When Joe Flacco went down against the Colts with a herniated disc, the immediate chatter that followed sounded something like “Drew Lock time”. However, in Week 9 against the Browns, it won’t be. Instead, the Broncos have decided that Brandon Allen, who’s in his fourth year in the league without ever throwing a regular season pass, will start. It’s not a sight that many football fans want to see, but it’s understandable when you consider the following. Drew Lock has been on IR all season and is just now illegible to return. He’s also never thrown a regular season pass. And, Drew Lock is John Elway’s last chance.
So what does that all really mean in the grand scheme of things? Glad you asked. Essentially, the Broncos are going to move forward with as much care as possible over the second half of the season. The way things are lining up, there might not be a ton of time left for everyone in Denver.
John Elway and QBs
It’s statistically proven that John Elway sucks at drafting quarterbacks. I’m not going to get into the details. Instead, I’ll just let Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch do the talking for me. The pass few years, Elway has had his chances to get a QB if he wanted one early in the draft. He’s elected to pass on the position. He finally took Lock with the 42nd pick, Denver’s third selection in this past draft. In my opinion, this is a half-ass commitment to improve the position but not go all-in on believing in a franchise QB.
The problem with John Elway is that he’s become afraid to draft a QB so high. He knows the consequences that result when said QB fails. He experienced it with Paxton Lynch but got a pass because the Broncos had just won a Super Bowl a few years prior. Not many GMs get the chances that Elway has gotten. He’s been heralded as a master recruiter (see Peyton Manning, Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, and T.J. Ward), but he’s struggled in the draft process.
Lock is Elway’s last chance because if this experiment fails, the Broncos need someone new to completely rebuild this team. Denver is in purgatory right now, and Lock is the determining factor for a lot of future decisions.
The Timing Favors No One
The thing with the aforementioned half-ass commitment is that the owners can pass it off as exactly that if they decide to eventually move on from Drew Lock. Follow this hypothetical to understand what I mean.
Lock is going to get a chance to play this season. Let’s say he isn’t great, but hey, the Broncos can just chalk that up as rookie struggles and adjustments to a faster game. So the Broncos decide to bypass drafting a QB. Instead, they give Lock another full season to develop his game. Then, they can fully evaluate and possibly take a new QB.
Except if that does happen, there’s a legitimate chance that Lock, Elway, and head coach Vic Fangio are all sent packing to make way for a new triumvirate in the Mile High. The Broncos ownership doesn’t have to feel as bad because it’s not like they drafted this guy with a first-round pick. He was a second rounder, and sometimes they just fizzle out. It happens. All we can do is scrap it and move on.
No One Wants To Be Set Up For Failure
Lock is out of the lineup this week for a reason. The less the Broncos see of him, the less decisive of a move they can make this offseason. The second it becomes clear that Lock isn’t the guy, we’re closer to the Broncos’ purge that we’re accustomed to. However, if they get through the next eight weeks and it’s still unclear if Lock can play in this league or not, it might just end up being another “best available player” kind of year for Elway.
With a lot of young players and future picks already in place, Elway could potentially buy himself one more offseason by advocating to get more help around Lock. Suddenly, Elway’s half-commitment has become his full-time priority.
So, for better or for worse, Drew Lock is John Elway’s last chance. They’re protecting each other at all costs now. Brandon Allen can only prolong this ticking time bomb for so long. But, most likely after the Broncos Week 10 bye week, Drew Lock is going to suit up and play in Week 11 against the Vikings. From there, the Broncos are going to instantly become one of the most fascinating stories to watch over the next 24 months.
For more of my content follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or check out my podcast. For more of my articles on Per Sources check out my author page.