NFL Draft preview: Broncos have a huge hole to fill in the pocket

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- No Super Bowl winner this century has faced as much immediate uncertainty at quarterback as the Denver Broncos, who prepare to defend their title.

Even the 2001 Ravens had an answer by this point in the year; they knew Elvis Grbac would lead them into the season after their Super Bowl XXXV win. The Broncos have a potential starter in Mark Sanchez, who they acquired from the Eagles for a conditional seventh-round pick last month, but their continued interest in Colin Kaepernick makes evident their pursuit of at least one more veteran to add to a mix that also includes 2015 seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian.

Whether it's Kaepernick, free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh McCown, Brian Hoyer or someone else via trade, the next quarterback the Broncos add will not be given the job.

"Whoever we bring in, it's about competition," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "We're not going to give anybody a job. We've got a good football team. Whoever comes in and plays that position for us is going to have to earn it."

This wasn't the Broncos' initial plan, of course. But they didn't plan on the Houston Texans offering Brock Osweiler a four-year, $72 million contract that included $37 million guaranteed.

Ever since then, the Broncos have been in patient pursuit. Sanchez at least gives them a viable option, with a passer rating the last two years that was near the league average and higher than Nick Foles or Sam Bradford in 2014 and 2015, respectively -- the two quarterbacks with whom Bradford competed in Philadelphia. Considering that only the then-St. Louis Rams had a lower team passer rating in 2015 than the Broncos, Sanchez could at least offer modest improvement.

But Sanchez has just one year left on his contract and a history of scattershot play. Although he has taken the leadership initiative by inviting teammates to work out with him in Orange County, Calif., in the weeks leading up to the formal start of team workouts April 18, he will have to seize the job -- and an opportunity unlike any he has enjoyed since he and the New York Jets parted ways.

Can the Broncos be comfortable with Sanchez as the starter?

"I think he is going to have to make us comfortable," Kubiak said. "He is going to have to come in and do his job. Mark hasn't asked for anything. He just wants an opportunity to compete. That's what he said from Day 1 and we can give him a tremendous opportunity to do that right now.

"I think he's just very excited at this stage of his career. He's had some big opportunities, he's been on some big stages and he's got an excellent chance to get back on one again. I think that's what he's excited about and I think that's also something that intrigues us about how willing he is to get going here and be a part of our football team."

No matter who the Broncos add, they will have to free up some cap room to make that possible. Even before the addition of defensive end Jared Crick, they had just $1.6 million of cap space.

There are some logical moves they can make, including releasing tackle Ryan Clady, to create space. But the Broncos' attempts to get Kaepernick to take a reduced salary -- or get the 49ers to pay part of his salary -- reveal that while they have interest in Kaepernick or other veterans, they don't want to pay too much and put a further strain on their already crunched salary cap.

The Broncos don't play for five months. But they want their quarterback situation resolved sooner rather than later.