The Denver Broncos wrapped up their first three days of organized team activities earlier this week as the team continues its second offseason under coach Sean Payton.
Earlier this month, the Broncos held a rookie minicamp. Denver’s veterans joined those rookies at the team’s UCHealth Training Camp for the start of OTAs on Tuesday.
“I thought overall the week went well,” Payton said Thursday. “We tried to — and this is important for everyone — we try to split up all the reps. So there is going to be a time where you read into the reps. I don’t think it’s early in OTAs.”
The Broncos have two more sessions of OTAs (May 28-30 and June 3-6), followed by a mandatory minicamp from June 11-13. After that, players will have off until training camp, which typically begins in late July.
With the first week of OTAs wrapped up, here are ten quick takeaways from the early stages of Denver’s offseason program.
1
Broncos' QB competition is wide open
It seems reasonable to assume that Bo Nix is the favorite to win Denver’s starting job given that he’s a first-round draft pick, but the Broncos aren’t making any declarations just yet. Payton insists that the competition will be a fair battle, and he will split up reps evenly between Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Nix.
“Look, we go by what we see,” Payton said Thursday. “We try to get them as many reps as possible. We’re rotating all of them right now. So Tuesday, ‘Stiddy’ ran with the ones, then Zach, and then Bo. We’ll keep doing that right now.”
Payton later dubbed the QBs “orphaned dogs.”
“It’s kind of the orphan group,” Payton said. “They’ll all orphaned dogs. They’ve come from somewhere, but they’re doing well. It’s a good room.”
May the top dog win.
2
Bo Nix is picking up the offense quickly
Nix apparently has had no problem picking up Payton’s offense.
“He’s farther along than most,” Payton said of the rookie QB. “We’re talking about a player who has played 61 games. He’s extremely smart. He’s picked it up very quickly.”
Payton gushed with praise for Nix after the draft, so it’s no surprise to see that the coach is pleased with the rookie’s progress. Now the young QB has to prove himself on the field.
3
Payton hints at starting a rookie QB
Payton was asked about potentially starting a rookie quarterback and the coach said it’s a “luxury” when teams can sit a rookie behind a proven veteran.
“I think some of it is a byproduct of what you have in the building,” Payton said. “If you have a starter in the building, then that’s the path you go. Then sometimes you don’t have that luxury, and then that’s the path you go. A lot of it is dependent on the quarterback, his mental makeup. So I think it just varies.
“When you look at [Jordan] Love who went to Green Bay behind [Aaron Rodgers], and then Rodgers who went to Green Bay behind [Brett Favre]. There’s a little bit of a luxury there, but it’s really dependent on the roster.”
Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson won’t be compared to Rodgers or Favre any time soon, so Payton might be hinting that Denver does not have the luxury option of letting Nix sit and learn.
4
Lucas Krull is an early offseason winner
It’s sometimes foolish to read too much into May hype, but when NFL coaches praise a young player, it’s worth taking note.
Payton was full of praise for tight end Lucas Krull following the first week of OTAs.
“I thought he’s had a good week,” Payton said of the 25-year-old tight end. “I said [to him], ‘If you didn’t notice, everyone in the media was looking down at their rosters to see who [No.] 85 was.’ I said, ‘Someday soon, they’re going to know who 85 is.’ He’s looking sharp.”
5
Courtland Sutton's absence is no big deal
Courtland Sutton has been skipping the team’s offseason program because he is unhappy with his contract situation. Payton shrugged off the receiver’s absence.
“There isn’t any concern,” Payton said. “Here’s why: I know Courtland. He’s a tremendous worker. You guys know him. [He has] a tremendous makeup, leader of our team. That will sort itself out.”
If Sutton skips the team’s mandatory minicamp in June, he’ll be subject to fines. The OTAs are voluntary.
6
Tim Patrick is moving around well
With Sutton absent, another veteran receiver has looked sharp. After missing the last two seasons with Achilles and ACL injuries, Tim Patrick is now healthy and he appears to be moving well at OTAs.
“He’s smart, he’s tough, and I would say he’s one of the leaders in that room,” Payton said when asked about Patrick on Thursday.
Patrick’s return should provide a nice boost to Denver’s offense. The veteran receiver who used to wear jersey No. 81 now wears No. 12.
7
Drew Sanders’ Achilles injury might not be season ending
Payton confirmed Thursday that Sanders tore his Achilles in April, but there is a silver lining. Because the injury happened so early in the offseason program, the Broncos are hopeful the linebacker will be able to return to the field during the 2024 season.
“[It] happened early in the offseason program,” Payton said. “A simple — like they all happen — kind of a jump. Surgery was done. We’ll have a prognosis.
“Fortunately, it was an early enough timeline we’ll bring him back. I don’t want to say October, but the good news is the surgery was done, it was clean. There wasn’t anything complex about the injury, and it was just something unusual.”
Sanders, 23, is expected to compete for a spot at outside linebacker when he returns.
8
Sean Payton is attracting free agents to Denver
The Broncos went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs, but Payton’s resume and Denver’s future outlook are still appealing to veteran players. When asked why he decided to join the Broncos, wide receiver Josh Reynolds said Payton and his offense was one of the top reasons.
“It was kind of a lot,” Reynolds said. “I think the main decision was that I’ve always admired Sean Payton from afar. I was excited to see what that offense looked like.”
Reynolds joins a wide receiver room in Denver that includes Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin. Whoever ends up winning the QB1 role will have plenty of weapons.
9
Broncos have a crowded running back room
Denver brought back Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie from last season, then they drafted Audric Estimé and signed Blake Watson as a college free agent in April. The RB depth chart is extremely crowded, and the Broncos might have to make some tough decisions this summer.
“I think that we never put a cap on what they’re competing for,” Payton said on May 11. “I want to see it, and then we’ll go by what we see. That was the case with Jaleel a year ago. He sat here as an undrafted free agent that was going through the workouts, and then pretty soon you began to see it. So who knows what we’re going to get? They are two different players, the two backs that are here that are rookies. Two different types of runners, but we’ll see where it goes.”
10
Broncos OT Frank Crum might be a UDFA sleeper in 2024
Denver signed three of the top college free agents available following the NFL draft: running back Blake Watson, safety Omar Brown and offensive tackle Frank Crum. After going yet another year without drafting an offensive tackle, the Broncos will take a good look at Crum this summer.
“He had traits,” Payton said on May 11 when asked what he liked about Crum as a prospect. “He was I think the last recruited free agent we signed. It took us probably two hours. We were all ready to go home, and we kept turning to the scouts and we were like, ‘Where are we at with Crum?’ But he had traits we liked: toughness, intelligence. We thought he had good feet and some versatility. Those are the things that stood out.”
Crum’s first task will be attempting to make the 53-man roster. With Garett Bolles scheduled to become a free agent in 2025, Denver could use a reliable young tackle going forward.
