The aspens won’t start changing colors for months, and the heat of summer isn’t done baking the Front Range.
All the same, an early precursor to fall is upon us.
The Broncos report to training camp Tuesday and hit the field for the first time Wednesday. By Friday, fans will make their way to Broncos Park — albeit in a makeshift way around the team’s headquarters construction project — for the first of more than a dozen open camp practices.
It’s not quite time for real football just yet. Denver’s first preseason game is Aug. 9 at San Francisco, and the regular season doesn’t open until Sept. 7 against Tennessee at Empower Field.
Still, this week marks the beginning of Sean Payton’s third season at the helm in Denver.
It begins with more optimism and more external expectations than either of his first two seasons here and arguably any since Peyton Manning retired.
A playoff appearance? As recently as a year ago, such a benchmark might have felt more like a mirage than an oasis in the midst of a near-decade-long desert.
Now, Payton considers it base camp. Sure, it takes grueling training and plenty of adversity to get there, but any real goals or true sense of accomplishment can only be found further uphill.
As the offseason ends and that mission kicks into gear around the NFL, here’s a guide to Broncos training camp and all the storylines to watch between now and Week 1.
Offseason skinny
From the day after the Broncos’ 31-7 Wild Card loss at Buffalo in January, the club’s offseason has proceeded along two different tracks. The roster stayed largely intact, with 14 of the top 15 defenders by playing time returning and every major offensive contributor back except for running back Javonte Williams. That allowed for a targeted approach to adding via free agency and the draft.
Off the field, however, it’s been an offseason of change. Teams raided Sean Payton’s coaching staff and George Paton’s front office, leading to several departures and retooling in both departments. There are major pieces back in both, of course, highlighted by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and newly promoted assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt. And despite all the turnover, a palpable sense of continuity and calm permeates because of the leaders at the top in Payton, Paton and CEO/owner Greg Penner.
Impact additions
The progress made by many young players last year left the Broncos’ roster in an enviable spot heading into free agency and the draft: Solid and with weaknesses at positions that are on the easier side to address. So Denver did just that in early free agency, landing a trio of veteran, proven impact players — though each with his own lengthy injury sheet — in tight end Evan Engram, safety Talaoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Ready, set, rookie
Several members of the Broncos’ draft class will be counted on to produce right away, led by first-round corner Jahdae Barron and second-round running back RJ Harvey. The list doesn’t end there, however. Sixth-round punter Jeremy Crawshaw is the man unless he proves he’s not ready, while mid-round defenders like defensive lineman Sai’Vion Jones and edge Que Robinson play in deep position groups but have traits that could allow them to carve out roles early.
Two broad questions
Can the Broncos handle the hype?: There will be no surprise run from Payton’s team this fall. They’re widely considered at least a Wild Card contender and anywhere from possible Kansas City dethroner to Super Bowl dark horse to fully ready to join the AFC’s upper crust. Payton last year had his team convinced that the modest external expectations meant nothing and could be used as fuel. They’ll need a different accelerant this time around.
Is this defense 2015 good?: The Broncos checked in near the top of the NFL across many categories last year, including EPA, scoring, sacks, pressure rate and red zone performance. They really only lost ILB Cody Barton from that group and they’ve added Greenlaw, Hufanga and Barron, plus they should get ILB Alex Singleton back from a torn ACL that cost him the final 14 games of the regular season. That makes for a group that’s got sky-high expectations around the league and even loftier goals internally.
Extension 411
A training camp subplot: Denver features several key players entering the final year of their contracts. That list includes defensive linemen Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach; edge Nik Bonitto; and wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
Only Bonitto is nearing the end of his first contract. Last year, the Broncos got a four-year deal done with Jonathon Cooper midway through the season. Perhaps they go the same direction with Bonitto.
The others are all interesting. Allen feels like a sure bet, but can Denver really pay all of its talented defensive linemen? And after a spring of kumbaya and good vibes between Sutton and the team, does a deal actually get done? Remember, the Broncos like their young receivers and drafted Pat Bryant in the third round in April — a guy who plays like Sutton and whom Payton has outlined a similar vision for.
For reference, last year’s major extensions came on the following timeline: Quinn Meinerz in mid-July, Pat Surtain II going into Week 1, Cooper in Week 9 and Garett Bolles in Week 15.
Best position battles
Nickel: This could end up being Barron vs. Ja’Quan McMillian straight up to be the starter in what either way will be one of the best trios in football. McMillian has made his share of plays, but Barron’s a first-round pick for a reason.
Running back: There’s little doubt J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey are featured prominently in Payton’s offensive plan. But A) In what order and capacities? And B) Who else is in the picture? Jaleel McLaughlin had a strong offseason program and is the most accomplished of the rest. Audric Estime is just entering his second year after being one of the youngest backs in football as a rookie. And Tyler Badie got the nod in a playoff game over Estime after being out for 14 weeks. Let the wild rumpus begin.
Wide receiver: Not so much who but how. Try to guess the number of targets for a young receiving group after Sutton and you could come up with a dozen different combinations. Is the Marvin Mims Jr. ascension really here? Is Devaughn Vele, a third-down machine as a rookie, next up? Or is Troy Franklin — as talented as anybody in the room — primed for the big breakout? Then there’s Bryant and maybe another young player like A.T. Perry or an undrafted rookie who will be trying to make moves, too.
Numbers to know
39: The Broncos’ 2024 sack differential (sacks generated minus sacks taken). That led the NFL by a wide margin (Baltimore was No. 2 at plus-30). It’s a number Payton considers critical and one Denver should fare well again in this fall.
100%: Continuity on both the offensive and defensive lines for Denver among players who played an offensive or defensive snap last year. A rarely seen level of retention in the trenches that the Broncos cannot squander.
51: Catches by four Broncos tight ends on 71 targets last year. They went for 483 yards. Engram, the new guy in the room, approached those numbers (46/64 for 365) in just nine games for Jacksonville.
45.6%: Total regular-season games missed the past two years by Denver’s four biggest free-agent additions, who have all had substantial injury issues. Of 34 regular-season games each, Dobbins (Achilles/knee) has missed 20, Hufanga (knee/wrist) and Greenlaw (Achilles/calf) 17 each, and Engram (hamstring/shoulder) eight.
Training camp basics
The Broncos have 13 open training camp practices beginning Friday, July 26, but limited capacity due to ongoing construction. The team put up temporary bleachers for about 800 fans over the parking lot while its headquarters are under construction. Tickets are required to attend practice. Tickets are free, but the initial availability sold out within 10 minutes of becoming available, per the team. They plan to release a limited number going forward at ticketmaster.com/broncos. Each open practice begins at 10 a.m.
The Bo Show
You didn’t actually think we’d get through an entire preseason primer without some quarterback talk, did you? Of course not.
So much of the Broncos’ momentum is propelled by what Bo Nix did in his rookie season. Not only the 34 total touchdowns and 10 wins, but the way he took command of the locker room and looked comfortable shouldering everything that comes with being the face of a franchise.
The challenges are clear, but how Nix and the Broncos handle them remains to be seen. The league’s got a book on the 2024 No. 12 overall pick now. They’ll try to force him into less comfortable parts of his game. Nix and Payton know this and will counterpunch. It’s the great cat-and-mouse game of football. Somebody pops up as a surprise, the league reacts with force. Then it becomes a race to stay ahead of the curve.
That’s Nix’s challenge. He got to enjoy his smoothest offseason in years. He’s got continuity for the first time since high school. He’s got his position coach and backup back in Davis Webb and Jarrett Stidham, respectively. He’s got the entire offensive line in front of him back in the fold and most of his skill players from last year, plus Engram, Bryant, Dobbins and Harvey.
Unlike last year, he’s also got the burden of real, loud external expectations.
What does Year 2 look like for Nix? We’re all about to find out together.
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