Should Denver start Sanchez or Lynch?

Denver’s Super Bowl celebration quickly disintegrated into dust with a troubling and unsuccessful offseason.

The summer created plenty of roster holes for the 2016 Broncos, especially on offense. The talented and deep rotation in 2013 has eroded to just a few key players. Demaryius Thomas remains as a top 10 wide receiver despite nine drops last season (sixth most) and a drop rate of 5.1%. If Thomas regains his focus, he and Emmanuel Sanders still claim to be one of the deadliest receiver duos in football.

Outside of those two are major question marks. Denver’s run game remains inconsistent with CJ Anderson teasing audiences of breakout potential but has yet to start an entire year while there is no true starting tight end on this team. Virgil Green, a fullback/tight end hybrid with 379 yards in 72 games to his name, is the listed starter before camp.

It’s far from the worst offensive situation a team can have, but the biggest question remains. Who will dictate the offense as the quarterback? In such a quarterback-driven league, the Broncos have a huge disadvantage before preseason even starts.

Mark Sanchez is slotted as the go-to guy ahead of preseason, but his starting job is far from secure. Paxton Lynch, a presumed second-round draft pick, jumped to No. 20 overall due to teams like Denver starving for potential guys slinging the pigskin.

Sanchez has more experience and after what Fitzpatrick accomplished last year in New York, Elway is hoping to replicate the magic. Sanchez is surrounded by the most offensive talent he has seen in his six-year career and if he can limit his turnovers and follow a play style similar to game manager Alex Smith, the offense could do enough to win games. Sanchez’s 3.7% interception rating ranks next to the likes of John Kitna and Rex Grossman. His interceptions need to drop dramatically.

The defense is the life blood of Denver now, and while key figures in Danny Trevethan and Malik Jackson bolted out of Mile High, the core remains intact after Von Miller’s monster contract extension. It’s an elite, well-coached group of (mostly) young players that allowed just 18.5 points per game. If they can keep it under 20 for a second season, Mark Sanchez has a chance to put up enough points to win ball games.

In the event Sanchez can’t replicate the Fitz”magic”, there is no time like the present to put in Lynch. Sanchez is not a quarterback to build around, but merely a placeholder until the next starter is found. If the season is not lost and the playoffs are within spitting distance, roll with Sanchez for a chance to win a sixth straight AFC West title.

But the AFC West is rising in difficulty as the Raiders are looking to take the division and league by storm after very strong drafts and free agency moves. The Chiefs under Andy Reid and Alex Smith have made the playoffs twice in three years while the Chargers look to improve on a terrible 2015 campaign by staying healthy. The chances for Denver to win the division are almost equal to them winding up dead last.

Denver is counting on a veteran bust quarterback to find new life while the defense is trying to replicate the 1985 Bears defense and improve the following year like the 1986 Bears. While not impossible, it may be too much to ask from a roster that continues to thin out. At the first sign of trouble, Paxton Lynch should be thrown to the wolves to see if he is the right man for the job or needs more fine tuning. Brock Osweiler spent three years on the bench holding clipboards for Peyton Manning before blossoming. We’ll have to see if John Elway has that patience for Paxton Lynch.