ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The excitement for Denver Broncos fans that came with this week’s news that Bo Nix will be the starting quarterback was tempered, if only slightly, by the accompanying reality. With attention for the rookie now turned to Seattle, he’s unlikely to see the field when Denver closes the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The next episode of The Bo Show won’t be until Sept. 8, when he makes his NFL debut with the Seattle Seahawks.
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Fortunately, plenty of other intrigue remains as the Broncos wade into a final evaluation event with spots on the roster and practice squad still to be decided. Here are 10 players to watch closely during Sunday’s game:
The Broncos described Wilson’s work in practice this week as “impressive” and “outstanding,” and coach Sean Payton said the 25-year-old was on “a heater” while owning a red zone drill in Wednesday’s workout. Coaches have been enamored of Wilson’s arm and pleased with his aggressiveness when using it. But the Broncos will want to see that Wilson can do all the other little stuff right while preparing for a potentially sizable opportunity in Sunday’s game as he splits time with Jarrett Stidham. Payton said Stidham will start Sunday and participate in eight to 12 plays. Wilson will get the rest of Sunday’s work. Can he make quick, short throws accurately? Can he avoid the negative plays that too frequently spoiled his drives last week against the Green Bay Packers? Can he look the part of a dependable backup quarterback? The answers to those questions could go a long way in determining where the Broncos land as they decide how to shape their quarterback room around Nix.
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It would not be surprising to see veterans Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick standing on the sideline without helmets Sunday. Each has played at least 25 offensive snaps in the preseason, and that has probably given Payton all he needed to see from the trio. He needs to see plenty more, though, from Franklin, the rookie fourth-round pick out of Oregon who has not yet caught a pass in the preseason. Franklin has run 24 routes and has been targeted only once in 35 snaps. The Broncos are being patient with the 21-year-old. His speed is unique, and the Broncos believe he can develop into a talented playmaker in an offense guided by Nix, his former college teammate. But Sunday is the time for Franklin to turn the steady progress he’s made in camp across the past few weeks into actual game production.
Do the Broncos already have their swing tackle? Or will they be scanning the waiver wire Tuesday night for an upgrade at an important depth spot behind Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey? There’s no doubt the injury to Quinn Bailey, a do-it-all veteran offensive lineman who suffered a major leg injury during the first week of training camp, was a blow. Peart, who signed a one-year deal during free agency, is the logical next man up. He has played 43 NFL games across the past four seasons, all with the New York Giants. He should be a serviceable replacement if the Broncos are without one of their top tackles for a short stretch. But this is a position the Broncos will evaluate closely as they come out of Sunday’s game. Peart needs to leave a strong impression as he gets a chance to likely start Sunday.
He’s not the only one on the offensive line, though. Players such as Alex Palczewski, Sam Mustipher, Alex Forsyth, Demontrey Jacobs and Frank Crum will get ample snaps Sunday while aiming to prove their roster worthiness.
Incoom was one of four undrafted rookies to make Denver’s initial 53-man roster last season, and a strong performance in the preseason finale (two tackles and a sack in 25 snaps against the Los Angeles Rams) helped get him there. Incoom might need another flashy final audition to make the team out of camp for the second straight season. The top four players at outside linebacker are locks: Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and Jonah Ellis. The Broncos could keep five at the position, which means the spot would come down to a battle among Incoom, Durell Nchami and Dondrea Tillman, the former USFL linebacker who had a sack and a forced fumble in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Incoom had a strong start to camp, but he has just one tackle and no pressures in 28 defensive snaps in the preseason. He needs to show more to convince the coaching staff to keep five outside linebackers.
Bailey had another interception near the line of scrimmage in Thursday’s practice, demonstrating his nose for the ball in a way that has become familiar for the former Fresno State standout during his first NFL training camp. If the Broncos are going to land an undrafted rookie on their roster, it will likely be Bailey. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker had two tackles in 18 snaps against the Colts in the preseason opener before playing only nine snaps in last week’s game against the Packers. That was due in part to the Broncos wanting to see more from veteran Justin Strnad, who played 33 snaps against the Packers after missing the preseason opener while recovering from a groin injury. Alex Singleton, Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith — barring injury, a trade or some other unforeseen development — will be on the roster at inside linebacker. If the Broncos keep only four, it could come down to a battle between Bailey and Strnad, raising the stakes for Sunday’s game.
Payton earlier this month had a flattering, if not flashy, way of describing the way Adkins has performed for the Broncos.
“Whatever the assignment is, he’s one of those guys that when you grade the practice, he ends up in the 90s, always,” Payton said. “The same thing happens in the kicking game. He gets his guy blocked. So he understands space and leverage. He’s a little better receiver than we expected, but he is that F-type player, so he meets with the tight ends. If one day I said, ‘Go meet with the fullbacks and the running backs,’ nothing would change. He’s very smart. He’s very dependable, and I would say he’s really good relative to blocking and blocking in space, and that’s why it carries over in the kicking game.”
That combination of qualities could make Adkins a tough cut, even if he would be the fourth tight end at the position behind Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull and Adam Trautman. Or Adkins could move into a role that largely has him playing more fullback. And in that case, would full-time fullback Michael Burton become expendable? I have my doubts that Payton would move on from Burton, a player he previously worked with in New Orleans and who has been a mainstay for Denver’s special teams units. But Adkins’ snaps Sunday could provide some interesting clues about where the Broncos are leaning at tight end and fullback.
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Wallace flashed early in camp, coming away with the only interception Nix has thrown during full-team drills. Then, the veteran suffered a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action for three weeks — including the first two preseason games — before he returned to practice Wednesday. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said he wasn’t overly concerned with the time Wallace has missed given his experience. It’s a different story for safety Brandon Jones, Joseph said, who also recently returned from a hamstring injury and has to quickly get used to relaying calls in Denver’s defense.
Still, Jones signed a three-year, $20 million contract this offseason. His spot on the roster is secure. Wallace, meanwhile, signed a one-year, veteran-minimum deal in the offseason. He is battling Riley Moss, Damarri Mathis and rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, and Tremon Smith is also a wild card in the group with his contributions on special teams. The Broncos like the leadership Wallace provides in a young group. He’s been a consistent sounding board for the rookie-contract players at the position. That all might be enough to secure his spot, but the Broncos will likely want to evaluate game action to see how well Wallace has recovered.
There might be no player on the Broncos this side of Nix who has upped his stock in the preseason more than Smith. That’s what two interceptions in as many games — one of which was returned 56 yards to set up a Denver score — will do.
“He’s had two good weeks,” Joseph said. “He’s a guy that’s played some corner, nickel and safety for us. He has the traits that we like. He gets to the ball, he has man cover skills, he can blitz, he can tackle. That’s been impressive, watching him tackle and make calls. It’s his first time playing safety at a full-time appointment, so he’s tackling, he’s making plays. He can surely cover, so that’s a skill set that you want so that guys can get the balls in the back end.”
Smith still has an uphill battle to land on the roster. Jones and Locke are likely to be the starting safeties, and Devon Key and JL Skinner have played ahead of Smith in preseason games. But Smith has made himself hard to ignore in camp. If he does it again Sunday, he might become too hard to leave off the roster.
Brandon Johnson, WR
Sutton led the Broncos with 10 touchdown receptions last season. Second was Johnson, who had four. Johnson has played in 20 games since joining the Broncos as an undrafted rookie out of Central Florida in 2022. He had 19 catches for 284 yards last season. But he hasn’t had a particularly noteworthy camp. Johnson has been targeted four times and has two catches for 22 yards in two preseason games. He also had a drop in Sunday’s game against the Packers. Johnson has a tough path into a crowded position with the Broncos — it’s especially packed with outside receivers in Sutton, Reynolds, Patrick and rookie Devaughn Vele — so he could be headed for a different uniform. Either way, Johnson could use a big performance Sunday to show he belongs on an opening-day active roster, whether it’s in Denver or somewhere else.
In a training camp battle with Riley Dixon, Gill finally got a chance to punt in Sunday’s game against the Packers. He was up and down, booting punts of 34 and 62 yards in the fourth quarter alone. Gill, who signed with the Broncos when he was cut by the Chicago Bears after two seasons as their punter, has shown a big leg in practice. But can he do enough to the incumbent in Dixon, who is entering the second season of his second stint with the Broncos?
“We’re still playing both players to give them an opportunity here in the final preseason game,” special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica said. “Then we’ll see how it shakes out from there.”
(Photo of Troy Franklin: Perry Knotts / Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-08-24 00:00:00
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