Even with an uncertain placement on the depth chart, Denver Broncos’ rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch has been impressive. Coach Gary Kubiak raved about the progress that Lynch has made.
“We knew we had ground to make up and we knew he had a ton of talent, but he’s really adapted to playing under center,” Kubiak said, per Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk. “He’s making the calls. What he had to do this week, run the Rams’ offense and then get in there and run ours, that’s hard to do. He really had a good week of practice. I think he’s very confident in what he’s doing and I think he has confidence in us to do what he does best. I think he’s made a lot of progress. He’s going to be a fine young player.”
Other than Trevor Siemian starting, we don’t know Denver’s exact quarterback depth chart for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. But in terms of making the roster, Lynch’s progress is not good for Mark Sanchez.
The possibility of Sanchez being a cap casualty has been discussed. For Sanchez to make the team, he needs to clearly separate himself from Siemian, Lynch, or both.
Siemian is in the middle of a dirt cheap contract. He’s a natural choice to be the backup on a team with a lot high-priced talent. Lynch was a first rounder in the 2016 NFL Draft. He’s not going anywhere either and also comes in relatively cheap.
The Broncos obviously a winning team. So, if Sanchez can show that he’s clearly worthy of at least the second string job, a spot on the roster is not far fetched. He just hasn’t done that.