Dealing Drew? Vic Fangio Says Lock Will Be 'Quality Starting QB' in NFL

Are the trade winds blowing for No. 3?

In slamming the door on Drew Lock as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback, head coach Vic Fangio cracked another door — a one-way exit out of the Mile High City.

"In everything, really," Fangio said Wednesday when asked where Lock has most improved. "His pocket awareness has improved, his command of the offense has improved, his accuracy has improved. I don’t have any doubt that Drew is going to be a quality starting quarterback in this league.”

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our FREE newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

One could interpret these comments as the team's willingness to trade Lock now that Teddy Bridgewater has been crowned QB1 for the 2021 season. Fangio made like a used-car salesman, attempting to unload an older model before its value depreciates entirely. The deception here is evident.

If Lock's "a quality starting quarterback," why didn't the Broncos start him? Why wouldn't the organization gamble on his upside over Bridgewater's floor? Why does it appear as if they're egregiously inflating his value in hopes a desperate suitor comes calling?

Because they just might be.

And perhaps this is the proper time, his arrow trending upward following two mistake-free showings in consecutive Broncos preseason wins. The first victory was punctuated by two Lock touchdown passes, including an 80-yard bomb to K.J. Hamler. The second was marred by his second- and third-string supporting cast, but nothing to damage his budding stock, either.

Admittedly (and understandably) "disappointed" in Fangio's decision, Lock nonetheless acknowledged what he's put on film this summer — which is, to say, arguably his best tape as a pro.

"I feel like at the time, I was playing some of the best football I’ve played since I’ve been in the league," he told reporters Wednesday. "I was more confident than I’d ever been. Most of you guys think of me as a confident guy, but I was probably more confident than I’ve been since I’ve been in the league in this OTAs, this training camp, this preseason."

Perhaps Denver trusts Bridgewater to hold up for the long haul and deems Lock expendable, thrusting Brett Rypien into direct backup duties. Hey, crazier things have happened.

Lock, 25, is signed through 2022, the final year of his rookie contract. Trading him would clear $1,132,348 in salary-cap space while retaining him would cost $1,912,042, per OverTheCap.com.

Potential landing spots for Lock include Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, and Philadelphia.

---

Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!