Broncos QBs Getting Equal Reps Early In OTAs

DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - When the Denver Broncos' three quarterbacks took their repetitions in individual work Tuesday morning, they lined up by league seniority: Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and finally, first-round pick Paxton Lynch.

But that doesn't mean that is how they will shake out.

And even on the first day of OTAs, a sense of urgency hung in the air for the quarterbacks as they attempted to make the best impression they could.

Sanchez was just 10 days removed from surgery to repair a torn ligament in the thumb on his non-throwing hand, but practiced anyway, even though he couldn't take a snap. He worked in individual and seven-on-seven periods and overcame an early interception to settle down and complete nearly all of his passes.

Siemian was the first quarterback to run the No. 1 offense in the first team period of practice. But Lynch also had a chance with the first unit, as they alternated work in three-play bursts.

"We're repping them all right down the middle," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. "(Lynch) is going to get a ton because I'm going to work our young guys probably more than I'm going to work the rest of the team when it's all said and done. There are going to be plenty of reps to go around."

Siemian looked composed. He didn't force the ball; he took checkdowns when coverage prevented him from firing downfield.

"I'm really excited about Trevor," Kubiak said. "He's got a chance to be a really good player. He knows exactly what he's doing. He basically took the first group today. With what you guys got to see, he's practiced very well. I think Trevor has a lot of confidence in himself right now."

And his teammates can see it.

"I think Trevor has a maturity to him," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr. "He's kind of the sleeper, I would say.

"Of course Mark and Paxton are going to be the headlines, but Trevor knows the offense. He's very comfortable and can throw the ball, too. We've also seen him make big plays in the preseason games under the lights. I wouldn't sleep on Trevor to win the job either."

The fact that Siemian is receiving a legitimate look says a lot about where the Broncos' quarterback stands as of this point. It's nothing against Sanchez or Lynch, but if the best option for the job ends up being a seventh-round pick from last year's draft, so be it.

At the same time, Lynch's arm cannot be discounted. His velocity and downfield accuracy showed why he was a first-round pick. Although he missed a potential deep connection to Demaryius Thomas, he hit Henry Krieger Coble and Khalif Raymond on passes of more than 20 yards, and punctuated his day with a touchdown pass to Jordan Taylor on a deep go route.

But there will be other days he struggles.

"I thought he looked good. I think he still has some things to process a little bit faster," said Harris. "We're very vanilla -- everything is very vanilla. Everything will turn up as OTAs go on."

Lynch has "a long ways to go," Kubiak added. "But (he's) very attentive, pays attention and works hard. A good start today."

That's all Tuesday was: the start of a competition that will likely linger through the summer.