Broncos' Trevor Siemian ‘absolutely’ ready to compete for starting job

There are very few events that have been covered more than the Denver Broncos’ quarterback situation since Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler bolted for the Houston Texans with $72 million in tow. Maybe the Warriors winning 73 regular season games, Jordan Spieth’s master’s meltdown or Colorado’s own Trevor Story and his amazing April briefly took over the sports news cycle. But now, as Paxton Lynch comes to town and Mark Sanchez continues to impress teammates, there is a dark horse waiting with quiet confidence.

Trevor Siemian, the Broncos’ other quarterback, drafted 250^th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, is not counting himself out for the illustrious job of starting quarterback and had just one word when asked if he can win the job; “Absolutely.”

Siemian was a surprise draft pick out of Northwestern University just over a year ago after just 14 starts at quarterback through his four seasons there. His senior year he completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 2,214 yards, seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 11 starts. He underwent surgery late in 2014 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and was recovering well into this time last year. Monday he stated he is healthy and ready to compete.

According to head coach Gary Kubiak and general manager John Elway, he came a long way his rookie season and they are looking for him to compete for the job. Siemian, the only quarterback on the roster from last season, knows he has a slight edge due to the familiarity with the offense.

“I think so. I’ve got one year’s time, so there is not a substitute for that. I think Coach Knapp has done a great job taking Mark and bringing him along. Now I’m trying to add to my knowledge as well,” Siemian said Monday. “It was a great opportunity for me last year to learn a lot obviously from Brock and Peyton. At this point, I’m kind of getting antsy to apply some of those things I picked up from those guys.”

The biggest things Siemian said he learned from Manning and Osweiler, by no coincidence, are things the former quarterback, Kubiak is preaching constantly.

“I think you hear Kubes talking about it a lot, but feet, timing [your] feet in with progression,” he said. “And then physically; you can only play as fast as you are mentally. Really watching those guys prepare and go about their business, that was big for me to pick up last year.”

As for the team drafting Lynch and Sanchez’s addition in March, Siemian was not surprised, rather he expected it.

“I knew in the offseason there were going to be some changes. Like I said earlier, I’m finding out pretty quickly that you have to be ready for anything in this business. It’s a new room. It’s a new group. I’m excited to get Paxton in here. I think we’ve got a great group of guys so far.”

Siemian has one NFL play under his belt and was ready to be inserted anytime after Manning was injured last season. “I was ready to go. I was the No. 2. I was a play away and that was kind of my mindset,” he said of last season’s quarterback situation. That one play was a kneel down at Pittsburgh in December, a play Sanchez jokingly recalled Monday before complimenting the young quarterback.

“That’s a heck of a knee that he took,” Sanchez said between laughs. “He’s been just an impressive, young guy. For a young guy going into his second year and not playing as much like you said, he’s got a good grip on the system and really helped out in California. He was almost like a player-coach kind of thing in helping me out with reads and footwork and things like that.”

As for how he intends to compete and ultimately try and pry the job away from veteran Sanchez and highly-touted Lynch, Siemian is going to approach it simply.

“I think I don’t try and do anything crazy. I think [if I] play my best football, I’ve got a chance. I’m going to take it one day at a time and go from there.”

Sometimes you don’t see the dark horse until he is out in front. Siemian is certainly hoping that is the case come fall.