NBC Pundit & ex-NFL QB Chris Simms Says Drew Lock's Talent 'Is for Real'
The entire emerging narrative of Drew Lock becoming the Denver Broncos' franchise quarterback has so far largely been confined to the Rockies. GM John Elway’s wholesale commitment via the draft to his 23-year-old signal-caller has raised the bar of expectations for the upcoming season.
It would appear the ripple effect of Elway's roster construction around Lock is filtering through the ranks of the national perspective. NBC analyst Chris Simms checked in with KOA News Radio this week to offer up his observations on the current state of the Broncos (his former team) and Lock’s role in a new offense was indeed a hot topic.
Elway's cavalry charge into both the draft and free agency has been focused on equipping his young QB with the tools to get the Broncos back into contention.
Furnishing Lock with of a brace of premium wide receivers via the draft, including Alabama's Jerry Jeudy and Penn State's KJ Hamler with the first two picks, only to boldly add Lock's trusted Missouri teammate Albert Okwuegbunam to upgrade the tight end position was more than just shopping for luxury items.
Last season’s predictable offense only received a late-season shot in the arm when Lock entered the lineup. The team hopes that by cutting loose ex-OC Rich Scangarello, the chains that held back the Broncos' offense have been cut free.
Drafting explosive field-stretching talent signals that new OC Pat Shurmur’s scheme is being supercharged with the clear intention to outscore opponents.
As Simms was quick to point out, it’s the new emphasis on attacking teams vertically that will be massively different when Lock leads the Broncos back onto the field next season.
It won't be easy to catch up with what the high-powered Super Bowl Champion Chiefs are doing offensively. Closing that gap will require the Broncos' second-year QB to take a quantum leap forward and grasp the new systems put in place. Under the current quarantine restrictions, it’s something he is fully concentrating upon.
“As far as the offense goes this year learning it, I think having this be my second year is benefiting me in a lot of ways that I didn’t necessarily expect as far as learning a new offense," Lock revealed during Tuesday's virtual press conference. "There are similar carryovers from the last one to where you can pocket that. You don’t necessarily have to study that as much because you’ve kind of already got that mindset down and know what they’re talking about as far as older stuff. Even the newer stuff I’m getting taught—it’s easier for me to learn because I’ve found the way that fits me best as far as learning a new offense goes. Picking this one up has happened, I’d say, 10 times as quick as it did the first time.”
While it’s reassuring to learn that Lock is ahead of the learning curve in picking up the new systems, it’s still a long process to complete and its complex parts are yet to come together on the field due to those lockdown restrictions. Interestingly, the Broncos' currently projected starting offense has a combined average age of 24 and they also only average a scant 2.1 years of NFL experience.
Clearly, there is still a lot of learning and growing pains to be suffered through before the Broncos can gain the necessary smarts and knowledge to become an elite team once again. By the same token, it’s the absolute commitment to getting younger and more explosive offensively that is exciting Broncos fans and making pundits like Simms sit up and take notice.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
