Broncos Interested In Case Keenum?

Plenty of variables exist in what promises to be a complex quarterback marketplace this offseason. Kirk Cousins and the Broncos are centerpiece elements of it, with both the quarterback and the team standing to affect how free agency and the draft unfolds.

The Broncos could conceivably go either way in addressing their quarterback situation, and whether they sign Cousins or lose that race and end up taking a passer at No. 5 will determine plenty about how the offseason plays out. But what happens if the Broncos can’t land Cousins? Do they still target a veteran? And if so, would any non-Cousins addition induce Denver to use its No. 5 pick on a non-quarterback?

One other passer might. The Broncos are intrigued by Case Keenum, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report notes. He adds that a Keenum addition would allow the team to select a player at another position at No. 5, so Keenum could be the Broncos’ second choice on the veteran market. They are expected to enter the Cousins sweepstakes.

Of course, the Vikings could still place the franchise tag on their primary 2017 starter and effectively take him off the market. They are open to doing so, and may be likely to take this route with one of last season’s biggest surprises. But if Keenum hits the market, the Broncos — who discussed a Keenum trade during the 2016 offseason, when his price was much lower — figure to be interested.

Keenum will not cost what Cousins would, but the sample size of proficiency is far less than what Cousins’ career has offered, so spending lower-end or midlevel franchise-quarterback money on Keenum would be a risk. Mike Klis of 9News noted recently Denver’s Cousins contingency plan was likely to be Keenum (if available) or a bridge player that would mentor the passer the team would be in line to select at 5.

The Broncos may well believe Keenum is good enough not to be viewed as a stopgap passer, which would take a team out of the mix for a quarterback at the top of the draft. But the Vikings may believe this as well and retain Keenum to make outside interest essentially moot.

View Comments (19)