Baker Mayfield's Visit With the Broncos Seemed to Get Awkward
By Henry McKenna
Case Keenum walked into an unwelcoming scene in the Denver Broncos’ cafeteria.
Keenum, who signed a two-year, $36-million deal just a month ago, swung through to grab lunch while John Elway enjoyed a meal with one of the 2018 NFL Draft’s top quarterback prospects.
Here’s the story from MMQB’s Peter King:
"“The Cardinals don’t like Baker Mayfield. They love him. That’s a good thing, because John Elway likes him a lot too. Interesting strange-bedfellows scene at the Broncos’ cafeteria during Mayfield’s on-campus visit. Elway sat alone at one table with Mayfield, conversing."
Awkward.
If Keenum saw the meeting of Elway and Mayfield (and Keenum said he hasn’t seen Mayfield around the facility), he probably didn’t like the looks of it. But that’s business. The cold truth of the NFL is that, while the Broncos committed a great deal of money to Keenum, they’re already thinking about how they can replace him with someone younger, cheaper and more talented.
Keenum was the apple of Elway’s eye for 40 days before the Broncos president began fawning over Mayfield. That said, in King’s mock draft, he has the Broncos trading the No. 5 overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals, who take Mayfield. In that scenario, the Cardinals like Mayfield a lot more than the Broncos, if Arizona is going to get Denver to move out of their spot and lose out on Mayfield.
At least Keenum can take solace in the fact that Mayfield is pegged a developmental prospect. And let’s be honest, Keenum probably knows the NFL views him as a bridge quarterback.