a smoother Peyton Manning transition. Such experience should prove relevant as the organization attempts to push Lynch into a starting job.

Klis adds John Elway will not trade for Romo while he’s signed to his current contract. Romo’s $24.7MM cap hold represents the largest quarterback figure in the league for 2017. Regardless of whether he’s traded or released, the Broncos are not expected to make a run at Romo or any other sought-after veteran in free agency, Klis writes. The longtime Broncos reporter notes the team could pursue a veteran signal-caller. But it’s unlikely that player would interfere in the forthcoming Siemian-Lynch competition.

Broncos Notes: Kubiak, Okung, Quarterbacks

December 31st, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos could look a bit different in 2017, and those changes could start with the coaching staff. Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post writes that both head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will have to decide whether they want to return to Denver for next season.

Kubiak’s health could play a significant role in any decision. The head coach was hospitalized earlier this season with a “complex migrane,” and he previously collapsed during a 2013 contest with the Texans. Naturally, the 55-year-old claims that he isn’t focused on the future.

“I love this league. I love the Broncos. I love this work. I’m all in on the Raiders right now,” Kubiak said. “There will be time for reflection and all of that stuff next week.”

Meanwhile, Phillips’ two-year contract is set to expire following this season. The 69-year-old has been responsible for Denver’s stifling defense, but the coach could decide to hang it up after having coached 39 years in the NFL.

“We think the world of Wade,” Kubiak said. “Everybody knows the job that Wade has done. (Contracts) are things that will be addressed after we get through this week. But Wade’s a tremendous person and a tremendous football coach.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of the Mile High City…

The Broncos offensive line has struggled this season, and Wolfe writes that the organization will have to choose whether they want to “cut the cord” on Russell Okung and/or Donald Stephenson. The team has until the first day of the league year (March 9th) to pick up a $1MM option on Okung’s contract – which would then trigger a unique four-year, $48MM extension ($19.5MM guaranteed). “It’s not on me. We’ll get to that hurdle when we get there,” said Okung. “For now, we still have to play Oakland.”
Meanwhile, the Broncos could save about $3MM in cap space if they release Stephenson. The veteran has struggled in 2016, making only 12 starts. As Wolfe writes, the lineman has been responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties. “I work my butt off,” said Stephenson. “The problems definitely aren’t from not trying. I’m giving it all I got. There’s some things I’ve got to get better at.”
Besides fixing the offensive line, NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling believes the Broncos should prioritize fixing their run defense and solidifying the quarterback position. The organization could choose between Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch as their future signal-caller, or Wesseling suggests the team could make a move for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

West Notes: Lockett, Kelly, Rams, Houston

December 26th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Lockett underwent surgery today to repair a broken right leg he suffered during the Seahawks‘ loss to the Cardinals on Saturday, but the wide receiver avoided any further damage. The second-year player avoided ligament damage, Pete Carroll said (via Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk, on Twitter).

The tibia and fibula bones breaking through Lockett’s skin provided the Seahawks with some urgency to complete this surgery as soon as possible to prevent infection, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. Per Carroll, Lockett should be up and moving in four-to-six weeks. However, the team does not expect the receiver to return should it make a third Super Bowl trip in four years, and Lockett will likely head to IR to open up a roster spot, per Condotta.

Seattle has already made a roster move involving a wide receiver, Condotta reports (on Twitter), so that would point to Lockett venturing on IR as another pass-catcher rises to the 53-man roster. Seventh-round rookie Kenny Lawler and 2015 UDFA Kasen Williams comprise the receiver contingent on the Seahawks’ practice squad.

Here’s more from the West divisions as Week 16 winds down.

Chip Kelly says he hasn’t had discussions with 49ers ownership about his status for 2017, but the first-year San Francisco coach figures to do so once season ends Sunday, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group reports (on Twitter). Both Kelly and GM Trent Baalke are on thin ice after this 49ers season included a 13-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history.
The Rams are considering moving Greg Robinson to guard for Week 17 against the Cardinals, interim coach John Fassel said (per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Robinson started 35 straight games at left tackle for the Rams and has led the NFL with 31 penalties since the start of the 2015 season. Gonzalez writes the Rams may have already moved on from Robinson at left tackle after two different head coaches deactivated him in the past two weeks. The Rams used the No. 2 pick on Robinson in 2014 and are in danger of seeing next to nothing from another No. 2 overall tackle. Then-St. Louis abandoned the Jason Smith experiment after three seasons in 2011, giving Smith 26 starts.
Andy Reid said Justin Houston experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee, leading to the Chiefs deactivating him on Christmas night. When asked about the possibility Houston could miss the playoffs, the fourth-year Chiefs coach said the team “will take it day by day and see.” Houston, who was severely limited during Kansas City’s two-game stay in last year’s AFC bracket, missed 10 games this season after offseason ACL surgery. “It felt a little bit better than it did the day before. He felt like things were getting better,” Reid said of Houston, via Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. “That’s what we’re going on here. It’s just a matter of that thing calming down a little bit and he’ll be back.”
Gary Kubiak said he will make a decision on Paxton Lynch starting Week 17 for the Broncos soon, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports. The defending Super Bowl champions are now eliminated from the playoffs, and this season finale against the Raiders would give the first-rounder a third start in advance of an offseason where he’ll be expected to compete with Trevor Siemian for the 2017 starting job. Although, Siemian seems to have the leg up despite being previously viewed as a stopgap solution.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Broncos To Stick With Trevor Siemian In 2017?

December 21st, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Denver invested a first-round pick in quarterback Paxton Lynch last spring and has been speculatively linked to soon-to-be former Cowboy Tony Romo, the Broncos are likely to move into the future with current starter Trevor Siemian, reports James Palmer of NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

“Talking to people within the building, the thought process is that even though they picked Paxton Lynch in the first round, Trevor Siemian is in mind to be the guy moving forward for the next couple of seasons” Palmer said Wednesday.

Palmer added that Broncos defenders, whom Siemian practices against, “have gained an immense amount of respect” for the second-year man because of his toughness. Meanwhile, Broncos coaches admire his calm demeanor.

Siemian didn’t attempt a pass as a seventh-round rookie in 2015, when he sat behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler as the Broncos’ defense carried the team to a Super Bowl title. This year’s Broncos are 8-6 and have only a 17 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Five Thirty Eight, as they prepare for season-ending tests against AFC West rivals Kansas City (10-4) and Oakland (11-3).

Siemian’s output in his first taste of NFL action this year has been superior to the production Manning and Osweiler posted last season, but that’s not to suggest Siemian has been great. All told, the 24-year-old (25 on Dec. 26) has completed 61.3 percent of his 416 passes, tossed 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions, and averaged 7.24 yards per attempt in 12 games. His overall performance places him 21st among qualifying signal-callers in DYAR, with now-$72MM Texans backup Osweiler sitting in dead last (32nd). Siemian has been effective relative to his $525K salary, then, and he’s under contract through 2018 at similarly low costs. That’s a plus for a franchise which has big money tied up in cornerstone players like Von Miller, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Derek Wolfe and Chris Harris Jr., among others.

Lynch is slightly more expensive than Siemian, but his contract is hardly onerous and he’s controllable through the 2020 campaign. The former Memphis star, for whom the Broncos traded up to draft 26th overall, has taken the field in three games this year and started two as Siemian battled injuries. The 6-foot-7, 244-pound Lynch struggled in each of his starts, as he completed a combined 35 of 59 passes for 327 yards, a touchdown and an pick in games against Atlanta and Jacksonville. Now, given that Lynch hasn’t thrived in Year 1, it appears he’ll sit for at least another season.

Broncos Promote WR Kalif Raymond

December 2nd, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have promoted wide receiver Kalif Raymond from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Raymond will now serve as Denver’s new returner, Klis adds, which could be a sign that Jordan Norwood is being squeezed out.

The Broncos had seven wide receivers on the roster before adding Raymond, so it stands to reason that at least one of the team’s receivers will be bumped from the 53-man roster. Lately, the Broncos have been using Cody Latimer and Norwood as their kick returners with Norwood as the primary punt return man. Now, those duties belong to Raymond, an undrafted Holy Cross product. In the preseason with Denver, he averaged 23.9 yards per kick return with his best return coming on a 41-yarder in the preseason finale.

In other Broncos news, quarterback Trevor Siemian will be sidelined on Sunday, coach Gary Kubiak told reporters. Paxton Lynch will get the start against Jacksonville in his place. In his previous outing, a 23-16 loss to the Falcons on Oct. 9, Lynch completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In total, Lynch has hit on 37 of 59 attempts for 393 yards, two scores and a pick this season.

Broncos Not Looking To Bench Trevor Siemian

November 13th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have made their share of seminal in-season quarterback changes in recent years, and given the investment the team made in Paxton Lynch, one coming in 2016 makes sense. But the team is not looking to bench Trevor Siemian in the near future, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Siemian’s status as a second-year player selected in the 2015 seventh round hasn’t deterred him from guiding the Broncos to a 7-2 record under his watch (the Gary Kubiak-Siemian partnership’s resulted in a 7-1 record). So despite his struggles and the Denver offense’s limitations this season, the defending champions are likely to stick with their starter through the Week 11 bye, Rapoport reports.

This report came before Siemian’s uneven-yet-effective performance in the Broncos’ 25-23 win over the Saints. The former Northwestern passer completed 25-of-40 passes for 258 yards and two touchdown passes, with two interceptions — one thrown right to Kenny Vaccaro — interspersed in that line. The Broncos entered Sunday ranking 28th in offense, with their run game having sputtered for much of the season, but Siemian’s 86.2 rating outpaces the Peyton Manning/Brock Osweiler 2015 combination’s 76.2 figure.

However, Rapoport noted Siemian continues to struggle with the non-throwing shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4 in Tampa Bay. He absorbed several hits on Sunday, including six sacks.

Kubiak, per Rapoport, believes Siemian is the best option, with issues like the ground game and shaky offensive line play limiting him. That said, the higher-ceiling backup figures to supplant the game-managing starter at some point, whether it’s down the stretch or in 2017. And the franchise has shown making late-season changes isn’t out of the question, regardless of its standing in the playoff race.

The Broncos have made two notable down-the-stretch quarterback changes over the past 10 years, with Jay Cutler replacing Jake Plummer late in 2006 and Manning recapturing his job just before the playoffs last season. Tim Tebow‘s ascent came in Week 6 of the 2011 campaign, when the Broncos were not contending at the time.

Lynch played well in his first audition — the second half of an October win against the Buccaneers — but faltered in his first start the following week in the team’s loss to the Falcons. The Broncos host the Chiefs in Week 12 and play five of their final six contests against playoff-contending teams.

Broncos To Start Paxton Lynch In Week 5

October 8th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:13pm: It’s now unlikely Siemian suits up and works as the backup, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Davis is expected to be the No. 2 quarterback against Atlanta. The 27-year-old Davis last played for the Browns last season, going 0-2 as a starter and playing in three games. He signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal with the Broncos after the team cut Mark Sanchez.

4:48pm: With Trevor Siemian still struggling with the injury to his non-throwing shoulder, the Broncos will give Paxton Lynch his first NFL start Sunday, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

Multiple sources informed Klis the first-round pick will start against the Falcons but noted Siemian could be ready to return to the lineup by the time the defending Super Bowl champions face the Chargers on Thursday.

Previous reports had Siemian, who has yet to be ruled out, as a potential game-time decision. The Broncos are reportedly going to air on the side of caution in this case after the starter suffered a sprained AC joint during the second quarter of Denver’s Week 4 win over Tampa Bay. It’s not known if Siemian will dress and be the backup in case of a Lynch injury or if Austin Davis would do so, but Klis notes the Broncos not deeming Siemian healthy enough to start points to them shelving him for the day.

Concern exists within the team whether Siemian’s left shoulder was healthy enough to absorb contact, per Klis, who adds the former Northwestern passer took a few team reps in Friday’s practice.

Gary Kubiak said earlier this week the job will again be Siemian’s once he’s healthy.

Receiving his first game action of the season, Lynch completed 14-of-24 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers. The first-round pick’s completion percentage (58.3) was well behind each of Siemian’s this season, with the 2015 seventh-rounder holding a 67.3 completion rate, but supposedly raw quarterback directed the Broncos to three scoring drives after entering late in the first half.

He’ll face a Falcons defense that ranks 30th through four games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys Won’t Rule Out Prescott Bumping Romo

August 29th, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

In 2001, Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe was hit hard by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis and shut down for the season with a sheared blood vessel in his chest. After that, a quarterback by the name of Tom Brady stepped into the starting lineup and never gave the job back. Could we see a repeat of that in Dallas now that Tony Romo will be sidelined for an extended period? For what it’s worth, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones won’t rule out a scenario in which rookie Dak Prescott impresses and runs away with the starting gig (via Peter King of The MMQB).

“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is, Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”

It’s worth noting that Prescott will have a fairly manageable schedule to kick off the season. The Cowboys first six games in order are against the Giants (home), Redskins (away), Bears (home), 49ers (away), Bengals (home), and Packers (away). For now, the Cowboys are planning on Romo regaining the starting job once he is healthy. But, the team knows that the rookie could potentially unseat the 36-year-old QB.

In his chat with Jones, King mentioned the Cowboys’ efforts to trade up for Paxton Lynch in this year’s draft. While the Cowboys whiffed on Lynch, Jones now says that team is thrilled with Prescott and happy with the way things turned out.

“I don’t think our guys would even consider trading Prescott for Lynch right now,” said Jones. “No, I know they wouldn’t. That’s how much they like Dak right now.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trevor Siemian To Start For Broncos

August 29th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have announced that Trevor Siemian will be their starting quarterback to open the 2016 season. Siemian cemented his status as the Broncos‘ starting quarterback after turning in a solid performance during Saturday night’s preseason victory over the Rams.

Siemian offers no real NFL experience, but he impressed Broncos brass this offseason with his arm and overall poise. Mark Sanchez was widely expected to come away as the team’s starter this offseason, but he quickly fell behind the 2015 seventh-round pick. Now, one has to wonder if Sanchez will be on the Broncos’ roster to start the season. The Broncos haven’t asked Sanchez to take a pay cut yet, but that could be coming soon.

Rookie Paxton Lynch has received rave reviews for his raw talent in practices this offseason, but the team believes that he will need some more seasoning before being thrown into the NFL fire.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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