When the Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, the assumption was that the team would return to the playoffs.
A harsh truth: Safety Justin Simmons has never played in a playoff game. A third-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the six-year safety joined the Broncos just months after the 2015 team hoisted the Vince Lombard Trophy.
Days into the third phase of OTAs, Simmons’ sense is he’ll play in his first playoff matchup next season. He says the newly-acquired Wilson takes the offense to a “whole other level.” For reference, some of the Broncos’ recent quarterbacks were Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Lock and Joe Flacco. Oof.
“Our offense — I’ve always said that they’ve always been special, and I thought that prior to ‘Russ.’ Obviously, ‘Russ’ getting here elevates that to a whole other level,” Simmons said. “‘Court’ [Courtland Sutton], Tim [Patrick], [Jerry] Jeudy, K.J. [Hamler], Albert [Okwuegbunam] — just weapons all across the board. You always have to be locked in and then ‘Russ’ just brings in a whole other element.
“The way he commands the offense, they get to the line fast. There are times where we’re breaking our shell as a defense a little early, so he’s figuring out pre-snap where he wants to go with the ball. It’s clean, it’s quick, it’s crisp, so it’s fun. I love it. It’s the game within the game. It’s going to be fun, and it’s not going to do anything else but make us better defensively. I’m really excited about it.”
Indeed, just practicing against Wilson raises the level of the offense and the defense. As it stands now, the Broncos are carrying the max 90 players during the third phase of OTAs. Broncos general manager George Paton must cut the roster down to 53 players by Aug. 30.
That leaves aplenty time to evaluate the best players — and fit — for the roster. Then, the team shifts its focus to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. That’s when the official quest for another Vince Lombardi Trophy begins.
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