When Peyton Manning decided to retire after leading the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl last season, and Brock Osweiler bolted for the Houston Texans, many wondered who would take up the reigns to lead the offense.
The name Trevor Siemian wasn't, and probably still isn't, high on the list for fans. But the 2015 seventh-round pick out of Northwestern has caught the eye of the coaching staff.
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“Those whose opinions truly matter — the coaches — aren’t dismissing Siemian, so that’s the key thing,” Andrew Mason, the Broncos' team-affiliated reporter, wrote in his mailbag published Sunday.
Siemian wasn't a standout in college and didn't attempt a single pass last season. Yet, he found himself firmly ahead of first-round pick Paxton Lynch after OTAs and, according to head coach Gary Kubiak last month, is "neck and neck" with Mark Sanchez to start.
The Broncos open training camp July 31, at which point the real battle is expected to take place.
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The jury's still out on whether it's a good thing the Broncos may have found a diamond in the rough in Siemian, or a bad thing that their recently selected first-round pick can't beat out an underwhelming seventh rounder.
Regardless, the Broncos still have great offensive weapons in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, so they need to get this decision right.