John Elway has admitted his past failures when it comes to bringing in viable quarterback talent to Denver, but it appears he has not learned his lesson.
Breaking news: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday morning that the Broncos have a deal in place to trade for Joe Flacco.
A brief history of recent failures: Elway won a Super Bowl as an executive thanks to his sales job luring Peyton Manning to Denver. But it’s been all downhill since Manning retired.
- Paxton Lynch was a colossal bust: Elway traded up to land Lynch in 2016. An extremely raw quarterback, Lynch never developed the mental game to cope with the speed of the NFL. He started a grand total of four games, was eventually demoted to third string and then released.
- Trevor Siemian was little better: While Lynch proved to be a huge disappointment, Denver turned to this seventh-rounder, who was beloved by Gary Kubiak. Siemian was inaccurate (59.3 completion percentage on his career) and barely passable. Eventually, he was traded to Minnesota.
- Case Keenum was not the answer: Denver signed Keenum last spring in free agency, eschewing the draft. That proved to be a huge mistake. Keenum was barely mediocre, throwing 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He looks to be on the outs now.
Flacco isn’t the answer: Replacing Keenum with Flacco — expending draft capital in the process — is a mistake of the highest magnitude.
- Since winning Super Bowl XLVII, Flacco has had one season that can objectively be seen as worthy of a franchise passer (2014).
- In the five other seasons since the 2012 season, the 34-year-old passer has averaged 3,160 yards, 16.6 touchdowns, and 13.6 interceptions per year. By any measure, these are below-average numbers — especially in the modern NFL.
- Last year, when Flacco was healthy, he remained on the bench as the Ravens put their future in the hands of an extremely raw Lamar Jackson.
The bottom line: This reported move by Elway would be just one more mistake in what’s becoming a long line of mistakes at this most critical position. And as long as Elway keeps striking out on this front, the Broncos will continue to be mired in mediocrity.