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Mason's Mailbag: Why it's wise to always look at drafting a quarterback

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.

Any shot that Bradley Roby will see time at safety this season? I was nearly hit by a tree while camping when I thought of this, but it seemed like a decent concept at the very least.

-- Josh Lawton

Like George of the Jungle, you need to watch out for that tree.

As for Roby, he could see occasional safety looks, but barring a tsunami of injuries, that would be the extent of it. With T.J. Ward, Darian Stewart and Justin Simmons leading the safety corps, there is not room for Roby to break into the mix there. The position that offers him the chance for the most playing time remains the No. 3 cornerback.

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With the Broncos' lack of a running game, why aren't they interested in Christian McCaffrey?**

-- Ronald Martindale

They met with him at the Scouting Combine and reportedly hosted him at UCHealth Training Center this week. It seems like they're quite interested.

How many compensatory picks do the Broncos have this year and would it be smart to draft another quarterback in the late rounds in the draft?

-- Panic Espinoza

Four, and it's always smart to keep adding quarterbacks. The position is of such a high value that it's crucial to keep taking shots at developmental prospects. Furthermore, if a late-round quarterback flourishes, he has value even if he doesn't become your starter, as you can trade him for potentially far more than his initial draft value.

Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf used this strategy to great effect with the 1990s Packers, continuing to add young quarterbacks even after Brett Favre established himself as the unquestioned starter. He turned Mark Brunell, a fifth-round choice, into third- and fifth-round picks in a trade with Jacksonville. Matt Hasselbeck, a sixth-round pick in 1998, eventually was part of a deal that allowed the Packers to move up seven picks in the 2001 first round, while also adding a third-round pick.

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Do you think it's smarter to start Trevor Siemian if he's a step ahead of Paxton Lynch after preseason even if it looks like Lynch has a higher ceiling if given time to develop in regular-season games? I think the Broncos are wise to focus on these two at QB but it's hard to root for one over the other as a fan.**

-- Brice Grunert

I would suggest it is best to root for the team and what is best for it, rather than rooting for one Bronco over another. That means rooting for both quarterbacks to excel and push each other forward.

If Siemian is "a step ahead" of Lynch at the end of the preseason, as you put it, he should start. With a veteran-laden team just 14 months removed from a Super Bowl win, you can't go into that locker room and start a quarterback who is the lesser of of the two right now just because he has a higher ceiling. Further, a 16-game schedule is simply too brief to not put your best players out there when the regular season begins.

Do you think bringing in a vet guard like Jahri Evans would be good competition for Max Garcia and help our RT?

-- Tyler Black

If you're adding a six-time Pro Bowler like Evans, you're not adding him for competition. You're adding him to start. A team that adds Evans wouldn't need to do so immediately, anyway. He showed last year that he is willing to bide his time before taking the right offer; he remained unsigned until joining the Seahawks on Aug. 6. They later released him, leading to his return to the Saints.

Will we DENVER BRONCOS FANS ever host a SUPER BOWL IF NOT WHY?

-- Bruce Morales

We'll see. Never say never. When the AFL and NFL began playing Super Bowls, who could have seen Jacksonville hosting one? There's a decent chance we'll be talking about Las Vegas in the same regard; its population was still under 100,000 in the mid 1960s.

Sure. I hope I'm there to cover a Broncos game sometime in the future. It's been nearly seven years since the Broncos' last game overseas, and I know the club would love to return.

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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