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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Denver Broncos | |||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||
| DEN -- Observer Predicts Heavier Workload For Perine Early On (8/31/15:10 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Keep Four Wideouts On Final Roster; More Moves Coming? (8/29/19:29 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Okwuegbunam Not Released, Traded To The Eagles (8/29/14:44 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Trade For PK Lutz; Release Maher (8/29/12:30 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Release TE Okwuegbunam (8/29/10:25 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Okwuegbunam Makes A Case For A Role (8/28/00:13 CT) | |||
| DEN -- WR Hinton Among Broncos Initial Cuts (8/27/18:07 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Cap Preseason With Dominant Win Over Rams (8/27/00:13 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Even More Work Coming For Dulchich? (8/25/10:36 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Jeudy's Injury Could Further Open The Door For Mims (8/24/20:47 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Report: Jeudy To Miss Several Weeks; Week 1 Status In Question (8/24/15:40 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Jeudy To Undergo MRI On Injury Hamstring (8/24/13:20 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Jeudy Carted Off With Apparent Hamstring Injury (8/24/12:14 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Wilson Believes He'll Thrive Under Pressure (8/24/00:12 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Sign WR Swaim (8/22/12:45 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Williams: First Game Action Like A Weight Lifted From Him (8/20/13:03 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Williams' Return To Action Biggest Takeaway Vs. Niners (8/20/00:09 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Wilson's Relationhip With Payton Off To A Good Start (8/17/20:36 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Sutton Working Hard To Return To Past Form (8/17/17:22 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Payton Wants Williams To Play 10-12 Snaps And Get Some Carries Saturday (8/17/14:52 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Add Former Saints RB Washington (8/16/17:12 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Williams To Play This Week (8/15/13:50 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Broncos Waive PK Fry; Maher Currently Their Only PK (8/15/10:37 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Protection, Kicker Issues Are Problems For Wilson, Broncos (8/15/00:04 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Plenty Of Room For WRs To Rise In Denver; Sutton Rebound Coming? (8/10/00:12 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Wilson, Starters Will Play In Exhibition Opener (8/08/00:55 CT) | |||
| HOU -- Stroud Will Start Exhibition Opener (8/08/00:53 CT) | |||
| DEN -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||
Current News Updates
8/31 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if Samaje Perine is the Broncos' lead running back for a good chunk of the season. ... Graziano went on to explain that Javonte Williams has been practicing and even got some preseason game time, which is remarkable coming off the right knee injury that ended his 2022 season early. But in talking to people close to that situation, Graziano believes it sounds as though Williams needs to be eased in. The Broncos signed Perine, a former Bengal, thinking he could be a complement to Williams once the latter got healthy, and because he's a potential major contributor as a third-down blocker and pass-catcher. But if Perine shows he can handle early-down work, that could help Denver take its time with Williams and bring him along slowly until he's fully healed. Perine rushed for 394 yards on 95 carries last year in Cincinnati.8/29 WR Jerry Jeudy is not expected to go on injured reserve to start the regular season, but the Broncos may still be in the market for help at wide receiver. Their initial 53-man roster features just four wideouts. Jeudy is joined by Courtland Sutton, second-round pick Marvin Mims and Brandon Johnson. That won’t be the only roster move. The Broncos don’t currently have a kicker, but they are going to add Wil Lutz in a trade with the Saints and having fifth waiver position should mean that they get some players who were cut loose by other teams. ... Find the full list of announced moves on our NFL Roster Cuts page. Following up a previous item, according to Adam Schefter, instead of being released, TE Albert Okwuegbunam has been traded to the Eagles. 8/29 The Denver Broncos have traded for kicker Wil Lutz from the New Orleans Saints. Lutz, 29, has spent his entire playing career with the Saints and was among the best kickers in the NFL during current Broncos HC Sean Payton's time there. In 2019, the Saints signed Lutz to a five-year extension. The Broncos have cycled through a few kickers this camp. Following the Lutz trade, the Broncos are releasing Brett Maher, who also previously kicked for Payton in New Orleans. Maher had missed two of his six field-goal attempts in the preseason this year, missing a 47-yarder and having a 52-yard try blocked. Elliot Fry, who was also in the Denver kicking battle, missed one of his two preseason FG tries.. ... We'll be posting complete moves as they're reported through today's 4 p.m. ET deadline on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/29 According to Mike Klis, the Broncos are waiving TE Albert Okwuegbunam. ... We'll be posting complete moves as they're reported through today's 4 p.m. ET deadline on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/28 The Broncos got their final look at players who are attempting to make the team's 53-man roster heading into Tuesday's deadline. For TE Albert Okwuegbunam, his performance on Saturday lifted Denver to a 41-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Okwuegbunam contributed seven receptions for 109 yards (15.6 average per reception) and one touchdown. The third-year tight end's showing might have convinced HC Sean Payton to keep him on the active roster as cuts start to loom. "He had a big night," Payton said, via the team website. "I mean, holy cow. ..." Okwuegbunam did well for Denver by starting the first quarter with four catches for 46 yards. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham found Okwuegbunam for an 8-yard touchdown that gave the Broncos a 17-0 lead. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the former Missouri tight end saw another target his way. In the final quarter, on a fourth-and-4 play, Okwuegbunam capped the performance with a one-handed snag for 20 yards. "It was great," Okwuegbunam said of his 109-yard outing. "One thing about this profession is you don't get to pick when you get opportunities, but you get to pick when you take advantage of them. That's just what I did tonight -- have fun -- and that's what you guys saw." Okwuegbunam, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is in a competitive tight end room with Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz and Nate Adkins. Now, he will have to wait and see if his performance persuaded Payton and the rest of the coaching staff to keep him on the 53-man roster heading into the Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. 8/27 According to Profootballtalk.com, the Broncos have started to reduce their roster to 53 players and receiver Kendall Hinton was among Sunday’s cuts. Hinton, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020, first gained some name recognition when he played a game at quarterback for Denver as a rookie. The Broncos’ entire QB position group had been sidelined while on the COVID-19 list. While he didn’t technically start the game, he finished 1-of-9 passing for 13 yards with two interceptions in the contest. But Hinton became an effective receiver for Denver over the last two years. He caught 15 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown in 2021. Last year, he caught 24 passes for 311 yards in 12 games. The Broncos also waived receiver J.J. Koski, receiver Nick Williams, and defensive back Delonte Hood. Denver released veteran offensive tackle Isaiah Prince. The Broncos now have 86 players on their roster and must reduce to 53 by Tuesday’s deadline. 8/27 Undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin scored his fourth touchdown of the preseason and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam caught seven passes for 109 yards and a TD, leading the Denver Broncos to a 41-0 blowout of the Los Angeles Rams in the teams’ preseason closer Saturday night. ... Jarrett Stidham directed Denver to scores on its first five drives. Wearing white uniforms at home for the first time in 20 years, the Broncos built a 27-0 halftime lead after lighting up their mammoth new scoreboard, the gemstone of a $100 million offseason stadium upgrade. The game marked the Broncos’ first taste of success under coach Sean Payton, who grumbled over last-minute one-point exhibition losses at Arizona and San Francisco. ... The Broncos (1-2) sat Russell Wilson and most of their starters, too. Wilson’s one TD toss of the preseason went to Jerry Jeudy, who is expected to miss several weeks after pulling his right hamstring in the second of two joint practices with the Rams on Thursday. ... McLaughlin, the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher who went undrafted out of Youngstown State, capped Denver’s opening drive with a 1-yard TD run. That came one play after Rams defensive back Trey Tomlinson was disqualified for grabbing receiver Marvin Mims Jr.'s facemask and pulling him to the ground just inside the 1. Brett Maher kicked field goals of 46 and 33 yards, Tony Jones Jr. scored from a yard out and Stidham threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Okwuegbunam also had a terrific one-handed 20-yard catch on fourth-and-4 at the L.A. 27 in the fourth quarter, setting up Ben DiNucci’s 3-yard TD strike to Josh Hammond, also on fourth down. Marvin Mims Jr.'s 50-yard catch set up one of the field goals and fellow rookie Drew Sanders’ interception set up Jones’ touchdown. ... Stidham was 17 of 28 for 236 yards, one TD and no interceptions or sacks in his half of play. McLaughlin had 10 carries for 48 yards, four catches for 13 yards and a 19-yard punt return in his most extensive action of the preseason. ... The Broncos host Las Vegas on Sept. 10 in the regular-season opener. ... You can access complete stats for Saturday's Week 3 exhibition finale via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/25 HC Sean Payton said the team could use TE Greg Dulcich in a “Joker” role this season. As Rotoworld suggests, that’s a fancy way of saying the team could use Dulcich all over the field to create and exploit mismatches. Despite the addition of Adam Trautman, who worked under Payton in New Orleans, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic believes Dulcich will “remain the top tight-end target” for the Broncos this season. Dulcich caught 33 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign, and that was despite missing seven games. His per-game numbers put him on pace for 699 yards, which offers a slight look at what kind of ceiling he could have this season. Given the team's injuries at wideout -- a hamstring injury that has Jerry Jeudy's Week 1 availability in question is just the latest -- could mean even more targets than we expect for Dulcich. 8/24 WR Jerry Jeudy is expected to miss several weeks with a moderate hamstring injury suffered during Thursday's practice, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported. Jeudy was carted off the practice field with the injury, which puts his status for Week 1 in question. ... Jeudy is now the fifth wide receiver since the start of training camp who might be forced out of the lineup for an extended period. Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the first week of camp, K.J. Hamler was diagnosed with a heart ailment that is being treated with medication (he was released), and second-year receiver Jalen Virgil suffered a knee injury in this past Saturday's preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers and is now on injured reserve. Brandon Johnson also missed several weeks of practice with a leg injury and returned to practice Thursday. HC Sean Payton said Thursday it was too soon to say how the Broncos would divide the workload in the weeks to come, but rookie Marvin Mims Jr., who missed time on the offseason program and early in camp with two separate hamstring issues, has worked with the starters more and more in recent weeks. 8/24 Following up on the previous item. ... Jerry Jeudy is expected to miss several weeks with a moderate hamstring injury suffered today in practice, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. That puts Jeudy’s status in question for Week 1. But there’s optimism it’s nothing long term for one of Denver’s top weapons. 8/24 Following up on the previous item. ... Jerry Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday's practice and will undergo an MRI, coach Sean Payton told reporters. Jeudy pulled up during an end-around run, grabbing what appeared to be his hamstring, per multiple reporters on the scene. According to NFL Network's James Palmer, Jeudy looked visibly upset as he was helped to the cart to exit the field. The wideout also needed help getting off the cart to enter the facility. A serious injury would be a brutal blow for Jeudy. The former first-round pick, who hasn't burst out in his first three seasons in Denver, is projected to have a significant role in Sean Payton's offense. With Payton now at the helm, the hope was Jeudy would finally break out. Now, that future could be on hold, depending on the severity of the issue. The 24-year-old has missed nine games in the past two seasons due to injury. ... Thursday's injury is the latest to hit the Broncos' receiver room during training camp. Tim Patrick tore his Achilles tendon. K.J. Hamler was waived after being diagnosed with a mild heart disorder (he could be brought back). If Jeudy's injury forces him to miss multiple games, it would thrust second-round rookie Marvin Mims Jr. into an even more significant role than he's earned in camp opposite Courtland Sutton. 8/24 According to multiple reports, WR Jerry Jeudy is being carted off at practice with an apparent hamstring injury. ... According to NFL Network's James Palmer,Jeudy took an end around and then grabbed his right upper leg. He was visibly upset.He had trouble getting on the cart and teammates came over before he was taken inside. He needed help getting off the cart and getting inside. ... We'll be watching for more. 8/24 The Broncos made a big investment in quarterback Russell Wilson last year, and Wilson responded with the worst season of his NFL career. The pressure is on Wilson to be a whole lot better this year. But Wilson says that’s not a problem. In fact, Wilson believes he’s going to thrive under the pressure. “Do I feel the pressure? No. I don’t run from it. I look forward to it. I run to it, if anything,” Wilson said. “We as a team, we’re all in this together. We’re all searching for one thing and that’s to get better every day. I’m not looking too far ahead. All the guys are trying to learn as much as we can from today’s practice and use that experience.” With new head coach Sean Payton in Denver, there’s a lot of optimism that things can turn around for the Broncos. But that also means pressure on Wilson, and whether he runs toward it or away from it, the pressure is real. 8/22 The Eagles added an experienced wide receiver to the 90-man roster on Wednesday. The team announced the signing of Freddie Swain. They had an open roster spot after the retirement of linebacker Myles Jack, so there was no need to make a corresponding move. Swain spent time with the Dolphins this offseason, but was cut 10 days ago. He played one game for Miami last year and caught four passes for 74 yards in three games with the Broncos. The Broncos stint reunited Swain with quarterback Russell Wilson. He caught 38 passes for 502 yards and six touchdowns in 33 appearances for Seattle over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He also had one postseason catch for 28 yards while with the Seahawks. 8/20 Following up on the previous item. ... The Broncos didn’t wait long before trying to get RB Javonte Williams going on Saturday night. Williams was playing in a game for the first time since his season-ending knee injury in Week Four of last season and Russell Wilson threw the ball his way on Denver’s first offensive play against the 49ers. Williams couldn’t hold onto that throw, but picked up 12 yards on a second down catch and wound up with four catches for 18 yards and three carries for 12 yards before leaving the game. “It was like a weight lifted off of me,’' Williams said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. “I was thinking it would hurt or something but I really didn’t feel it. I got right back up. ... It was all about getting the nerves out. I just wanted to get tackled again and see how it goes. That’s the biggest hurdle I feel I have left.” As Profootballtalk.com summed up, "Williams hasn’t had any setbacks this summer and Saturday’s game showed he is on track to be back in his old role in the offense once the regular season gets underway." It's enough for fantasy managers to be cautiously optimistic. 8/20 As ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold framed it: "There was no bigger takeaway for the Broncos than running back Javonte Williams' return to the lineup. ..." Saturday night's tilt against the 49ers was Williams' first game since he suffered a season-ending knee injury -- multiple ligament tears and other damage -- in Week 4 last season. HC Sean Payton had said he wanted to get Williams "maybe four carries and a catch" in the game. In reality, after an early drop when he rushed through the catching motion, Williams' remarkable recovery continued with three carries for 12 yards to go with four receptions for 18 yards. Payton said he may likely hold Williams out of the preseason finale, but Williams is still on track to be in the lineup in the season opener against the Raiders. ... Meanwhile, NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman wondered hHow much should we read into Russell Wilson getting just one possession with his starting offense before ceding the next two quarters to free-agent acquisition Jarrett Stidham? Maybe none. After all, Wilson likely has a long leash as Denver's highly paid, if underwhelming signal-caller. But that Stidham took the field alongside the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, the top offensive line and others says to this viewer that new HC Sean Payton is intrigued at the possibility of playing the second-stringer, who finished 12-of-17 for 130 yards, eventually if the inherited Wilson falters. 8/17 The relationship between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton appears to be off to a good start. Wilson is trying to revive his career after a disastrous 2022 season. Wilson, for his part is grateful to have Payton as his coach, according to Jon Heath of USA Today's Broncos Wire. “It’s a blessing to have Coach Payton,” Wilson said after the team’s first preseason game. “The knowledge that he gives us every day. What he teaches us. What he pushes us on, as a collective effort, is a dream come true. I think he’s a Hall of Fame coach, a guy who we believe in and really the whole coaching staff. Really excited about the people that are teaching us every day. That’s what this game is about, to learn as much as you can, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can, and then come regular season, get after it. ...” After he set career-low marks in TDs, completion percentage and QBR followed by off-season surgery on his right knee, there's light at the end of the tunnel and, as Field Level Media suggested, it's thanks to having Payton's fingers are on the light switch. Take it from someone who knows. "To me, this is set up to be Russell Wilson's prime -- especially with Sean Payton and a system that's going to be built around him," said Drew Brees, who averaged 298.3 yards and 2.2 TDs per game in 15 seasons with Payton in New Orleans. "This is a great opportunity for Wilson. ..." Let's see if he can cash in. He certainly realizes the opportunity is there. “The biggest thing is trying to get the ball to our playmakers’ hands, in whatever way that is,” Wilson said, via the team’s website. “We’ve got a lot of ways to do that. Coach Payton really knows how to do that and dial it up. I think that it’s all coming together and we’re working our butts off. ...” Preseason outings can build promise or stoke doubts, but they’ll be forgotten as soon as the Broncos take the field against the Raiders in Week 1. As Profootballtalk.com suggests, that will be the first true referendum on this year’s direction, so the Broncos have a few weeks to make sure all their ducks are in a row. 8/17 Courtland Sutton, a second-round pick in 2018, finished 2021 at 13.4 yards per catch with two touchdowns. Sutton followed that up in 2022 with 13.0 YPC and, again, two touchdowns. Those results spurned Sutton to change almost everything about his offseason regimen, from workouts to diet to how he approached each passing week of the summer. "I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to see. ... The past couple years have been [the] same results, there hasn't been drastic change in my play. I wanted to see something different,’’ Sutton said. “I couldn’t continue to do the same things and ultimately hope something was going to change, so changed up the routine. ..." Fast forward to today: According to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold, Sutton and quarterback Russell Wilson are the two passing the "eye test" the most this training camp compared to last year. Add in the fact that Sutton is now over two years removed from his 2020 surgery to repair his ACL and he looks as if he has turned the clock back to before that fateful injury in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Both Sutton and Wilson have said their weight, conditioning and mobility were offseason priorities. And head coach Sean Payton, while he has avoided any specifics on how many pounds any player has lost or gained, has agreed he is conscious of players' weights, especially with skill positions. Payton has said he has often reminded Sutton he wanted to see the “2019 version,’’ when Sutton had his only career 1,000-yard season (1,112 yards) to go with his only Pro Bowl selection. That season has been the only 1,000-yard season or Pro Bowl selection from a Broncos receiver since Emmanuel Sanders in 2016. “He’s moving well," Payton said. "His body weight was just what we wanted when he reported to camp. I like how he’s been working. ..." Remember: Sutton was considered one of the best receivers on the draft board in 2018 in terms of winning contested catches -- the “50-50 ball’’ -- and has said in camp so far he feels the biggest difference from his offseason work has come in those situations. “[When it] comes to catching the ball in traffic or just catching the ball in general, you have so much more confidence that your forearms, hands, everything is up to par where you want to it to be,’’ Sutton said. “You can tell he put the work in,’’ teammate Jerry Jeudy said of Sutton. “I think we all want to do better, but he has been out there grinding." 8/17 HC Sean Payton laid out his plans for playing starters in the team’s second playoff game during his Thursday press conference. Payton said that he wants to see the team’s starters play around 20-24 snaps against the 49ers on Saturday. The starting offense, including quarterback Russell Wilson, played 20 snaps in the preseason opener while most of the defensive starters played in the neighborhood of 10-15 snaps. ... RB Javonte Williams was not among the offensive regulars to play last week, but Payton said earlier this week that the third-year back will play against the 49ers. On Thursday, Payton said he’d like to see Williams play 10-12 snaps and carry the ball three or four times in his first game action since last year’s knee injury. The Broncos wrap up their preseason schedule at home against the Rams on August 26. 8/16 The Broncos announced the signing of running back Dwayne Washington. Washington spent the last five seasons with the Saints and Sean Payton was the head coach in New Orleans for the first four of those years. He ran 58 times for 283 yards in 66 appearances for the NFC South club. He also saw extensive time on special teams. Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Tony Jones Jr., Tyler Badie, and Jaleel McLaughlin are the other backs in Denver. 8/15 According to Pro Football Talk, RB Javonte Williams will play for the Broncos this week. 8/15 Mike Klis of KUSA reports that the Broncos have waived Elliott Fry with an injury designation. Fry suffered an injury to a muscle in his lower body that is not considered serious, but the Broncos needed a roster spot to sign long snapper Jack Landherr. Landherr joins Mitchell Fraboni as the two long snappers on the Denver roster. Fry’s departure means that Brett Maher is now the only kicker for the Broncos. Maher and Fry each missed field goals in the first Broncos preseason game and Maher also had one of his attempts blocked. 8/15 Denver's first-team offense had four series Friday against the Cardinals, and there was more bad than good overall. Mix in Payton losing his first preseason challenge (and game) in Denver and two different Broncos kickers missing field-goal attempts, and there have been better days at the office. Russell Wilson had two balls swatted down -- something onlookers have seen in Broncos camp, too -- and then was clobbered on second and third down, stopping the third drive in its tracks. I thought that might be it for Wilson and Co., but Payton sent them back out there and appeared determined to jam the ball in the end zone with the starters. It worked. With a short field, Wilson sharpened up with four good throws. After Jerry Jeudy's third-down drop, Payton wasn't going to watch another kicker miss -- he went for it, and Jeudy atoned with a TD catch. That was good, but the Broncos' offensive line might be the chief concern, with Wilson's early shakiness something to monitor. As NFL.com suggests, Payton keeping his offense out there says he knows there's still a long way to go. 8/10 As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal noted this week, Tim Patrick's Achilles tear and K.J. Hamler's heart issue diminish the team's previously impressive wideout depth. Patrick's injury is devastating, seeing how the wideout missed the entire 2022 campaign with a torn ACL, but the Broncos' WR crew is still in good shape. According to Rosenthal, Sean Payton says he's seen signs of 2019 Courtland Sutton at practice. Second-round rookie Marvin Mims, Kendall Hinton and former Saint Marquez Callaway are solid options for the No. 3 receiver role behind Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. Consider Denver lucky that no other team was willing to give up a decent draft pick for Sutton near the draft because he certainly sounded available. ... In addition, Rosenthal points out that Javonte Williams' surprisingly quick recovery from a torn ACL will be tested with some preseason work, but "all signs point to him suiting up in Week 1." 8/08 Sean Payton's takeover of the Denver Broncos will include a new requirement for his star players: Preseason participation. Russell Wilson and fellow Broncos starters will play in Denver's first preseason game versus the Cardinals on Friday (8/11), Payton announced. ... Wilson did not participate in any preseason contest in 2022, his first season with the Broncos after being traded from Seattle to Denver. We shouldn't expect to see them on the field long, but the fact they're participating at all marks a shift in approach for a Broncos team that was too relaxed in 2022, which showed in its inability to execute consistently. Payton, Wilson and Co. will aim to correct that in 2023 with the hopes of producing the success most everyone expected from them a year ago. 8/08 Another one of this year’s top draft picks will be starting his team’s preseason opener. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said in an interview with NFL Network that No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will start Houston’s preseason opener against the Patriots on Thursday. As noted by multiple reporters on the Texans beat, Stroud had worked exclusively with the first-team offense for three consecutive practices, so things were trending in this direction. Still, this will be Stroud’s first opportunity to go against an opponent in a “live” setting at the NFL level. The Panthers will also start No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young for their preseason opener against the Jets on Saturday. But head coach Frank Reich has made it clear that Young has already ascended to QB1 for Carolina. Ryans has made no such declaration when it comes to Stroud. 8/08 As NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman reported, new head coach Sean Payton inherits an offense that "massively underwhelmed" in 2022. Despite the addition of Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson, Denver's offense was one of the worst in the league, ranking dead last in points scored (16.9) and third down percentage (29.1) and 21st in total offense. The attack led by Wilson, whose 11th season and first in Denver was unquestionably his worst, was notable for poor clock management, a lack of explosive plays, and turnovers. The talented defense was left out to dry, despite ranking 14th in points allowed and seventh in total yards allowed. How bad was it? In an interview with USA Today late last month, Payton called Hackett's 15-game run with the Broncos last season "one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL" and said there were "20 dirty hands" around Wilson's career-worst season that included 16 touchdown passes and a league-high 55 sacks. Needless to say, the pressure to get Wilson on track is high. ... On the injury front, we have good news and we have bad news. First the good news: Javonte Williams, coming off a serious knee injury (torn ACL, LCL and PCL) avoided the PUP list and has been practicing; this is obviously great news, but fantasy managers should be mindful of Samaje Perine's presence and the fact that fast starts aren't the norm for those returning from these injuries. The bad news came when receiver Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending torn Achilles on 7/31. It's the second-straight year that Patrick has suffered a season-ending injury at the start of training camp. In addition, the Broncos waived receiver K.J. Hamler with a non-football illness designation (it's a heart issue), though the transaction is procedural and designed with an eye toward bringing him back perhaps in September. With Patrick and Hamler out of the picture, rookie Marvin Mims finds himself in position to get more work than expected this summer. It'll be interesting to see if he can make the most of this opportunity.
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 Team Review
Grade: A-
Key Acquisitions: EDGE Nik Bonitto, DL D.J. Jones, QB Russell Wilson Key Losses: QB Teddy Bridgewater, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, QB Drew Lock The AFC West has truly been wild this offseason, with an ever-expanding arms race in the division leading to impact move after impact move. The Broncos kicked that arms race off, and it's possible that the trade that brought Russell Wilson to Denver will go down as the biggest addition in the entire NFL in 2022. There has been nothing but smiles in the Mile High City since Wilson arrived, and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy told Broncos Wire that he expects the entire offense to get a sizable boost from the upgrade under center. "[He's] always uplifting guys and always motivating guys to go out there and keep working hard," Jeudy said. "On the off days when you don't feel like working or doing anything, he's the guy that comes up [to you] and gets your mind right for it. That's a great guy to be around. He could help me a lot. He's a great quarterback -- a Hall of Fame [caliber] quarterback that came to the offense as a leader. [He's] getting me better as well. He's going to help me a lot this year." If anything, Jeudy may actually be selling the acquisition of Wilson short. His 2021 season was disappointing, but as recently as two years ago Wilson threw 40 touchdown passes and finished sixth among quarterbacks in fantasy points. The potential is there for similar production in 2022, provided Wilson stays healthy. The primary beneficiaries of the Wilson deal are Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, who go from Drew Lock's spray-and-pray and Teddy Bridgewater's noodle arm to a player who will one day be enshrined in Canton. If early fantasy ADP is any indication, Jeudy carries slightly higher expectations into the summer. But if they stay around where they're being drafted now (low-end WR3 territory) both young wideouts could have appeal as mid-round upside picks for fantasy managers who hit running back early. Speaking of running backs, many fantasy managers were looking for a breakout second season from Javonte Williams. But as general manager George Paton told ESPN, the Broncos didn't bring back Melvin Gordon solely for his good looks. "We just want the best players," said Paton. "Melvin is going to help us win football games. I think him and Javonte bring out the best in each other. You just can't have enough good football players. He's going to help us win games. We love Melvin in the locker room. We like his approach, his work ethic, and he's a really good football player. We can't have enough of those." Williams remains the preferable option for fantasy drafters in 2022, but after watching Gordon Williams each log the exact same number of carries in 2021 it's hard to count on the youngster as more than a so-so fantasy RB2. | |||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
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