Going from future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning at quarterback to potentially Mark Sanchez or Colin Kaepernick is quite baffling. Denver seemed to have an option in Brock Osweiler if in fact Manning decided to retire at the end of the season, which would have made for a solid replacement as Osweiler had experience running the Broncos offense. However, he signed with the Houston Texans leaving the Broncos without a quarterback.
The rumor mill has been non stop with the Kaepernick to Denver rumors, but nothing is set in stone. The Broncos are in pursuit of the quarterback with high hopes that he will be able to compete with Sanchez for the starting position, but are either of these two the right fit for this offense?
Denver desperately needs a quarterback to compete with Sanchez for the starting position; they need options. The Broncos cannot be content with Sanchez, and while Kaepernick may be backup at the very least they would have another quarterback on the roster with solid NFL experience as well as winning experience.
While the Broncos want to acquire Kaepernick they won’t budge on their offer, which is reportedly to give him $7 million in salary and give him the opportunity to win over the starting position. Kap is guaranteed $11.9 million this year, and someone will have to pay the difference. Depending on the deal, the Niners could pay the difference or Kaepernick could take a pay cut, but the Broncos have been clear this deal will have to be on their terms and their offer is $7 million.
Looking at Kaepernick as a quarterback he’s had many struggles the past few years and a change of scenery could be beneficial to his career.
Kap only started nine games last year, in part due to injury, but threw six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also threw for 1,615 yards.
While there are many pros and cons to signing Kaepernick, he could serve as a starter for this team efficiently. The Broncos have built a solid offensive line with a few additions this offseason, which could benefit the play action. He is also a very mobile quarterback, and although inaccurate at times with the passing game, he is a running quarterback capable of picking up necessary yardage at critical times on his own.
As mentioned he can be very inaccurate when passing, but the Denver receivers are some of the best and have made big plays. We have also seen a noticeable decline in Kaepernick’s performance the past two seasons, and it just doesn’t get too much worse than being benched for Blaine Gabbert. What is also concerning is the fact that Kap was sacked a total of 80 times the past two seasons, and although this can be attributed to his offensive line, as a mobile quarterback it’s alarming.
Kaepernick is better with higher production when his strengths are utilized in designed runs and the play-action. If Gary Kubiak and company draw up certain plays to Kap’s abilities he could be a solid starter for them. However, regardless, this offense will have a vastly different look in 2016. To go from one of the best in Manning to seeking a trade for a quarterback who was benched and struggling the past few seasons after having a lot of success.
In contrast, Sanchez is not a mobile quarterback, but shares a declining career with Kaepernick. Sanchez played in four games last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, threw for 616 yards and four touchdowns and four interceptions.
Whether it’s Kaepernick or not, the Broncos are in desperate need of bringing someone else into camp to compete for this starting position. They have made it clear this is a position they want won in camp through hard work, proving to the coaching staff they have what it takes to lead this offense.
They’re the defending Super Bowl Champions, and they have a solid team in place with the best defense capable of holding off an opposing offense. That being said, this offense is up in the air at this point. Both Sanchez and Kaepernick are solid backups in this league, but the Broncos need a serviceable starter to get things done on offense.