Question: What is Trevor Siemian’s greatest challenge to winning the quarterback job?
Kiz: John Elway insists the competition to be Denver’s starting quarterback is wide open. While it’s hard to conceive how rookie Paxton Lynch could get up to NFL speed in time to start against Carolina in the season-opener, nobody mistakes Mark Sanchez for Peyton Manning. So does Trevor Siemian really have a shot to beat out Sanchez and be No. 1 on the depth chart?
Jhabvala: Consistency. Unlike Sanchez, Siemian doesn’t have game experience. His sole contribution to last season was a kneel-down right before the half at Pittsburgh. He has to overcome a higher burden in camp. Yes, he knows the playbook, having been here for a year, but he has to prove he can apply it on the field — under center and in the huddle, regularly and comfortably. (Checkdowns don’t count.) I still think Sanchez’s seven seasons of experience will trump all.
Kiz: This much I do know: The powers that be at Dove Valley do have a real affinity for Siemian. If coach Gary Kubiak didn’t already have three sons, I think he might adopt Siemian. Kubiak has stated the requirements for his QB in 2016: Understand the system, get the ball in the hands of playmakers and don’t make mistakes that put a stellar defense in tough situations. Siemian can check those boxes.
Jhabvala: He was a relatively unknown quarterback out of Northwestern whose senior season ended early because of a knee injury. And yet Elway & Co. used a seventh-round pick on him anyway. What they saw, they clearly liked — his strong arm being one thing. Were they expecting him to be contention for the starting job by Year 2? Probably not. But keeping him in contention is necessary not only for his future, but for Sanchez’s.
Kiz: OK, enough of this dilly-dally dance from me. There’s one thing I don’t see in Siemian. He isn’t presidential enough. I’m not sure his leadership traits are strong enough to command the huddle, deal with all the knucklehead questions from the media after a tough loss and live under the microscope as the QB in Broncos Country. Does Siemian have what it takes to deal with all the balderdash? That’s what I need to see.
Jhabvala: They don’t need him to be presidential. But if he didn’t have command of the huddle, if he wasn’t capable of being the leader the offense needs, then he wouldn’t have made it this far. He might not be the most exciting interview, but neither was Brock Osweiler. Siemian is, however, respected and trusted by teammates, which is all that matters.
