By Mike Fallas Edited by Peter Cordi
With the 2014 NFL season over, the Denver Broncos will have to do a lot of thinking about the future of the team. There is still a possibility that Peyton Manning may be calling it quits and retires, even though he has said he is mentally and physically ready to play in 2015. If Peyton decides to stay one more year, and he likely will, the Broncos must be prepared for a backup plan if he gets hurt.
Manning was already injured last season with torn right quadriceps. Four years ago, he missed the entire season due a severe neck injury. Plus his old age (for NFL quarterback standards) is catching up with him.
So who is the big man to step up to the plate and try to replace this legend? A kid by the name of Brock Osweiler. Osweiler is 24 years old and played college football at Arizona State University. He was picked in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Osweiler is huge, at 6’8” 240 lbs, much like the body structure of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who is 6’6”, 245 lbs.
Gary Kubiak, the new head coach of the Denver Broncos, spent last season as the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, so having a quarterback similar to the one he is used to makes sense. Osweiler is very comparable to Flacco in size, ability to take big hits, throw the deep ball, and see open receivers over the offensive line. He can definitely be a great fit for the Broncos’ offense. Moreover, Osweiler has shown great quarterback traits in the past. In college he has shown his ability to step up in the pocket. He has also shown great poise when he throws the ball.
Osweiler shows tremendous courage and patience in the pocket. When a huge defensive lineman is charging straight at him, he will take the hit to make sure the ball is delivered accurately, or he will throw it away to safety. He does not make many stupid mistakes. If no receivers are open he will make the smart choice of dumping it off to the running back or throwing it out of bounds. It is a rarity to see him force a pass into tight coverage.
Also, similar to Peyton Manning he can progress well through reads during a play. Osweiler has shown good mobility, which is surprising for someone of his size. Mobility at the quarterback for this Broncos’ offense can be crucial if Orlando Franklin leaves in free agency. If Franklin does leave that could create a big hole in the offensive line. The Broncos would need a quarterback who possesses the ability to escape pressure and run out of the pocket to make an accurate pass or run for the first down. Peyton Manning can scramble, but is a true pocket passer who needs a good offensive line if he doesn’t want to be injured.
If Franklin leaves in free agency, but Manning stays, he will have a lot less security in the pocket. Brock Osweiler has not had a chance to show off his skills in the NFL regular season with Peyton Manning staying healthy for the most part.
The most important reason why Osweiler could be a future star quarterback for the Broncos is he has learned from the great Peyton manning for three years. Because Osweiler has been a student under Peyton manning for all this time, it is very possible he already knows much more about playing quarterback at a high level than anyone might realize. Anyone given the opportunity to learn from Peyton Manning for three years has the potential to be an absolute stud.
This has happened before. Green Bay Packers’ MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers learned from all-time great Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers was drafted in 2005. Favre was still the big man in Green Bay then, until he retired (for the first time) in 2007. For 2 seasons, Aaron Rodgers was a student of the legend, Brett Favre.
It paid off to have Aaron Rodgers learn from Favre because he used that knowledge added to his already-amazing skillset to bring another Super Bowl to Green Bay and notch himself a pair of MVP awards as of 2015. These results can absolutely be recreated by the Denver Broncos since they did exactly as the Packers did with Rodgers and Favre. The Broncos may have struck gold with Osweiler and are potentially be set for the future.
With the 2014 NFL season over, the Denver Broncos will have to do a lot of thinking about the future of the team. There is still a possibility that Peyton Manning may be calling it quits and retires, even though he has said he is mentally and physically ready to play in 2015. If Peyton decides to stay one more year, and he likely will, the Broncos must be prepared for a backup plan if he gets hurt.
Manning was already injured last season with torn right quadriceps. Four years ago, he missed the entire season due a severe neck injury. Plus his old age (for NFL quarterback standards) is catching up with him.
So who is the big man to step up to the plate and try to replace this legend? A kid by the name of Brock Osweiler. Osweiler is 24 years old and played college football at Arizona State University. He was picked in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Osweiler is huge, at 6’8” 240 lbs, much like the body structure of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who is 6’6”, 245 lbs.
Gary Kubiak, the new head coach of the Denver Broncos, spent last season as the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, so having a quarterback similar to the one he is used to makes sense. Osweiler is very comparable to Flacco in size, ability to take big hits, throw the deep ball, and see open receivers over the offensive line. He can definitely be a great fit for the Broncos’ offense. Moreover, Osweiler has shown great quarterback traits in the past. In college he has shown his ability to step up in the pocket. He has also shown great poise when he throws the ball.
Osweiler shows tremendous courage and patience in the pocket. When a huge defensive lineman is charging straight at him, he will take the hit to make sure the ball is delivered accurately, or he will throw it away to safety. He does not make many stupid mistakes. If no receivers are open he will make the smart choice of dumping it off to the running back or throwing it out of bounds. It is a rarity to see him force a pass into tight coverage.
Also, similar to Peyton Manning he can progress well through reads during a play. Osweiler has shown good mobility, which is surprising for someone of his size. Mobility at the quarterback for this Broncos’ offense can be crucial if Orlando Franklin leaves in free agency. If Franklin does leave that could create a big hole in the offensive line. The Broncos would need a quarterback who possesses the ability to escape pressure and run out of the pocket to make an accurate pass or run for the first down. Peyton Manning can scramble, but is a true pocket passer who needs a good offensive line if he doesn’t want to be injured.
If Franklin leaves in free agency, but Manning stays, he will have a lot less security in the pocket. Brock Osweiler has not had a chance to show off his skills in the NFL regular season with Peyton Manning staying healthy for the most part.
The most important reason why Osweiler could be a future star quarterback for the Broncos is he has learned from the great Peyton manning for three years. Because Osweiler has been a student under Peyton manning for all this time, it is very possible he already knows much more about playing quarterback at a high level than anyone might realize. Anyone given the opportunity to learn from Peyton Manning for three years has the potential to be an absolute stud.
This has happened before. Green Bay Packers’ MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers learned from all-time great Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers was drafted in 2005. Favre was still the big man in Green Bay then, until he retired (for the first time) in 2007. For 2 seasons, Aaron Rodgers was a student of the legend, Brett Favre.
It paid off to have Aaron Rodgers learn from Favre because he used that knowledge added to his already-amazing skillset to bring another Super Bowl to Green Bay and notch himself a pair of MVP awards as of 2015. These results can absolutely be recreated by the Denver Broncos since they did exactly as the Packers did with Rodgers and Favre. The Broncos may have struck gold with Osweiler and are potentially be set for the future.