If a Quarterback Sees Elway's Shadow....
Is it six more weeks of bad weather games or a career with non-championship team?
With the recent completion of the NFL Draft, the dust is finally settling on a pigskin version of Groundhog Day. Just over a month after Punxsutawney Phil failed to see his shadow and offered the promise of an early spring, newly signed Houston Texan quarterback Brock Osweiler flew south for the remaining winter.
And at 18 million dollars per season, that provides a lot of warmth.
Who could blame a guy who was benched in favor of an aging, surefire first ballot Hall of Fame signal caller in the form of Peyton Manning?
If a player thinks more sunshine and a bag full of money are all of the answers to life, then I'm certain Brock will be happy in his new digs. But I do wonder if running away from the daunting shadow of championship quarterbacks will ultimately haunt the former Bronco.
The past is only prologue but the Denver Broncos, in the Pat Bowlen era are the winningest team in the NFL, with a .612 winning percentage. Conversely, the Houston Texans remain 30 games under .500 and a 0-3 playoff record. The Texans have toughed out two 9-7 records the last couple of years with a defense that at times, looks almost as good as the one Osweiler left behind.
It could be the big opportunity for Brock and Houston to build something amazing together, or a guy just walked away from his best chance to win on a consistent basis. I wish him well. I think even if it doesn't work out, he will be able to dry any sad tears away with piles of one-hundred dollar bills.
But I think it is a mistake.
Osweiler showed some guts in his 5-2 run with the SuperBowl bound Broncos, with his best game coming against the always tough New England Patriots. But ugly losses against the Steelers, unable to add on to an early big lead or the offensive non-offense effort at home against the division rival Raiders. In each game, holding on to the ball too long and unable to recognize blitz packages, he showed he still needs some experience.
The Broncos went as high as 16 million bucks a year and several reports indicate the team was not given a final opportunity to match Houston's top offer. Would Elway have overpaid? Maybe. The offseason has shown how few quality quarterbacks are available right now. We will never know for sure, but the bigger question for me will be, why leave one of the best organizations in the league?
Denver is not New York or Chicago, but in this insane for football town painted orange and blue, the stage is very big and very bright around here. Elway does cast a big shadow. That shadow didn't bother Payton Manning a bit. His shadow is pretty tough as well. But then gutsy guys like Jake Plummer loved the idea of competing in that shadow, without blinking.
And now Elway went and found a couple of players who are extremely happy to be here. Twice troubled Mark Sanchez, formerly of the Jets and Eagles, and the new kid, Paxton Lynch, fresh out of the NFL Draft pool.
Sanchez jumped from Eagles back-up for a chance to start for the defending SuperBowl Champs. No wonder he is smiling in every picture taken of him since his arrival. He appears to be embracing the opportunity and the shadow. And the world saw the emotion on Lynch's face when he was drafted, he dreamed the NFL dream, and as he said, he is coming to, "the best possible scenario for me."
Only time will tell if Elway did enough to patch his squad up with a big enough band-aid to cover the loss of Manning and Osweiler. That said, it will be a lot of fun to see how Sanchez utilizes this rare chance to prove himself a starter and how quick Gary Kubiak can ready Lynch for battle. Elway's only shot at the four-year back up was, he only wants players here who want to be Broncos -- problem solved on that front.
Osweiler is off to build his own legacy. Maybe he will get it right more often than that weird, weather predicting groundhog. Again, I wish him no ill will, except on those days when he stops by Denver for old times sake.
I'm thinking Von Miller's shadow will be a bigger deal that day, #lookout Brock.
With the recent completion of the NFL Draft, the dust is finally settling on a pigskin version of Groundhog Day. Just over a month after Punxsutawney Phil failed to see his shadow and offered the promise of an early spring, newly signed Houston Texan quarterback Brock Osweiler flew south for the remaining winter.
And at 18 million dollars per season, that provides a lot of warmth.
Who could blame a guy who was benched in favor of an aging, surefire first ballot Hall of Fame signal caller in the form of Peyton Manning?
If a player thinks more sunshine and a bag full of money are all of the answers to life, then I'm certain Brock will be happy in his new digs. But I do wonder if running away from the daunting shadow of championship quarterbacks will ultimately haunt the former Bronco.
The past is only prologue but the Denver Broncos, in the Pat Bowlen era are the winningest team in the NFL, with a .612 winning percentage. Conversely, the Houston Texans remain 30 games under .500 and a 0-3 playoff record. The Texans have toughed out two 9-7 records the last couple of years with a defense that at times, looks almost as good as the one Osweiler left behind.
It could be the big opportunity for Brock and Houston to build something amazing together, or a guy just walked away from his best chance to win on a consistent basis. I wish him well. I think even if it doesn't work out, he will be able to dry any sad tears away with piles of one-hundred dollar bills.
But I think it is a mistake.
Osweiler showed some guts in his 5-2 run with the SuperBowl bound Broncos, with his best game coming against the always tough New England Patriots. But ugly losses against the Steelers, unable to add on to an early big lead or the offensive non-offense effort at home against the division rival Raiders. In each game, holding on to the ball too long and unable to recognize blitz packages, he showed he still needs some experience.
The Broncos went as high as 16 million bucks a year and several reports indicate the team was not given a final opportunity to match Houston's top offer. Would Elway have overpaid? Maybe. The offseason has shown how few quality quarterbacks are available right now. We will never know for sure, but the bigger question for me will be, why leave one of the best organizations in the league?
Denver is not New York or Chicago, but in this insane for football town painted orange and blue, the stage is very big and very bright around here. Elway does cast a big shadow. That shadow didn't bother Payton Manning a bit. His shadow is pretty tough as well. But then gutsy guys like Jake Plummer loved the idea of competing in that shadow, without blinking.
And now Elway went and found a couple of players who are extremely happy to be here. Twice troubled Mark Sanchez, formerly of the Jets and Eagles, and the new kid, Paxton Lynch, fresh out of the NFL Draft pool.
Sanchez jumped from Eagles back-up for a chance to start for the defending SuperBowl Champs. No wonder he is smiling in every picture taken of him since his arrival. He appears to be embracing the opportunity and the shadow. And the world saw the emotion on Lynch's face when he was drafted, he dreamed the NFL dream, and as he said, he is coming to, "the best possible scenario for me."
Only time will tell if Elway did enough to patch his squad up with a big enough band-aid to cover the loss of Manning and Osweiler. That said, it will be a lot of fun to see how Sanchez utilizes this rare chance to prove himself a starter and how quick Gary Kubiak can ready Lynch for battle. Elway's only shot at the four-year back up was, he only wants players here who want to be Broncos -- problem solved on that front.
Osweiler is off to build his own legacy. Maybe he will get it right more often than that weird, weather predicting groundhog. Again, I wish him no ill will, except on those days when he stops by Denver for old times sake.
I'm thinking Von Miller's shadow will be a bigger deal that day, #lookout Brock.
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