Not even the signing of free agent Case Keenum could keep the Broncos from staging yet another quarterback competition this offseason.

This time it’s a battle for the backup job.

After bypassing a quarterback in a draft that was deep on passing prospects Falcons Calvin Ridley Jersey , general manager John Elway declared that Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly would duke it out for the No. 2 job.

That served as a vote of confidence in Lynch, his 2016 first-round pick who hasn’t been able to win the starting job, and a golden opportunity for Kelly, ”Mr. Irrelevant” in 2017 as the last player picked in the draft.

”With Paxton, we still think he is young. We are not kicking him to the curb. He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, we knew it was going to take some time,” Elway said. ”Paxton is going to compete with Chad for that backup spot. We are not going to bring another one in for OTAs.”

That marked the first time Elway had publicly mentioned Kelly as having a chance to win a roster spot a year after missing his entire rookie season while recovering from wrist and knee surgeries.

”I thought of it as, OK, perfect, I can get more reps,” Kelly said Saturday after serving as the only quarterback during a 90-minute walkthrough that capped the Broncos’ three-day rookie orientation. ”I just look at it as another opportunity to get better each and every day and each and every rep.”

Kelly’s offseason work habits have resulted in a reshaped body.

Kelly said ”eating a lot of spinach and chicken paid off instead of fried food. … I came here and knew I needed to move around and get back to my old playing weight back in early college and high school. So, I’m kind of feeling I can move around and so some things with my legs but also be powerful in throwing the ball.”

Kelly has impressed both on and off the field.

”Well, I’ve been proud of Chad overall,” coach Vance Joseph said. ”I mean Jason Sanders Jersey Elite , he’s been here every day. He’s worked his butt off. And he’s changed his body. Last year he was a little tubby kid. He is really lean now. He’s eating right. He’s working hard. He’s definitely put the work in.

”And he’s throwing the ball really well right now.”

So much so that bare hands are a bad idea for receivers, suggested tight end Jake Butt.

”He can rip that thing now,” said Butt, who also sat out his rookie season. ”You’ve definitely got to wear gloves. He’ll be spinning that bad boy pretty tough. He’s learning the offense, he’s taking leadership, he’s doing a great job.”

Joseph insisted Lynch was handling himself fine, too.

In March, the Broncos declared Keenum the starter as soon as he signed. In April, they said Lynch would have to beat out Kelly for the backup job.

”I think Paxton’s done a good job, also,” Joseph said. ”I think for Paxton and for our football team, it’s been a weight off all of our backs to have a starting quarterback and have everyone’s role defined from Day 1.”

He said that allows Lynch to ”relax and get better each day and not worry about a competition.”

Joseph suggested Lynch could learn how to handle adversity from Keenum.

”Case has been through some ups and downs throughout his career. So, he can learn from Case on how to handle those things,” Joseph said. ”And it takes time to be an NFL quarterback. And you would hope with Case being here Youth Mike Remmers Jersey , he can sit back and relax and get better as a quarterback and not worry about being the guy right now and just compete to be our backup.”

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Zach Strief's eyes watered up and the normally loquacious Saints right tackle struggled to speak at times as he discussed his decision to end of a 12-year NFL career that exceeded his "wildest imagination."

He did not, however, lose his sense of humor.

Strief, who announced his retirement Monday, said he considered walking away after the 2016 season, but was driven by a sense of obligation to his team 鈥?particularly quarterback Drew Brees 鈥?to play at least one more year.

"There was no clear replacement on the roster and I knew if I was at home watching TV and Drew was getting hit and I felt like I could have helped, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself," Strief said. "It's much easier knowing that there's someone there that's going to play at a high level for him. So this is all Ryan Ramczyk's fault."

Ramczyk, a late first round draft choice last year, blossomed his rookie season, much of which he spent at right tackle after Strief's Week 4 knee injury, which wound up ending the veteran lineman's season.

Strief's health wouldn't have stopped him from coming back, but the 34-year-old's priorities are changing. He became a father about two months ago and is part owner of a New Orleans microbrewery, where he said with a grin that he hopes to meet every last member of the Saints' fan base.

"I am not above shameless self-promotion Cheap Barkevious Mingo Jersey ," the often self-effacing Strief added, drawing laughs from a crowd of family and well-wishers that included coach Sean Payton and long-time teammates including Brees, running back Mark Ingram, All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan and punter Thomas Morstead.

Some retired Saints that Strief played with early in his career 鈥?including Steve Gleason and Deuce McAllister 鈥?also attended.

To Payton, Strief said, "You took a chance on me when no one else would. Your faith in me has changed my life."

To general manager Mickey Loomis: "You kept me around for a long time, admittedly to your own surprise. If I was honest, I'd say it surprised me as well."

He told Brees: "My greatest drive as a player was not to let you down. You're the greatest leader I've ever been around and I admire you so much."

The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Strief, a Cincinnati native, was a seventh-round draft choice out of Northwestern in 2006. That was Payton's first season and the Saints' first year back in New Orleans after being displaced to San Antonio by Hurricane Katrina.

Strief recalled struggling in his first training camp and all but making up his mind to quit, but his father urged him to stick it out and some timely encouragement from then-assistant coach Terry Malone persuaded him to persevere.

Strief wound up being part of the most successful era in franchise history, which included a Super Bowl triumph in the 2009 season.

He was a regular reserve during much of his first five seasons, routinely rotating onto the field for tackle-eligible formations. He became a starter in 2011 on an offense that set an NFL single-season record with 7 Authentic Jihad Ward Jersey ,474 yards.

While quickness and agility weren't necessarily Strief's greatest assets, Payton said Strief's size, strength, intelligence and character made him an elite lineman.

Payton called Strief "an expert at his craft," adding, "We never insert someone just because they're a good guy and they're smart."

Strief counted among his career highlights a game in which was on the field, but not in uniform. He was a healthy scratch for the Saints' emotional and triumphant first home game in the rebuilt Superdome in September 2006.

"I got to see this city at its worst and for 12 years it's gotten better," Strief said. "I've gotten to be a part of not only this organization kind of growing to where it is today, but also this city. So it's very hard not to become attached to that."
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