ENGLEWOOD, Colo. _ Soak it in, sports-talk fans. Enjoy, debate and revel in the quarterback competition that's consuming the conversation during Broncos training camp 2016.
Next year there won't be one.
What will we ever talk about once Paxton Lynch realizes he's That Dude and permanently assumes the job title that means the most to Colorado: QB1?
Denver traffic that looks like L.A.'s? Politics? "The Bachelorette"? Things that matter?
Plan ahead. Save wall space in the Broncos cave for those "On The Mark" T-shirts and "Touchdown Trevor" stickers. Someday they'll make sweet mementos.
But "Action" Paxton is coming _ in 2017, if not later in 2016.
"They're not here no more," Pro Bowl wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said when I asked what it's like to transition from Orton to Tebow to Manning to Osweiler to Manning to ... . the next man up. "The three guys we've got right now, they're kind of similar. Paxton's got a little more fire on his (passes), but all of them are catchable, all of them are easy to catch."
Sooner or later, the Broncos will be playing with fire. Give it time. Lynch is simmering up.
"I know that when I first got out here it was spinning and moving so fast for me," Lynch said this week. "Now it's getting to the point where I can hear the play call and slow it down a little bit and move past some things quicker."
It can be tough to see Lynch's promise. You have to squint. Dream a little, even.
My Lynch awakening arrived last Thursday, against the Bears in Chicago, and was reinforced Wednesday, against the 49ers at Dove Valley. Both foes stink like fish.
Paxton's play reeked of first-rounder. The first time Lynch faced another NFL team _ not the know-it-alls on the Broncos defense _ he played against (and with) second- and third-stringers. He completed his first six passes, as if it were nothing. The second time he faced another NFL team _ the 49ers in a joint practice _ he completed 5 of 5 pass attempts. In a red-zone drill, he went 5 for 7 with two touchdowns and two passes that could have been caught, but were not.
At the pearly gates of heaven, what you did against the rowdy Broncos defense will not be held against you. Ask the NFL MVP, Cam Newton, or Handsome Tom, Brady. Denver's defense is different.
But when a rookie quarterback, 22, plays his best ball under the brighter lights and doesn't melt? Shine on.
Disclaimer 1: It's only preseason, plus a practice. Lynch has a long way to go.
Disclaimer 2: Last year Lynch was in something called the American Athletic Conference (AAC), a long way from the American Football Conference (AFC).
The current Broncos don't need a quarterback who is All-Pro. They need one who is all about not messing it up. After pitching a 22-0 shutout at Chicago, Denver's defense made three more interceptions against San Francisco. The 'D' is still the deal. One day Lynch will seal it.
I'm pretty sure Lynch knows about half of what's going on right now. The playbook might as well be written in Spanish (sometimes Mark Sanchez conducts media interviews in Spanish, like he did the other day, impressively, with a Univision entourage) and the play in front of him seems to be moving at warp speed (like the Broncos defense).
Sometimes Lynch looks like a rookie. He's forgiven. I asked Shane Ray: If the professional game was so tough for a rookie pass-rusher, who has one job, what must it feel like for a rookie quarterback, who must know them all?
"I can only imagine what Paxton is going through, having to break down so many defenses and having to play against ours every day," second-year pass-rusher Ray said. "There's really not too much room for error. I'm sure he's going through a tough time, but we have faith in him. He's a good kid. He's got good study habits, works hard. We're looking forward to seeing his development as a player."
At 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, Lynch is a lot to look forward to. I imagine Lynch will be a terror in broken plays, two-minute drills and pirate lookalike contests.
The rook isn't ready. When he is, and Ol' Kubes will know, the Broncos will be set at quarterback for years.
What will we talk about then?
