BRONCOS

Broncos 2022 Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

Jun 23, 2022, 6:44 AM | Updated: 6:45 am

The Denver Broncos could be in a Super Bowl window in 2022. They have moved on from head coach Vic Fangio and replaced him with an innovative offensive mind in Nathaniel Hackett. Gone is the out-of-date offense of Pat Shurmur, replaced by West Coast concepts and a Shanahan-type system all Broncos fans should be familiar with.

With Fangio’s defense gone, the Broncos went out and got a future head coach in new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. We should see a more aggressive Broncos defense, and a better Broncos defense because of better coaching and a better understanding of the modern game.

It’s not just the coaching changes that puts the Broncos in a Super Bowl window, it was the blockbuster trade for a superstar quarterback that general manager George Paton was able to execute. Paton traded with the Seattle Seahawks to secure the services of Russell Wilson. With Wilson under center, the Broncos offense should be one of the best in the league. With a high-powered offense led by Wilson, the defense will be playing with a lead – which means they’ll be able to get after the opposing quarterback in ways we haven’t seen since the team won Super Bowl 50.

This is the second year under the guidance of Paton, and the team has done a good job of adding quality players via free agency and the NFL Draft – even though they didn’t have a first-round pick due to the Wilson trade. However, there are questions that need answers before the start of the regular season. In this series at DenverFan.com, we will go through each position group searching for those answers during training camp.

This is the latest part in our Training Camp Preview. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into the quarterback position.

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Starter: Russell Wilson

It’s so nice not to have to worry about who is going to be the starting quarterback for the Broncos. It’s also nice not to have to worry about any sort of quarterback competition in training camp this year. Not since 2015 when Peyton Manning was the unquestioned starter have the Broncos had a franchise quarterback under center. This year, Wilson takes over and gone are the days of Drew Lock, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch or any other bad quarterback this team tried to prop up. The old saying is true; when you have two quarterbacks you really have none. All those problems are gone thanks to Wilson.

The Seahawks and Wilson tried to make it work last year. They wanted to run the ball early and often in an old-school offense led by head coach Pete Carroll. Wilson wanted to pass the ball more and play with a more modern style. They tried to compromise, but after years of having this struggle, the decision was made during the Scouting Combine to trade him away.

Paton worked with Seahawks general manager John Schneider to make the deal happen, and the Broncos acquired Wilson and a fourth-round pick from Seattle in exchange for quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick. It’s obviously a huge trade, and one we don’t normally see in the NFL, but the Broncos needed to pay a hefty price for such an incredible upgrade.

So, did Seattle just make the biggest mistake in the history of their franchise or did the Broncos get a quarterback who is past his prime? I’d say Seattle is going to regret this move for years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson won league MVP this year in his first season with the Broncos. Not only that but Wilson wants to be remembered as one of the best to ever play the game and he could push for multiple Super Bowl championships over the next five to seven years with the Broncos.

Wilson was injured last year with Seattle, and he missed a few games because of his finger injury. He pushed to come back, and in my opinion came back too soon – thus, his play suffered. Wilson was still decent as a starter, but he didn’t look like the player he did before the injury. As he continued to heal, Wilson did start playing better to end the season, but it was too late to fix things in Seattle. I heard over two years ago that things were headed for a divorce between Wilson and the Seahawks, so the “last trip to Cabo” didn’t make things better.

Hackett is going to let it fly with an offense that is designed to get the most out of Wilson’s skill set. He may not be the runner he used to be – at one point early in his career averaging around 10 rushing attempts per game – but Wilson can still make plays with his legs. The league average for quarterback runs in a game is around 4.5, and Wilson averaged around 7.0 rushing attempts per game in contests he was healthy over the last couple of seasons. When he was coming back from last year’s finger injury, Wilson did rush less (around the league average) but that is behind him. I fully expect the Hackett offense – which is a hybrid of what he does with West Coast concepts and what Wilson likes to do – to feature Wilson’s legs as a runner and on RPOs.

I would also expect Hackett to let it rip for deep shots. Wilson is arguably the best deep ball passer in the NFL, and he can launch passes 50-plus yards down the field with great touch, pass placement and accuracy. The Broncos will run the ball – the wide zone offense is based off setting up deep shots with the run – and Wilson will be able to take advantage of defenses who aren’t prepared for the team to go over the top. Using speed from wide receivers like Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler to take the top off the defense makes a ton of sense. Guys like Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick should be featured in the red zone, and Wilson could be among the leaders in passing touchdowns when all is said and done.

Only one time during his pro career (2017) did Wilson finish in the top-10 in passing attempts with Seattle. In that season, Wilson led the NFL in passing touchdowns (34). In today’s pass-happy league, Wilson should be among the leaders when it comes to passing statistics.

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Reserves: Josh Johnson, Brett Rypien

Josh Johnson was added as a free agent this offseason, and the seasoned veteran should win primary backup duties behind Wilson. A fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2008, Johnson has bounced around to over a dozen NFL teams. In addition to his time in the NFL, Johnson has spent time in the UFL, AAF and XFL. Over the course of his NFL career, Johnson has started in nine games going 1-8 as a starter.

Johnson has always been a “toolsy” quarterback, and his skill set fits the modern game. He’s an athletic passer with a big arm, and Johnson is not afraid to try and fit the ball into tight windows. Johnson can use his legs to take off and run, but at this point in his career he uses his legs to extend the passing play and will run as a last-ditch option. Nobody is going to clamor for Johnson if Wilson is struggling, and if Wilson has to miss time then Johnson has the experience and has seen every defense to help you win off the bench.

Brett Rypien is everything you need in a third-string quarterback. Added as a priority free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft, Rypien is an important voice in the quarterback room. Think Kellen Moore (also from Boise State) when you think of Rypien. Like Moore, Rypien is likely to be a coach someday in the NFL.

Rypien does not have a strong arm. He’s got an adequate arm and can make passes with good accuracy and pass placement on short-to-intermediate routes. Rypien is not a scrambler, but he does a good job of sliding within the pocket to let routes develop down the field. The Broncos have kept Rypien on the 53-man roster as a no.3 quarterback because of his high-football intelligence. However, a roster crunch at other positions could lead to them finally trying to sneak him through to the practice squad. If that happens, there should be at least a few teams who would try to steal him away from the Broncos.

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Summary

The Broncos are in good hands with Wilson. He needs to keep building chemistry with his weapons in training camp, and Wilson needs to continue getting on the same page as Hackett in this hybrid offense. The Broncos are going to do what the Seahawks didn’t want to do. They’re going to “let Russ cook” and it should work out wonderfully in the 2022 season.

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