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REED: Joe Flacco would be another huge QB mistake for John Elway

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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