The Broncos have convened for the launch of the offseason program, and new coach Vance Joseph has reiterated that it’s a two-man competition for the most important job on the field -- and that no one enters it with an edge.
“It is open, guys,” Joseph said of the Trevor Siemian/Paxton Lynch battle. “50-50. It’s going to go down to the wire, I hope.”
Actually, going down to the wire could be a bad thing, since it will keep the eventual starter from getting enough reps as the starter, since the backup will be getting plenty of them, too. Which could set the stage for whoever wins to job to be the guy who has the privilege of losing it.
The good news for Siemian is that he’s been cleared to participate in the offseason program after shoulder surgery performed promptly after the season. That will give him a fair chance to compete; the real question is whether and to what extent the competition will tilt in the direction of Lynch, given what the Broncos gave up to get him.
The final decision will be largely subjective, and an added factor could be Lynch’s perceived ability to hit a higher ceiling if he has a chance to play. Sure, Siemian may be better at first since he started in 2016. But to fully develop Lynch, the Broncos will need to throw him into the fray and suffer through the short-term growing pains.