Mark Sanchez impresses as Broncos open training camp

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Should Denver Broncos fans shake off their Super Bowl hangover, they might remember from last season that when it comes to picking the starting quarterback, it doesn’t matter what the press thinks, or players think, or the quarterbacks themselves may feel about their place on the depth chart.

All that matters is what head coach Gary Kubiak thinks. And Kubiak thinks Mark Sanchez had a strong opening at training camp here Thursday before a surprisingly light crowd at UCHealth Training Center.

“I thought Mark was very sharp in practice,” Kubiak said. “I’ve got to go back and watch film but he just looked … confident.’’

In team drills, the veteran Sanchez was the quarterback with the first team; second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian for the second team and rookie Paxton Lynch ran the third team.

Each quarterback got 10 plays. Sanchez’ first pass was intended for Emmanuel Sanders across the middle. Bradley Roby, playing first-team left corner in place of the injured Aqib Talib, stepped in front of the pass and should have had an interception.

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The ball went through Roby’s arms, though, and landed right into Sanders’ hands. Sanchez came back and completed some nice out pattern passes to Demaryius Thomas and Sanders.

“Yeah, I thought we got the ball to the perimeter pretty well,” Sanchez said. “I thought those two guys on the outside looked pretty solid. (Tight end) Virgil Green caught one down the field (during a seven-on-seven session) on his first day (from a finger injury) so that was nice. … I think we have great chemistry and just got to continue working it.”

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Siemian completed several short passes and seemed to have a slight lead in the quarterback competition du jour. But then an outside hitch throw to Cody Latimer was picked off by cornerback Lorenzo Doss, who was a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft.

“I’ve got a lot of room to grow,’’ Siemian said. “I’m trying to focus on one or two things every day and shore those up and get a little better.”

Lynch threw a couple deep passes that were incomplete. In the end, nothing changed with the quarterback battle. Sanchez remains the QB to beat. Siemian is hanging in. Lynch has a ways to go.

“Smart players they know exactly what’s coming the first day,” Kubiak said. “They’ve looked at scripts, they know what’s going on in practice. You can see the difference in  their preparation and all the sudden you’ve got a kid who comes out here and your mind starts wondering and look at older players, you’re watching them and you get a little stage fright so to speak.’’

Klis writes for KUSA, a TEGNA property.

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