Drew Lock Sounds Off With Message for his Uber-Vocal Critics & Media Doubters
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer hopes the current incumbent Drew Lock will "get the last laugh." After an up-and-down second year in which Lock had a new offensive system without OTAs and preseason before losing his No. 1 wideout for the season early, and suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder, the young QB has been pilloried by fans and media critics incessantly.
Long ago, the noise reached critical mass to the point where Mile High Huddle coined the phenomenon 'Lock Derangement Syndrome.' It's been off the rails for some time now.
As the Broncos returned to the field for OTAs last week, Lock had a message for his uber-vocal critics and media doubters.
“I put every single ounce in that this offseason," Lock said on Monday. "Being able to do that gave me zero time to listen to all of this stuff. Maybe I’ll go back one day, read and laugh about things that were being said by people who ended up being completely wrong.”
Whether you, as a reader, are among the throng of the Lock-deranged or sincerely want him to succeed, you've got to love his confidence. If he continues to attack his open competition with trade transplant Teddy Bridgewater the way he did his offseason, he just might get the chance to serve up some 'Crow Pie' to his haters.
Lock has the talent but one of the oldest cliches in the book comes to mind when discussing his outlook: 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.'
Fortunately, Lock has put in the work this offseason. Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning believes the effort his pupil has put in this offseason could be a harbinger for the year he'll produce in the fall.
It all sounds good. But Lock has to put it into action. And it's got to come out in the wash.
The truth is, potential never has paid the bills. The NFL annals are littered with highly-drafted players whose ceilings dwarf Lock's who never managed to realize their potential and flamed out.
I happen to believe fans will see a new-and-improved version of Lock in 2021 for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he isn't having to learn a new offensive scheme. That continuity is priceless.
Plus, the arrival of Bridgewater will provide the competitive anxiety needed to bring out the best in Lock. Call it Bill Parcells-esque football psychology at work courtesy of new GM George Paton.
Time will tell.
"I decided that I was going to develop a plan this offseason," Lock said. "It was going to be really long days, but it was going to be worth every single second of it because regardless of what happened, if I stayed here, I left or they brought someone in, my mindset was not going to change wherever I went. If I went somewhere or if I stayed here, I was going to be the guy."
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