Trevor Siemian

Broncos To Stick With Trevor Siemian In 2017?

December 21st, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Denver invested a first-round pick in quarterback Paxton Lynch last spring and has been speculatively linked to soon-to-be former Cowboy Tony Romo, the Broncos are likely to move into the future with current starter Trevor Siemian, reports James Palmer of NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

“Talking to people within the building, the thought process is that even though they picked Paxton Lynch in the first round, Trevor Siemian is in mind to be the guy moving forward for the next couple of seasons” Palmer said Wednesday.

Palmer added that Broncos defenders, whom Siemian practices against, “have gained an immense amount of respect” for the second-year man because of his toughness. Meanwhile, Broncos coaches admire his calm demeanor.

Siemian didn’t attempt a pass as a seventh-round rookie in 2015, when he sat behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler as the Broncos’ defense carried the team to a Super Bowl title. This year’s Broncos are 8-6 and have only a 17 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Five Thirty Eight, as they prepare for season-ending tests against AFC West rivals Kansas City (10-4) and Oakland (11-3).

Siemian’s output in his first taste of NFL action this year has been superior to the production Manning and Osweiler posted last season, but that’s not to suggest Siemian has been great. All told, the 24-year-old (25 on Dec. 26) has completed 61.3 percent of his 416 passes, tossed 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions, and averaged 7.24 yards per attempt in 12 games. His overall performance places him 21st among qualifying signal-callers in DYAR, with now-$72MM Texans backup Osweiler sitting in dead last (32nd). Siemian has been effective relative to his $525K salary, then, and he’s under contract through 2018 at similarly low costs. That’s a plus for a franchise which has big money tied up in cornerstone players like Von Miller, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Derek Wolfe and Chris Harris Jr., among others.

Lynch is slightly more expensive than Siemian, but his contract is hardly onerous and he’s controllable through the 2020 campaign. The former Memphis star, for whom the Broncos traded up to draft 26th overall, has taken the field in three games this year and started two as Siemian battled injuries. The 6-foot-7, 244-pound Lynch struggled in each of his starts, as he completed a combined 35 of 59 passes for 327 yards, a touchdown and an pick in games against Atlanta and Jacksonville. Now, given that Lynch hasn’t thrived in Year 1, it appears he’ll sit for at least another season.

AFC Notes: Siemian, Bolts, Browns, Cushing

December 10th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

After his second missed start this season, Trevor Siemian is expected to return on Sunday for the Broncos-Titans game, a player source informs Mike Klis of 9News. The first-year starter has missed 2 1/2 games now, with the two Paxton Lynch starts showing perhaps the rookie is not ready for regular duty.

Klis points out the mid-foot sprain Denver’s starter suffered is usually an injury that shelves players for multiple games, using Ronnie Hillman‘s six missed contests during the 2014 season as an example. Lynch completed 12-of-24 passes for 104 yards against the Jaguars last week, picking up his first win as a starter but doing so in less-than-optimal fashion.

Siemian is coming off his best game as a pro — a 368-yard, three-touchdown effort in an overtime loss to the Chiefs — but now needs to distance himself from another setback to avoid an injury-prone label after already missing time with a shoulder malady. For the Broncos, they likely need the second-year success story to return to make a last-ditch run at the AFC West title or possibly just to make the playoffs. Siemian (15 touchdown passes, seven INTs, 2,396 air yards) continuing to play reasonably well would continue to muddy the waters for the franchise in the future, though, with the first-round investment in Lynch still putting him in line as the quarterback of the future.

Here’s more from the AFC, continuing with more out of the West.

A substantial amount of money being tied to players on IR contributed to the Chargers‘ decisions about their replacements and extension decisions, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. In losing players like Stevie Johnson, Keenan Allen, Jason Verrett and Danny Woodhead, the Bolts have a 17-man IR contingent and that represents $29.3MM of the team’s cap space. This helped influence what kind of experience the Chargers ($1.3MM in cap room) could target as replacements for these players since longer-tenured veterans naturally cost more. Additionally, this matter partially impacted extension talks for Melvin Ingram or Woodhead, Gehlken reports, adding the Joey Bosa cash-flow uncertainty affected these talks as well. Both are impending UFAs, with Ingram set to be an in-demand commodity if he reaches the market.
Placed on IR recently, John Greco suspects he suffered the same mid-foot Lisfranc injury Joel Bitonio did, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. The Browns‘ starting right guard, Greco would likely undergo surgery just as Bitonio, Cleveland’s left guard starter, did in October. The 31-year-old Greco’s been a Browns starter since 2012 and is optimistic about a 2017 return, just like Bitonio. He will visit Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., next week to determine the next course of action. Despite entering what would be his 10th NFL season, Greco is under contract for just $975K in 2017.
Jamar Taylor and the Browns agreed to a three-year deal worth $15MM, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com argues (on Twitter) this is a team-friendly pact despite the former Dolphins corner finishing the 2015 season as a healthy scratch for his former employer. This salary rests $2MM per year less than displaced starter Tramon Williams is making, leading Corry to believe Williams won’t be around next season (Twitter link) after Taylor supplanted him in the lineup. Williams will turn 34 in March and, as part of a three-year deal worth $21MM, would stand to make $7.5MM in 2017 — all but $500K of which is nonguaranteed, pointing to a cap-casualty future for the former Packers cog.
Brian Cushing‘s been playing with multiple broken bones in his back in his eighth Texans season, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. “There’s two fractures in my back, but those are things you have to push through,” Cushing said. “Obviously, it’s painful, and I’m not able to get as many reps as I want in practice right now, but I’ll be out there Sunday with my team. I’ve missed a number of games with season-ending injuries, and I don’t want to miss any more time, so as long as I can walk, I’ll be out there.” The 29-year-old Cushing played at least 14 games in 2014-15 but saw his ’12 and ’13 slates end early because of ailments.

Broncos Promote WR Kalif Raymond

December 2nd, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have promoted wide receiver Kalif Raymond from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Raymond will now serve as Denver’s new returner, Klis adds, which could be a sign that Jordan Norwood is being squeezed out.

The Broncos had seven wide receivers on the roster before adding Raymond, so it stands to reason that at least one of the team’s receivers will be bumped from the 53-man roster. Lately, the Broncos have been using Cody Latimer and Norwood as their kick returners with Norwood as the primary punt return man. Now, those duties belong to Raymond, an undrafted Holy Cross product. In the preseason with Denver, he averaged 23.9 yards per kick return with his best return coming on a 41-yarder in the preseason finale.

In other Broncos news, quarterback Trevor Siemian will be sidelined on Sunday, coach Gary Kubiak told reporters. Paxton Lynch will get the start against Jacksonville in his place. In his previous outing, a 23-16 loss to the Falcons on Oct. 9, Lynch completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In total, Lynch has hit on 37 of 59 attempts for 393 yards, two scores and a pick this season.

Broncos’ Trevor Siemian Likely Out Sunday

December 1st, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Now on the outside of the AFC playoff race, the 7-4 Broncos will likely be without starting quarterback Trevor Siemian on Sunday in Jacksonville, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Siemian’s left foot is in a walking boot, and he sat out Thursday’s practice as a result.

If Siemian isn’t able to play, the Broncos will turn to first-round rookie Paxton Lynch for his second career start. In his previous outing, a 23-16 loss to the Falcons on Oct. 9, the ex-Memphis star filled in for a banged-up Siemian and completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception. In total, Lynch has hit on 37 of 59 attempts for 393 yards, two scores and a pick this season.

The Broncos haven’t had to force Lynch into action this year because of Siemian’s respectable performance. In his first action as a starter, the second-year man and 2015 seventh-rounder has tossed 15 TDs against seven INTs, also averaging 7.37 yards per attempt and posting an 89.2 passer rating. While Siemian hasn’t been great, he has been an upgrade over the Broncos’ 2015 duo of Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, and he’s coming off one of his best showings. In a 30-27 loss to the AFC West rival Chiefs last Sunday, Siemian went 20 of 34 for 368 yards and three scores. That defeat knocked the Broncos out of the top six in the AFC, though, and the defending Super Bowl champions are now primed to go without their top signal-caller against the 2-9 Jaguars.

Denver will conclude the season with much tougher opponents in the Titans, Patriots, Chiefs and AFC West-leading Raiders, likely making the Jags game a must-win affair. Tennessee, New England, Kansas City and Oakland boast a combined 32-13 record.

Latest On Tony Romo’s Future

November 23rd, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared last week that he does not intend to move on from quarterback Tony Romo after the season, but the belief around the NFL is that Dak Prescott‘s backup will be in another uniform in 2017, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

While some expect the soon-to-be 37-year-old Romo to bring back a healthy return in a trade, general managers Schefter spoke to indicated otherwise. In the opinion of those GMs, Romo would net anywhere from a mid- to late-round conditional pick. One reason is that the Cowboys wouldn’t hold much leverage in trade talks because Jones, who’s close with Romo, would enable the four-time Pro Bowler to choose his next team. If that’s the case, the to-be-determined club wouldn’t have much incentive to surrender a significant pick for Romo, who’s due base salaries of $14MM, $19.5MM and $20.5MM over the final three years of his contract.

A high-end starter from 2006-14, Romo has played in just four games since the beginning of last season because of various injuries – including a broken bone in his back that left him inactive the first nine contests this year. When Romo went down during the preseason, the assumption was that he’d reclaim the starting job upon returning. But Prescott, a fourth-round rookie, had other ideas. The 23-year-old has gone from caretaker to star over the course of the season, having accounted for 21 touchdowns (17 passing, four rushing) against a meager two interceptions in the first 10 games of his career. Prescott also ranks third in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.35) and passer rating (108.6), and has helped the Cowboys to a league-best 9-1 record. The team hasn’t lost since dropping a 20-19 decision to the Giants in Week 1.

In the near term, Prescott’s brilliance has pushed Romo to the bench (he returned last Sunday in a No. 2 role). Down the line, it could lead Romo out of Dallas in the offseason. One potential suitor is the Broncos, who have gone 7-3 with roughly average play under center from Trevor Siemian.

The 24-year-old Siemian addressed the Romo rumors on Wednesday, telling Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, “Not too worried about it, truthfully. This is a really important game for us. We have plenty of focus toward this coming Sunday. You can’t worry about that stuff too much.”

Denver does indeed face a crucial matchup Sunday against AFC West rival Kansas City, which is also 7-3. While the Broncos and Chiefs currently hold playoff spots in the AFC, they’re looking up at the division-leading Raiders (8-2), and the reigning Super Bowl champions will likely need more from Siemian if they’re going to overtake Oakland. In his first year as a starter, Siemian has completed 60.1 percent of throws, averaged 6.97 yards per attempt and tossed 12 scores against seven picks. With Romo likely to hit the market after the season, Siemian could be playing for his job over the next several weeks.

Broncos Not Looking To Bench Trevor Siemian

November 13th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have made their share of seminal in-season quarterback changes in recent years, and given the investment the team made in Paxton Lynch, one coming in 2016 makes sense. But the team is not looking to bench Trevor Siemian in the near future, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

Siemian’s status as a second-year player selected in the 2015 seventh round hasn’t deterred him from guiding the Broncos to a 7-2 record under his watch (the Gary Kubiak-Siemian partnership’s resulted in a 7-1 record). So despite his struggles and the Denver offense’s limitations this season, the defending champions are likely to stick with their starter through the Week 11 bye, Rapoport reports.

This report came before Siemian’s uneven-yet-effective performance in the Broncos’ 25-23 win over the Saints. The former Northwestern passer completed 25-of-40 passes for 258 yards and two touchdown passes, with two interceptions — one thrown right to Kenny Vaccaro — interspersed in that line. The Broncos entered Sunday ranking 28th in offense, with their run game having sputtered for much of the season, but Siemian’s 86.2 rating outpaces the Peyton Manning/Brock Osweiler 2015 combination’s 76.2 figure.

However, Rapoport noted Siemian continues to struggle with the non-throwing shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4 in Tampa Bay. He absorbed several hits on Sunday, including six sacks.

Kubiak, per Rapoport, believes Siemian is the best option, with issues like the ground game and shaky offensive line play limiting him. That said, the higher-ceiling backup figures to supplant the game-managing starter at some point, whether it’s down the stretch or in 2017. And the franchise has shown making late-season changes isn’t out of the question, regardless of its standing in the playoff race.

The Broncos have made two notable down-the-stretch quarterback changes over the past 10 years, with Jay Cutler replacing Jake Plummer late in 2006 and Manning recapturing his job just before the playoffs last season. Tim Tebow‘s ascent came in Week 6 of the 2011 campaign, when the Broncos were not contending at the time.

Lynch played well in his first audition — the second half of an October win against the Buccaneers — but faltered in his first start the following week in the team’s loss to the Falcons. The Broncos host the Chiefs in Week 12 and play five of their final six contests against playoff-contending teams.

Extra Points: Hardy, Siemian, LaFell, Patriots

October 14th, 2016 at 9:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Defensive end Greg Hardy‘s NFL career could be over because of his myriad off-field issues, the latest being a September drug possession charge. Hardy is now eyeing a career in mixed martial arts as a result, and UFC president Dana White hasn’t ruled out eventually signing the 28-year-old if he proves he’s worthy of a contract (a big “if,” of course).

In a Wednesday appearance on FOX Sports 1’s “Speak For Yourself,” White said of Hardy (via MMAFighting.com), “I’m one of those guys too who believes that we’re all human beings and we all make mistakes. And when you make a mistake, you pay your penance, whatever it might be, and you should be allowed to make a living and move on in your life. Is he good enough to come into the UFC and fight? I highly doubt it.”

More on the NFL, including news on another free agent:

A year before the Broncos drafted him in 2015, quarterback Trevor Siemian was disappointed that the Patriots selected Eastern Illinois signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo, writes Kalyn Kahler of TheMMQB. Siemian, who had just finished his penultimate season at Northwestern, hoped to end up behind Tom Brady in New England the next year, his former college roommate and teammate told Khyler. “He was like, ‘Ahh I think I could have done well in that offense,’” ex-Northwestern center Hayden Baker said. As a seventh-round pick, Siemian went much lower than Garoppolo did the previous year (Round 2), though it’s the former who’s now an NFL starter. Siemian took over the role after sitting behind Peyton Manning on a Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie and has performed well this year for the 4-2 club. Garoppolo was even better during his first three starts this season, but injuries and the return of Brady from a four-game suspension have combined to send him back to the bench.
With the Bengals and Patriots set to square off Sunday, Cincinnati receiver Brandon LaFell spoke Friday about the end of his two-year New England tenure (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). “I played great my first year. My second year, I was an average guy and that’s why they had to let me go,” said LaFell, who played in all of the Super Bowl-winning Pats’ games in 2014 and finished the regular season with 74 receptions, 953 yards and seven touchdowns. In 11 games last year, LaFell’s catch total fell by half (37), he failed to find the end zone, and he dropped six passes. Those struggles led New England to release LaFell in March, and the 29-year-old revealed Friday that a left foot injury contributed to his woes in 2015 and helped bring about the end of his stint with the Pats. “I could never get back into my rhythm and get back to playing like the way I know how to play,” he said. “I felt like I was hurting the team going out there playing half-injured, but we had so many other guys at the receiver position that were hurt, so I had to play.” Healthy again, LaFell has amassed 21 catches, 276 yards and two scores in his first five games as a Bengal.
After pleading guilty Oct. 6 to vehicular-assault and hit-and-run charges, free agent fullback Derrick Coleman avoided jail time Friday. A potential 12- to 14-month sentence was on the table for the former Seahawk, who was instead sentenced to 240 hours of community service and 12 months of community supervision, according to the Seattle Times. Earlier Friday, the NFL hit Coleman with a four-week suspension.

Trevor Siemian To Play On Thursday

October 11th, 2016 at 2:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian told reporters that he expects to start on Thursday against the Chargers. Siemian has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, but he has healed quickly.

“The last couple of days I’ve made some strides,” the quarterback said (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post).

Siemian, a seventh-round choice in the 2015 draft, got off to a strong start this year before his Week 4 injury. In four starts (with his most recent start cut short), the QB has completed two-thirds of his passes for more than 800 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while helping the Broncos to a 4-0 launch. Now, the sprained AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder is feeling better and he’ll take the job back from rookie Paxton Lynch.

Heading into their Week 5 matchup, the Falcons ranked 30th in both DVOA against the pass and adjusted sack rate. Still, the Lynch-led Broncos were defeated, 23-16.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trevor Siemian Expected To Start Week 6?

October 9th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

8:45pm: Kubiak said that Siemian was close to playing today, an indication that the quarterback should be ready for Thursday.

“He did everything he could for us all week, but we had to make a decision that at the end of the week, when it’s time to go, he tried to get there,” Kubiak told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “He worked extremely hard to get there. We just didn’t think he was ready.”

7:20pm: Siemian is seemingly putting the brakes on the reports from earlier today. The quarterback told Troy Renck of TheDenverChannel.com that he’s unsure if he’ll be available on Thursday night, adding that he’ll continue his treatments and see how he feels (Twitter link).

2:49pm: While the Broncos will roll with first-round rookie Paxton Lynch against the Falcons today, Trevor Siemian is expected to be ready to start at quarterback on Thursday Night Football, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Siemian, 23, has performed better than many expected in his first action as a starter, completing two-thirds of his passes for more than 800 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while helping the Broncos to an undefeated start. Had he been healthy enough to play today, there’s no question Siemian would have started. In other words, there’s no quarterback controversy in Denver as Siemian recovers from a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder.

In an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio last week, head coach Gary Kubiak said that the team will play the situation by ear. “It’s going to be a day-to-day thing,” Kubiak said. “He’s very sore (Monday) and, obviously, it’s not going to affect his ability to throw the ball. But what happens, all the mechanics of your body and the movement, the torque, that’s what he’s going to have to work through.”

Still, Siemian’s injury does give the Broncos a convenient excuse to get a look at Lynch, whom they traded up in the draft to acquire. Atlanta shouldn’t provide much in the way of a challenge, as the Falcons rank 30th in both DVOA against the pass and adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Pryor, Siemian

October 9th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from the AFC as we wait for the early slate of Sunday’s games to get underway:

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is now entering the most important stretch of his career. He’s a fifth-year signal-caller playing under an offensive savant in head coach Adam Gase and facing an unprecedented 44-day homestand that features four eminently winnable games. If he cannot excel over the next month, it is difficult to believe that he will ever excel.
We learned last week that the Patriots tried to trade for Terrelle Pryor prior to the 2015 season, but it does not appear that anyone other than the Browns will get to reap the rewards of Pryor’s success anytime soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Pryor is one of the only players that Cleveland will not consider trading as it continues to build for the future. Pryor is apparently pretty comfortable with the Browns, too, as he recently expressed his desire for a contract extension.
Paxton Lynch may be starting for the Broncos this week, but James Palmer of the NFL Network confirms (via Twitter) what head coach Gary Kubiak has been saying all week: that Trevor Siemian‘s job is secure. Denver’s coaching staff understandably loves Siemian and hopes to have him ready for Thursday night’s tilt with San Diego.
We heard reports earlier today that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would be playing for his job this afternoon against Pittsburgh and that the team was prepared to hand the starting job to Geno Smith if Fitzpatrick struggles. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, however, head coach Todd Bowles is ignoring the calls for Fitz to be benched, though he realizes that the Harvard product must improve soon. Bowles said, “[Fitzpatrick] can’t put the game on his shoulders and try to be Superman. If it’s not there, it’s not there. Whether we take the sack or we throw it out of bounds or we punt and move on, ball security is what wins in this league. The big difference between last year’s first quarter and this year’s first quarter is that we got a ton of turnovers (in 2015). And this year, we gave up a bunch of turnovers.”

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