Kiszla: Broncos like Drew Lock. But team would dump him in a heartbeat for a quarterback it loves. – The Denver Post

In a sport where you’ve got to love your quarterback, the Broncos like Drew Lock.

No, really. The Broncos do like him. Unless, of course, Denver can find somebody better to replace him. And then the Broncos will dump him. In a heartbeat.

How to best describe this relationship? It’s awkward. And complicated.

One week before the NFL draft, general manager George Paton underscored two points about the team’s quarterback situation. It wasn’t necessary to read very far between the lines to know what’s up, and how the new front-office regime views Lock.

The Broncos believe he’s a good dude, sincerely trying to win Paton’s trust. But the team isn’t so certain Lock is the quarterback to lead Denver back to the Super Bowl.

“He’s working hard and trending in the right direction. As you know, he has a lot of talent,” Paton said Thursday. “I think he’s becoming a better pro, but we’re still going to look at the quarterback position. I’ve said since I’ve gotten here that we want to bring in competition. That’s the goal, and we plan on doing that.”

Perhaps I’m misinterpreting Paton’s words. But the signs point to the Broncos making a push to trade up in the draft, ideally two slots from No. 9 in a deal with Detroit, to take a quarterback who will replace Lock.

“This is a draft-day trade, because you don’t know if the player is going to be there. Typically, these happen when they’re on the clock,” Paton said.

My guess: The Broncos have targeted Justin Fields. If the Ohio State quarterback slips down the board to No. 7, Paton will work the phone hard to strike a trade with Detroit.

Hey, we’re all reading the draft tea leaves here, Paton included. With his draft board set, it reasons the Broncos have decided if there’s a young quarterback they like better than Lock, the team will surrender the draft capital to make the deal.

But now the suspense begins. Denver must wait and see if their QB target remains in reach.

“If we were to move up, we’re not sure the player we’re moving up for would be there,” Paton said.

All the smart draftniks believe Jacksonville and the New York Jets will take quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson off the board with the opening two picks of the first round. The intrigue begins when San Francisco goes on the clock.

Although conventional wisdom suggests the Niners will pick Mac Jones of Alabama, I’m not so certain coach Kyle Shanahan will make a safe bet on Jones rather than rolling the dice on the potential of Fields or Trey Lance of North Dakota State.

It’s certainly possible the Broncos can’t get the QB prospect they want in the draft. And then it will be the job of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to coach up Lock.

“Do you need a franchise guy or a top five? No, you can still win without one. It’s so important to the team’s success to have a quarterback. That’s why you might see five go in the top 10,”  Paton said.

The Broncos are not ready to declare Lock as their starter in 2021, because they’re still searching for a stronger alternative. There are shades of gray to this story, though. Paton also believes Denver can win games with Lock. These two thoughts are not mutually exclusive, although the lack of total commitment to Lock does make for an awkward relationship, not to mention a tense upcoming week.

Lock has no choice except to deal with it. In addition to a strong, accurate arm and the processing ability to read a defense, it requires a sturdy ego and thick skin to survive as a quarterback in the NFL.

“It’s the toughest position to play in sports. It’s the most important position to play in probably all sports. I’m generalizing, but you need a good quarterback to win and sustain year-in and year-out,” Paton said.

The Broncos like Lock. I believe Paton when he says so.

But that won’t stop him from dumping Lock, if the Broncos can find a quarterback they truly love.

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