Broncos expected to trade or release QB Joe Flacco

After signing quarterback Jeff Driskel, the Broncos are expected to trade or release Joe Flacco later this week.

After agreeing to terms with Jeff Driskel on a two-year deal, the Denver Broncos are expected to trade or release quarterback Joe Flacco later this week, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Because teams know Denver might be forced to cut Flacco, there probably won’t be many GMs lining up to make trade offers. Flacco would be an experienced backup, though, so there is a chance that he could be traded for a late-round pick.

The Broncos traded a fourth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Flacco last offseason. He started the first eight games of the year before suffering a season-ending neck injury.

After Flacco went down, Denver turned to Brandon Allen for three games before finally starting Drew Lock in their final five games of the year. Lock went 4-1 as a starter and he will remain the team’s quarterback in 2020.

Driskel was signed to serve as Lock’s backup, making Flacco expendable.

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Broncos agree to terms with backup QB Jeff Driskel

The Broncos have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with backup quarterback Jeff Driskel.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Jeff Driskel to be their new backup quarterback, according to a report from The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Driskel (6-4, 235 pounds) is an athletic quarterback who ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2016, the fastest time among QBs that year. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the draft after a standout senior season at Louisiana Tech.

Driskel completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 4,026 yards with 27 touchdowns against eight interceptions at La. Tech in 2015.

After failing to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster as a rookie, Driskel landed with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he served as a backup from 2016-2018. Driskel started in five games for the Bengals as an injury replacement for Andy Dalton. He threw for 1,003 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions in those contests.

Last year, Driskel served as the Detroit Lions backup and started in three games after Matthew Stafford went down with an injury. Driskel threw for 685 yards and had four touchdowns and four interceptions with Detriot before suffering a season-ending injury of his own.

The 26-year-old QB will serve as Drew Lock’s backup in Denver.

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Report: Broncos trying to re-sign QB Brandon Allen

The Broncos are trying to re-sign backup quarterback Brandon Allen.

The Denver Broncos will not place a tender on restricted free agent Brandon Allen but the team is trying to re-sign him, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Denver would like to have Allen return as a backup candidate but only at the right price. Placing an original-round tender on Allen would have given him a $2,144,000 salary in 2020. The veteran minimum for a fourth-year player like Allen is $820,000 ($1.324 million less than the cost of a tender).

Because the Broncos did not use a tender, other teams will be allowed to negotiate with him. So there’s no guarantee that Allen will return.

After Joe Flacco went down with a neck injury last season, Allen started three games and completed 46.4 percent of his passes for 515 yards with three touchdown passes against two interceptions. Denver then benched Allen and started Drew Lock in the final five games of the season.

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Ex-Broncos QB Austin Davis named Seahawks QBs coach

Former Broncos backup quarterback Austin Davis has been named the Seahawks’ new quarterbacks coach.

Former Denver Broncos quarterback Austin Davis has been working for the Seattle Seahawks since last February and he received a promotion this month. Davis, who served as an offensive assistant in 2019, will now be the team’s new quarterbacks coach, according to Andy Patton of Seahawks Wire.

Davis, 30, is just six months younger than Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He is now the youngest quarterbacks coach in the NFL.

After entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi in 2012, Davis spent time with three different teams before landing with the Broncos in 2016. He served as an emergency backup QB in Denver and did not get on the field for any regular season games.

The Broncos cut Davis near the end of the 2016 season and he signed with Seattle the following summer. He served as Wilson’s backup in 2017. Davis spent part of the 2018 season on the Tennessee Titans’ roster before retiring.

In 10 career starts, Davis completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,548 yards with 13 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions.

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Broncos GM John Elway would like to add a veteran backup QB

Broncos general manager John Elway appears poised to sign a veteran quarterback to serve as Drew Lock’s backup in 2020.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio said at the NFL combine Tuesday that he doesn’t think Drew Lock’s backup has to be a veteran. That doesn’t mean general manager John Elway won’t look for a veteran, though.

Elway has the final say on Denver’s roster decisions and though the team might not need a veteran, Elway seems to prefer having one.

“We’ll see, [but] I think I’d like to get a veteran [quarterback],” Elway told ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “Just with the youth we have at the position now and somebody that can help, you know, help in that situation. … I think I’d prefer a veteran, but we’ll see what’s available.”

The Broncos seem unlikely to bring back Joe Flacco and though Brandon Allen is 27 years old, he’s probably not the kind of veteran Elway is talking about. That leaves Brett Rypien, who is entering just his second season.

Denver will likely have to find a veteran through free agency in March.

As Legwold noted, the list of veteran QBs set to hit free agency includes Chase Daniel, Marcus Mariota and Matt Moore. Broncos fans should probably keep an eye on those QBs as free agency approaches.

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Broncos don’t think backup QB has to be a veteran

The Broncos might not sign a veteran backup quarterback this offseason.

The Broncos are probably going to move on from Joe Flacco this offseason, an expected move that could save the team more than $10 million in salary cap space. If that happens, though, Denver won’t have a veteran backup on the roster behind second-year QB Drew Lock.

Brandon Allen is set to become a restricted free agent and Brett Rypien will be entering just his second year in the league. A veteran like Chase Daniel — who served as a backup for the Bears while Vic Fangio was their defensive coordinator in 2018 — could be a logical fit.

Although a player like Daniel could make sense, Fangio hinted at the NFL combine on Tuesday that the team may not necessarily bring in a veteran to serve as Lock’s backup.

“It doesn’t have to be veteran,” Fangio said of the team’s backup QB plans. “We just want to make sure we have a capable backup behind him. Allen may be that guy. ‘Rip’ may be that guy.

“We’ll look and see what else is out there, but I don’t think it has to be veteran. ‘Rip’ and Allen were great guys for Drew when he took over for him to be in those meetings beside them. From that angle, those guys could fulfill that part too.”

Allen started in three games last year. Rypien was not credited for dressing for any games so he will be considered a first-year player in 2020.

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What are the Broncos backup quarterback options?

The Broncos have a starting QB in Drew Lock and now need to give him a solid backup.

The Denver Broncos have found their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future in Drew Lock. There should be no controversy this offseason.

But the team has a few different directions it can go in terms of the team’s backup quarterback spot. Will the team look within for Lock’s backup or will it go outside the organization and find a different option than one currently on the roster? Here are three options.

Option 1: Joe Flacco

The first option to consider is going to be Flacco, the veteran the team traded for last March and hoped to get a couple seasons out of. Instead, they might have just gotten part of one season.

Whether Flacco could be the team’s backup next season rests on a couple of things. One, is his contract, the one the team chose to restructure. Secondly, would be whether he has an interest in staying in Denver or if the organization has an interest in him staying.

It’s hard to imagine there being much interest on either side and though there would be a lot of dead money for the team to eat if it cuts ties with him, that should be the direction things end up going.

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Broncos spoke with QB Kevin Davidson at East-West Shrine Bowl

The Broncos were spotted talking with quarterback Kevin Davidson at the East-West Shrine Bowl last week.

The Denver Broncos spoke with Princeton quarterback Kevin Davidson after an East-West Shrine Bowl practice on Jan. 13, according to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com. He is expected to be a late-round prospect or undrafted free agent candidate in April.

Davidson (6-4, 225 pounds) completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,569 yards with 20 touchdowns against six interceptions in 10 games as a senior. He went 6-of-11 passing for 51 yards in the East’s 31-27 win over the West squad on Saturday afternoon.

If the Broncos choose not to bring back Joe Flacco this offseason, Denver will likely sign a veteran free agent to serve as Drew Lock‘s backup. A younger, third-string quarterback will likely get a spot on the practice squad. Brandon Allen, 27, will become a free agent in March.

Brett Rypien seems to be the favorite to serve as the Broncos’ third-string QB in 2020 but the team will probably bring in some camp competition. Davidson may be among the candidates for the QB3 job.

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Seahawks opposing QB profile: Panthers’ quarterback Kyle Allen

A closer look at Cam Newton’s backup, Kyle Allen, who will start for the Carolina Panthers Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seattle Seahawks fell out of first place after stumbling against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, now they will return to Charlotte to face their old rivals the Carolina Panthers. Only this time, they will be defending against a new face at quarterback, Kyle Allen.

This is the first time in the Pete Carroll era the Seahawks have faced the Panthers without Cam Newton. The only other time Seattle played Carolina without a Newton start was in 2016 when Newton was benched for the first series for a team violation, and backup Derek Anderson threw an interception on the first play.

Now Newton is done for the season, and his time as a Panther is likely over.

The next chapter in the Seahawks vs. Panthers rivalry will now involve Allen trying to lead Carolina to an upset victory. Allen started the year red hot after taking over for the injured Newton in Week 2. Allen guided the Panthers to four-straight wins, without throwing an interception in any game. The prevailing thought was perhaps Carolina had found their next quarterback.

Then Allen was rocked by San Francisco, throwing three interceptions in a 51-13 defeat. Things looked to get back on track with a 30-20 win over the solid Titans the following week but then Allen proceeded to lose the next five starts.

The wheels have fallen off for Allen and the Panthers, who sit at 5-8 and have been eliminated from postseason contention for the second straight year. Allen has thrown for 16 touchdowns against 12 interceptions for 2,750 yards and a passer rating of only 82.9.

Although Allen had a solid showing against the Saints in New Orleans during a Week 12 shootout loss, throwing 3 touchdowns and not turning the ball over, it is clear he is not a long term option at quarterback.

This game might be on the road, but this is one where the Seahawks defense should absolutely bounce back after being torched by the Rams on “Sunday Night Football.”

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Broncos will make a decision on Drew Lock this week

The Broncos are expected to make a decision on rookie quarterback Drew Lock this week.

Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio indicated during his Monday press conference that the team will make a decision on rookie quarterback Drew Lock this week. Fangio did not say what that decision will be.

“As far as this week goes, all options are on the table,” Fangio said. “We’re going to make that decision here in the next few days.”

Fangio went on to say he is “not sure” when the team will name a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Brandon Allen has played the last three games as a fill-in starter for the injured Joe Flacco. Undrafted rookie Brett Rypien has been serving as the team’s No. 2 quarterback. Allen is 1-2 as a starter.

Lock (6-4, 228 pounds) was selected by Denver in the second round of April’s draft after four seasons playing for Missouri. He completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 254 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception in preseason before injuring his thumb.

The Broncos placed Lock on injured reserve in late August and he did not practice for nearly three months. Lock returned to practice two weeks ago, triggering a three-week window for Denver to make a decision about his season.

Once a player on IR begins practicing, teams have 21 days to decide if that player will be activated to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the year on reserve. The Broncos might activate Lock this week.

During his final two years with the Tigers, Lock threw for 7,462 yards with 72 touchdown passes against 21 interceptions. He is 23 years old.

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