Now that Tony Romo is out of the picture, the Denver Broncos' quarterback job is up for grabs between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch.
Although coach Vance Joseph has preached an open competition between the incumbent starter and the 2016 first-round draft pick, Siemian remains the favorite to be under center in Week 1.
After speaking with Joseph, NFL Network's James Palmer told Omar Ruiz of Up to the Minute Live that Siemian has the "upper hand" entering the offseason program.
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Siemian might have been widely viewed as a pet project of former coach Gary Kubiak, but the new coach has been impressed after taking an in-depth look at the 2016 game film.
Despite subpar pass protection and an inconsistent ground attack, the Broncos coaching staff believes "he played very well last season," Palmer added. "They believe he played at a higher level than many assume."
Joseph went a step further, maintaining that Siemian didn't get the credit he deserved in league circles.
The high praise didn't end there, either. Joseph also raved about Siemian's intelligence and intangibles.
"Players want to play for him," Joseph told Palmer. "They want to win for him."
Joseph has taken a different view of the raw but talented Lynch, pointing to leadership, studying and understanding the offensive system as areas in need of improvement.
If Lynch does make significant strides in those areas, he can turn this into a legitimate battle by training camp.
From the tone of Joseph's comments, though, it certainly doesn't appear that Siemian has lost any ground since December. Palmer reported at the time that the former seventh-round pick was regarded inside Broncos headquarters as the likely starter for the next couple of seasons.