The Broncos aren’t unhappy with Drew Lock; they’re just buying time

No one said Drew Lock isn’t ready to play. Not John Elway. Not Vic Fangio. And not Rich Scangarello.

Admittedly, all three have stumbled over their words this week when talking to the media about the state of the team, which has included questions about when the rookie quarterback will be activated off of injured reserve. But that’s because they’re trying to play their cards close to the vest; it says nothing about their faith in Lock.

The Broncos aren’t being completely transparent about what they’re doing, which has led to the confusion. But it’s not hard to figure out.

On Wednesday, Fangio made it crystal clear from everyone. The Broncos are trying to figure out what to do with their players on injured reserve; they can only bring two of the four back, so they’re trying to buy time to see who should be added to the roster.

“We just want to get a little bit more information,” Denver’s head coach explained. “None of them are ready to play right now. We’re just trying to postpone that as much as possible.”

None of the four can play right now, so there’s no immediate need to get them on the practice field and/or activated. And depending on what happens this week against the Colts, and perhaps even next week against the Browns, Denver’s plans could change.

If the Broncos go 2-0, they believe they’re back in the playoff chase. Heck, they might even be back in the AFC West race, given that the Chiefs have to play the Packers and Vikings in their next two games, perhaps without Patrick Mahomes.

If Denver is 4-5, especially if Kansas City falls to 5-4 in that time, Elway and Company will bring back the players that they think can help them make a run after their bye week. That won’t be a backup quarterback. Instead, it’ll be Tim Patrick and Theo Riddick. Those are two playmakers that would help the Broncos offense immensely.

If Denver is 3-6 or 2-7, they’ll activate Lock. At that point, it won’t be about chasing a playoff spot. Instead, the season will be about getting a look at their rookie quarterback.

So for the time being, the Broncos are keeping their options open. In order to do that, they’re trying to temper enthusiasm about Lock, trying to keep the calls for a change at bay while they see what happens.

That’s why their comments this week have been guarded. But they certainly haven’t been negative.

“Right now, he’s injured and it’s hard to make any of those kinds of judgements,” Scangarello said. “He hasn’t done anything in such a long time; preseason seems like a lifetime ago. As he gets back into the swing of things and we see where he’s at, obviously you’ll have a better feel for where he’s at. He’s a rookie in this league who hasn’t played a snap and has a lot to learn. We’re excited about him and we’ll see where it goes.”

All of that is true. Since going on IR, Lock hasn’t been able to practice with the team. He can sit in meetings. He can throw on the side. But he’s not able to run drills, work with his teammates on the field, etc.

After talking about the lack of on-the-field work, Scangarello addressed Lock’s study habits.

“As a young player, you have to sponge up what you can from the people around you,” the Broncos offensive coordinator added. “Joe (Flacco) has been a good mentor, Brandon (Allen’s) experiences add to it. You have to be taking notes and squeezing everything out of those opportunities. For what he’s been able to do, I think he’s done that.”

That’s a positive answer. Lock is learning from the veterans around him, particularly the player who once won a Super Bowl MVP.

It may seem foolish to believe that the Broncos are still in the hunt. After all, they just got boat raced 30-6 on their home field by a team that was led by Matt Moore for most of the game. But that’s not how they see things inside the building at Dove Valley.

Elway, Fangio and the rest of the staff haven’t thrown in the towel. So they’re delaying a decision that doesn’t have to be made right now until they know for sure what direction the season is headed.

That’s not an indictment of Drew Lock. It’s a sensible approach from people who are supposed to avoid knee-jerk reactions.

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