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The off the field evaluations at the Senior Bowl is just as important as the on the field evaluations. Head Coach Vance Joseph spoke yesterday about the importance of getting to know the “person as well as the player.”
One player that the Denver Broncos are particularly interested in getting to know is Heisman winning quarterback, Baker Mayfield.
I had a chance to speak with Mayfield after practice today to get his thoughts on the Broncos coaching staff.
My conversation with Baker Mayfield after practice today.#SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/RIon2kFlGQ
— Jeffrey Essary (@JeffreyEssary) January 24, 2018
“It’s been an honor. It’s a great coaching staff being around these guys, they’re helping me out a lot, translating verbiage and getting me used to going under center and a lot of stuff that I haven’t done in a long time. They’re doing a great job.”
I also asked him if he had met with John Elway. Mayfield smiled and said, “meeting John Elway, that’s a whole different story. That’s the man, the myth, the legend right there, so that was awesome for me.”
John Elway on Baker Mayfield: "He's a guy that competes, comes out here and throws the ball very well, got a strong arm, he throws with good anticipation. He's had a good couple of days."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 24, 2018
I said a week ago that when John Elway talked about what he looks for in a first year quarterback in terms of swagger an confidence, it sounded like a Baker Mayfield promo piece.
More from John Elway, on why the Broncos requested to coach Baker Mayfield in the Senior Bowl: pic.twitter.com/DTYytz4QrA
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 24, 2018
Additionally, I caught up with Vance Joseph yesterday and asked about the importance of these quarterbacks showing that swagger and confidence here in person and he responded:
“Confidence is a huge part of playing quarterback. That is in the locker room and on the field also because it’s a position where there is going to be adversity. The guy who can pull through adversity and still have success, that’s important. Absolutely confidence and swagger are important.”
Seems like Mayfield is showing both the swagger and confidence that got him here, but also peppering it with humility as well based on his comments.
It’ll be fun to continue to watch this week unfold as both top quarterbacks work with Denver’s staff.
Denver clearly likes Mayfield an it seems that the feeling is mutual. Will that be enough to convince the Broncos to draft him? We’ll see.