Broncos rumors: AJ McCarron emerges as target
The window when teams can talk to free agents is open in the NFL and the Denver Broncos are exploring all avenues to upgrade at quarterback.
The Denver Broncos suffered through a terrible season in 2017 in large part due to poor quarterback play. The trio of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch didn’t get the job done for the Broncos. They have been connected to Kirk Cousins since it became clear that Cousins wouldn’t be back in Washington.
However, they have a backup plan if they can’t land the coveted quarterback according to Marc Sessler and Ian Rapoport.
On @NFLNetwork, @RapSheet names AJ McCarron as a potential target for the Broncos if Cousins lands elsewhere. AJ knows coach Vance Joseph from Cincy.
— Marc Sessler (@MarcSessler) March 12, 2018
As Sessler points out, McCarron has some familiarity with Broncos coach Vance Joseph. Perhaps the biggest question is why so many teams seem to be in love with McCarron. This is a player who has thrown a grad total of 133 passes in the NFL. He has five touchdowns in his career that has been spent backing up Andy Dalton for the Bengals.
McCarron was reportedly almost traded to Cleveland for multiple picks before the last trade deadline, and higher picks at that. The fervor surrounding him seems to be a little out of place. Could he be better than what the Broncos had last season? It’s certainly possible but it’s also totally unclear given the track record. It seemingly makes more sense for the Broncos to pursue an option like Case Keenum or possibly even Teddy Bridgewater.
Every team seems to love the backup quarterback on a different team. General managers must dream of finding the next Jimmy Garoppolo. It would be wise to keep in mind they’re just as likely to find the next Matt Flynn.
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The Broncos are assuredly in a spot where they need a better quarterback to lead them back to a Super Bowl. It’s just fairly uncertain if McCarron would be that player or not.