Well, what do you expect; this is the team that drafted the luckiest defense-riding QB in history: Terry Bradshaw. As to the other questions:


Yes, they would, though it is important to remember they are not far removed from being an expansion team themselves.


Probably. I think most people do not understand just how much a QBs first few seasons in the very different pro ranks can set the tone for their career. We hear a lot about QBs needing a "mental clock," but the mental clock they have is calibrated by the protection and rush they face in their first few dozen starts. Same with learning when receivers are "NFL open" and timing their passes so they can throw before receivers make their break; if they spend their first few seasons with receivers who run ragged routes or have awful hands, that is what they will accept as the NFL norm.

Once that kind of stuff becomes ingrained, once they get accustomed to coming up short in the clutch, those patterns are very hard to unlearn. Jake Plummer never did do it, despite loads of talent, hence he self-destructed in an AFC Championship at home, throwing two picks and surrendering two fumbles, setting the stage for the legend of Big Ben to emerge against a mediocre Seahawks team two weeks later, incidentally giving Denver their first ever AFCCG loss at home.

This is another thing THGoF alludes to, albeit briefly, noting Jim Plunkett was so thoroughly shell-shocked by the time he left the awful Patriots who drafted him that it took several seasons of constant reassurance from the Raiders before he managed a couple SB wins. They also noted "Those loyal Pittsburgh fans once watched their QB get blindsided, and while he was being carried off they booed him. Later—four Super Bowls later—the fans forgot all about that, but we'll bet Terry Bradshaw didn't." All of which concludes with a final note: Elway threatening to go earn millions as a Yankee unless the Colts traded him to a decent team was the smartest decision of his life.


About as good as Tebow, which is how good he is. He throws a nice deep ball, shakes tackles, runs well and has a nice bootleg pass, but as a pure passer he is only erratic at best.