Trevor Siemian

Vikings Want To Re-Sign QB Trevor Siemian

If the Vikings have their way, Trevor Siemian will be back in Minnesota next season. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the Vikings are trying to re-sign their backup quarterback. The reporter notes that head coach Mike Zimmer desires a veteran signal-caller behind Kirk Cousins.

Siemian, 27, joined the Vikings last offseason after spending the first three seasons of his career on the Broncos. The former seventh-rounder ultimately made $1.9MM to serve as Cousins’ backup, but Siemian didn’t end up seeing the field during the 2018 campaign.

Still, the quarterback does provide the experience that the Vikings are apparently seeking from their backup. In 2016, Siemian looked like a solid starting quarterback, completing 59.5-percent of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In total, the four-year veteran has appeared in 26 career games.

Besides Cousins, the Vikings are also currently rostering quarterback Kyle Sloter.

Broncos To Trade Trevor Siemian To Vikings

The Vikings are finalizing a trade for Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Siemian now projects as the No. 2 QB in support of starter Kirk Cousins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Broncos will also send a 2018 late-round pick to Minnesota, while the Vikings will trade a 2019 draft pick.

Siemian offered decent production in 14 games as the Broncos’ starter in 2016, as the former seventh-round pick completed 59.5% of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Last season, however, Siemian struggled mightily, and Denver ultimately turned to Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch under center.

The 26-year-old ultimately led the Broncos to a 5-5 record in 10 starts, completing 59% of his passes for 2,285 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked Siemian 36th among 39 eligible signal-callers. For what it’s worth, the website had rated the quarterback similarly in 2016.

Siemian will be a low-cost backup to Cousins in Minnesota, as the quarterback is set to have only a $1.9MM cap hit in 2018. The Vikings are also currently rostering former Broncos quarterback Kyle Sloter. Meanwhile, after having inked former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum to a deal, the Broncos are seemingly content with one of Paxton Lynch or Chad Kelly in a backup role. We had previously heard that the Broncos were shopping Siemian, with both the Jets and Falcons showing interest in the former seventh-rounder.

Jets, Falcons Interested In Broncos QB Trevor Siemian?

The Broncos are fielding calls on Trevor Siemian and at least two teams are in the mix. The Jets and Falcons are interested in the signal caller, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter).

It would be surprising, to say the least, if the Jets still have interest in Siemian after re-signing Josh McCown and adding Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. Popular thought has been that the Jets would explore QB options in the draft, perhaps at No. 6 overall, in order to groom a younger player for the position behind the two veterans. It’s possible that the Jets would prefer to go with a deeper depth chart of three established QBs while using their top pick to bolster another department.

The Falcons would also make for an odd destination for Siemian given that they recently inked backup Matt Schaub to a two-year extension. While Atlanta could get out of Schuab’s deal with relative ease, the club wouldn’t have made the move to keep Schaub unless it was comfortable with him as Matt Ryan‘s No. 2. Siemian could potentially serve as the Falcons’ third-stringer, but many teams like to keep that spot open for a developmental arm.

Siemian offered league-average production in 14 games as the Broncos’ starter in 2016, as the former seventh-round pick completed 59.5% of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Last season, however, Siemian struggled mightily, and Denver ultimately turned to Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch under center.

Siemian could conceivably attract interest from any number of teams as a backup quarterback, especially given his price tag. He’ll earn just $1.907MM in 2018 (a raise over his scheduled base salary, thanks to the proven performance escalator), an entirely palatable figure for a No. 2 signal-caller.

Broncos Fielding Calls On QB Trevor Siemian

The Broncos have received calls from several clubs with interest in quarterback Trevor Siemian, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

That Denver is hearing from teams with an eye towards acquiring Siemian should come as no surprise, given both that the Broncos signed fellow quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year deal earlier today and the fact that Denver had been openly shopping Siemian. With Keenum now the Broncos’ starter, and former first-round pick Paxton Lynch likely to serve as the club’s backup, Siemian doesn’t have a role in the Mile High City.

Siemian offered league-average production in 14 games as the Broncos’ starter in 2016, as the former seventh-round pick completed 59.5% of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Last season, however, Siemian struggled mightily, and Denver ultimately turned to Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch under center.

Siemian could conceivably attract interest from any number of teams as a backup quarterback, especially given his price tag. He’ll earn just $1.907MM in 2018 (a raise over his scheduled base salary, thanks to the proven performance escalator), an entirely palatable figure for a No. 2 signal-caller.

QB Notes: Brees, Cousins, Bortles, Draft

The Saints and Drew Brees have expressed mutual interest in maintaining their partnership going forward. While the future Hall of Fame quarterback is unlikely to leave when free agency opens, the team’s financial flexibility is greatly impacted if a deal is not reached by March 14, The Times-Picayune’s Josh Katzenstein writes.

If he is not signed by that date, Katzenstein notes Brees’ remaining three years on his contract will void and his remaining signing bonus will count for $18 MM in dead cap space. Knowing the situation the Saints are faced with, Brees and his team have a ton of leverage.

Brees, 39, is likely to look for a multi-year deal but the quarterback has mentioned taking his future one year at a time. Though his passing totals weren’t at the gaudy levels of years past, he was still an effective signal-caller, leading the league in completion percentage and ranking second in passer rating.

It is unlikely the two sides won’t come to an agreement by the deadline, but it is a story to follow.

Here’s more quarterback news from around the league:

  • The Broncos  have a meeting scheduled with Mike McCartney — agent to, among others, Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian and Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta — in Indianapolis while the two sides are in town for the NFL Combine, NBC 9 News’ Mike Klis reports. Per NFL tampering rules, the two sides can not discuss Cousins, but are free to talk about the latter two. Cousins is expected to be a top target of the Broncos once free agency opens.
  • Sticking with Cousins, the Vikings are expected to be strong contenders for the quarterback’s services NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (Twitter link). In the video clip, Garafolo says he has been told by sources “the whole way” that the Vikes are going to make a strong push for the prized free agent.
  • The Jaguars‘ contract to Blake Bortles is more about freeing up cap space for this year rather than rewarding or showing confidence in the quarterback, overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald writes. “The Jaguars front office should know what Bortles is and I don’t anticipate that this contract will change the fact that they could consider drafting a QB or signing a decent player to be a backup who could be asked to start if things go bad. They really just needed cap space and to that end they did a decent job.”
  • If teams are looking to draft a developmental quarterback, two of the most intriguing names are Lauletta, the Senior Bowl MVP, and Washington State’s Luke Falk, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets. Robinson also notes the Redskins president Bruce Allen went to Lauletta’s Richmond and is very familiar with the quarterback.
  • Though the Dolphins are committed to Ryan Tannehill being their starter in 2018, that does not mean the team won’t look to draft a quarterback with its No. 11 pick in the first round, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. He says the Dolphins were impressed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield in interviews at the Senior Bowl, though he is expected to be off the board by the time Miami gets on the clock.

Broncos Expected To Shop Trevor Siemian

The Broncos are expected to make quarterback Trevor Siemian available via trade at the upcoming combine, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise since the Broncos were already expected to make QB a priority this offseason. Trevor Siemian

In 2016, Siemian performed better under center than most expected as he completed 59.5% of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and ten interceptions. Unfortunately, Siemian’s third season was a disappointment for Denver. His adjusted net yards per completion dropped by nearly 25%, his total quarterback rating slipped by 25 points. and he threw for only 12 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The Broncos yanked Siemian from the starting lineup midway through the season and he only regained his job after Brock Osweiler faltered and Paxton Lynch was injured.

Lynch is expected to return in Denver, though not necessarily as the starter. Whether it’s through trades, free agency, or the draft, the Broncos will look to acquire at least one new signal caller. Meanwhile, the Broncos could move Siemian to fill holes elsewhere on the roster.

2018 Proven Performance Escalators

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.Jay Ajayi (Vertical)

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB

Bears: Adrian Amos, S

Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB

Bills: John Miller, G

Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB

Browns: Duke Johnson, RB

Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB

Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR

Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB

Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB

Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL

Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB

Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB

Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT

Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL

Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB

Packers: Jake Ryan, LB

Panthers: Daryl Williams, T

Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G

Raiders: Clive Walford, TE

Rams: Jamon Brown, G

Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB

Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR

Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT

Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR

Steelers: Jesse James, TE

Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE

OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Broncos’ Trevor Siemian Dislocates Shoulder

Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian suffered a dislocated shoulder in tonight’s contest and will miss the final two games of the 2017 season, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link).Trevor Siemian

Siemian’s third NFL campaign will end after a year-long run of disappointing results, as the former seventh-round pick couldn’t live up to his surprisingly effective 2016 season, his first as a starter. Nearly every metric showed a drop-off, as his adjusted net yards per completion dropped by nearly 25%, while his total quarterback rating slipped by 25 points. On the year, Siemian tossed 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions after posting a 18:10 ratio a year ago.

Unlike 2016, Siemian didn’t enjoy an uninterrupted string of success this season, as he was initially removed from the starting lineup after eight starts. Both Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch were utilized without success, and Lynch is now injured. With Osweiler the only healthy signal-caller on their roster, the Broncos will likely need to sign another quarterback to get through the remainder of the season.

It’s unclear if Siemian (or any of Denver’s current quarterbacks) will remain in the club’s 2018 plans, but if so, it will likely be as a reserve. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reported earlier tonight that the Broncos are likely to explore any and all outlets — including free agency, the draft, and trade — in search of a franchise quarterback this offseason.

Paxton Lynch Suffers High Ankle Sprain

The Broncos’ late-season audition plan for Paxton Lynch hit a snag in the first of those starts, and the injury that caused Lynch to leave the Raiders game Sunday will force the team to start another quarterback against the Dolphins.

Lynch suffered a high ankle sprain, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). He will not play against the Dolphins, Klis reports. Trevor Siemian will start in Miami.

Vance Joseph announced Lynch suffered this injury (per James Palmer of NFL.com, on Twitter) and said he will miss between two and four weeks, so this stalls a crucial evaluation for the second-year passer. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter) this figures to be a minimum three-game absence for Lynch.

By Week 13, the Broncos will have started three different quarterbacks in three games. They appear set to revert to their original lineup, with Brock Osweiler backing up Siemian. But this stalls a Lynch evaluation process that’s already overdue, considering the franchise invested a first-round pick in him last year.

Lynch has started just three games, and this meaningless stretch for the 2017 team could have doubled as a test run for the Broncos to determine if they can put faith in Lynch next season or if they need to re-enter the quarterback market. This injury further muddies that prospective decision.

As he has at just about every juncture of their overlapping tenures as Broncos, Siemian fared better than Lynch on Sunday, leading the team to two touchdowns in the second half. Lynch finished 9 of 14 for 41 yards (2.9 per attempt) and left the game with the Broncos down 21-0 in Oakland.

Paxton Lynch To Be Active In Week 11

The Broncos have dressed the same two quarterbacks throughout the season, but on Sunday against the Bengals, the reeling team is set to change its structure.

Paxton Lynch will suit up for the first time this season, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter), adding that Trevor Siemian will be a healthy scratch for the first time since Peyton Manning retired.

Having lost five games in a row — each by double digits — the Broncos appear to be reaching the point of a rare season out of playoff contention down the stretch. This would seemingly give the team a window to give Lynch the extended audition he’s yet to have. A preseason shoulder injury shelved the former first-round pick for this season to date, but he stands to be Brock Osweiler‘s backup against Cincinnati.

Lynch made two starts last season, going 1-1, and replaced Siemian midway through an October 2016 win as well. At 3-6, the Broncos are teetering on the verge of being removed from realistic postseason contention. And Osweiler is only signed through this season. Siemian, who beat out Lynch for the starting job in consecutive seasons, is signed through 2018. Lynch can be controlled through the 2020 season.

Despite being a seventh-round pick, Siemian is 11-10 in two seasons as a starter. He earned the nod over Lynch in Week 17 of last season despite Denver being eliminated from playoff contention. Siemian guided the Broncos to a 3-1 start this season but lost his next three and was benched for Osweiler.