Andy Reid has high praise for the Broncos front office for finding a QB
Dec 11, 2019, 1:16 PM | Updated: 1:30 pm
After two starts in the NFL, Drew Lock looks like he has a chance to be a good quarterback. He’s 2-0, winning both at home and on the road, and he’s put up some glossy numbers, including five total touchdown passes and a 300-yard game against the Texans.
If the trend continues, the Broncos will have filled their biggest need. Having an answer at quarterback for the first time since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season will put the franchise back on track, allowing them to build around the most-important position in sports.
Getting to this position hasn’t been easy, as everyone in Broncos Country knows. There have been plenty of misses during the time when Denver has been trying to find the heir apparent to a future Hall of Fame quarterback. But they kept swinging in an attempt to get it right, an approach that drew praise this week from an opposing coach.
During his conference call with the Denver media on Wednesday, Andy Reid was asked about the Broncos rookie. Not only did he have good things to say about the quarterback, but he lauded the team’s front office for finding a gem. He was complimentary of John Elway and Vic Fangio for making the pick.
Andy Reid said Elway, and Fangio, did great job drafting Lock after what happened with “Memphis quarterback.” Ignoring public pressure and fixing with Lock. Said it’s good for AFC West and NFL. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) December 11, 2019
The “Memphis quarterback” that Reid was referring to is Paxton Lynch, a first-round miss in 2016 that the Broncos traded up to select. The Chiefs head coach was impressed that the Broncos didn’t let that miss deter them from trying again.
“He didn’t sit there and hang his head,” Reid said about Elway, per Mike Klis on Twitter. “He said, ‘Listen, I got to fix this,’ and he did.”
The coach suggested that others might not have the courage to try again.
“That’s not an easy thing to do in this league,” Reid added. “With you guys and pressure put on by outside sources, he didn’t let that get in the way and he attacked the issue. This is good for the AFC West. It’s good for the NFL. We’re all in it to compete. This is a good thing.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in early 2018, Elway told everyone that he’d keep trying to find a franchise quarterback. He suggested that the Lynch miss wouldn’t make him timid on draft day.
“Believe me, I’m not done swinging and missing,” Elway said at the time. “Misses don’t bother me. We’ve just got to figure out a way to get it right.”
The early returns suggest that the Broncos general manager has done just that; and that development is earning him praise from unexpected places.
