Quarterback guru David Lee has spent 37 years working with top-caliber passers. Everyone from Peyton and Eli Manning to Tony Romo have worked under Lee's watch, but the strongest arm he's seen of late is attached to a backup on the Denver Broncos.
"I'm going to tell you this right now: Brady Quinn has a stronger arm than both the Manning brothers," Lee told *The Denver Post* this week). "No question. I worked them all out."
But unlike the Mannings, Quinn is simply looking for a chance to compete this summer, taking second-team reps in practice along with Tim Tebow behind veteran Kyle Orton.
Quinn has languished in Tebow's shadow from the minute he landed in Denver, in a trade that sent running back Peyton Hillis to Cleveland.
Quinn even contemplated playing baseball during the NFL lockout, but his play this summer has turned some heads.
The Post reported that because teams aren't required to designate a No. 3 passer this season, Tebow might be used for "Tebow package" plays, with Quinn being viewed as a long-term answer at backup.
Quinn, the former Notre Dame star, saw mop-up time in Denver's first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 11, throwing a pair of touchdowns. He'd like a chance to show what he can do with the team's starters.
"I feel like I can compete with anyone, given a fair chance," Quinn told The Post. "I mean, heck, throwing to (starting receiver) Brandon Lloyd every play? Give me that chance."
Quinn's teammates also have noticed an uptick in his confidence and performance.
"I don't know why it is, or exactly how to explain it, but Brady is much better this year than he was last year," Broncos star cornerback Champ Bailey said. "He just seems much more confident."