The Denver Broncos wanted to keep Brock Osweiler, but John Elway couldn’t get through to the quarterback during free agency. So instead of retaining the quarterback, Denver watched him sign a lucrative deal with the Houston Texans, and life went on.
Through three games this season, it’s looking like Osweiler spurning the Broncos was the best thing that could have happened for the Broncos.
Combining what we saw last year when Osweiler was with Denver with what he has done thus far in Houston, it looks like the Texans might end up with buyer’s remorse (more on that here).
Apparently, Elway agrees with this sentiment. Speaking with Dave Logan and Susie Wargin of KOA radio on Friday (h/t Pro Football Talk), he said, “A lot of times those deals you don’t make are the best ones.”
Let’s be clear here. Elway did want to keep Osweiler. He had an offer on the table that was slightly more lucrative than the one the quarterback signed in Houston, but Osweiler wasn’t taking his calls.
Elway discussed Osweiler’s rough outing against the New England Patriots and elaborated on why he feels satisfied with how things worked out.
“Obviously it was a tough night for Houston last night and — but things move on,” Elway added. “You try to make the best decision when you have to make it. . . . Excluding last night, we really felt good with the way everything’s fallen, the way we went into camp, and we’re really excited with the guys who are playing the position for us now.”
Denver isn’t in the greatest position right now in the short term at the quarterback position. Trevor Siemian is turnover-prone and hasn’t involved the receivers nearly enough — something Demaryius Thomas was not shy about expressing recently.
That said, the Broncos are also in a good position financially at the quarterback position for the long term. Instead of committing large amounts of guaranteed cash to Osweiler, the franchise drafted Paxton Lynch late in the first round, and he looks like a keeper.
It’s going to be interesting to track the progress of both Lynch and Osweiler the next few years to see if Elway and the Broncos really did get lucky to have not signed the veteran to a long-term deal.