ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On a glorious sunny day, Paxton Lynch looked the part, as he always has.

Seeing him up close and personal it should come as no surprise; he’s big, athletic, and has a cannon for an arm. However, there’s a new role for Paxton this offseason and he seems to have embraced it in full.

After being thrown into the meat grinder that is the NFL for a young quarterback with first-round expectations, Lynch’s 2018 season is starting off differently from any other he’s experienced thus far in his pro career. He’s no longer expected to be the savior in a town where the standards are sky high for three generations of fans who’s witnessed No. 7 and No. 18 quarterback their team.

With veteran Case Keenum, who’s clearly the starter this season for the Denver Broncos, Paxton’s been forced to embrace a different role.

“I was really excited actually when we got Case,” explained Lynch. “For the fact that he’s a veteran guy who’s kind of been through it a little bit. He’s had his ups and downs, but you know the way he carries himself and the way he handles himself, he’s a pro and that only benefits me and the other guys in the locker room and the other guys in that quarterback room. I think that’s a really good addition to our team to help everybody.”

There was a calm and confidence in Lynch that seems to have come from the addition of Keenum, allowing him to focus on his role as a backup on the team.

“I think there’s always room for improvement,” acknowledged Paxton. “I obviously believe that I could go out and play right now. But that’s not my job right now. Right now, Case is the guy and I’m doing everything I can to make the team better and make myself better. Obviously, I’m confident in what I can do, I’m confident in my abilities. I’m hanging my hat on that and I’m going to be ready.”

On this final day of minicamps, Paxton was the only quarterback to avoid throwing an interception. His footwork looked clean and he simply looked decisive in his lower-body mechanics, an area he’s been needing to improve since becoming a pro. 

“He really has [improved],” explained offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave earlier in the week. “He did a nice job just now in a two-minute drill. Down in the red area, Paxton continues to make good decisions, which is good. We want those decisions, those habits to become part of his fabric so they can just be natural and reactive. The training of the quarterbacks has been really one of the highlights of this spring under [Quarterbacks Coach] Mike Sullivan and [Offensive Assistant/Quarterbacks] Klint Kubiak.”

While Lynch doesn’t have to go through another competition at quarterback for the starting job, this offseason brought on the potential of another quarterback being added to the team via the draft, especially another first rounder like himself.

“You just never know what teams are going to do come draft time,” said the former Memphis gunslinger. “It’s not like they’re telling us what they’re going to do. You hear buzz about it but I wasn’t focused on that. I was just focused on getting guys that make our team better, and if that’s what they did, that’s what they did. I’m just focused on getting out here and competing every day…whoever is on the roster and whoever is out here to compete and play, that’s what I’m focused on doing.”

With that said, it’s certainly not lost on Paxton that by passing on a few quarterbacks in the draft, the organization has shown some trust in the still young and relatively raw QB.

“It means a lot! especially the head coach and the big guy upstairs too having my back, especially Mr. Elway,” No. 12 explained to the assembled media. “The fact that he drafted me, and moved up in the first to come get me. Like I said, I’m just coming out here to do my job and be a pro and be the best quarterback that I can be. So, whenever I get the opportunity to go out there and take over I’ll be ready for that.”

It’s all different from the last two offseasons. It’s not about who Paxton wants to be anymore, it’s about who he was and how he’s trying to be better to fully achieve his potential. Lynch seems over the first-round hype and the weight of expectations. He’s come through the fire and was openly talking about having to go through tough times in his first two seasons as a pro. 

“The biggest thing is you just gotta keep your head down and keep working, and know what you’re capable of and be confident in your abilities. Continue to be confident in yourself so those guys can continue to be confident in you. That’s the thing about the NFL, you never know when you’re going to get your chance to go out and take over.”

In many ways, he seemed to relate to his new partner in the quarterback room, Keenum, who’s been through plenty of rough times in the NFL before he finally experienced some success. 

“I just think it’s really good to have a guy who’s had his ups and downs, who had a hell of a season last year. Took the Vikings to the playoffs and had a big win against the Saints too. But also, the way he carries himself, the way he works with these guys and handles these guys is good to see, especially for me. I didn’t really have the opportunity to be around somebody for a long time that had been in the league for a while. I think it’s really good and Case is a good guy and a really hard worker too.”

The veteran influence certainly has helped, and maybe for Lynch, it’s easier having to sit behind a veteran QB who’s getting paid rather than a seventh rounder who should’ve had no business beating him out of a job—twice.

A benefit he has this year is playing in an offense he has some familiarity with, even if he’s starting his third season under his third offensive coordinator. At least this time, he’s worked and played in Musgrave’s offense before.

“Very comfortable, very comfortable,” said Lynch about the scheme. “It’s good to have that. Last year toward the end of the season when he took over and started calling some plays, it was really good to kind of have that under my belt and to get some game reps under that too.”

Many will say it’s the same old Paxton, that he’s still not ready, that he looks the part but will never play up to his potential. 

There is a mentality change, however, due to his new circumstances.

Lynch sounds like a man who’s had to humble himself and is now just the backup on a football team trying to get better each and every day. For now, that’s all the Broncos need from their third-year QB, and who knows, maybe, like Keenum did with the Vikings a year ago, he’ll be ready to surprise us if and when his time comes.