How The Success Of Case Keenum Has More To Do With The Broncos Than Case Keenum

The Broncos have decided to make Case Keenum their next starting quarterback, and from all accounts it looks as though he will be here for at least the next two years. I think they got him for a great price, 2 years guaranteed at 36 million dollars total, and I think he has the talent to get the Broncos where they need to be. Keenum showed in college that he has the ability to make any throw he's asked to make, and has consistently become more successful each year he has played in the NFL. In this post I am going to make the argument that his success in Denver has more to do with the Broncos offensive staff, and how he is used rather than Keenum's pure QB ability. 

The NFL is constantly changing. Every year there seems to be a new trend that the media, and fans will say their team has to do to be successful. Whether it be in the 90s when the big deal was finding that one running back that will carry the load for your offense, to the early 2000's when the 3-4 defense made a huge comeback, and it seemed like if you wanted to be successful you had to move to that defensive scheme. Some trends hold water, and others don't, but one thing about this league that is changing is the quarterback play. Gone are the days of the John Elways, Dan Marinos, Troy Aikmans, and the type of QBs who come in and run an offense that that is dictated by the coaching staff. Last season with the Philadelphia Eagles success, and how they succeeded we saw a new way of looking at the QB position in the NFL. Instead of forcing the QB to learn, and run a specific type of offense, teams are now adjusting their offense to what the strengths of their QB are. When Carson Wentz got hurt the Eagles coaching staff brought Nick Foles in, sat him down, and asked him what his favorite formations and plays were. They tailored their offense to what their QB was comfortable with instead of forcing their QB to play in a system that maybe wasn't the most compatible with his skill set. It is for this reason I feel that the success of Case Keenum in Denver will have more to do with how the Broncos use him, rather than how he fits into the offensive scheme they choose to run. 

To be a QB in the NFL you have to have talent. There are only 32 people on the face of the planet that in any given year can be named a starting QB in the NFL. Granted there are injuries, and back ups are forced to step in, but for the most part if you are named a starting QB in the NFL there are only 31 other people who can say that they have the same job you do. I think we underestimate a lot of these QBs, and pigeon hole them into opinions of how good they are based on how they perform in one offensive system. I think if Denver brings in Keenum, and runs an offense he is comfortable with we will see the same type of success he had last year with Minnesota, and when he was in college. In that same breath I think that if we bring him in and force him to run an offensive scheme that the coaching staff is comfortable with he will most likely struggle, and our worst nightmares about this singing will come true. If Vance Joseph and Bill Musgrave decide to have the conversation with Keenum about the style of offense he is most comfortable running, and build around that Denver will not only have success with Keenum, but we could quite possibly be seeing another great QB in Denver. 

Another reason to be happy about this signing is that it gives Denver the salary cap room, and draft freedom to plug the other holes this team has. Denver has 11 picks in this years draft, and that gives them a lot of freedom to make moves to add players that can make an impact for years to come. With the signing of Keenum it will allow Denver to still hopefully draft Quentin Nelson with the 5th pick, and then potentially sign Nate Solder to come play left tackle. Denver could also trade the 5th pick to say, Buffalo for the 12th and 22nd draft picks which would allow them to get two first round players to fill holes at offensive tackle and inside linebacker. Denver could also keep the 5th pick and simply draft the best player available, which is usually the best draft strategy for teams to use. 

The Broncos decision to sign Case Keenum gives them the freedom to build the team around him to give him the best chance for success, and it is now up to Vance Joseph and Bill Musgrave to tailor an offense that best fits Keenum's skill set. Whether or not they do that will have more to do with Case Keenum's success in Denver than any other variable in this deal.