Attendance
Did not practice: Injured reserve — OLB Johnny Walker Jr., DE Matt Henningsen. Out — ILB Drew Sanders (foot), OLB Nik Bonitto (foot), CB Reese Taylor (unknown), TE Nate Adkins (unknown).
Bonitto was in sweats Tuesday and didn’t participate after coming up a bit gimpy early in the Broncos’ preseason game in Santa Clara on Saturday. Head coach Sean Payton clarified the star pass-rusher is dealing with “something in his foot,” but said Denver’s expecting Bonitto back in pads Wednesday. Taylor and Adkins, meanwhile, weren’t seen at all after missing Saturday’s game.
Receiver A.T. Perry, meanwhile, was activated off the PUP list and dressed for his first practice of camp Tuesday, but didn’t take part in team activities. Payton said Perry is “getting close,” but has an “on-ramp” after missing the entire offseason. The 6-foot-5 receiver, a Payton loyalist who caught four touchdowns in 10 games with New Orleans in 2023, will face a tough road the next couple of weeks to crack Denver’s 53-man roster.
Newcomer impact
After Saturday’s game, a quiet RJ Harvey told The Post that he was just “doing what I’m coached to do,” when asked about his utilization on outside runs. It was true, to an extent. The Broncos love his burst to the edge and designed several tosses and sweeps for him in outside-zone looks against San Francisco.
Harvey, however, looked like he was trying to beat defenders to the edge on nearly every rush. He finished with 25 yards on seven carries, a middling 3.6 yards a carry, and bounced four of those carries outside.
“There was one where we felt like, ‘Hey, trust it, be a little bit more patient,’” Payton recalled after Tuesday’s practice.
This is a big piece to the second-round rookie’s development, even as he was brought in to add some turn-the-corner juice to the Broncos’ backfield. Payton hinted that Harvey will continue to get opportunities to demonstrate his explosiveness between the tackles. And the back notably adjusted — whether by design or not — in team periods Tuesday, taking a couple of outside-zone carries and zipping back through an inside hole rather than trying to beat tacklers off the edge.
“The best thing is, he’s such a willing learner,” Payton said. “He’s very, not critical of himself, but man, he wants to please. And he’s very coachable.”
Thumbs Up
It was Bonitto’s day on Saturday, as the outside linebacker put San Francisco’s reserve offensive line in a pressure-cooker on one early drive. It was his edge buddy’s day Tuesday, as fellow OLB Jonathon Cooper had his best showing of camp.
The 27-year-old Cooper, who regales anyone within earshot with a grunt or a yell on his way out from the locker room, was loud. He blew up Mike McGlinchey on an early run in 11-on-11, and would’ve taken J.K. Dobbins’ head off. The next play, Cooper jumped in perfect position to wrap up Dobbins on a screen. In a later period, he blew past tackle Frank Crum and forced Bo Nix to roll right into a red-zone incompletion. The Broncos defensive front continues to pass the baton back and forth with camp standouts.
Thumbs Down
Don’t panic. It’s training camp. But … Nix had a bad day Tuesday. No getting around it.
Nix didn’t complete a pass in the second 11-on-11 period of the day, which focused on red-zone situational work. He lofted a fade past Courtland Sutton with Riley Moss in coverage. He was forced by Cooper into a subsequent toss that had no chance. He missed another red-zone ball the next play. And to end practice, he floated right and lofted a ball to Michael Bandy that had little chance, with cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian diving backwards for a pick.
Nix did flash some great throws over the middle in late hurry-up work, with strikes to Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. But he’s noticeably struggled in camp with accuracy when he drifts to his right. Something to continue monitoring.
Odds and Ends
• After a monster showing in OTAs, second-year receiver Devaughn Vele has been in and out of practices throughout camp and hasn’t flashed quite the same. Payton explained why on Tuesday: Vele’s been dealing with a knee issue and the Broncos are trying to keep him “fresh” with injury maintenance.
“It’s a little bit easier to maintain in-season than when you’re just stacking day after day in training camp,” Payton said. “So we’ll continue to find his spots.”
• Franklin is making a real, sustained case as Denver’s WR2. He caught another deep bomb from Jarrett Stidham during 7-on-7 work Tuesday, and has established himself as the Broncos’ best deep threat through a terrific camp. All that’s left is translating it come Week 1 against Tennessee.
• Payton dropped a few hints as to skill-player usage for the rest of the preseason Tuesday. As the Broncos continue to evaluate roster spots for a glut of running backs, Payton said Denver will dedicate snaps to both veteran J.K. Dobbins and other backs in third-down protection roles. Pay attention to who’s playing on third downs Saturday against Arizona, then.
The Broncos head coach also said he’ll try to find some looks for Evan Engram this preseason, after Engram didn’t get a target in 14 snaps against San Francisco.
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