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Wide receivers 'excited' for pass-happy Broncos offense

By Alex Butler
Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch will compete with Trevor Siemian in camp for starting quarterback duties. File photo by Art Foxall/UPI
1 of 3 | Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch will compete with Trevor Siemian in camp for starting quarterback duties. File photo by Art Foxall/UPI | License Photo

April 26 (UPI) -- With new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy at the helm, Denver Broncos wide receivers are excited about catching more passes.

McCoy came along with new head coach Vance Joseph this offseason. On Wednesday, Broncos pass catcher Emmanuel Sanders couldn't contain his excitement about the new offense.

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"Obviously, we're going to throw the ball a lot more," Sanders told reporters. "There are a lot of underneath routes. Today we were able to throw the ball down the field. I think [WR] Bennie [Fowler III] and [QB] Paxton [Lynch] connected on a deep ball. I think he scored even though they didn't give it to us. I'm excited. I remember his offense from 2014. I labeled it, 'Wide Receiver Avenue." It's very pass happy and that's everything as a receiver you could want. I'm excited."

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Lynch enters his second NFL season in a battle for starting quarterback duties with 2017 starter Trevor Siemian.

Siemian, 25, completed 59.5 percent of his passes last season for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2016. He posted an 8-6 record as a starter. Lynch, 23, was the No. 26 overall selection in last year's draft. The Memphis product completed 59 percent of his passes for 497 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in three games last season.

Lynch's agent Leigh Steinberg says the quarterback is "internally motivated." He also said that Broncos general manager John Elway "drafted him and they've got a plan." Lynch did his part by training with quarterback coach Charlie Taaffe this offseason.

While Elway maintains that Lynch "was a first-rounder for a reason," Sanders said the 6-foot, 8-inch gunslinger needs to regain his "Memphis swag."

"I was just watching Trevor walk around and he's walking around with that same confidence," Sanders said. "You put him in the shotgun, and he can sling it around. You see Paxton and you see an opportunity at hand being a young guy last year. Paxton was like that deer in the headlights, walking around big-eyed. Now, he's more relaxed. It's going to be interesting to see how Paxton takes his second year. Hopefully he gets that Memphis swag back. [We'll] see those two guys compete and see who wins the job."

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Under McCoy, the San Diego Chargers' offense ranked top-10 in passing yards in every season. In 2015, the Chargers attempted the second-most passes in the NFL. The Broncos ranked in the top-10 in passing attempts among NFL teams in three of the four seasons McCoy served as the team's offensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012. The former quarterback's coach takes over a unit that ranked No. 17 in the NFL in passing attempts.

Last season the Broncos had the third-fewest completions of 20 yards or longer and second-fewest completions of 40 yards or longer in the AFC.

In four seasons at Northwestern, Siemian completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 5,931 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. In three seasons at Memphis, Lynch completed 62.9 percent of his throws for 8,863 yards, 59 scores, and 23 touchdowns. Siemian played in 44 games while Lynch 38 college contests.

At Memphis, Lynch averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. Siemian averaged 6.4 yards per attempt at Northwestern.

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