Denver’s Day of Decision: Broncos Fans Ready For Drew Lock
Broncos fans are ready for rookie quarterback Drew Lock, but are the Denver Broncos ready for Drew Lock?
The Broncos have just a few days to make a decision on activating Lock, and putting him on the active roster. If they choose not to, Bronco Country will have to wait until next season to get a look at what they hope is the quarterback of the present as well as the future.
After another dismal performance by the Broncos offense and quarterback Brand0n Allen, Denver fans and media are looking to the future and searching for a ray of hope that the Broncos can win again before the Von Miller era comes to an end.
At Monday's press conference, Lock was a major topic of discussion and questions. Broncos Coach Vic Fangio was non-commital but said this week "all options are on the table" and they'll "make that decision in the next few days."
Fangio said this week of practice will be critical "just to make sure he's okay physically - which he is - and he's prepared mentally and emotionally to go out there and play."
Obviously, the Broncos did not draft Drew Lock in the second round of the NFL draft- the 42nd overall pick- to sit on the bench or to be a backup. Fans are anxious to see what they've got in this University of Missouri product, and with each passing loss the Broncos suffer, the outcry from fans grows louder and louder.
Fangio was asked if pressure from the fans was part of the decision to activate Lock. He said, "No, I think we need to make a decision that we feel is best, understanding everybody's wants. But we need to make the decision that we feel is best for Drew and the team, and at that time we will."
We all will know soon enough what the decision is going to be, but, in my wildest nightmare, I can't imagine a scenario where the Broncos do not activate a healthy Drew Lock and get him into the starting line up in the next couple of weeks. While the remaining games may not be enough to determine Lock's ultimate future in the NFL, they certainly can give some indication of whether or not Lock has the potential to be "the guy" for the Broncos for years to come.
Nothing would be more demoralizing to Broncos fans than to go into next season with an open quarterback competition between Drew Lock, Brandon Allen,and Joe Flacco. No Bronco fan wants to live through another Trevor Simian vs Paxton Lynch scene and then spend the next two wasted seasons finding out that the winner of the competition isn't good enough to be the guy.
The fact is, if the Broncos decide not to activate Lock, that means come next year's pre-season, he will still have exactly zero real NFL snaps and zero NFL experience. He may not be totally ready today, but the more experience he gets now, the closer he'll be to being ready come the start of next season, and the better chance the Broncos will have of not having a 5th straight losing season.
We all are hoping and praying that Drew Lock is "the guy", but, if he's not, the sooner we discover that he's not, the better it will be for the future of this Broncos' franchise.