Kiszla: Why new gets the Broncos back in the NFL playoff conversation By Mark Kiszla Post June 5, 2019

Flacco has never thrown for more than 27 in any of his 11 previous seasons in the NFL and has topped 4,000 passing yards only once in his career.

New Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco stinks … if you believe all the power rankings of on the internet. Those ratings suggest he is 2.0, at best. But like most of what you read on , the instant analysis of Flacco is for the birds.

When Flacco drops back to pass, he earns respect without uttering a word, by displaying a gift that’s rare, even at the NFL level.

“He can throw the ball 80 yards, easy,” Broncos said Tuesday, marveling at a mighty heave Flacco unleashed during practice. “He threw it 80 yards across the field. He’s looking like a MVP to me.”

Game knows game.

And unlike a year ago, when Broncos teammates mightily tried to prop up as a quarterback to be trusted, Flacco’s arm talent has done the talking during spring workouts at Dove Valley Headquarters.

“That man has a cannon, I can tell you that,” Denver defensive lineman Shelby Harris said last week. “That man can really throw the ball.”

Game knows game.

For example: When I asked Flacco how he can tell Miller is a special player, he replied: “I’ve been around a lot of good guys on defense, for most of my career, as you guys know. Ray Lewis, , … just to name a couple. And he’s just another one of those guys. He is special.”

Game knows game.

For anybody not wearing orange-tinted glasses in 2018, it was obvious from the jump that Keenum did not have special physical gifts. No cannon. No swagger. No game.

As the season wore on, it also became apparent Keenum lacked the ability to outthink a defense. Mistakes made him withdraw into a shell. Playing quarterback is such a difficult job at the NFL level, because the game can become too big for anyone who allows any fear of failure to creep in.

In short, Keenum was a quarterback who’s the very definition of an NFL journeyman. He colored inside the lines and inspired mediocrity. That might be just fine as the backup quarterback on the bench, but Keenum was the wrong answer in a city that has been spoiled by the Hall of Fame greatness of and .

Now, what the Broncos have in Flacco won’t truly be revealed until the victories and defeats begin to count in the standings. But this much we know: He’s no kid trying to fool us by dressing up in his father’s clothes.

At age 34, Flacco exudes the natural confidence of a QB who can throw the football over the head of every last man in the defense for a (not that we want to cause Broncos Country any painful flashbacks of a playoff game in January 2013).

How far can Flacco fling a football if a Hail Mary is required?

“On like a Hail Mary? If we’re on the opposite 30-yard line … ” he said, trying to be modest.

By most quantifiable analysis, Flacco is a game manager. He has never thrown for more than 27 touchdowns in any of his 11 previous seasons in the NFL and has topped 4,000 passing yards only once in his career.

Despite being one of the most dominant players in the league, Miller dislikes the obsession with the ratings game.

“The media — sorry for you guys — they just put everybody against each other. You’ve got the NFL Top 100. This guy is No. 1 and this guy is No. 6 and this guy is No. 12 … ” Miller said. “It creates this kind of animosity, for no reason.”

This is hard to quantify, but it’s also the most important thing Flacco has established since he arrived via trade from Baltimore in March. For the first time since Manning retired, players in the Denver locker room know they will take the field with an NFL quarterback who isn’t afraid to lose.

In that regard, while Flacco is a distinct upgrade over , or Keenum, I cannot guarantee you he will lead this team back to the playoffs for the first time since .

With Flacco in the huddle, however, the Broncos are back in the game.

Broncos minicamp Day 1: What we saw on the field By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post June 5, 2019

Broncos has been back with the team for only a week following the resolution of his contract dispute, but he is already feeling comfortable.

“It’s a lot of the (types) of defense that I’ve run in the past,” Harris said after Tuesday’s opening mandatory minicamp practice. “Some new and different checks, but I’ve seen everything in eight years to be able to catch on fast.”

Harris was in a customary spot with the first-team defense and stayed at one of the outside spots throughout the 11-on-11 sections of practice.

“He’s done fine,” coach said. “Chris has done a good job of picking things up, but he’s obviously not in-tune with all the details of it. That will come with time on task, both in the meeting room and on the practice field.”

When the Broncos break for the summer Thursday, Harris will have participated in six workouts.

Last week, safety said the Broncos’ new defense is “Christmas for .” How about it, Chris, after being around for a few days?

“It’s a lot of things I’ve done in the past,” Harris said. “It’s just about waiting to get to the games and playing fast. You know me — I like practice, but I love the games.”

Minicamp opens The Broncos were on the field for more than two hours, but their minicamp practice looked a lot like the organized team activity workouts.

“We followed the same practice plan, just added a few minutes to every period because we can stay out here longer,” Fangio said.

Practice began outside, moved inside because of weather concerns and finished outside. A hurry-up period wrapped up the session.

The first-team offense got bogged down, their series ending with an incompletion (break-up by cornerback ), a penalty on left guard and a batted-down pass by nose tackle Shelby Harris.

Second-team quarterback Kevin Hogan had five incompletions (not including a clock-stopping spike), including a near by cornerback De’Vante Bausby and a break-up by safety Su’a Cravens.

The third-team offense was ready to take the field, but Fangio put the starters back out there. Flacco completed 6-of-8 passes during the possession.

“We had extra time (and) a couple of drives that didn’t last as long as they could have and we gave them some more reps,” Fangio said.

Overall as an offense during the offseason program, Flacco said: “Vic’s defense and the progress they’ve made and the amount of stuff they’ve put in, it tests you every day so you go out there and you make some mistakes. But we’ve been able to learn from a lot of them.”

Lock’s collisions Rookie quarterback , who is running the third-team offense, was involved in two collisions.

Lock hit the turf when rookie outside linebacker didn’t slow down soon enough. Lock popped right back up and Reed received a few words from Fangio.

“We make our guys aware of (not contacting the quarterback) all the time and I think our offensive linemen and defensive linemen and outside , the guys primarily protecting and rushing, have done a great job since we’ve been here of getting something out of practice without overdoing it,” Fangio said.

Later, Lock scrambled right and barreled over cornerback Trey Johnson, who was caught in no man’s land — get out of the way or slow Lock down.

Injury updates Receiver (Achilles), (wrist) and Jake Butt (ACL) will end the offseason program the same way they started it — as spectators. Lindsay and Butt did some individual work, but none did any team drills.

Of Sanders, Fangio said: “I think Emmanuel is doing well physically. I have no medical basis for this, but I think he’ll be back earlier than people think.”

Right guard Ron Leary (Achilles) appeared to participate in more plays and cornerback (shoulder) did 11-on-11 work after being limited to 7-on-7 during the three OTAs open to the media.

Footnotes. The only missing player was inside linebacker Todd Davis, whose wife went into labor Tuesday morning. Joseph Jones took Davis’ spot with the first-team defense. … The Broncos hosted 50 members of the military from Fort Carson. Players signed autographs for them after practice. … Former Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt has been a regular at OTAs and worked with Fangio in . Just an observer or will he have a role in training camp? “He’s here observing — his wife kicked him out of the house,” Fangio joked.

Von Miller responds to critics of his Pass Summit By Kyle Fredickson Denver Post June 5, 2019

Broncos linebacker invited top NFL edge rushers to share knowledge last weekend.

Von Miller is truly a man of the people.

Some folks in NFL circles are not so sure that’s a good thing.

The Broncos’ outside linebacker held his third-annual Pass Rush Summit last weekend at the UNLV football campus in where many of the league’s top defenders — such as Miller, , , and others — gathered to share knowledge on the practice field and in the film room.

Miller handpicked the NFL players in attendance and a large number of college pass rushers joined after Miller posted information about the event on social media. In total, the summit drew 40 participants and Miller described the rise in turnout as “crazy.” Although some sports media pundits might use the same word to describe logic behind the camp.

Mike Florio and Chris Simms of NBC Sports recently debated the merits of Miller’s Pass Rush Summit and their comments were hardly flattering.

Florio: “(It) has to be awkward when he goes back to Denver and his offense is like, ‘Von, we play some of those guys. What are you doing trying to make these guys into better pass rushers?’ It’s amazing to me because it defies the whole concept of team.”

Simms: “I would never take part in this, Mike, I’ll say that. If I were an elite pass rusher, there’s no way I’m going anywhere and sharing some of my tricks … or some of the things I do special with everybody else.”

Miller responded to that criticism directly Tuesday.

“It’s not like a secret move I have in my bag that I’m holding from everybody else,” Miller said. “You can see everything I’ve got on film. That’s just a place where we can all compare what we’re doing.”

Friendship among foes is hardly new among professional athletes in the modern age, especially with free agency, as witnessed when opposing players often swap jersey’s following games. Miller’s push to share knowledge among his “competitors” one weekend each summer is fueled by a desire to raise the pass- rushing bar across the league and give back to the game.

“We’re all effective (as pass rushers) at what we do, but it’s just different,” Miller said. “To really go out there and get the knowledge of the ways other guys rush is incredible. … It’s just a better way to do my job. I feel like once you get stuck in your game, it’s over.”

Plus, it’s a growing league concept. Former NFL offensive lineman Duke Manyweather founded the first “OL Masterminds Summit” last summer where more than 26 pro players — including Broncos offensive linemen Ron Leary and Menelik Watson — convened in Dallas for a similar event to share technique among peers. Don’t expect Miller to change his views on such gatherings. He said: “There should be more.”

The lessons are invaluable.

“You get guys like Aaron Donald really going over 30 of his plays,” Miller continued. “Guys who are just in college and young guys in the league, they can see that and it’s really the only place they can be around a guy like that other than the . And everybody doesn’t make it to the Pro Bowl.”

Public service award. Miller was named the recipient of a national honor Tuesday celebrating his dedication to serving Denver’s community.

The Broncos linebacker will take home the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports, an annual distinction in its 47th year given to a professional sports figure as chosen by the national nonprofit Multiplying Good. Miller will accept the honor during a ceremony on June 18 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., where former Broncos edge rusher DeMarcus Ware will introduce Miller.

“We’ve got a huge platform and you’ve got to be able to use that platform for the better,” Miller said. “It’s incredible that I have a team around me that really helps me put my vision out there to help the community.”

Miller, the Broncos’ all-time sacks leader, founded Von’s Vision in 2012, which provides low-income children with vision care and eye exams. His personal charity has since raised more than $4.5 million. Miller also led an effort last season to raise $200,000 from the team to provide local police with training and equipment for responding to active shooters through Shield 616.

Previous winners of the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports include (2018), Shaquille O’Neal (2018), Joe Torre (2017), Mariano Rivera (2014), Troy Vincent (2012) and Peyton Manning (2006).

Broncos Minicamp: First practice wraps up; Miller to receive national award By Kyle Fredickson Denver Post June 5, 2019

Seven-time Pro Bowler dedicates charity to low-income families in need of vision care.

Von Miller was named the recipient of a national honor Tuesday celebrating his dedication to serving Denver’s community.

The Broncos linebacker will take home the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports, an annual distinction in its 47th year given to a professional sports figure as chosen by the national nonprofit Multiplying Good. Miller will accept the honor during a ceremony on June 18 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., where former Broncos edge rusher DeMarcus Ware will introduce Miller.

Miller, the Broncos’ all-time sacks leader, founded Von’s Vision in 2012, which provides low-income children with vision care and eye exams. His personal charity has since raised more than $4.5 million. Miller also led an effort last season to raise $200,000 from the team to provide local police with training and equipment for responding to active shooters through Shield 616.

Previous winners of the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports include: Chris Long (2018), Shaquille O’Neal (2018), Joe Torre (2017), Mariano Rivera (2014), Troy Vincent (2012) and Peyton Manning (2006).

Minicamp begins

The Broncos held the first of their three mandatory minicamp practices today. Some notes.

*The only player not present was inside linebacker Todd Davis, whose wife went into labor earlier today. Joseph Jones took the first-team reps in his stead.

*Not participating were receiver Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles), tight end Jake Butt (ACL) and running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist). They did some individual drills, but no team work. Cornerback Isaac Yiadom (shoulder) was in on 11-on-11 work after being limited to 7-on-7 during OTAs and right guard Ron Leary (Achilles) increased his activity.

*Coach Vic Fangio on minicamp vs. OTAs: “We followed the same practice plan, just added a few minutes to every period because we can stay out here longer.”

*Practice ended with a hurry-up drill. The first-team offense/defense got an extra period to end the session. “We had extra time, a couple of drives that didn’t last as long as they could have and we gave them some more reps,” Fangio said.

*Two collisions involved quarterback Drew Lock. After throwing a pass, he hit the deck when outside linebacker Malik Reed didn’t pull up in time, which earned him a quick chat with Fangio. Later, Lock scrambled and ran over cornerback Trey Johnson, who apparently didn’t know whether to get out of the way or gently slow Lock down.

*Practice started outside, moved inside when a weather system came through and finished outside.

Why Broncos prioritized signing undrafted Stanford cornerback By Kyle Fredickson Denver Post June 5, 2019

Denver’s mandatory minicamp begins Tuesday at Dove Valley.

Alijah Holder expected to be in camp with the this offseason.

The Broncos had different plans.

Holder, a former Stanford cornerback, received a text message from Eagles coach leading up the NFL draft and Holder followed up when he went unselected after seven rounds. Philadelphia drew up the paperwork to sign him as a free agent. Then, suddenly, a phone call from a 303 area code.

“I had basically done everything except write my name on the dotted line,” Holder said. “I had no idea about Denver.”

Holder had about 15 minutes to make his choice. But anxiety shifted to excitement once he understood why Denver made its last-minute push. Holder called it the “perfect decision” to join the Broncos and gushed about his experience through OTAs.

Understanding Holder’s fit, though, requires digging back nearly a decade into Vic Fangio’s coaching past. A quick history lesson: Stanford hired Fangio as its defensive coordinator in 2010, and despite only one season in Palo Alto and with staff turnover since his departure, Fangio’s system still provides the groundwork for its defense today.

“Over the years, people put their spin on it and the NFL doesn’t carry over completely, but Fangio’s fingerprints are all over this program,” said Stanford defensive backs coach Duane Akina. “Maybe some language has changed. Certainly what’s being demanded is the same.”

The familiarity has provided Holder with confidence in fighting for a roster spot as the team begins mandatory minicamp Tuesday.

“I’ve been running (Fangio’s) defense for the last five years,” Holder said. “It’s pretty seamless to me right now.”

What helps give Holder a chance is elite size at 6-feet-1, 181 pounds. Akina described Holder as a “physical and great-tackling corner” who relied on technique to earn honorable mention All-Pac 12 honors as a senior. But two major injuries — shoulder (sophmore) and knee (junior) — required season-ending surgeries that limited Holder to 12 game appearances through that span.

“It’s really unfortunate with the two injuries he sustained because he was playing as well as anybody in our conference,” Akina said. “I really thought he would have some tough decisions to make his junior year whether to come out (to the NFL) or not. He was playing that well.” Holder now has the opportunity to make good on a fresh start with full health. He must prove an upgrade over likely roster-bubble cornerbacks such as De’Vante Bausby, Trey Johnson, Horace Richardson, and . And, do well on special teams. Holder told The Denver Post he’s “living in a state of gratitude” for whatever comes next.

“Right now I feel like I’m doing a good job knowing my alignment and my assignment because I’m so familiar with the defense already. Bottom line, I’ve just got to make plays.”

Broncos sign Green. On the eve of minicamp, the Broncos signed veteran guard/tackle on Monday. The team is now at the maximum 90 players under contract.

Green, 27, was originally a third-round draft pick by Dallas in 2015 and has also been with New Orleans and Oakland. He was cut by the Raiders last week to make room for guard . Listed at 6- foot-5, 318 pounds, Green has played 22 games and has seven starts (six for Dallas in 2016-17 and one last year for the Raiders).

Cut by the Cowboys after the 2018 preseason, Green spent a month with New Orleans before ending the year with Oakland (four games).

Staff writer Ryan O’Halloran contributed to this story.

Flacco of Youth: Broncos QB comfortable with new team By Mike Klis KMGH June 5, 2019

Lock coming on; Todd Davis' wife delivers baby boy;

Joe Flacco is 34, going on 23 he’s proud to say.

Life with the Broncos have been his Flacco of Youth.

Courtland Sutton, Flacco’s top receiver of the offseason, is 23 years old. Co-No. 2 receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick are 24 and 25, respectively. First-round tight end is 21.

Do they make Flacco feel old? To the contrary.

“I just don’t think I’m 34,’’ Flacco said at his press conference following the Broncos’ mandatory practice Tuesday. “I forget. I think I’m 23, too. It really does happen. I’ll be sitting in there and we’re just shooting the breeze in the locker room, cafeteria, wherever, and you really forget. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, these guys are 10 years younger than I am at least.’ It doesn’t really dawn on me. I really don’t see it that way.’’

After 11 seasons with the , Flacco is becoming increasingly comfortable as the Broncos quarterback. He was talking about how his infamous (around these parts) Flacco Fling that stunned the Broncos in the 2012-season playoffs didn’t travel as far as people think because receiver Jacoby Jones, who was not expecting the ball, didn’t take off straight down the field.

Later in a private discussion with 9News in the breezeway to the team cafeteria, Flacco talked about how he had to throw his pass higher to adjust to Jones’ settling down on his route. It was the height of the pass, with perhaps some aid from altitude, that caused Broncos safety Rahim Moore to misjudge it.

“He’s been what I remembered from when I was around him way back,’’ said Vic Fangio, the Broncos’ head coach and former Ravens’ defensive assistant, said of Flacco. “He still has a big arm. The ball still comes out of his hand with a lot of liveliness to it. It’s a very catchable ball. I think the guys like playing with him, and I’ve been happy with Joe.”

Flacco didn’t go grumpy old man on the bizarre nature of how practice was conducted Tuesday. The Broncos started outside beneath threatening skies. Then about 10 minutes in, the lightning siren went off and the Broncos practiced inside at the Fieldhouse for about an hour, 10 minutes. Then the skies cleared and practice was moved back outside – at first beneath cool temperatures and then the sun blazed its 80-degree heat.

The weather in Colorado adjusted by the minute and so did Flacco, who seemed to execute better outdoors than in. What kid isn’t happier playing outside?

“Everybody wants to talk about age and things like that,’’ Flacco said. “In this sport it really doesn’t matter that much. It’s just about going out there and preforming. Being in an NFL locker room, you never grow up. I don’t care how old you are. Thirty-four is not really that old. I know it’s old in this sport. You don’t grow up. I plan on being a kid the rest of my life.

“That’s why I have a couple of kids of my own. I have to be dad, but it’s nice to be their dad because you can be their friend and be the kid a little bit. In this locker room you have no choice. It’s an awesome work atmosphere and that’s why we’re the luckiest people in the world.”

Lock is learning

Fangio was asked to evaluate his quarterbacks with two practices left in the Broncos’ offseason.

“I think Joe’s had a really good offseason, camp or however you want to phrase it,’’ Fangio said. “I think Drew [Lock] is slowly getting better. Which he’s got a major undertaking here of No. 1, learning a new offense, No. 2 playing under center more and just getting the speed of the NFL game.

“Come training camp once we get the pads on, it’ll amp up even more. I think he’s slowly making strides. And I don’t mean slowly as a negative, I think he’s getting a little bit better every day.”

Mandatory unless …

The only player not present at the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday was inside linebacker Todd Davis. He was excused because his wife Zina went into labor. She delivered a 6 pound, 12 ounce, 19- inch boy – Canon Banks Gabriel – at around 2 p.m. Tuesday. Mom and baby are healthy and well, Davis said.

At first Davis said he wasn’t sure if he would attend practice Wednesday and then he said he probably would attend.

Special teams standout Joe Jones replaced Davis with the No. 1 defense Tuesday.

Bronco Bits

About 50 Army troops from Fort Carson attended the Broncos’ practice Tuesday. Fangio said they are about to be deployed to Kuwait in a couple weeks. …

Running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist) and tight end Jake Butt (knee) continued to participate in position drills but continued to sit out the 11-on-11 team periods. …

Top receiver Emmanuel Sanders has begun running routes as he takes the next step in his recovery from Achilles surgery. “I’ve got no medical basis for this, but I think he’ll be back earlier than people think,’’ Fangio said. …

Two receivers who have been impressive are rookie Kelvin McKnight and former 49er .

Von Miller a giver of craft and himself as he climbs all- time sack chart By Mike Klis KMGH June 5, 2019

Broncos pass rusher recognized for public service as he returns from his pass-rush summit to Broncos' minicamp.

As Lou from Littleton likes to say, there are two kinds of people in this world: givers and takers.

Von Miller is a giver. How ‘bout this: Miller, the Broncos’ star pass rusher, won’t get Lasik surgery even though he can afford a million of them. Why? Because he wants to continue to give back to needy kids and share their issue with challenged eyesight.

"I've been wearing glasses my whole entire life,’’ Miller said after he had his way again during the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday. “I've had problems with my vision my whole entire life. To really help in that area it's incredible. I haven't gotten Lasik to this point just because of that. I didn't want to get Lasik and be walking around with costume glasses on. I could never relate to guys.

“I still wear the same glasses. I still have horrible vision. To this day, I still put on contacts every single day just like those kids. If we can't relate in any other way, we can relate in that aspect.’’

Miller gives to his peers, too. He held his third annual Pass Rush Summit over the weekend, this time in Las Vegas – where the turnaround was a who’s who of the NFL’s best sack artists.Did Miller learn a new pass-rush move and try it on right tackle Ja’Wuan James during the Broncos’ minicamp practice Tuesday?

"The thing is, there really aren't any secrets,’’ Miller said. “There really aren't any secrets in the pros. … It's not like a secret move that I've got in my bag that I'm holding from everybody else. You see everything I've got on film.’’

“It's just a place where we are comparing what we're doing. … You get guys like Aaron Donald going out there and really going over 30 of his plays, and the guys the guys still in college and the young guys in the league they can see that.

“It's really the only place the can be around a guy like that other than the Pro Bowl. Everybody doesn't make it to the Pro Bowl. To have everybody in one room to go over film and really compare what they're seeing and really comparing what they're seeing on plays is dope. There's not another spot like it."

Earlier Tuesday, it was announced Miller had received the Jefferson Award in recognition of his public service. Former teammate DeMarcus Ware will present the national award to Miller later this month in Washington D.C.

After his practice and press conference Tuesday, Miller rushed over to a local bowling alley for another one of his Von’s Vision events.

"Uncle Ben said, 'With great power comes great responsibility,'’’ Miller said in quoting from the Spiderman movie. “And we have a huge platform. You have to be able to use that platform for the better. I've got a huge team around me. I had a lot of great examples come before me that really showed the way from Tim Tebow to , , DeMarcus, and Peyton (Manning).

“Peyton was one of the winners a few years back. To have some of these guys come before me and really show me the way it's incredible."

No one gives all the time. Miller won’t give up his sacks. He is currently tied for 33rd all-time with 98.0 sacks even though he has only played eight seasons. He needs but 40 more – or three more typical Von seasons -- to move inside the top 10.

"I care about sacks,’’ Miller said. “I care about getting sacks, care about getting a lot of them.’’

Which is fine. A Miller sack gives his team a better chance to win.

Von Miller to receive the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports By Mike Klis KMGH June 5, 2019

Broncos linebacker Von Miller will be honored for his public service by the Multiplying Good Foundation.

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has been chosen to receive the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports, it was announced Tuesday by the Multiplying Good Foundation.

The 2019 Jefferson Awards will be held on Tuesday, June 18, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Former Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware will serve as Miller’s presenter.

Since 2012, Miller has raised more than $4.5 million dollars for Von’s Vision, with the goal of providing low-income children with vision care and eye exams while serving as an eye-glasses wearing role model.

Miller was also the Broncos’ 2018 NFL Man of the Year nominee.

Co-created by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard in 1972, the Jefferson Awards is the country's largest assembly of individuals committed to public service.

“By providing a prestigious platform that recognizes outstanding, selfless acts of service, we motivate our award recipients to do more and we inspire others to take action in service to others, creating a ripple of good,” said Hillary Schafer, Multiplying Good Foundation CEO. “The youth, grassroots, corporations and notable national award recipients who join us at the D.C. Jefferson Awards represent the very best of our country, people who have dedicated themselves to serving others. By bringing them together and elevating their work, we inspire communities nationwide.”

Past Jefferson Award recipients include Chris Long (2018), Shaquille O’Neal (2018), Joe Torre (2017), Mariano Rivera (2014),Troy Vincent (2012) and Peyton Manning (2006).

Observations from Day 1 of Broncos mandatory minicamp By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic June 5, 2019

The Broncos kicked off their three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday, giving them one final stretch of pad-less workouts before training camp arrives.

For two months, the Broncos have installed ’s offense — really, a Shanahan offense — and Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense, while acclimating to yet another new starting quarterback, new front five and new secondary.

Day 1 of minicamp put their progress on display — as much as can be, anyway, before hitting is allowed.

Some takeaways from Tuesday’s session:

Flacco in charge

Joe Flacco is proving to be the guy the Broncos thought and hoped they were getting when they traded for him earlier in the offseason. The 11-year veteran appears very much as the veteran quarterback the Broncos have sorely needed since Peyton Manning’s retirement. His throws appear effortless, his grasp of the offense seamless and his rapport with his pass-catchers growing stronger by the day.

Sure, he hasn’t faced the true wrath of Von Miller and on the edge, but he has sampled enough of Fangio’s defense to test his feel for the offense.

So far, so good.

Tuesday, his arm strength — “a cannon,” as Shelby Harris calls it — was on full display.

“He had a play-action roll-out to the right and threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15,” Miller said. “I don’t know how far that is, but he threw the ball far. ‘B-Lang’ () almost caught the ball, but those are the types of plays we have to have. … He can throw the ball 80 yards, easy. He threw it 80 yards across the field. He’s looking like a Super Bowl MVP to me.”

Upon hearing the praise of his teammates, Flacco joked that “they’re just saying that, probably because they feel they have to.”

But he admitted he has felt comfortable with his teammates and the offense since he arrived in Denver. Perhaps more significant is his comfort with the coaching staff and how they’re teaching the new offense.

“I feel like I can go in a quarterback room and really get on the board or whatever it is and take the offense and go out on the field and translate that to running it,” Flacco said. “I feel like I have a good grasp on things, but it’s always improving and getting faster and making sure your feet are in the right spot. That’s why I like this offense so much because so much is tied into where your eyes are and how your feet are. Rich does a good job teaching it and makes it easy for us as quarterbacks to really go out there and make that happen.

“Like when we’re in individual (drills) and stuff like that, he’s constantly talking to us about the timing of some of the routes we’re throwing, and he’s constantly looking at our feet, making sure that we have them in the ground, have a good base. I think as long as you start with those fundamentals … you start to get used to them and your eyes and your feet are all tied into it. So if you can get that individual period down, all the other stuff kind of comes. I think really all the guys are starting to do a good job with that.”

Von being Von

Miller and Chubb have to be held back per NFL rules during this phase of the offseason, but it hasn’t stopped either from showing what they do best. Miller, especially, still has that get-off that has given his offensive linemen fits during team drills, and has made attempts by additional blockers to chip him appear meaningless.

Earlier in the offseason, Miller said he put on 10 pounds because he feels it gives him more leverage when battling offensive linemen. Skeptics believed the extra weight might slow him down, but that has hardly been the case so far. Just ask Ja’Wuan James.

And Vic Fangio, who said during his introductory news conference that he believes Miller can improve, has already seen a noticeable change in his game.

“Well obviously he has to learn a new defense, so that’s job one that you’re looking for,” Fangio said. “And two, we’re just trying to get him to do a little bit of the technique things a little bit better, from pass-rush to dropping to run play. He’s done a good job of embracing that and I’ve seen improvement from him.”

Status updates

The status of Phillip Lindsay (wrist) and Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) hasn’t changed since OTAs. Lindsay participated in stretching and some of the individual drills but observed or worked with strength coach Loren Landow during the rest of practice. Sanders was on the field during stretching, but that was the extent of his practice period. He spent the majority of it in the training room.

It’s been only six months since Sanders tore his Achilles in practice, and while he has yet to take part in practice, his progress is notable for an injury that is notorious for requiring a lengthy recovery.

“I think Emmanuel is doing well physically,” Fangio said. “I have no medical basis for this, but I believe he’ll be back earlier than people think.”

Ron Leary, also recovering from an Achilles injury, participated in team drills and is on track with what Fangio said to expect during OTAs — that he would be part of the final practices before the team goes on break.

And Jake Butt, coming back from an ACL injury, ran routes during the early portion of practice but worked with Landow during situational drills.

Langley improving Langley was given the green light from general manager John Elway at the end of last season to switch from cornerback to receiver and spent the entire offseason training for just that. Tuesday, he had one of his finest days and was used often with the first- and second-team offenses.

But he still has his work cut out for him to make the 53-man roster. Much of it could depend on his special- teams contributions — he’s been in the mix for returners — and if the Broncos keep six receivers.

More important to Fangio now is how quickly he adapts to his new position.

“Obviously he can run and everybody sees that and would like that to become part of the team,” Fangio said. “But he has to become a football player too. That’s part of the process and he’s working through it.”

For the win

When Peyton Manning stopped by Broncos practice last week he said that one of the things he remembered most about his time with Fangio in Indianapolis (Fangio was the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 1999-2001) was how competitive he was in practice.

“He tried to win every practice and (the defense) would have the upper hand a lot at practice,” Manning said. “And he really could be irritating. I can’t remember what I did, but it seems like they held a lot during one practice. We didn’t have refs at practice back then but I was probably complaining about they’re holding our receivers and Vic put a plate of wine and cheese in my locker. He didn’t say it was him but I knew it was him. Only he had access to it. But it was really competitive every day in practice. And if you get a compliment from Vic Fangio, you’ve done something special, because he does not roll them out there very much. But it was competitive and I think it helped me a lot.”

As a head coach now, Fangio is responsible for both sides of the ball — “I win no matter who wins out here now,” he joked Tuesday — but Flacco said he can still see that defensive competitive edge creep in.

“There’s no doubt. You can see it,” Flacco said. “I think a couple weeks ago, we did a little situation and I threw a touchdown pass to Tim (Patrick) in the back of the end zone. The period was supposed to be over. It was supposed to be the twos. Vic was like, ‘OK, run it back.’ It was like, ‘All right, I guess we’ll beat you again.’

“No, you can tell. He’s a head coach, but he’s obviously got that fire to be that great defensive play-caller and get that defense where he wants it to be, and he wants to win every single day, every single play.”

Top five takeaways as Broncos begin mandatory minicamp By Troy Renck KMGH June 5, 2019

Top 5 takeaways from first day of mandatory camp.

NFL practices in June resemble MLB spring training in March. The workouts remain intriguing, but can be misleading. It remains wise not to overreact to things happening without players wearing full pads. "I will wait until the real games," a veteran told me after the sun-splashed afternoon practice finished.

OK, that's fair. So sprinkle optimism with water. No need for an extinguisher.

My Top 5 Takeaways from the first day of mandatory minicamp:

NFL practices in June resemble MLB spring training in March. The workouts remain intriguing, but can be misleading. It remains wise not to overreact to things happening without players wearing full pads. "I will wait until the real games," a veteran told me after the sun-splashed afternoon practice finished.

OK, that's fair. So sprinkle optimism with water. No need for an extinguisher.

My Top 5 Takeaways from the first day of mandatory minicamp:

1) Flacco settles into new life Three months into the second chapter of his career, Joe Flacco feels like the Broncos No. 1 quarterback. His increased comfort level with Rich Scangarello’s offense is there for all to witness. And Flacco continues to show calm while improvising on broken plays.

"I tell you what, I figured it would probably take a week or two to feel like part of the team in terms of -- not really on the football field. That stuff comes naturally. When you are on the football field, you just start playing. But building relationships with these guys off the field. We have a great goup," Flacco said. "It's a credit to them how comfortable I have felt since I walked into the building."

2) Flacco has his fastball This much is known. Flacco has not eclipsed 20 touchdowns since 2014, his last playoff berth as a starter. He still, though, has his fastball. It sounded like Von Miller was talking about Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite" when discussing Flacco's arm strength.

"He looks like a Super Bowl MVP to me. Today, he had a play-action rollout play to the right, and he threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15," Miller said. "I don't know how far that that is. But it was far."

For Flacco, his age remains a number he believes he can taunt. At 34, he is a decade older than most of his teammates, including his receiving corps without Emmanuel Sanders. "I don't see it as a problem. I really don't think I am 34. It really doesn't dawn on me. In this sport, age doesn't matter. It's about going out there and performing," Flacco said. "Being in an NFL locker room, you never grow up."

3) Von could actually be better Von Miller wants to set a career-high in sacks this season. He told coach Vic Fangio he wanted to be coached by him. So far, he's embracing learning. Fangio has seen Miller make improvement in his pass rush, rush defense and in his drops in coverage. It's June. But Von is all in -- building off the energy from his pass-rushing summit in Las Vegas last weekend. Miller wrecked several plays on Tuesday. It means nothing now. However, it will matter if he has 10 sacks in his first eight games next season.

4) Running for daylight The running game takes shape in training camp when pads are on and tackling restrictions are lifted. However, a couple of good signs emerged Tuesday. Phillip Lindsay, the Broncos' best offensive player last season as a rookie, participated in drills for the first time without a brace on his surgically-repaired right wrist. , no longer bothered by an ankle issue, looks faster in his cuts and first steps this summer. Also, right guard Ron Leary practiced fully as he returns from Achilles surgery.

5) Defense has an edge Vic Fangio wants to win practice. Peyton Manning said it last week about his former Colts defensive coordinator. It was evidenced Tuesday. The first-team group was getting after it. At one point, some of the first-stringers were told to move back from the goal line while they were on the sideline, and defensive back said, "Why should we move? They aren't going to score anyway."

Broncos' Von Miller to be honored with 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports By Blair Miller KMGH June 5, 2019

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller will be honored in June with the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports in Washington D.C., the Multiplying Good Foundation announced Tuesday.

Miller was the Broncos’ 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee and is recognized as a leader off the field nearly as much as he is respected for his leadership on the field.

He has been named the NFL Players Association Community MVP twice in his career and has raised more than $4.5 million since 2012 through Von’s Vision, which helps provide low-income families with eye exams and eyeglasses for their children.

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller will be honored in June with the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports in Washington D.C., the Multiplying Good Foundation announced Tuesday.

Miller was the Broncos’ 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee and is recognized as a leader off the field nearly as much as he is respected for his leadership on the field.

He has been named the NFL Players Association Community MVP twice in his career and has raised more than $4.5 million since 2012 through Von’s Vision, which helps provide low-income families with eye exams and eyeglasses for their children.

“By providing a prestigious platform that recognizes outstanding, selfless acts of service, we motivate our award recipients to do more and we inspire others to take action in service to others, creating a ripple of good,” said Multiplying Good Foundation CEO Hillary Schafer. “The youth, grassroots, corporations and notable national award recipients who join us at the D.C. Jefferson Awards represent the very best of our country, people who have dedicated themselves to serving others. By bringing them together and elevating their work, we inspire communities nationwide.”

The Jefferson Awards are in their 47th year and will held Tuesday, June 18 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.

Former Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware will present the award to Miller. Past recipients include Peyton Manning, Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Torre.

Broncos' Von Miller to be honored with 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports By Blair Miller KMGH June 5, 2019

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller will be honored in June with the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports in Washington D.C., the Multiplying Good Foundation announced Tuesday.

Miller was the Broncos’ 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee and is recognized as a leader off the field nearly as much as he is respected for his leadership on the field.

He has been named the NFL Players Association Community MVP twice in his career and has raised more than $4.5 million since 2012 through Von’s Vision, which helps provide low-income families with eye exams and eyeglasses for their children.

“By providing a prestigious platform that recognizes outstanding, selfless acts of service, we motivate our award recipients to do more and we inspire others to take action in service to others, creating a ripple of good,” said Multiplying Good Foundation CEO Hillary Schafer. “The youth, grassroots, corporations and notable national award recipients who join us at the D.C. Jefferson Awards represent the very best of our country, people who have dedicated themselves to serving others. By bringing them together and elevating their work, we inspire communities nationwide.”

The Jefferson Awards are in their 47th year and will held Tuesday, June 18 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.

Former Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware will present the award to Miller. Past recipients include Peyton Manning, Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Torre.

Broncos’ Joe Flacco shows he still has the arm strength By Arnie Stapleton June 5, 2019

Joe Flacco still has it.

The 34-year-old quarterback showed off his strong right arm Tuesday as the kicked off their three-day minicamp , throwing frozen ropes over the middle and deep passes down the sideline.

“He looks like a Super Bowl MVP to me,” Von Miller said. “Today he had a play-action, rolled out to the right and threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15. Now, I don’t know how far that is.”

Sixty-five yards — and just out of Brendan Langley’s reach.

“He threw the ball far,” Miller said. “He can throw 80 yards, easy.”

Another time, Flacco hit rookie tight end Noah Fant in stride for a 50-yard gain.

Asked afterward how far he can still throw it, Flacco said, “I have no idea. I hope I don’t have to throw the ball too, too far. You want to get the ball out and throw it in rhythm. So, hopefully, 50 yards downfield and you won’t push it down much further than that.

“But I would think that the air up here, you actually can get a few more yards further. I mean, I have no idea how far I can throw a ball up here. I haven’t really tried and I don’t really plan on going out there and trying to do it.”

Well, he did it once.

Back in the playoffs in 2012, he hit Jacoby Jones with a 70-yard touchdown throw in the final minute of regulation that sparked Baltimore’s stunning double-overtime win over Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

“That gets pumped up,” Flacco said. “If you go back and look at that throw, it was only like 50 yards. It could have been more. Jacoby didn’t think the ball was coming to him. I was getting ready to wind up and fire it. Next thing you know I had to kind of take some off. I don’t think I threw the ball that far there. But, whatever you want to say, it sounds good.”

What the Broncos want to get out of their three-day minicamp that caps their offseason program is confidence that Flacco can hit his targets all over the field, short, medium and long.

The Broncos’ hopes of ending a three-year playoff drought rest on Flacco being the steady veteran they thought he was when they traded for him this offseason and not having to rush rookie Drew Lock.

So far, coach Vic Fangio likes what he sees in Flacco.

“He still has a big arm, the ball still comes out of his hand with a lot of liveliness to it,” Fangio said. “It’s a very catchable ball. I think the guys like playing with him. I’ve been happy with Joe.” Of course, Flacco flashed Tuesday during 7-on-7 drills and without the likes of or Chris Jones bearing down on him. But his passing prowess is a welcome change after the Broncos quartet of Trevor Siemian, , Paxton Lynch and Case Keenum over the last three seasons.

The key come September is keeping Flacco upright, and that’s why the Broncos are excited about the changes they’ve made up front, drafting LG Dalton Risner, signing RT Ja’Wuan James and hiring O-line coach , who will try to fix LT Garett Bolles.

When Manning visited the Broncos practice last week he mentioned how having Fangio as his defensive coordinator early in his career in Indianapolis made him a better quarterback because Fangio tried to win every practice.

“There’s no doubt, you can see it, man,” Flacco said, suggesting Fangio still has a bit of that defensive coordinator in him as he transitions into being a head coach for the first time.

“I think it’s a good thing. It creates that competition every day in practice,” Flacco said.

Flacco said he was a bit awed by Manning’s visit.

“I don’t really know Peyton that well. So, it’s still cool for me,” Flacco said. “He’s still a guy that I grew up watching play. Now, I’m on the same football field as him. So, I really don’t lose sight of that. Shoot, it’s Peyton Manning, I’m still watching him do Nationwide commercials, just like (everyone else). So, anytime I get a chance to talk with him it’s pretty neat.”

Some of Flacco’s teammates have said similar things about how they grew up watching him, especially members of his exceptionally young receiving corps.

Not that it makes Flacco feel old.

“I forget. I think I’m 23, too,” Flacco said. “And it really does happen. I’ll be sitting in there and we’ll be shooting the breeze in the cafeteria or locker room or whatever and you really do forget, oh my God, these guys are 10 years younger than I am, at least some of them. It doesn’t really dawn on me. I really don’t see it that way. Everybody wants to talk about age. But in this sport it really doesn’t matter that much. It’s just about going out there and performing.”

Notes from Broncos minicamp, Day 1 By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com June 5, 2019

Situational football was the main dish on the Broncos' plate for their first practice of minicamp.

After being chased inside the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse just after the start of practice because of a thunderstorm, the Broncos opened with a red-zone period that included two sets of downs for the first-, second- and third-team offenses and some fourth-and-goal situations. Nearly two hours later, the team concluded practice outside with three two-minute drill possessions -- two for the first unit with Joe Flacco at quarterback against the No. 1 defense, and one for the second-teamers, with Kevin Hogan guiding the offense.

"We've practiced a ton of situations," Flacco said. "We've already been in the red zone, two-minute -- and not just one or two times, we've been doing a lot of it. So I think the fact that we've been able to do a lot of that stuff has made the learning curve a lot quicker for guys, and guys have adapted well to it."

The two-minute drill work provided some of the most intriguing moments of practice.

... Flacco and the first-team offense got two cracks at the defense, as a relatively quick end to the first series allowed Head Coach Vic Fangio to add another series to practice. In the first series, the defense stepped up to stop the offense on downs at the defense's 47-yard line. Flacco got the drive going with a pair of completions to Royce Freeman that moved the ball from the offense's 30-yard line to its 45. But after a 4-yard run and a 4-yard pass from Flacco to DaeSean Hamilton, the defense forced a pair of incompletions, with Shelby Harris sealing the stop by deflecting Flacco's pass at the line of scrimmage.

"We're going to put that pressure on [Flacco], and it's just going to make him better for game day," Harris said. "If we can put that pressure on him in practice -- it's nothing like he's going to see in the game, but he's going to be used to at least having people in his face."

The second attempt for the No. 1 offense went better, as Flacco opened with three passes to TE that moved the football 24 yards to the defense's 46-yard line.

"You've got a progression, and you've got the defense maybe determining a couple of parts of that," Flacco said. "Jeff's one of those guys that probably doesn't get a ton of chances in the pass game, but when he does, he's in the right spots. He gets there in the timing of the play, and he knows where to be and how to sit down and when to keep going. It's credit to him; he probably doesn't have a ton of chances, but when he does, he makes the most of it."

Flacco kept the drive going with a quick pass to , making a quick read in reaction to pressure from DB Kareem Jackson. Then, after an incompletion forced in part by pressure from safety Will Parks, Flacco hit Booker for 10 yards to move the offense to the defense's 29-yard line. Another completion -- this one to RB Royce Freeman -- ended a series in which all of the yardage came on passes to the tight ends and running backs.

... QB Kevin Hogan and the offense eventually found more success, although the defense lost an opportunity for a pick-6 when a De'Vante Bausby could not quite corral an interception on the third play of the series after the offense had gained a first down on Hogan completions to and Austin Fort.

Given the reprieve, rookie RB Devontae Jackson kept the drive alive. He gained 9 yards on a second-down pass from Hogan, then moved the chains on a fourth-down carry after Su'a Cravens deflected a third- down attempt to Fort. RB Khalfani Muhammad then provided the next push forward, galloping 24 yards down the right sideline with a third-and-10 pass from Hogan two plays later. But a chance for a touchdown went astray three plays later. Hogan had WR Fred Brown open for a fade in the back right corner of the end zone, but the pass sailed too far.

... WR Brendan Langley showed his speed by breaking open downfield throughout the practice. He nearly had the catch of the day on a deep pass from Flacco during a team period, but Flacco's pass sailed just beyond his reach.

"Today [Flacco] rode out in a play action out to the right and threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15," OLB Von Miller said of the pass. "I don’t know how far that is, but he threw the ball far, [and the receiver] almost caught the ball. Those are the types of easy plays that we have to have. He can throw 80 yards easily. He threw it 80 yards across the field. That’s looking like Super Bowl energy to me.”

What Fangio wants to see from Langley as he converts from cornerback to wide receiver is simple.

"Just that he can play his position," Fangio said. "He obviously can run, and everybody sees that and would like that to be part of the team, but he's got to become a football player, too."

... Flacco was able to get plenty of velocity without appearing to strain himself. During the seven-on-seven period, he used this quality to connect with TE Noah Fant for a long touchdown down the right seam. Fant easily got separation downfield, and Flacco led him perfectly for an over-the-shoulder connection that represented the longest gain of the day.

... An early red-zone period saw the offense get off to a rough start. Potential touchdowns went through the grasp of Booker and Winfree before Fort grabbed a 14-yard touchdown pass from Lock to get the offense on the positive side of the ledger. Later in the period, Hogan hit WR Aaron Burbridge for a score in the back of the end zone, using a pump fake to freeze the defense and buy some room for the fourth- year receiver.

... Fort's work is also worth noting. He had a leaping touchdown grab during a red-zone period last week. In addition to his aforementioned catches, he moved the chains during a period that saw the offense begin at its 1-yard line, getting open in the right flat. Lock quickly located him and Fort was off for what would have been a significant gain in game conditions.

... Pressure from the front seven was a constant throughout the open-to-media OTAs, and that remained the case Monday. On multiple occasions, Miller and Bradley Chubb both attacked off the edge, with the chance for either of them to record sacks in game conditions. Chubb generated some quick pressure by lunging toward the B-gap between the outside shoulder of the guard and the inside shoulder of the tackle.

... OLB also had a strong day, punctuated by a quick rush during a red-zone period that would have likely been a sack under game conditions. Watson dominated the second-team work at times Tuesday, and looks to be in regular-season shape. DE Billy Winn also fared well, blowing up multiple run plays during the team periods of practice.

... ILB Todd Davis did not practice to be with his wife as she delivered their baby. Joe Jones took his place on the No. 1 defense alongside Josey Jewell.

"[Jones] did okay," Fangio said. "I need to watch the tape, but he's doing fine,"

... The tempo of the work also remained brisk, as it has throughout the offseason program. Harris believes the conditioning that will result from the quicker pace will help the Broncos avoid the October fades that have followed strong starts.

"We're not going to have that problem this year," Harris said. "We're going to be in shape; we're going to be running around. The difference with Vic is that he expects execution, and that's what we're getting out of these practices, so you'll see it on the field."

'He's obviously got that fire': Flacco, Fangio share competitive spirit as mandatory minicamp begins By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com June 5, 2019

During one of the Broncos’ OTA practices last month, quarterback Joe Flacco got the best of Head Coach Vic Fangio’s first-string defense.

Flacco, who recounted the story Tuesday, found wide receiver Tim Patrick in the back of the end zone for a touchdown as the period came to an end.

But then Fangio stepped in.

“It was supposed to be the [second-string's turn],” Flacco said. “And Vic was like, ‘All right, run it back.’ I was like, ‘All right, I guess we’ll beat you again.’ You can tell [Fangio wants to win each drill]. He’s a head coach, but he’s obviously got that fire to be that great defensive play caller and get that defense where he wants it to be.

“He wants to win every single day, every single play.”

As the Broncos’ head coach, Fangio ultimately ends up on the right side of the competition no matter which unit performs best.

"I win no matter who wins out here now,” Fangio said laughing.

The defense, though, does win its fair share of the battles. Flacco said Fangio’s defense “tests you every day,” and that the offense has had to learn from its mistakes.

On Tuesday, the first-string defense stopped Flacco and the Broncos’ starting offense during a move-the- ball team period to end practice. The offense failed to convert a fourth down near midfield, and the drive ended. After the second-team offense took their turn, though, Flacco and the No. 1 group headed back on the field.

"We had extra time,” Fangio said. “A couple of drives didn't last as long as they could have, so we gave them some more reps."

Those plays against the first-team defense, Flacco said, are nothing if not helpful to the offense’s development.

“I think there’s been a lot of good and a lot of learning experiences,” Flacco said of the offseason program. “That’s the beauty of going against such a good defense at the same time [that we’re] learning a new offense, learning new guys. There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement. It was a good start, a good foundation. I’m really looking forward to improving and really getting going during training camp.”

STAYING UP During one team-period play early in practice, the pocket collapsed around quarterback Drew Lock. The rookie quarterback got his legs tangled with a defensive player, and Lock stumbled to the turf.

After practice, Fangio said it can be difficult to offer a competitive rush while avoiding tripping up a teammate.

“It’s hard,” Fangio said. “We make our guys aware of it all the time, and I think our offensive linemen and our defensive linemen and the outside linebackers — the guys primarily rushing and protecting — have done a great job since we’ve been here of getting something out of practice in the pass protection and pass-rush mode without overdoing it.”

Fangio said Lock was “slowly getting better” as he learns a new offense, adapts to playing under center and adjusts to the speed of the game.

“I don’t mean slowly as a negative,” Fangio said. “I think he’s getting a little bit better every day.”

IN GOOD COMPANY

During his time in Baltimore, Joe Flacco played with at least two Hall of Famers in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs could someday join those two defensive players in Canton. Von Miller, Flacco said Tuesday, stacks up well to that caliber of player.

“He’s another one of those guys,” Flacco said. “He is special. We have a couple guys on our defense, it’s not just him. But the things he can do to get around the edge and some of the things I think Vic’s going to have him doing in the defense, it’s really impressive what he can do [and] how he’s built.”

Flacco also credited Miller for his attitude in the locker room, but he was careful not to offer too much praise.

“I don’t want to talk too much about him because I don’t want to come off like Mr. Von Miller hype man,” Flacco joked.

CHATTING WITH PEYTON

Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning watched one of Denver’s OTA practices last week, and Flacco got the chance to talk with his former opponent.

“It’s cool,” Flacco said. “I don’t really know Peyton that well, so it’s still cool for me. He’s still a guy I grew up watching playing, and now I’m on the same football field as him. I really don’t lose sight of that. Shoot, it’s Peyton Manning. I’m still watching him do Nationwide commercials just like you guys are — and sitting there laughing. Any time I get to talk with him and do those kinds of things, it’s pretty neat.”

INJURY UPDATES

Guard Ron Leary participated in some team sessions during Monday’s minicamp practice. The veteran guard is recovering from an Achilles injury.

The rest of the Broncos’ injured players remain with the same statuses they held during OTAs, Fangio said. That means running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist) and tight end Jake Butt (knee) are participating in a limited capacity and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) remains to the side with trainers.

“They're all doing well,” Fangio said.

Sanders, who suffered his injury in early December, could return to the field sooner than expected.

“I think Emmanuel’s doing well physically,” Fangio said. “I’ve got no medical basis for this, but I think he’ll be back earlier than people think.”

Linebacker Todd Davis was also absent from Tuesday’s practice as his wife went into labor.

Leaving a legacy: An inside look at how Von Miller is putting his stamp on NFL history via his Pass Rush Summit By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com June 5, 2019

The instructor pauses his thought and takes a swig of coffee.

He looks back at those in attendance and considers his next sentence.

At this summit, his words may matter most. He is, after all, the keynote speaker of sorts.

It’s certainly not a traditional setting, as he has ditched the traditional hotel conference rooms and dim lighting.

No suits, either.

In a gray T-shirt and black athletic shorts — oh, and spike-studded sunglasses — he instead addresses a group of his contemporaries on a turf-covered athletic field at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

The palm trees that line the Rebels’ practice field offer little relief from the midday sun that hovers overhead.

But it matters not.

Von Miller is here on this early June afternoon to teach. And he’s here to work.

If Las Vegas is an oasis in the midst of a desert, Miller’s third annual Pass Rush Summit may be the lone haven for defenders looking to make an impact in an increasingly offensively minded league.

And these 40 men — the ones searching for whatever edge they can find, whatever can help them get closer to another sack — have given up a free weekend to ensure they don’t miss out.

Aaron Donald is here. Calais Campbell, too. . Frank Clark.

Their resumes are impressive.

Hundreds of combined sacks. Dozens of Pro Bowl appearances. An impressive number of All-Pro selections.

Donald has twice been named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year — and the other players on the field have often been the ones chasing him for the honor.

If all goes well on this Saturday in early June, one of the players could learn enough to put himself in position to be the next defensive player of the year.

“I’m so appreciative and blessed and beyond grateful to be a part of this with you guys and to link and learn,” Miller tells the group, which has spent two hours on the field teaching each other various pass- rushing moves. “That was the foundation of all this. It’s not me teaching you or y’all teaching me — we all learn from each other. To have something like this in the league is an honor and a privilege. It’s my way of giving back to the game that has given so much to me. I appreciate all of you guys.”

--

There’s a nugget of information to glean from each player and each conversation.

Former Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware demonstrates a power rush move, and Campbell and Donald jump in to offer their own expertise. Melvin Ingram chimes in as the conversation turns to the cross chop, a move that Ngakoue has nearly perfected.

Raiders tackle shares how he blocks a rusher when he has help from a running back — and how he’d prefer to never have any help.

Former quarterback Doug Flutie tells Miller and Ngakoue the secret to learning the offense’s snap count and why he always felt he could make at least one edge rusher miss. Against today’s players, Flutie says, that might not be the case. Miller tells the former Bills quarterback he’s working on avoiding getting too far upfield. “I’ve been trying to address that,” Miller says.

Ware works one-on-one with Ngakoue on a move that shortens the edge and gives the rusher a way to push the offensive tackle’s hands away. “It clicked,” Ngakoue says. Ware offers the same one-on-one instruction to Donald.

Miller leads the group in a conversation about stance and get-off and how he approaches crunch time. “The get-off is going to do it for me 70 percent of the time when the game is on the line. … I’m a gambler. … Where we get our money is when there’s blood in the water,” the Super Bowl 50 MVP says.

The lessons continue in the film room, where Miller, Donald, Ngakoue and Campbell show their own tape and walk the rest of the players through their thought process.

“I think the biggest thing is being able to share ideas,” Campbell says. “I watch their tape, you know? I study these guys already. So I talk to them and get an understanding of what they’re seeing [so] when I’m actually looking at tape, it makes sense. We get a chance to get an idea of [where] they’re coming from. I always like studying great players to see what I can learn from them. …When I’m watching tape and I see it, in my mind I’m like, ‘What is he doing there? Why is he doing that?’ And then you come out here today and it’s like, ‘Ohhh. That makes sense.’”

When’s Brown’s film gets put up and he rewinds a play of himself blocking Ingram, the room roars with laughter. The reaction is similar when Brown, a former Patriot, and Donald trade barbs about their Super Bowl LIII matchup.

The value of the sessions — both on the field and in the classroom — is clear. Donald, perhaps scarily, says he learned moves that can make him better. Campbell says the field work is rare and crucial to their improvement. Ngakoue calls the different perspectives valuable.

Miller, of course, says picking the brains of these top-tier players is “incredibly dope.”

And Ware, even with his 138.5 career sacks, is jealous of the opportunity he never got.

“I wish I had something like this when I was playing,” Ware says. “I would’ve gotten to see the Larry Allens and the Dwight Freeneys and the Simeon Rices and Jason Taylors, [the] Michael Strahans.

“If I would’ve gotten to see some of those guys at the time, I would’ve picked their brains like these guys are picking my brain right now.”

There’s a reason, of course, for the collaboration. Though it may seem counterintuitive for Miller to help division rivals like Ingram and Clark, there’s an added value for each of these players to “link and learn,” as Miller puts it.

It could also even the playing field between offenses and defenses.

“The NFL still wants points to be scored,” Campbell says. “We’re going to have some fun, though.”

The third annual Pass Rush Summit means more to Miller than an added sack or a weekend spent with peers and friends.

It’s about how he’s going to be remembered when he’s looking back on a game that he used to dominate but can no longer.

There will be several ways to characterize Miller. As a Broncos Ring of Famer? That’s a near certainty. As a Pro Football Hall of Famer? Seems more than likely.

But there’s more to legacy than a gold jacket and Super Bowl MVP trophy. There’s also a sense of how you’ll be remembered by your peers.

Campbell, who has been in the league three years longer than Miller and is likely nearing the end of his career, has played long enough to have proper perspective on the event.

“I think a lot of this is that when you play the game, you want to leave your legacy,” Campbell says. “What’s your mark? A lot of guys have talked about getting together and working, and usually it’s like one or two guys. For him, using his pedigree and what he is and getting all the best guys to come together, it’s pretty awesome.”

Miller admits that he wants the event to be part of his legacy, and he says he was blessed to have his peers show up for the unprecedented event.

It’s the lessons and the shared ideas and the sense of community, though, that will keep them coming back.

“I might be the one throwing it in like five or six years,” Ngakoue says. “When Von’s all done, we can just keep this thing going.”

Miller, through the Pass Rush Summit, has created that lasting bond.

“He truly brings that mentality of what a fraternity is and a brotherhood [is],” Ware says. “You can see how many guys are here right now.

“It’s monumental.”

Watch out, quarterbacks. Miller and Co. are just getting started.

Von Miller to receive national 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports By Staff DenverBroncos.com June 5, 2019

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller has been chosen to receive the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports, it was announced on Tuesday by Multiplying Good Foundation’s Board of Selectors.

The 2019 Jefferson Awards will be held on Tuesday, June 18, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. Former Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware will serve as Miller’s presenter.

The Jefferson Awards, which is in its 47th year and has become the nation’s largest assembly of individuals committed to public service, was co-created by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard in 1972.

“By providing a prestigious platform that recognizes outstanding, selfless acts of service, we motivate our award recipients to do more and we inspire others to take action in service to others, creating a ripple of good,” said Hillary Schafer, Multiplying Good Foundation CEO. “The youth, grassroots, corporations, and notable national award recipients who join us at the D.C. Jefferson Awards represent the very best of our country, people who have dedicated themselves to serving others. By bringing them together and elevating their work, we inspire communities nationwide.”

Miller, a seven-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, is entering his ninth season with the Denver Broncos in 2019. In addition to enjoying unparalleled success on the field, Miller — the Broncos’ 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee — has grown into an incredibly impactful leader in the Denver community.

Miller founded Von’s Vision in 2012 with the goal of providing low-income children with vision care and eye exams while serving as an eye-glasses wearing role model. Since it’s inception, Miller has raised more than $4.5 million dollars for Von’s Vision.

Voted by his teammates as a captain in each of the last two seasons, Miller has twice been named the NFL Players Association Community MVP (Week. 17, 2017; Week. 13, 2018) and was chosen as one of five finalists for the Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP Award in 2017.

Past Jefferson Award recipients include Chris Long (2018), Shaquille O’Neal (2018), Joe Torre (2017), Mariano Rivera (2014), Troy Vincent (2012) and Peyton Manning (2006).

Broncos Minicamp Observations: That Pass Rush Summit must have paid off By Zac Stevens BSN Denver June 5, 2019

Vic Fangio saved the best for last.

On Tuesday, the Broncos began their mandatory minicamp.

Not only is it the only mandatory part of the offseason, but all three days are open to the media to see exactly where the Broncos stand before they take their five-week summer break until training camp heats up in the middle of July.

As always, BSN Denver was on hand, following the team as they began practice outside, then moved inside due to a blaring storm horn and then back outside to wrap up practice.

Here’s what happened on the field and where the team stands oh so close to the end of the offseason conditioning program.

AN EVEN BETTER VON Practice was “terror Tuesday,” at least that’s the way Von Miller acted.

No. 58 didn’t make practice enjoyable for his offensive tackle teammates, or quarterbacks for that matter, as he practically lived deep in the pocket all day long.

During a three-play sequence, Von had what would have been two sacks. The first would have been an easy takedown of Flacco as he was barely, if at all, touched. Following an overthrow the next play, Miller— the founder and organizer of the now annual pass rush summit—put a ridiculous inside spin move on the right tackle, placing him right in the heart and sole of the 6-foot-6 quarterback.

Later in practice, Miller likely would have had a signature Von strip sacks as his hand was in prime position to swat the ball out of Flacco’s hand just before releasing a bullet. In a game, the opposing quarterback would have been searching the ground for the ball, not looking at his pass sail through the air.

“We’re just trying to get him to do a little bit of the technique things a little bit better—From pass rush to dropping to run plays,” Fangio said, trying to get the most out of his best player, as he has done all offseason. “He’s done a good job of embracing that, and I’ve seen improvement from him.”

The only time Miller was beat was in pass coverage when flew by him on a flat route to the right side for minimal gain.

“I’ve been around a lot of good guys on defense for most of my career, man. You guys know—Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, just to name a couple, and there’s plenty more. And he’s just another one of those guys,” Flacco said after practice. “He is special.”

“The things that he can do to get around the edge. I think some of the things Vic’s going to have him do on the defense, it’s really impressive what he can do. How he’s built. I don’t want to talk too much about him because I don’t want to come off as Mr. Von Miller hype man.”

Thankfully for Mr. Von Miller hype man, aka the Broncos’ quarterback, the star pass rusher wasn’t allowed to hit the quarterback.

But it wasn’t just Von, either.

With the second unit, DeMarcus Walker was getting into the backfield, accounting for at least one, if not two would-be sacks from the inside of the line.

On the third unit, undrafted rookie free agent Malik Reed was also making his name known, getting into the backfield, and even causing a sack from the outside.

Will Parks got into the action, too, as he found a gap in the offensive line and flew into the backfield during a team period. In a game, the play would have likely ended up with a flattened quarterback 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

JOE’S HOSE Cannon, hose, rocket, gun, whatever you want to call it, Joe Flacco has an undeniably huge arm, even at the ripe age of 34-years old.

“He still has a big arm, the ball comes out of his hand with a lot of liveliness to it,” Fangio said after practice. “It’s a very catchable ball. I think the guys like playing with him and I’ve been happy with Joe.”

Flacco’s ball was sure lively on Tuesday.

“Today, he rolled out and had a play action rollout to the right and threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15. I don’t know how far that is, but he threw the ball far,” Von said with a laugh, recapping the longest pass of the day.

Unfortunately, the Broncos did not pick up 65 yards on the play as Brendan Langley somehow outran the deep shot.

“He can throw the ball 80 yards easy. He threw 80 yards across the field. He’s looking like a Super Bowl MVP to me,” Miller, a Super Bowl MVP himself, said about another Super Bowl MVP.

According to Flacco, 65 yards is a piece of cake. In fact, if pressed, he could “comfortably” get the ball into the end zone if he was backed up on his own 30-yard line.

“I hope I don’t have to throw the ball too, too far. Hopefully 50 yards downfield, you won’t push it down much further than that,” Flacco said, not recounting multiple plays this offseason in which he’s let it fly further than 50 yards. “I would think with the air up here you actually can get it a few more yards further here.”

While Joe’s cannon has been on display this offseason, including Tuesday’s moon shot, it was his easy cheese that was his staple to open up mandatory minicamp. It began on the first pass of the day when he dropped a floater into the Devontae Booker’s bread basket in the end zone, just out-throwing Josey Jewell’s coverage, but leaving plenty of room for Booker to corral it before the back of the end zone. Unfortunately, the loaf must have been too buttery for Booker as it went right through his hands.

Two periods later, Flacco laid a dime in stride to Noah Fant on the right sideline, floating the ball to the speedy tight end 30 yards downfield.

The rest of the day, avoiding massive pressure, the veteran signal caller took what the defense gave him, opting for the easy, wise options short and in the middle of the field.

On the final hurry-up team period, Flacco had six completions. The first three were to Jeff Heuerman, the next two were to Booker, and the final was to Royce Freeman. No wonder tight ends and running backs have thrived working with Flacco in the past.

After practice, Flacco said he was just taking what the defense was giving him.

“I think Joe’s had a really good offseason,” Fangio said, evaluating the quarterbacks.

On Tuesday, Fangio hit that evaluation on the head.

As for the young gun, Fangio also nailed his evaluation.

“I think he’s slowly making strides,” Fangio said on second-round pick Drew Lock. “And I don’t mean slowly as a negative, I think he’s getting a little bit better every day… I think Drew’s slowly getting better, which he’s got a major undertaking here of number one learning a new offense and number two playing under center more. Just getting the speed of the NFL game. Come training camp, once we get the pads on, it will amp up even more.”

On Tuesday, Lock put the sidearm cannon on display, making multiple bullet passes on the run from the unconventional angle.

As the head coach said, Lock continued to make strides and didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. While darts were flying all over the field from No. 3, he had areas of improvement, specifically with touch passes.

Lock slightly overthrew Fant in the back left corner of the end zone by putting the ball on a rope instead of lobbing it for his receiver to run under.

But Lock also delivered the highlight of the day—in the most unconventional way.

Scrambling at full speed from his own end zone, Lock and cornerback Trey Johnson collided five yards downfield. But it wasn’t the defender that laid the hit—it was Drew Lock.

Johnson took a Lock lowered shoulder all the way to the ground, causing the sideline to erupt.

THE BEST NEWS YET Von Miller playing to a new level is great. Joe Flacco looking like the best quarterback the Broncos have had in years is fantastic. But the most important news from the first day of mandatory minicamp revolved around the injured, or not so injured, players.

After practice, Fangio said Emmanuel Sanders, Jake Butt and Phillip Lindsay are all doing the “same” as they have in the past in regards to their rehab.

“When I say same, they’re all doing good,” Fangio gladly clarified.

For the first time since tearing his ACL last year, Butt was running routes in individual drills—an extremely positive step in his rehab process.

Lindsay, while he didn’t do any more than he has in recent weeks, took a massive step in his recovery as he wasn’t wearing a brace on his surgically repaired wrist. The Pro Bowler not only participated in individual drills, but he held the ball with his right wrist as he partook in those drills. Additionally, he hit the Jugs machine after practice to catch some balls.

Sanders has still not officially done more than warming up—other than running full speed on the sidelines—but Vic said he thinks his top receiver will “be back earlier than people think,” although he prefaced that by saying he’s no doctor.

During the 15-yard “get off” portion of warmups, Sanders was the fastest among his group of 30-or-so teammates.

The best injury news on the day actually was on the field as Ron Leary and Ja’Wuan James heavily participated in every portion of the team’s practice.

“Well Ron’s been out here partaking,” Fangio said matter-of-factly when asked how the offensive lineman was recovering from his torn Achilles.

James missed a significant amount of practice last Wednesday as he tweaked his hip working out over the weekend, but that concern was greatly diminished on Tuesday as he was back in the fold.

“Everybody’s the same, doing good, and in Ron’s case, actually partaking,” Fangio said.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS: On Tuesday, it was announced that Von Miller will receive the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports on June 18 in Washington DC for his tremendous work in the community over the years, specifically with Von’s Vision. Todd Davis was not at practice as his wife went into labor and is expected to give birth on Tuesday. Joe Jones stepped in for him on defense. Receiver Aaron Burbridge continually made plays in the receiving game on Tuesday, hauling in pass after pass. Billy Winn blew up multiple run plays, getting into the backfield before the running back had time to make a move. Fangio ended the practice in a throwback fashion with good old fashioned wind sprints. For the first time in his Broncos career, Fangio changed up his wardrobe. Instead of the full gray sweatsuit, the head coach rolled with a gray crewneck Broncos sweatshirt and khaki shorts. Big news. The Broncos hosted more than 50 active-duty military members for their practice on Tuesday. Many players, and Fangio, met with them after practice, but during practice, went over and gave every single one of them a high five. Former University of Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt was at practice again on Tuesday, but Fangio downplayed any potential role he may play on the coaching staff. “He’s here observing. His wife kicked him out of the house,” Fangio said with a chuckle.

Three biggest observations about the Broncos defense in OTAs By Cecil Lammey 104.3 The Fan June 5, 2019

The Denver Broncos have wrapped up three weeks of voluntary offseason training activities at UC Health Training Center. Next up is mandatory minicamp starting today, then a big break before training camp begins for the team in mid-July.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio gave some positive feedback on his team’s progress about halfway through these voluntary OTAs.

“I think the guys are picking things up quickly. That’s a compliment to the assistant coaches and the jobs they’re doing with these guys and which they did in Phase One and Phase Two in the classroom, and that’s a compliment to the players that they have been able to transition to on-field, 11-on-11 football and do what they’ve been taught. That’s a big transition from classroom to the field,” Fangio said.

Here are the three biggest observations from the Broncos defense during three weeks of OTAs.

***

3. Defense Dominates with Deception

There is no question the Broncos defense should be much improved in 2019. Last year under defensive coordinator Joe Woods, the defense was stale and predictable. Players seemed to be working against each other at times and it certainly didn’t seem like there was much cohesiveness among Broncos defenders.

This year, that should all change under Fangio – mainly because it has to be based upon the blueprint of his defense.

Fangio’s defense is all about deception before the snap. They want to show one defense then switch into another that an opponent does not expect, and with Fangio that should lead to a ton of disruption. The Broncos have the pieces to absolutely wreck an opponent’s game plan on a weekly basis.

Broncos safety Justin Simmons gave us some clues as to what makes Fangio’s defense so special.

“I think the biggest part about the defense is that it is all communication based. It’s about trusting guys and seeing plays develop. Guys not mentally being on the same page, but physically. Like reading it how each other’s bodies would read it, as weird as that sounds,” Simmons continued, “It’s just being in each other’s shoes and feeling out the plays. It’s a great concept and I’ve loved every second of getting to dive into it. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet in OTAs. I’m excited to keep learning.”

It’s pretty scary to consider what the Broncos could be on defense this year if they have yet to scratch the surface at OTAs.

***

2. Even Better Chubb

Bradley Chubb had a great rookie season in 2018, but what he could do in 2019 in this defense might make that rookie production pale in comparison. It’s only practice and the reps are not live, but there are times when Chubb looks un-blockable (and unbelievable). Chubb can easily get around any offensive tackle tasked with blocking him and seems more comfortable stacking pass-rushing moves.

Von Miller has never had 20 sacks in a single season during his Hall of Fame career. Chubb may be able to reach that mark in his second season. Yes, that’s a lofty goal and perhaps unrealistic, but that’s how good Chubb has looked during three weeks of OTAs.

Chubb put in a ton of work this offseason, studying the Bears defense under Fangio and managing his diet and exercise. That work gives the second-year pro confidence that he can hit the ground running in 2019.

“It definitely helps because I’ve been putting in the work on the field and off the field when it comes to the mental side of it. Just trying to do everything to better myself so that I can help better this team. I feel like if I have that big jump in year two, then we’ll win more games. If you have all of these young guys being a better version of themselves in year two, it’s going to be special,” Chubb said.

Chubb is a special player and under the guidance of Fangio we may see second-year production from him that far surpasses even the biggest fan’s expectations.

1. More Will Parks

It was good to see All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris Jr. back out at OTAs last week. He ended his contract dispute with the Broncos by signing to earn more money this season and hit the open market in 2020. Harris did not play much in practice last week, earning only two reps per drill according to Fangio.

However, it was interesting to note how the arrival of Harris led to more looks for Will Parks.

Parks has been getting quite a few looks at OTAs over the last three weeks, so perhaps it was more perception than anything, but it did stand out how much Parks shined with Harris on the field. The Broncos defense looked whole with Harris out on the field, manning the outside corner position. This allowed Bryce Callahan to play in his more natural spot of the slot and we did see corner/safety Kareem Jackson play outside opposite of Harris.

Last year, it was a tale of two seasons for Parks. In the first part of the season, Parks seemed lost on the football field. There were times where it looked like he didn’t know where to line up, what the play call was or what to do after the ball was snapped. Then, something clicked.

Parks put on a show in the second half of the 2018 season. He was regularly around the ball, made big plays (see the game against the Steelers) and was sound with his technique. That’s the player we need to see more from in 2019.

This Fangio defense, with all of its deception and versatility, could really play to the strengths of Parks on Sundays. 2019 Dynasty Fantasy football rookie rankings: Proven expert loving David Montgomery, Noah Fant By Staff CBS Sports June 5, 2019

Dave Richard has revealed his 2019 Fantasy dynasty rookie rankings.

The 2019 NFL Draft has been in the books for well over a month and teams have had their first on-field look at selections as rookie mini-camps unfolded around the league in May, and they're continuing to get a feel for how they'll fit in as OTAs roll on leading up to training camps opening next month. From a Fantasy perspective, making the right call on rookies is one of the toughest parts of preparing for your season. The right call can pay dividends for years in dynasty Fantasy football leagues, but picking one early who doesn't produce can sink your postseason hopes. With plenty of intriguing rookies to evaluate such as , , , and T.J. Hockenson, be sure to see the 2019 Fantasy football rankings and rookie dynasty picks from Dave Richard before making any selections in a Fantasy football dynasty draft.

Richard is a CBS Sports Senior Fantasy Writer, and a former Fantasy football writer for NFL.com. He's spent nearly his entire career covering the NFL and he continues to crunch the numbers, study film, develop tiers and trade charts, preview every NFL game and talk to decision makers. And he's done it with one goal in mind: to help you win your league.

Now he's turned his attention to the 2019 NFL season and revealed his highly-anticipated 2019 Fantasy football dynasty rookie rankings. This list and analysis is part of the CBS Sports Fantasy Football 2019 Draft Guide that hits newsstands the second week of June, but you can get exclusive early access only over at SportsLine.

One thing we can tell you from his breakdown: Richard is high on Bears rookie running back David Montgomery, a third-round pick out of Iowa State, who lands in a great spot in Chicago.

"If he replaces 's workload from 2018, Montgomery is in line for 15.6 carries per game with at least a few weekly targets," Richard told SportsLine. "In an offense with a solid line and a penchant for creativity, especially near the goal line, that's a valuable role. typically gets around 10 touches per week and new Bears runner Mike Davis could also fill in, but Montgomery's legit strength and youthful legs should put him atop the depth chart."

Another one of the Fantasy football rookies that Richard is high on: Broncos tight end Noah Fant, a first- round pick out of Iowa. Fant wasn't the first tight end picked in 2019, and he wasn't even the first tight end picked out of Iowa, with that honor going to Hockenson, who went No. 8 overall to the . But Richard still likes his upside as a player Joe Flacco can depend on in 2019, and one who could become a long-term top target for Drew Lock in Denver.

"Fant is a mismatch player the Broncos can use against slower linebackers and smaller safeties," Richard said. "That was something he did a lot of in the red zone at Iowa, scoring 18 times over 69 catches his final two seasons. But he averaged just 40.5 yards per game and had plenty of mishaps (botched plays, bad blocking, awareness issues). With very good speed and unique size, Fant has the athletic profile to dominate."

Richard has also made the call on how Fantasy-relevant every other top NFL rookie will be, and revealed his top-50 rookie dynasty league rankings, that includes a big stunner in the top 10. You absolutely need to see his analysis and rankings before entering any kind of Fantasy football dynasty league.

So which NFL rookies can you bank on in Fantasy football? And which rookie you might not be thinking about cracks the top 10? Visit SportsLine now to see a complete Fantasy breakdown of all the top NFL rookies, plus dynasty rookie rankings, all from an expert who can give you a huge edge in your league.

Broncos' Von Miller to receive prestigious Jefferson Award for public service By Shalise Manza Young Yahoo! Sports June 5, 2019

A couple of days after his now-annual Pass Rush Summit, which brings together other active players to compare notes and refine their craft — getting to the quarterback — Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is being recognized for his service work.

2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports On Tuesday, the Multiplying Good Foundation’s Board of Selectors announced that Miller will be awarded the 2019 Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service in Sports.

Miller is being recognized for his good deeds, chief among them his Von’s Vision foundation which provides free eye exams and eyeglasses to children of low-income families.

Miller, who has worn glasses for as long as he can remember, has raised more than $4.5 million for Von’s Vision since its formation in 2012. He’s gotten thousands of kids in the Denver area much-needed vision care and provided glasses for those who require them.

Last November, he opened the first Von’s Vision Center inside a Denver Boys & Girls Club, bringing the care to them — a gift for those who might have transportation problems.

There are more centers opening in Colorado this year as well as in College Station, Texas, where Miller played at Texas A&M.

Miller was the Broncos’ nominee last year for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award, as well as a finalist for the NFLPA Byron “Whizzer” White Community MVP award.

DeMarcus Ware to present award DeMarcus Ware, one of Miller’s former Broncos teammates, will be his presenter at the awards ceremony on June 18 in Washington, D.C.

The Jefferson Awards were created in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr. and public servant Sam Beard; now in their 47th year, the awards are the country’s largest assembly of individuals committed to public service.

The award recognizing those in professional sports doing great deeds began in 2010; NFL players who have previously been recognized include , Justin Tuck, , Fred Jackson, Eric Decker, and last year’s honoree, Chris Long.

Von Miller on Flacco: 'Looks like a Super Bowl MVP' By Kevin Patra NFL.com June 5, 2019

In Joe Flacco's race to fend off an advancing Father Time, the Denver Broncos quarterback can still chuck'em deep.

Teammate Von Miller left awed after watching the 34-year-old quarterback unleash big bombs during the team's minicamp on Tuesday.

"He looks like a Super Bowl MVP to me," Miller said, via the Associated Press. "Today he had a play-action, rolled out to the right and threw the ball from the opposite 20 to the opposite 15. Now, I don't know how far that is."

That particular deep pass of 65 yards landed just out of receiver Brendan Langley's reach.

"He threw the ball far," Miller said. "He can throw 80 yards, easy."

Flacco shouldn't need to throw it 80 yards to be effective, as evidenced by hitting rookie tight end Noah Fant in stride for a 50-yard gain, but it's that arm strength that impressed teammates.

The veteran quarterback acknowledged that playing quarterback is more than just how far he can throw.

"I have no idea. I hope I don't have to throw the ball too, too far. You want to get the ball out and throw it in rhythm. So, hopefully, 50 yards downfield and you won't push it down much further than that.

"But I would think that the air up here, you actually can get a few more yards further. I mean, I have no idea how far I can throw a ball up here. I haven't really tried and I don't really plan on going out there and trying to do it."

Broncos fans remember Flacco uncorking one particular bomb back in 2012, hitting Jacoby Jones on a 70- yard touchdown catch in the waning moments of the playoff tilt that propelled the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl victory.

"That gets pumped up," Flacco said of the throw. "If you go back and look at that throw, it was only like 50 yards. It could have been more. Jacoby didn't think the ball was coming to him. I was getting ready to wind up and fire it. Next thing you know, I had to kind of take some off. I don't think I threw the ball that far there. But, whatever you want to say, it sounds good."

Flacco still has the smarts to go along with the big arm. It's shrewd for the starting quarterback not to rub it in on the fans who will now be cheering his successes.

The Broncos' prosperity in 2019 will have more to do with Flacco fitting balls into tight spaces all over the field, short, intermediate, and long, than it does how far he can throw. Still, it's good to know when the veteran needs to unleash a bomb, he's still got it in the quiver.

Von Miller downplays potential backlash from pass-rush summit By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk June 5, 2019

Broncos linebacker Von Miller recently convened his third annual pass-rush summit. The effort to get quarterback-sackers on the game page could create problems for quarterback-protectors and quarterbacks, especially those on Miller’s team.

Asked Tuesday about a potential backlash from his habit of helping pass rushers improve their craft, Miller downplayed that possibility, while making an important admission that he watches all or part of PFT Live.

“The thing is, there really aren’t any secrets,” Miller told reporters, via Nicki Jhabvala of TheAthletic.com. “There really aren’t any secrets in the pros. I saw an interview yesterday, I think it was Mike Florio and Chris Simms, and they were like, man, I’m going to tell them my tricks. It’s not really like that. There’s not a secret move I have in my bag that I’m holding from everybody else. You see everything I got on film. That’s just a place where we can all compare what we’re doing.”

Miller is right regarding the fact that what he does it on film, but the broader point is that by facilitating the comparing of notes regarding concepts like jumping the snap or duping offensive linemen into disclosing the count, he’s necessarily helping other pass rushers improve their craft. Pass rushers who will be facing the Broncos.

Like the Jaguars in Week Four. Calais Campbell rushed back to Jacksonville to share with teammates everything he gleaned from Miller. So if/when the Jags knock the crap out of Joe Flacco, well, it will be hard not to trace the performance back to what Campbell learned at Miller’s pass-rush summit.

For that and other reasons, offensive linemen and other position groups should do the same thing in 2020, and beyond.