BSN Exclusive: John Elway shares insights on Kyler Murray, Rich Scangarello and more

MOBILE, Ala. — In his familiar position on the 25-yard line with a familiar face in Matt Russell standing on his right side, Denver Broncos general manager and president of football operations John Elway took in all three of the Senior Bowl practices here in Mobile.

Of course, all eyes at Ladd-Peebles Stadium have been on the quarterbacks—especially headliners Drew Lock and Daniel Jones—and the overarching feeling in these parts is that Elway’s eyes are in the same place.

Following the final practice of the week for Lock, Jones and the rest of the North squad, BSN Denver spoke one-on-one with Elway to get his early impressions on the QBs in attendance and much more.

“They throw the ball really well and move around well,” Elway said of the headliners. “It’s been a good week for them.”

As for what he’s watching for from that familiar post, the GM was extremely specific.

“You just want to see how they move around,” he explained. “Get a look at them and see what they look like on the hoof. You can’t see that on tape. You see them move around and watch them go through progressions, you watch their accuracy, their motions and how the ball comes off of their hand.”

In the 2019 class, when it comes to the combination of moving around, throwing “on the hoof,” going through progressions and the ball jumping out of the hand, one name stands out above all others—the high-flying Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma.

Murray, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, is easily the most intriguing quarterback prospect in the draft. His 5-foot-10 stature is just about the only thing keeping him from being the No. 1 pick in the draft, but even with the lack of height, he is considered a top quarterback prospect in most circles.

Given his interest in those traits, we asked Elway directly about Murray.

“He’s had a heck of a college career, and he’s a guy that’s a great athlete that can really move around,” he said. “I have not done a lot of work on him yet, but obviously, he’s very explosive and electric when it comes down to getting out and moving around, and he throws the ball very well, too. We’ll still have to do a lot of work on him.”

No matter who Denver secures to be their quarterback of the future, one thing is certain, he’s going to have to be a fit for what new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello has in mind.

Scangarello, who was formally introduced by the Broncos on Thursday, comes from an offense that directly descends from legendary Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. The former 49ers quarterbacks coach was the clear-cut first choice for the job.

“Obviously he was in a great system with Kyle [Shanahan], and with the success they’ve had and the success Kyle has had, we knew he was coming out of a great system. Vic [Fangio] had played some golf with him, and then we had a chance to sit down and meet with him. We interviewed him for a full day, and everyone was really impressed.

“I’m really excited about Rich and what he’s done with the West Coast and how they’ve evolved with it and the feel that he’s had with it,” Elway added. “I think we have a chance to be a lot better on the offensive side with Rich running it.”

The Broncos believe they have one piece of the puzzle in place, the search for the elusive second half of that puzzle rolls on.