Thread: 40th anniversary article about the Elway trade

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I think you could have dropped Lynch into an 80s/90s 49ers team and he'd still have stunk but otherwise yeah the other picks I think could have gone either way. I'll just never understand the Lynch pick. The stuff about his attitude and laziness was apparently known at Memphis, how do you not do better research on a guy? Or maybe they just had the "we can fix him" mindset and were willing to overlook it. I don't care how talented you are, if you don't have an obsession with playing and getting better at football, you just aren't going to succeed at QB.

That's the only draft pick Elway made that I found truly unredeemable. Even other busts like Ray or Lock at least seemed to care about football and show flashes, they just couldn't put it all together.

There was an article on a draft website (that doesn't exist) that didn't put Lynch in a favorable light. The author basically wrote that you would need to take a QB in two years if you drafted him (which is what could have happened. The Broncos were looking at Allen and liked Darnold, but didn't get either).

Also, if Lynch was so great, why didn't Cleveland take him with the 15th pick? Or the Jets (they took Crappenberg in the second round) with the 20th pick? That should have been a red flag, and the Broncos didn't see that. They took him, KC (who wanted Lynch) got Mahomes a year later, and the rest has been history.

Paxton Lynch was always such an odd pick to me. Elways infatuation with tall projects was a 'stretch' that never paid dividends.

Originally Posted by Bronco Yoda

Paxton Lynch was always such an odd pick to me. Elways infatuation with tall projects was a 'stretch' that never paid dividends.

I mean, everyone else hates height in QB’s, amirite?

6’6”, mobile with great arm talent . . . what the **** was Elway thinking?

Meanwhile, Case Siemian still has zero NFL viability.

Originally Posted by Jaded

6’6”, mobile with great arm talent . . . what the **** was Elway thinking?

Meanwhile, Case Siemian still has zero NFL viability.

I don't get the "unforgiveable" take regarding drafting him. IT wasn't a great pick, sure, as it didn't pan out but the guy had talent and a viable skillset. Paxton's problem was he didn't work hard enough, there's a lot of early 20s young men throughout history with the same problem that turned that around with the right mentors, bosses, etc.

Originally Posted by Jaded

I mean, everyone else hates height in QB’s, amirite?

He was a mental/heart midget... negating any PHYSICAL height. Elway should have known better.

...and I'm the biggest Elway Homer there is...

Jaded loved Paxton Tebow? That's a plot twist.

Originally Posted by aberdien

Jaded loved Paxton Tebow? That's a plot twist.

Paxton Lynch wishes he had half of Tebow's NFL success.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I was arguing with someone on Twitter the other day who called Elway's tenure as GM a "disaster".

Just total stupidity. Give me a "disaster" that results in a ring any day of the week.

I think it's totally fair to bring up his whiffs on head coaching hires and QB acquisitions after Manning, and the repeated failures of those two things are probably what ultimately did him in. But on the whole, his stint as GM was a roaring success and should be regarded as such.

I would take Elway the GM back in a heartbeat today over Paton.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I think you could have dropped Lynch into an 80s/90s 49ers team and he'd still have stunk but otherwise yeah the other picks I think could have gone either way. I'll just never understand the Lynch pick. The stuff about his attitude and laziness was apparently known at Memphis, how do you not do better research on a guy? Or maybe they just had the "we can fix him" mindset and were willing to overlook it. I don't care how talented you are, if you don't have an obsession with playing and getting better at football, you just aren't going to succeed at QB.

That's the only draft pick Elway made that I found truly unredeemable. Even other busts like Ray or Lock at least seemed to care about football and show flashes, they just couldn't put it all together.

Lynch was a true bust in every way, he just didn't care about football.

The Lynch pick was nothing more than desperation but it was painfully obvious he was going to fail at the pro level to anyone with a brain and a pair of eyes.

Originally Posted by Elevation inc

I would take Elway the GM back in a heartbeat today over Paton.

I don't think I would. As great as it was in the beginning, he lost his touch toward the end. And there were reports that his heart wasn't all the way in it anymore. He had a great run as GM, but I think he stepped aside at the right time.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I don't think I would. As great as it was in the beginning, he lost his touch toward the end. And there were reports that his heart wasn't all the way in it anymore. He had a great run as GM, but I think he stepped aside at the right time.

Knowing when to walk away is an important trait

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I don't think I would. As great as it was in the beginning, he lost his touch toward the end. And there were reports that his heart wasn't all the way in it anymore. He had a great run as GM, but I think he stepped aside at the right time.

your not wrong but I dislike Paton a lot, I'm actually not sure how he still has a job (Hackett alone should have gotten him fired). Elway did lose touch, and your right it was clear he had been worn out by the grind.