Thread: Broncos coach Vic Fangio: Starting rookie Drew Lock among QB options

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio says "everything is on the table" when it comes to the quarterback position, including starting rookie Drew Lock this week.

Fangio's remark comes five days after the first-year head coach said it was not "vitally important" for Lock to play this season.

The change of heart follows the team's historically bad offensive performance Sunday. Denver compiled just 134 yards of offense in a 20-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills -- the lowest single-game total for the Broncos since 1992 and the eighth-worst single-game total in the franchise's history.

rest - https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ock-qb-options

Defenses have figured out Brandon Weeden, and he simply doesn't have enough to his game to consistently challenge NFL defenses. Starting Lock gives the team the best opportunity to move the football. Ju'wan James has been cleared to play as well, but whether or not he lasts an entire game is another question entirely.

they are going to ruin Drew before he even takes a live snap.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

they are going to ruin Drew before he even takes a live snap.

Elaborate?

Originally Posted by UnderArmour

Elaborate?

If you are starting a rookie qb, the best thing is to have them throw maybe 15-20 times per game and rely on the run to move the ball until he gets used to the live game in the NFL.

If they have Drew throwing 25-30 times, consider the kid ruined, because the coaches dont know how to protect the development of qbs or their players.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

If you are starting a rookie qb, the best thing is to have them throw maybe 15-20 times per game and rely on the run to move the ball until he gets used to the live game in the NFL.

If they have Drew throwing 25-30 times, consider the kid ruined, because the coaches dont know how to protect the development of qbs or their players.

This is pure nonsense. IF he's such a delicate flower that starting behind a bad football team will "ruin him" then he's obviously not the guy!

Is Sam Darnold "ruined" because he had to start for a horrible Jets team with a miserable OL? No. He's had some rough starts; his learning curve has been spotty but if you saw last game he looked pretty good in crushing the Raiders season.

First of all there is no plan to make Lock the franchise QB, there never was. Elway picked him AFTER he had already signed Joe Flacco to be the starter for the next 3 years while Drew Lock sits on the bench, cause Joe Flacco "is in his prime." Lock was only supposed to start AFTER Flacco and Elway both retired. That was the Elway plan.

I might want to see Lock and so might most fans, but Elway and Fangio clearly don't. His injury was NOT bad enough to put him on IR, so why was he on IR in the first place? They didn't put Bryce Callahan on IR though he couldn't play all year due to injury. You keep hearing "Juwuan James could play this week or next" then they trot out Juwuan James and he lasts 1 series before he has to miss another 4 games. Yet HE doesn't go on IR!

Why Drew Lock? He could have been practicing over 1 month ago, he could have been starting back in October.

"He's not ready." Well, so what? The team lost their first 4 games with Flacco. Flacco obviously by that point was NOT "in his prime." No team in NFL history has lost their first 4 and then made the playoffs? Why would the Broncos be the first? There was literally nothing to accomplish this season OTHER THAN to see if Drew Lock could play. So, why the reluctance to do it?

"We were encouraged by Brandon Allen." What kind of insane nonsense is this?

Brandon Allen is a total scrub. Former 6th round QB who has bounced around the league. Let's not forget who this guy is: "Allen was was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round (201st overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Jaguars third-string quarterback sat in rookie season behind Blake Bortles and Chad Henne. Inactive all year, he was waived by the Jaguars on September 3, 2017, following final roster cuts for the 2017 season."

He was picked up by the Rams, as the third stringer behind Sean Mannion and was inactive all year. Cut by the Rams he was picked up off waivers by the Broncos on 9/1. He's the ultimate scrub backup who is lucky to have a job in the NFL.

It's a sign of the pathetic QB parade that fans were ready to think that Brandon Allen had some kind of chance to be good. The fact Fangio was talking positives about Brandon Allen, and the fact that Fangio clearly STILL PREFERS TO START ALLEN this Sunday, is simply proof that he doesn't think much of Drew Lock.

It's literally insane. You have a total scrub who the team has ZERO commitment to, and who NOBODY in the NFL has ever given a second thought and HE's the guy Fangio wants?

Every NFL rookie who is seriously in their team's plans starts. They start as soon as possible because you have to train them to GET good. It's not a job players come into the league knowing. They have to learn, and often while they are learning they suck and the team loses.

So, why haven't the Broncos started Drew Lock already? Why the endless stupid nonsense about "he's not ready"?

Originally Posted by Cugel

This is pure nonsense. IF he's such a delicate flower that starting behind a bad football team will "ruin him" then he's obviously not the guy!

Is Sam Darnold "ruined" because he had to start for a horrible Jets team with a miserable OL? No. He's had some rough starts; his learning curve has been spotty but if you saw last game he looked pretty good in crushing the Raiders season.

First of all there is no plan to make Lock the franchise QB, there never was. Elway picked him AFTER he had already signed Joe Flacco to be the starter for the next 3 years while Drew Lock sits on the bench, cause Joe Flacco "is in his prime." Lock was only supposed to start AFTER Flacco and Elway both retired. That was the Elway plan.

I might want to see Lock and so might most fans, but Elway and Fangio clearly don't. His injury was NOT bad enough to put him on IR, so why was he on IR in the first place? They didn't put Bryce Callahan on IR though he couldn't play all year due to injury. You keep hearing "Juwuan James could play this week or next" then they trot out Juwuan James and he lasts 1 series before he has to miss another 4 games. Yet HE doesn't go on IR!

Why Drew Lock? He could have been practicing over 1 month ago, he could have been starting back in October.

"He's not ready." Well, so what? The team lost their first 4 games with Flacco. Flacco obviously by that point was NOT "in his prime." No team in NFL history has lost their first 4 and then made the playoffs? Why would the Broncos be the first? There was literally nothing to accomplish this season OTHER THAN to see if Drew Lock could play. So, why the reluctance to do it?

"We were encouraged by Brandon Allen." What kind of insane nonsense is this?

Brandon Allen is a total scrub. Former 6th round QB who has bounced around the league. Let's not forget who this guy is: "Allen was was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round (201st overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Jaguars third-string quarterback sat in rookie season behind Blake Bortles and Chad Henne. Inactive all year, he was waived by the Jaguars on September 3, 2017, following final roster cuts for the 2017 season."

He was picked up by the Rams, as the third stringer behind Sean Mannion and was inactive all year. Cut by the Rams he was picked up off waivers by the Broncos on 9/1. He's the ultimate scrub backup who is lucky to have a job in the NFL.

It's a sign of the pathetic QB parade that fans were ready to think that Brandon Allen had some kind of chance to be good. The fact Fangio was talking positives about Brandon Allen, and the fact that Fangio clearly STILL PREFERS TO START ALLEN this Sunday, is simply proof that he doesn't think much of Drew Lock.

It's literally insane. You have a total scrub who the team has ZERO commitment to, and who NOBODY in the NFL has ever given a second thought and HE's the guy Fangio wants?

Every NFL rookie who is seriously in their team's plans starts. They start as soon as possible because you have to train them to GET good. It's not a job players come into the league knowing. They have to learn, and often while they are learning they suck and the team loses.

So, why haven't the Broncos started Drew Lock already? Why the endless stupid nonsense about "he's not ready"?

Tldr

Originally Posted by Cugel

This is pure nonsense. IF he's such a delicate flower that starting behind a bad football team will "ruin him" then he's obviously not the guy!

Is Sam Darnold "ruined" because he had to start for a horrible Jets team with a miserable OL? No. He's had some rough starts; his learning curve has been spotty but if you saw last game he looked pretty good in crushing the Raiders season.

First of all there is no plan to make Lock the franchise QB, there never was. Elway picked him AFTER he had already signed Joe Flacco to be the starter for the next 3 years while Drew Lock sits on the bench, cause Joe Flacco "is in his prime." Lock was only supposed to start AFTER Flacco and Elway both retired. That was the Elway plan.

I might want to see Lock and so might most fans, but Elway and Fangio clearly don't. His injury was NOT bad enough to put him on IR, so why was he on IR in the first place? They didn't put Bryce Callahan on IR though he couldn't play all year due to injury. You keep hearing "Juwuan James could play this week or next" then they trot out Juwuan James and he lasts 1 series before he has to miss another 4 games. Yet HE doesn't go on IR!

Why Drew Lock? He could have been practicing over 1 month ago, he could have been starting back in October.

"He's not ready." Well, so what? The team lost their first 4 games with Flacco. Flacco obviously by that point was NOT "in his prime." No team in NFL history has lost their first 4 and then made the playoffs? Why would the Broncos be the first? There was literally nothing to accomplish this season OTHER THAN to see if Drew Lock could play. So, why the reluctance to do it?

"We were encouraged by Brandon Allen." What kind of insane nonsense is this?

Brandon Allen is a total scrub. Former 6th round QB who has bounced around the league. Let's not forget who this guy is: "Allen was was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round (201st overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Jaguars third-string quarterback sat in rookie season behind Blake Bortles and Chad Henne. Inactive all year, he was waived by the Jaguars on September 3, 2017, following final roster cuts for the 2017 season."

He was picked up by the Rams, as the third stringer behind Sean Mannion and was inactive all year. Cut by the Rams he was picked up off waivers by the Broncos on 9/1. He's the ultimate scrub backup who is lucky to have a job in the NFL.

It's a sign of the pathetic QB parade that fans were ready to think that Brandon Allen had some kind of chance to be good. The fact Fangio was talking positives about Brandon Allen, and the fact that Fangio clearly STILL PREFERS TO START ALLEN this Sunday, is simply proof that he doesn't think much of Drew Lock.

It's literally insane. You have a total scrub who the team has ZERO commitment to, and who NOBODY in the NFL has ever given a second thought and HE's the guy Fangio wants?

Every NFL rookie who is seriously in their team's plans starts. They start as soon as possible because you have to train them to GET good. It's not a job players come into the league knowing. They have to learn, and often while they are learning they suck and the team loses.

So, why haven't the Broncos started Drew Lock already? Why the endless stupid nonsense about "he's not ready"?

sam darnold was seeing ghosts.

You basically just proved my point, they could have ended up ruining that guy, because the team around him is so bad.

Its also clear to me Fangio wants nothing to do with Lock. So they should just trade him before they ruin his career.

Or they fire Fangio, and bring in a coach that actually wants Lock.

7 Qbs since 2017, pretty much sums up why we are where we are.

I don’t think there’s any change of heart. He said it wasn’t vitally important, not that he wouldn’t play. But I still think they’re setting it up for him not to. I don’t understand what can change between now and Wednesday or Thursday. Make a decision, you’ve had three weeks.

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

rest - https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ock-qb-options

I sure hope they start him. I think it IS vitally important to know whether we're taking QB with our #1 or not.

I also think there's no reason to watch anymore beyond hoping to see growth, development, and improvement. So.... Bring on Lock!

Originally Posted by Davii

I sure hope they start him. I think it IS vitally important to know whether we're taking QB with our #1 or not.

I also think there's no reason to watch anymore beyond hoping to see growth, development, and improvement. So.... Bring on Lock!

Of course, everything you say here is not only true; it's so obvious the most casual fan can see it. So, why has their been such reluctance all season to even practice Drew Lock? Why all the idiot lies and feeble deception?

"He's not ready because he's missed so much practice!" Well, the team could have been practicing him in late September, early October. He's been throwing on the side since late September. He could have been kept on the active roster all along.

They STILL are undecided whether to activate him at all! Fangio clearly doesn't want anything to do with Drew Lock. He has resisted every single question that might have drawn some praise for Lock in his pressers and poured cold water all over every suggestion that its time to get him ready.

"It's not important" for them to see anything from Drew Lock this season, and somehow fans think the team is committed to him?

Well, maybe Elway still is committed to his second round pick, but Fangio clearly isn't.

Why else would he prefer Brandon Allen who is just flat terrible?

Originally Posted by Cugel

Of course, everything you say here is not only true; it's so obvious the most casual fan can see it. So, why has their been such reluctance all season to even practice Drew Lock? Why all the idiot lies and feeble deception?

"He's not ready because he's missed so much practice!" Well, the team could have been practicing him in late September, early October. He's been throwing on the side since late September. He could have been kept on the active roster all along.

They STILL are undecided whether to activate him at all! Fangio clearly doesn't want anything to do with Drew Lock. He has resisted every single question that might have drawn some praise for Lock in his pressers and poured cold water all over every suggestion that its time to get him ready.

"It's not important" for them to see anything from Drew Lock this season, and somehow fans think the team is committed to him?

Well, maybe Elway still is committed to his second round pick, but Fangio clearly isn't.

Why else would he prefer Brandon Allen who is just flat terrible?

Lol

oh and i watched Herberts game, guy is not impressive, tua is in the hospital, this is not the same rookie qb class.

Broncos need to build the system around Drew Lock, even if this means firing Fangio.

I dont really care how it looks, that is how you compete.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

oh and i watched Herberts game, guy is not impressive, tua is in the hospital, this is not the same rookie qb class.

Broncos need to build the system around Drew Lock, even if this means firing Fangio.

I dont really care how it looks, that is how you compete.

I'm not high on Herbert either. Tua's medical is now incredibly important and frankly it's a concern. The rookie QB class now hinges upon Burrow, who has some question marks, and Fromm, who has some question marks.

We took a first round talent in the second round with Lock. That has to have some value to it. We need to help him out as much as possible. Firing Fangio probably helps Lock so long as we finally bring in a bonafide offensive mind.