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Mason's Mailbag: Trevor Siemian's arm strength

You can tweet questions to me with the hashtag #AskMase or use the submission form to your right (if you're viewing on a standard browser) or at the bottom of the page if you're on the mobile site.*

So what's the real word on Trevor's arm strength? I recall when he first got drafted Woody Paige said something to the effect of "he can throw a spiral through a tornado," yet I keep seeing remarks about his lack of arm strength. Is the kid getting a fair shake from us armchair experts?

-- Chip Whitson

It depends what the individual "armchair expert" thinks and says. If the judgment of said "expert" is to impugn Siemian's arm strength, the shake probably isn't a fair one.

Just look at what then-Head Coach Gary Kubiak said about Siemian two years ago, just after the Broncos decided to keep Siemian on the 53-man roster after the preseason:

"We saw the arm. There was no doubt about the arm," Kubiak said then. "When you watch him throw the ball at Northwestern, in some of the wind, the trees are blowing sideways, and he's out there making throws all over the field. You knew that he had that ability. Now everything else, you've got to see."

That "everything else" is something about which the Broncos are still learning, but just to tick off a few items, you have these: He's learned a second offensive scheme in his brief career. He's won two quarterback competitions. He's been a team captain. He's played through pain. His quarterback rating in his first season as a starter was 19th of 109 first-or second-year quarterbacks who threw 350 or more passes in their first season as a starter.

Do yo think we could/should sign Desmond Bryant? It seems like he'd fit pretty well if healthy.

-- Hunter C.

At 290 pounds, he'd be lighter than the rest of the Broncos' defensive linemen -- remember, the task this offseason was to get bigger and stronger, and they've done that, through the additions of Zach Kerr and veteran Domata Peko and the weight-room work of incumbents Adam Gotsis, Derek Wolfe and Jared Crick. The recent play from Kerr, Gotsis and Shelby Harris in particular has also helped bolster the depth and built further confidence that the Broncos will have a stouter interior rotation than in past years. I think it's best to give the younger players already on hand a chance.

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How is Jake Butt's rehab coming along? Is he a PUP or IR candidate? Do you see him contributing in 2017?**

-- Kevin Sweet

So far, so good. Head Coach Vance Joseph has said that Butt is expected to go on the physically-unable-to-perform list at the cut to 53 players, although it could technically be the non-football injury list, as he is on the NFI list now. (The eligibility for a potential addition to the regular-season roster after six weeks is the same for players on the NFI and PUP lists.)

As for whether he contributes in 2017 ... we'll see. I know that's not definitive, but it all depends on his continued rehabilitation and where he stands, so it's too early to tell whether he contributes this year. You don't want to rush him back and risk further injury. It isn't worth jeopardizing the future of a player who could be a long-term answer at a key position for a few games as a rookie, so the Broncos will make sure he is all the way back before he plays.

Invest in more devices or keep multiple windows on your computer open to the Broncos website, your Twitter feed and the page where Orange and Blue 760 is streamed at all times. Since you have followed our work so diligently and passionately for so long, I know you will find a way.

Submit a question for the next Mailbag!

The analysis, opinion and speculation in this story represents that of the author, gathered through research and reporting, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Denver Broncos organization.

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