5 reasons Trevor Siemian will lead Broncos to success

Many are writing the defending champs off, but here are five reasons to back their seventh round sophomore QB.

You’ve heard all the bad stuff about Trevor Siemian. He threw 27 touchdowns to 24 picks in 14 college starts at Northwestern. He was a seventh round pick in 2015. His only NFL action came via a kneel-down in his rookie season. He is only starting for the Broncos because they have no other options.

While all of the above may be true, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost for the defending champs, who hoisted the Lombardi trophy on the heels of some truly horrific quarterback play last season.

Many will argue that Peyton Manning was chock-full of intangibles during his swan song season, but it’s intangibles that led Siemian to win the starting gig and allowed Denver to ship out presumed starter Mark Sanchez just five days before opening night kickoff against the Panthers.

Still not convinced? Here are five reasons Siemian can lead the Broncos to success in the 2016 season.

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5. He won’t be asked to do much

Not the most glowing endorsement right off the bat, but it’s the truth. The Broncos are returning eight of 10 starters from a unit that was first in total defense (yards per game) last season. Powered by studs like Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Chris Harris, the Broncos defense will be elite yet again.

Denver is also gearing towards a more traditional Gary Kubiak offense. They will run the ball plenty with C.J. Anderson, who is coming off a strong finish to an otherwise disappointing 2015 season. The team also drafted a capable backup in Devontae Booker and are committed to a more game control style of offense in 2016, with more snaps under center and more clock killing runs.

Game control football requires a game manager quarterback, which is exactly what Siemian will be, at least to start the season. There is little pressure on him to take over games because the Broncos will not give up many points and plan on running the ball more often this season.

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4. Receivers who can do more with less

In instances when Siemian does indeed have to throw the ball, he’s fortunate to have a terrific pair of starting wide receivers. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders may not be getting a lot of love in fantasy drafts, but they are still both coming off 1,000 yard seasons, despite last year’s putrid quarterback play in the Mile High City.

What’s especially beneficial about Thomas and Sanders is their ability to produce after the catch. If Siemian was paired with deep threats he had to fling the ball too, he’d likely have trouble winning matchups. Instead, he is gifted with receivers who are polished route runners and can take simple screen passes or slant routes for deep gains.

In fact, it’s the ability of Thomas and Sanders as great all-around receivers that made Manning look good in his “noodle arm” Denver years, especially last season. When you factor in potential breakouts from emerging tight end Virgil Green and third year receiver Cody Latimer, Siemian has a wealth of reliable options in the passing game.

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3. No pressure, kid

While Siemian is the starter going into the season, he’s not Denver’s long-term plan at quarterback — at least we don’t think he is. This is because the Broncos moved up five spots in the 2016 NFL Draft to select Memphis standout Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick of the first round. By all accounts, Lynch is still the future.

The reason Siemian won the gig is two-fold. He was the most knowledgeable quarterback on the roster after spending all of last season holding a clipboard (as both a second and third stringer), and because Siemian is a better fit for what Denver wants from its signal caller this season. While Siemian came from a pro style offense at Northwestern, Lynch came from a more up-tempo, spread offense at Memphis.

The lack of pressure on Siemian to be the franchise’s savior in the footsteps of Jon Elway and Manning can only help his as he navigates his first season starting in the NFL.

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2. Late round quarterbacks are not a lost cause

All of you should know a guy named Tom from Michigan. He was drafted in the sixth round in 2000 and had quite the chip on his shoulder. Tom went on to win four Super Bowl Trophies, three Super Bowl MVPs and two regular season MVPs. He’s arguably the greatest to ever play the position.

Sometimes, being drafted late is all the motivation a player needs. Of course, Siemian was shocked to get drafted at all. Elway, as Denver’s general manager, clearly saw something in Siemian when drafting him with the 250th overall pick in 2015, and it has all led to this very big opportunity just one season later.

Of course, Brady is not the only source of inspiration for the seventh round Broncos quarterback. Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas and Roger Staubach were taken in rounds nine and 10, respectively. Solid pros like Matt Hasselbeck and Marc Bulger, both round six, were late finds as well. Heck, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo weren’t even drafted!

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1. Confidence, baby

Finally, the best thing Siemian has going for him (and what probably won him the job) is a whole lot of confidence. Not just his own, but the confidence of his coach, his general manager and his teammates.

Pundits will argue: yeah, of course the Broncos are raving about him – what choice do they have? The truth is, the team made several choices that led to Siemian becoming their starting quarterback, from not re-signing Brock Osweiler, to releasing Sanchez, to keeping Lynch on ice. Far be it for us pundits to doubt the defending Super Bowl champions on their decision making.

Siemian is confident though. He is confident in his ability to make tight throws in the middle of the field, hit his receivers outside the numbers with passes Sanders described as “very catachable,” and even run the occasional bootleg due to his underrated athleticism.

Whichever way he gets it done, the Broncos are confident Siemian will get it done in 2015, because he has that “it” factor. Whether that’s a Russell Wilson or Alex Smith “it” factor has yet to be decided.