5 Reasons Brett Rypien Makes Most Sense as Broncos' Backup QB to Drew Lock
The Denver Broncos could look to give the young third-year Drew Lock one more season to grow and prove he is the quarterback of the future. That is, of course, unless a blockbuster trade is made for Deshaun Watson.
That being said, there is a lot of speculation that the Broncos are in the market for a veteran quarterback to help mentor and push Lock to take that next step, while providing the team a true fail-safe should he falter under the pressure — or succumb to injury. Today, I'm here to break down why the backup the Broncos should tap for this responsibility is already on the roster.
That player's name is Brett Rypien.
Here are five reasons why the Broncos would be remiss to go out and throw money at a veteran backup instead of rolling with Rypien as the fail-safe to Lock.
1. Rypien's College Experience
Rypien had a tremendous collegiate career at Boise State. He would become the first true freshman starting quarterback in the school's history after Ryan Finley would be injured, breaking his left ankle, requiring eight weeks of recovery. Rypien would enter the game and lead the Broncos to four straight scoring drives, including three touchdowns and one field goal.
During Rypien's first three starts, Boise State averaged 50 points and he averaged 300 yards through the air, throwing eight touchdowns in the process. Later, he would break the team's freshman record for passing yards in a game with 469 through the air, only to surpass it the following game with a mind-blowing total of 506 passing yards.
Rypien's successful college career would consist of a win-loss record of 40-13. He left the college ranks with 13,581 career passing yards and 90 touchdowns with only 29 interceptions.
Rypien led Boise State to four bowl-game appearances, going 2-1, with one no-contest due to lightning strikes, and would be named 2018 Mountain West Player of the Year.
2. Some NFL Production
Rypien got his first regular-season action as a pro for Denver in Week 3 when Jeff Driskel struggled to move the ball against Tampa Bay, proving unable to read blitzes, leading ultimately to him getting sacked five times. Enter Rypien who immediately demonstrated his ability to quarterback the offense, change protections at the line, and hit the hot route to move the chains.
Rypien would go 8-for-9 that day with one interception on his final throw of the game trying to split the safeties and put a garbage-time touchdown on the board late in the fourth quarter.
The following week, Rypien got his first career start against the New York Jets. He got off on strong strong footing, completing most of his passes including a 48-yard touchdown that was underthrown but converted with an impressive over-the-top catch by wideout Jerry Jeudy. Rypien also completed a 40-yard pass down the right side that was a dime, hitting wideout Tim Patrick perfectly in stride.
Rypien had his struggles, though, throwing three interceptions vs. Gregg Williams' defense. One interception was in the first half as Rypien attempted to throw the ball out of bounds, only to have cornerback Pierre Desir pick it off with an impressive toe-tapping display.
Another interception seemed to be a miscommunication between wideout DaeSean Hamilton and Rypien. Still, it was a wrong decision, throwing it into a crowded area, and would ultimately result in a pick-six.
Rypien utilized a short memory when it came to his turnovers that night. He would trot back out onto the field and orchestrate a nine-play drive, which included a deep pass to Patrick for 31 yards on a gotta-have-it 3rd-&-7. The drive concluded with the Broncos taking the lead on a 53-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. Denver eventually sealed the victory after a 43-yard rushing touchdown by Melvin Gordon in the fourth quarter, which saw Rypien get out in front as a lead blocker.
3. Minimal Cost
According to Spotrac, Rypien will earn a base salary of $850,000 in 2021, ranking him at No. 92 of 116 quarterbacks in salary. Other backup options for the Broncos include the likes of free agents Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton, but either would come at a much steeper price.
Fitzpatrick's last contract with Miami was two years, $11 million with $7 million in total guarantees ranking him No. 34 of 116 quarterbacks. Dalton's contract with Dallas was cheaper, with a one-year contract worth $3M, ranking No. 39.
4. Rypien Helps Lock
Even though Rypien and Lock are the same age, the former is somewhat of a mentor to the latter when it comes to the Xs and Os of the game. The two can often be found sitting next to one another on the bench, tablets out, going over the previous drives, dissecting plays, and looking for mistakes and possible openings that they can exploit in future drives.
5. Familiarity with the Offense
If the Broncos want to bring in another quarterback, they will need to be a good fit for Pat Shurmur's offense. This is easier said than done. Shurmur can be an excellent offensive coordinator with the right quarterback but can be detrimental if it's not.
The Broncos' offensive coordinator tends to cater to his scheme first instead of his players' talents. Expecting the players to change their style of play to fit his system is not a model that pays dividends in the modern NFL. It's the other way around.
However, Rypien has shown he can operate in Shurmur's system effectively and already has a year under his belt when it comes to being familiar with the playbook.
Bottom Line
The deciding factor on whether to keep Rypien or to sign a veteran backup comes down to the team's confidence in Lock. If the Broncos believe Lock will take that next step into becoming the franchise quarterback, then Rypien is precisely what is needed.
KOARadio's Ryan Edwards believes Rypien has the skill-set to be a 10-year NFL backup and summed it up best on a recent Broncos Country Tonight episode.
"I feel like Brett Rypien is exactly what you want in your backup quarterback," Edwards said.
Sticking with Rypien would allow the Broncos to save money, giving the team a better opportunity to retain its veterans, which should be more important than signing a free agent who may never see the field.
Follow Kenneth on Twitter @KennethMHH.
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