What to do about this QB situation...

Following the Broncos’ super frustrating loss Saturday night that sealed the team’s postseason fate, the crew at First and 10 @ 10 on Orange and Blue Radio considered whether it is important (to fans) for the Broncos to avoid a losing season and finish 8-8 or if losing for a better draft position might ultimately be better for the team.

And this morphed into a much more interesting conversation about what the road map should be for the Broncos’ addressing the quarterback situation down the road.

Case Keenum is about to finish a very mediocre - some would say sub-par - first season of a two-year contract. Given his salary and cap hit, it’s highly unlikely the Broncos do anything to unload Keenum in the offseason.

But after a game in which Keenum led the offense to just one touchdown (and a total of 16 points, one shy of the win) but also threw two interceptions, it is clear No. 4 is not the long-term answer - and may not even finish the 2019 season as the starter if a better young prospect could come along.

So what do the Broncos do in the 2019 Draft? The 2020 Draft? Free agency in 2020?

The way Andrew Mason sees it (check out the 15-minute mark of the broadcast), a good approach for the Broncos would be to find a quarterback in the second or third round of the 2019 Draft - like Duke’s David Jones or NC State’s Ryan Finley - and see how he might develop behind Keenum next year. And maybe if Keenum has a very average or below average year, the rookie gets the reins.

“Get them in your building, see how they’re coming along in practice and preseason, maybe they get an opportunity later on, and if they end up being the guy that shows signs of being one of those outstanding quarterbacks down the line, then you don’t have to pick a quarterback in 2020,” Mason noted. “But if they don’t show that ceiling, then you haven’t wasted too much in draft capital, you used a second day pick but then you’re still free to pick ‘that guy’ in 2020.”

Mason used Seahawks’ Russell Wilson as an example. Seattle had planned to make Matt Flynn the starting QB in 2012. And when the Seahawks came to Denver for a preseason game, Wilson played the entire second half and showed enough for coaches to deem him the starter.

“He ends up being beyond anyone’s expectations and seizes the job,” Mason added. “But if he hadn’t developed, the Seahawks would have just picked another young quarterback down the line.”

That approach seems to be the right one for the Broncos, Mase argues, saying the main thing is that it’s “important to have as many options as possible when planning for both short and long term.”

“Because for all the questions around the organization right now, the long-term quarterback answer is question No.1,” Mason said. “That’s the question you have to answer, and you can overcommit resources until you get that answer.”

I like Mase’s thinking because so far the quarterback class in 2019 is not looking outstanding - or at least the few good ones within the Broncos’ reach - and the Broncos have some other needs on defense that could be a good use of the first-round pick (and if you want to suggest trading Von Miller for a QB, don’t even talk to me). Looking for a potential gem on Day 2 of the draft who could either turn out to be brilliant or just “ok” would at least let the Broncos know if they must go after a QB in 2020.

But I’m curious how you would advise John Elway on the QB situation for the short or long term?