Here's the QB Denver should target now that Brock Osweiler is gone

By foxsports
Published

The Broncos had two viable starting quarterbacks heading into last season's playoffs.

Now, in the span of a week, they have zero.

Following Peyton Manning's retirement Monday, the Broncos lost free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler to the Texans on Wednesday.

Osweiler was the top quarterback on an altogether average free agent market this spring, and his moving on from Denver leaves the Broncos in a precarious position.

Without a viable starter on the roster and with an incredibly low probability of finding a quarterback that can play immediately with the 31st pick in April's NFL Draft, the Broncos need to make a move for a QB — soon.

There are reports that Denver had labeled Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers their "Plan B" but that would require a trade —€” one that might be difficult to make when you consider that new Niners coach Chip Kelly wants Kaepernick to battle for the team's starting quarterback job.

Rams quarterback Case Keenum was a viable option for Denver as well, but NFL Network reported Wednesday that Los Angeles tendered him at a first-round level to deter the Broncos from looking that way. (That, more than anything else, should how you how barren the quarterback market is.)

Robert Griffin III is a free agent and Johnny Manziel is soon to be one, but both seem to be far more trouble than they're worth — and they're not worth much these days.

But there is one quarterback on the free agent market who would fit the Broncos' needs perfectly —€” plus, he has a wicked beard.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets are reportedly at a "standoff" in their contract negotiations, which could give the Broncos time to swoop in and sign the 33-year-old quarterback.

No, Fitzpatrick isn't a viable long-term option like Osweiler. But if he can give the Broncos a year or two of solid service, the team can have some space to breathe, relax, and make a prudent judgment on who that long-term option is. With a decision as important as that, you don't want to rush. This is, after all, a team that kept Osweiler in the wings for four years. 

It's not like Fitzpatrick is a slouch, either. Last season, the Harvard grad threw for a career-high 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns and helped resurrect a Jets offense that had been one of the league's worst with Geno Smith under center.

Is Fitzpatrick one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? Of course not, but he's far from the bottom of the pack. But this is a league where teams are constantly throwing out worthwhile QBs in an effort to land a "franchise" guy —€” only to then fail and repeat the cycle again. Fitzpatrick isn't a standout, but bad teams' constant need to land a transcendent talent has hindered his public reputation.

Simply put, Fitzpatrick will get the job done for Denver. He won't carry the team to a title, but he won't cost them one, either. 

Furthermore, Fitzpatrick is clearly a much better fit than Kaepernick, RGIII, or Manziel in Gary Kubiak's West Coast offense, and he'd possibly be an improvement over Osweiler and particularly Manning because of his ability to throw the deep ball —€” something Manning couldn't do last year and Osweiler has had trouble with in his career.

The Broncos are in a jam, no doubt, but this team still has the pieces to defend their Super Bowl title. Much like last year, they just need a semi-reliable quarterback to helm the offense. Fitzpatrick is exactly that.