What Drew Lock's use of VR training means for his development during recovery from thumb
Drew Lock had made tremendous strides as a young quarterback before he suffered a severely sprained thumb on his throwing hand. The Denver Broncos' rookie second-rounder was 'this close' to securing the team's backup QB job behind Joe Flacco.
Just ask Vic Fangio.
“He was improving daily and I saw good strides," Fangio said on Thursday. "I’d say he was tracking towards that [earning backup job]. I wouldn’t say he had it yet.”
For now, Lock will have to wait and eat his heart out while Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien finish out the Broncos' two remaining preseason games at QB. However, that doesn't mean Lock will be sitting on his thumbs (pardon the pun).
The Broncos have implemented a Virtual Reality Training program to allow Lock to get reps without having to actually throw or practice on the grid-iron. He can strap on the goggles and go.
“Whatever I was doing to be ready for a game or be ready for a practice, I’ve just got to do about two times as more as that because I’m not going to get the reps out there on the field," Lock said on Thursday. "Like I said last time, we have the VR (virtual reality training) stuff upstairs that is going to be heavily used. I’ve just got to stay on top of everything.”
Obviously, practicing in a VR program isn't the same as repping on the field, but it's a massive departure from the alternative of being relegated to only standing on the sidelines and getting mental reps. VR will allow Lock to continue his learning process with regard to reading a defense from under center, calling out plays, reading the coverage and more.
“It helps a lot being able to see what Joe does from his angle of things," Lock said with regard to VR. "Of course, we’re standing back there and we get to watch from the side. But being able to see every single rep, being able to see what the defense does not just only on my reps but being able to see a ton of different looks. You come out and you get 20 or 25 plays and you learn from those 25 plays, but you can go back and learn from everybody else’s plays, too.”
The advances of modern technology, eh?
Former Broncos QB Case Keenum credited his sensational 2017 season in Minnesota in large part to the use of VR. When Keenum signed with the Broncos in the spring of 2018, getting VR at Dove Valley became a conversation but up until today, we didn't know the team had actually pulled the trigger.
Fortunately for Drew Lock, this isn't his first experience repping with VR. “We had VR my sophomore and junior years at Mizzou," Lock said. "So yeah, I’m kind of familiar with it.”
Losing Lock in the middle of the preseason is a kick in the gut but all he and the team can do now is try to make some lemonade out of the lemons the Football Gods tossed Denver's way. The silver lining is this; Lock wasn't going to start anyway.
Having to sit and rep on VR, while still participating in the meetings and film study, will still allow Lock to continue to navigate his learning curve. If the Broncos have to turn to him at some point this season, hopefully he'll be ready.
But if 2019 goes the way the Broncos hope, we probably won't see Drew Lock again in action until summer of 2020.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.
