Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak might have "kind of let" players know that Mark Sanchez will be the starting quarterback, according to defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, but that doesn't mean Paxton Lynch isn't using training camp to push himself into position to snatch that job away -- sooner rather than later.
"I definitely think I have the opportunity to better myself and put myself up in that position to play right away or sooner than I had thought," Lynch said Tuesday, via ESPN. "I knew those guys were going to be ahead of me just because of experience -- Trevor his experience in the offense and Mark his experience in the league and me being a rookie, and this is the first time I've seen a playbook like that."
Lynch admitted he still must learn the nuances of the playbook, work on commanding the huddle and improve his footwork from under center.
With camp practices beginning Thursday for the Super Bowl champs, Sanchez appears set to take the first reps, with second-year signal-caller Trevor Siemian also ahead of Lynch. Despite the difficulty in passing up both vets, Lynch is confident he can push for the gig.
"From a competition standpoint, obviously, as a competitor, you're not gonna say, 'Yeah, I'll take the backseat in this,'" Lynch said. "It's my job as a rookie to push those guys that are ahead of me however I can."
Sanchez's game tape last season didn't display starting quality play, making his grasp on the starting gig tenuous, at best. We've been treated to an offseason of praise for Siemian, constantly reminded the seventh-round pick could actuallly win the starting job. Still, Lynch owns more talent than both and, as a first-round pick, represents a big investment for the champs. Lynch might not push himself all the way to the starting gig during training camp, but we'd be shocked if he didn't see the field at some point as a rookie.
