Broncos LB could be ready for camp, per report By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post July 24, 2018

Per a report by NFL Network, Broncos outside Shane Ray did not undergo a fourth left wrist surgery last month, meaning he could be ready to participate in the start of training camp on Saturday.

A league source told The Denver Post last week that Ray was trending toward being available when practice began. An email sent to Ray’s representation requesting comment was never returned.

Ray was limited to eight games in 2017 because of a wrist injury sustained early in training camp. He underwent three surgeries.

Ray started the offseason program in May as the starting strongside linebacker ahead of rookie . But Ray was shut down after experiencing discomfort.

In mid-June, Ray and coach Vance Joseph said Ray was going to have surgery in Houston. Ray said the operation would involve “bone fusion.” It remains unknown why the surgery did not happen.

Broncos Briefs: DL Clinton McDonald feels “100 percent” after missing offseason program By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post July 24, 2018

Broncos defensive lineman Clinton McDonald expects to pass a physical Tuesday and be available for Saturday’s start of training camp practices. McDonald had shoulder surgery during the offseason and missed all organized team activities and minicamp.

“I’m 100 percent back; I feel great,” McDonald said after a Broncos’ community event in Parker on Monday afternoon.

McDonald began working out “3 1/2-4 weeks ago,” with fellow defensive linemen , Domata Peko and Adam Gotsis.

McDonald, 31, has 97 games of experience for Cincinnati, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Last year for the Buccaneers, he played 14 games and had five sacks while playing through the injury. He termed the surgery “non-invasive,” but it kept him off the field this spring.

“This spring was hard for me – it was the first spring I was ever sidelined due to any kind of injury or illness,” he said. “It was kind of humbling, and in a sense, shocking, because I know the type of guy I want to be in Denver and I know what type of guy I want my coaches and teammates to see me as.”

McDonald, who will play in a base 3-4 scheme after so many years in 4-3 fronts with the Seahawks and Buccaneers, never doubted he would be ready for the season.

“The question was more, ‘When was I going to be ready?’” he said. “I’m thankful I’m done with the process.”

Asked if he will need to be managed during camp, McDonald said: “I’m not sure. That’s going to (be up to) the medical staff and the doctors. As far as how I feel right now, I feel I can go and contribute.”

More medical news. Right tackle Jared Veldheer (foot) is also expected to be available after missing the entire offseason program.

Per the NFL Network, outside linebacker Shane Ray did not have his fourth left wrist surgery as scheduled last month. A league source said doctors in Houston examined Ray’s bone scans and determined a path of rehabilitation without surgery was the best course.

Ray could practice this weekend. Only receiver Jordan Taylor (hips) could start on the physically unable to perform list.

Rookies set to report. The Broncos’ rookies will report to training camp Tuesday.

“Starting this week, it’s full-go until February,” receiver Courtland Sutton said. “You have to get your mind right and get going because it’s going to get serious.”

Sutton was impressive during offseason practices after being drafted in the second round. He said he feels “pretty good,” with his comfort level of the playbook.

“We had OTAs and minicamp plus this whole month, when we trained and studied the whole time,” Sutton said. “I kept calling it a ‘working vacation.’ I would work, but then I would get a little time off to myself.”

Shopping spree. McDonald, Sutton, safety Justin Simmons, tailback De’Angelo Henderson and linebacker Bradley Chubb were among the players at the King Soopers in Parker helping kids from the Broncos’ Boys & Girls Club pick out school supplies. Twenty-five children had $100 gift cards to fill their carts.

“It’s awesome just being able to come out and help out,” Simmons said. “A lot of the guys love to give back to the community and this is just one way we can help out.”

Broncos position preview: No. 1 tight end role up for grabs to begin training camp By Kyle Fredrickson Denver Post July 24, 2018

It’s too early to tell which Broncos tight end will emerge as Case Keenum’s go-to option this fall. Here’s what we do know: That pass-catching, run-blocking void in Denver’s offense will likely be filled by a former Big Ten standout.

Five of the six tight ends currently on the Broncos’ roster hail from the same college conference — Jake Butt (Michigan), (Ohio State), Matt LaCosse (Illinois), Troy Fumagalli (Wisconsin) and Austin Traylor (Wisconsin). Then there’s Big Ten outsider Brian Parker (Albany). One of a series looking at the position groups for the Broncos heading into training camp. Today: tight ends.

In recent years, the Broncos have gotten little production from the tight end position. Not since Julius Thomas hauled in 12 in 2014 have the Broncos featured a dynamic red-zone threat at tight end.

Butt appears to have the highest ceiling among the unit, though he has yet to play in the NFL. Had it not been for a re-torn right ACL as a senior in the Orange Bowl, Butt was projected by many as a second- round NFL draft talent. The Broncos landed him with the first pick of the fifth round, and after a season of rehabilitation, Butt is now at full health.

“(Butt) wants the no matter what and I like that,” Keenum said. “I like a guy that comes back to the huddle and, ‘Hey, were you open on that play,’ and even if there were three guys on him, he’s like, ‘Yeah, you could’ve fit it in.’ He wants the ball and I love that. He’s hungry for knowledge, for how to run routes, for how to maneuver with leverage and I’m excited for him to continue to keep going.”

Heuerman, a third-round pick in 2015, enters a possible make-or-break fourth season in Denver. He had just nine receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns a season ago. LaCosse, Traylor and Parker are still green in their NFL careers and have combined for just 12 catches. Fumagalli, a fifth-round pick in April’s draft, faces a steep learning curve after groin surgery and might not be on the field anytime soon.

No matter which player steps into the No. 1 tight end role, though, stability at quarterback should benefit the entire group.

“Playing with three different and going week to week last year, it’s kind of tough sometimes getting into a rhythm and getting into the groove of things,” Heuerman said. “Hopefully with Case we can get into a good rhythm and build on that week to week.”

TIGHT ENDS No. Player Age Year Ht./Wt. College 80 Jake Butt 23 2nd 6-6/250 Michigan 2017 team: Broncos Signed through 2020 Cap number: $555,234 Missed rookie season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Likely starter in Week 1. 82 Jeff Heuerman 25 5th 6-5/255 Ohio State 2017 team: Broncos Signed through 2018 Cap number: $875,203 Most veteran tight end on the roster despite only 18 career catches for 293 yards, 2 TDs. 83 Matt LaCosse 25 4th 6-6/255 Illinois 2017 team: Broncos Signed through 2018 Cap number: $555,000 Signed from the Giants practice squad in December. Played sparingly a year ago. 84 Troy Fumagalli 23 R 6-5/247 Wisconsin 2017 team: Wisconsin Signed through 2021 Cap number: $550,450 Sat out of OTAs and mini-camp after groin surgery. Won the John Mackey Award in college. 86 Austin Traylor 24 3rd 6-3/255 Wisconsin 2017 team: Broncos Signed through 2018 Cap number: $555,000 Signed to four different practice squads before landing in Denver. Had 8 catches last fall. 89 Brian Parker 26 3rd 6-4/265 Albany 2017 team: Chiefs (2015) Signed through 2018 Cap number: $555,000 Has not appeared in an NFL game since 2015. Signed a Broncos’ reserve/future contract in January.

Want a shot at half-priced Broncos tickets? You have until tonight to register By Joe Nguyen Denver Post July 24, 2018

Broncos fans have until 10 p.m. Monday to register for a chance at landing half-priced tickets to this season’s home games.

Ticketmaster is having potential buyers register with its Verified Fan program to help prevent bots from entering the purchasing process. Registering does not guarantee a ticket, but “it does make the ticket buying experience fairer by ensuring only other fans are competing for tickets,” according to the company.

Single-game tickets for Broncos home games will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Fans can only register for one of the games, and if selected to receive a code, there is a limit of four tickets per household. Tickets will be delivered to the buyer’s mobile device on the day of the game.

A total of 2,000 half-priced tickets will be available for purchase per the operating agreement with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District upon construction of Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

In 2017, the half-priced tickets sold out within eight minutes, beating the 2016 record of 20 minutes.

Beginning this season, paper tickets will no longer be accepted for Broncos games. The all-digital move is meant to help prevent counterfeit tickets. Those attending games must use Ticketmaster’s account manager on their phone to get inside Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

Broncos help kids buy school supplies By Mike Klis 9 News July 24, 2018

Once upon a time, just about all Broncos players were students first, athletes second.

Seven Bronco players -- Bradley Chubb, Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, De’Angelo Henderson, Clinton McDonald, Tim Patrick and Jordan Leslie – participated in a back-to-school shopping function here Monday with about 25 kids from the local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Each kid got a $100 gift certificate, courtesy of King Soopers, where they spent their credit on school supplies, and then if they had a little bit leftover, some clothes or food.

“I think kids, their success depends on how comfortable they are in the classroom,’’ said Sutton, the Broncos’ second-round rookie receiver. “And when they have their backpack, they have all the school supplies they need to be in class and not worry about-- I don’t have a pencil, I don’t have paper, I don’t have binders, I don’t have all this stuff that I need to be able to have a really good school year, then I think it lifts their confidence level a little bit.

“Growing up we all knew those kids who didn’t have all their school supplies and you could feel the vibe that they weren’t prepared and it kind of hurt their confidence a little bit.’’

Chubb found shopping for school supplies as a young adult much more pleasant than when he was a kid and he was dragged around by mom.

“School shopping was the worst for me,’’ he said. “I hated going school shopping. Now I’m in a different light so I get to be on the other side of it.’’

Chubb feels 'butterflies' as Bronco rookies report Tuesday By Mike Klis 9 News July 24, 2018

Bally hoo!

How else to welcome the ’ much ballyhooed rookie class to training camp. Rookies and first-year players coming off practice squads will report Tuesday to the Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center.

“Definitely starting to feel real,’’ said Broncos’ first-round edge rusher Bradley Chubb. “Going into my first camp, I’m excited. Butterflies, all types of things going on so I’m excited to get back to work.’’

Chubb is the most heralded of the Broncos’ promising rookie class. Second-round receiver Courtland Sutton also comes with high expectations. Like Chubb, Sutton was among several Broncos players who participated in a back-to-school shopping spree for kids Monday at King Soopers here.

Sutton was so excited, he talked with commas, not periods.

“I haven’t played real football since December of this past year,’’ Sutton said. “To be able to get back to the grind of – I mean it’s OTAs and minicamp but … to get into the actual grind, everybody knows that August, (late-) July is the start of football.

“I’m pretty sure we’re not the only ones looking forward to football season. I’m pretty sure everyone who loves football is looking forward to it as much as we are.

“But to be able to get back on the field and play the game, I’m excited. I mean, I love the grind, I love the grind of the season. I’m excited just to see something different.’’

The veteran Broncos are to report Friday with the first training camp practice to be held in front of what should be a large crowd along the berm on Saturday morning.

Chubb was certain to be the Broncos’ starting outside linebacker after it was announced by the team in mid-June that Shane Ray would have surgery on his injured left wrist June 14 in Houston. It has since been revealed Ray doesn’t need surgery and isn’t expected to miss a regular-season game.

Does that mean the competition between Chubb and Ray for starting right outside linebacker is on?

“The competition is always going to be on,’’ Chubb said. “No matter if it’s me, Shane, Shaq (Barrett), whatever. Everybody’s going to be competing and competing to better each other.’’

After infection stemming from 2015 surgery, Broncos’ Clinton McDonald expected to be cleared to play By Mike Klis 9 News July 24, 2018

New Broncos defensive lineman Clinton McDonald knew something was wrong, but darn if medical people could figure out what it was.

Finally, Dr. David Altchek, a noted sports surgeon from New York, determined McDonald was suffering from a bacterial infection stemming from hardware inserted into his right shoulder/pectoral area during a 2015 surgery.

Which to an elite athlete can be scarier than the usual ligament tear/broken bone injury varieties.

“I always had faith in what was going on,’’ McDonald said Monday during a back-to-school shopping function for kids at King Soopers. “It was a peculiar situation. It was something I had never been involved with or never came upon me early in my career.

“Last year, I really didn’t have any complications that held me back. It was just one of the trying times where it presses your faith, but you have confidence in what God gave you. He has been involved in my life since Day 1.

“It was a little scary, a little trying, but now I feel like God has restored me and I’m happy to go out there for the Denver Broncos.’’

Dr. Altchek has cleared McDonald to resume football activities and the well-shaped, 6-foot-2, 297-pound interior defensive lineman has been working out for about six weeks. McDonald said all he has left is to clear an exam from Broncos’ team physical Dr. Martin Boublik on Tuesday and he’ll be ready to go for training camp when it commences Saturday morning.

“I’m good to go,’’ he said. “It’s just good to be healthy.’’

After just signing with the Broncos, McDonald, 31 and about to play his ninth NFL season, missed his new team’s entire offseason program as he made his share of trips to New York to get his infection checked.

“Been a long spring for me,’’ he said. “One that hasn’t been as physical as I wanted it to be. But I’ve been working out. I got my vigor back, my attitude back. I’ve been working out with Derek Wolfe, Domata Peko and some of the guys and I’m just excited to be here as a Denver Bronco to contribute for the team and I’m excited for this training camp.’’ New expectation for Shane Ray is to play Game 1 By Mike Klis 9 News July 24, 2018

Broncos outside linebacker Shane Ray was in Houston on June 14, ready to have another surgery on his troublesome left wrist, facing the likelihood of sitting out three months and missing the first two games of the regular season.

The doctor took another look at his X-rays. Now, the fourth-year, edge rusher is not expected to miss any regular season games and there’s a chance he could be ready for the start of training camp that begins Saturday.

The doc eventually determined Ray could mend without surgery. Which would be ecstatic news except the wrist has been bothering Ray since it was damaged on the first day of training camp last year.

Ray missed the first six games of last season, and final two games because of the wrist injury. He had just 1 sack in the eight games he did play as the wrist affected his play. In the previous season of 2016, Ray had 8.0 sacks in a part-time role.

When Ray’s wrist continued to bother him during OTAs (organized team activities), he was shut down from participating in minicamp June 12-14 and was scheduled for surgery.

It is to be determined whether rehab instead of surgery is the best course for Ray, who was the Broncos’ first-round draft pick in 2015. He is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Broncos opted not to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2019 season.

As of Monday, the Broncos’ medical staff were discussing whether to have Ray start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list or clear him for monitored participation.

But sometime during the preseason, Ray is expected to return and compete with rookie Bradley Chubb, the Broncos’ No. 5 overall selection in the draft’s first round, at the right outside linebacker position opposite .

The Broncos open their preseason August 11 against the (it would be a surprise if Ray plays) and regular season September 9 against the (Ray would be expected to play).

Broncos Training Camp Preview: Heuerman, tight ends and nothing Butt By Mike Klis 9 News July 24, 2018

Quick, who led Broncos tight ends in receptions last year?

A.J. Derby.

Hard to believe as Derby was waived with seven games left in the season after he had 19 catches. The previous year, in 2016, led Broncos tight ends with 22 catches.

Meanwhile, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce had 83 catches for 1,038 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. In case you were wondering where the Chiefs had the greatest advantage on the Broncos in recent years.

There were 22 tight ends who had at least 40 catches last year. The Broncos must stop lagging behind the rest of the league at this position.

In Jeff Heuerman and Jake Butt, the Broncos are counting on two young players to break out this season.

The Big Ten will be watching. Heuerman is a third-round pick from Ohio State who battled injuries his first two seasons before flashing some promise last year. Butt is a fifth-round tight end from Michigan who missed his rookie season last year to recover from surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered during his senior year bowl game.

With the Broncos holding their first training camp practice Saturday, 9NEWS continues its positional preview with a look at the tight end position.

Overview: The Broncos created playing time for Heuerman and Butt by not bringing back seven-year veteran Virgil Green, who became a free agent and signed with the division-rival Chargers.

Heuerman will start as the in-line, every-down tight end. While Butt can eventually become an every down tight end, he may begin the season in the receiver role.

The Broncos added a third Big Ten tight end to their room as they drafted Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagalli in the fifth round. He missed the offseason to recover from a sports hernia surgery.

Strength: There is young talent at this position with loads of potential. Butt had an encouraging offseason and new quarterback Case Keenum threw to his tight last year, Kyle Rudolph, in Minnesota. Rudolph had 57 catches and eight touchdowns.

Question mark: The most experienced tight end, Heuerman, hasn’t played much as he’s been in for 25.1 percent of the offensive snaps the past two years.

Pro Bowl material: Many believe Butt can be a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end if he can stay healthy. And Heuerman could emerge as a solid two-way player.

Sleeper: Austin Traylor. Another Wisconsin product, he got some playing time in the second half of last season, catching four passes against Cincinnati and hauling in a 34-yard reception against Oakland.

Given the injury histories of Heuerman, Butt and Fumagalli, Traylor needs to hang in there.

Broncos LB Shane Ray chose rehab over 4th wrist surgery; expects gradual return to full participation By Jeff Legwold ESPN July 24, 2018

Denver Broncos linebacker Shane Ray, who is now in a contract year, is expected to be worked into training camp practices on a graduated basis when the team begins its on-field work Saturday, after five weeks of rehab work on his ailing wrist instead of surgery that had been scheduled.

Veterans will report for training camp Friday. Ray, who had three surgical procedures on his wrist last season, went to Houston on June 13 when a fourth surgery had been scheduled. At the time Ray called it a "bone fusion.''

Ray also said at the time he hoped the surgery would be "the last one.'' But once X-rays and other tests were conducted last month as the Broncos closed out their mandatory minicamp, doctors advised Ray a rehab program could work for him instead, so no surgery was performed.

Ray had still been held out of the team's offseason program and wore a brace on the wrist throughout the sessions. The Broncos' plan for Ray as camp opens is to gradually ramp up his workload through the preseason.

The fourth-year outside linebacker, who was the Broncos' first-round pick in 2015, will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end because the Broncos did not pick up his fifth-year option earlier this year.

The Broncos also selected outside linebacker Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 pick of the draft this past April and Chubb spent much of the offseason program working with the starters on defense, so Ray's playing time was already going to be impacted some.

"I can control what I can control, and this is something that nobody had control over,'' Ray said last month. " ... [The injury is] frustrating, but all I can do is try and keep a positive mind. I'm more anxious to just get it done and over with so I can start my healing process and get back out here with my team.''

Team sources said Monday that Ray is currently pain-free. Had he had surgery, Ray said the recovery time was expected to be "two or three months.''

Ray finished the 2017 season on injured reserve, placed there in December, shortly after a third surgery on his wrist, that one to remove screws that had been put into place to aid in healing. He finished the season with just one sack.

Ray originally suffered his injury in the first week of training camp and missed the first six games of the regular season on injured reserve. He played in the last eight games, starting seven, but he admitted he struggled at times physically after his return to the lineup.

Because of his injury, he could not weight train as he has in the past and said he had played last season at about 220 pounds rather than his usual 240 to 242 pounds.

After DeMarcus Ware's retirement after the 2016 season, 2017 was to be Ray's first season as an unquestioned starter. After he had eight sacks in spot duty in '16, he had consistently expressed his optimism that he could reach double-digit sacks playing alongside Von Miller.

He averaged 44.3 plays per game in his eight games last season.

2018 NFL QB Tiers: 50 execs rank the starting quarterbacks By Mike Sando ESPN July 24, 2018

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are up. and Derek Carr are down. Jimmy Garoppolo and Deshaun Watson are ripe for debate.

My fifth annual NFL QB Tier rankings are here for 2018, backed by a panel of 50 league insiders. and Aaron Rodgers still set the standard, of course. They were again the only unanimous Tier 1 choices after the 50 experts were finished placing each of the 32 projected starters into one of the five tiers. The higher the tier, the less help the quarterback needs to succeed.

The breakdown of voters this year: 10 general managers, five head coaches, 10 coordinators, 10 senior personnel executives, five QB coaches and 10 others with job titles ranging from assistant coach to salary-cap manager to analytics director.

We've got every team covered here, with candid insights from the 50 voters. The results provide a composite for how the league views its quarterbacks.

We start at the top.

Note: Because the fourth tier is reserved not only for lesser veteran quarterbacks but also for those without enough playing time to evaluate, exciting young prospects can lag in the rankings. Patrick Mahomes (one career start) is one example this year. Many voters who placed him in the fourth tier think he'll be better, but they reserved judgment in the absence of sufficient evidence.

TIER 1 A Tier 1 quarterback can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure passing situations.

T-1 Aaron Rodgers Rodgers has averaged 4.1 passes per over his 10 seasons as a starter. The ratio is 1.8-1 for the other 29 quarterbacks with at least 2,000 pass attempts in that same span. Brady (3.9) is the only other QB even remotely close. Fellow Tier 1 QBs Drew Brees (2.4) and Ben Roethlisberger (2.0) lag far behind. Those are striking differences for elite players within the same era.

But now that Rodgers has missed 16 games over the past five seasons, there are questions to answer. Is durability a heightened concern as Rodgers approaches his 35th birthday this December? Will he need to reduce the number of off-schedule plays that have put him at risk of injury?

"Look at the injuries that cost Rodgers those 16 games -- every one was outside the pocket," a voter said. "Rodgers knows that. He is smart. If he starts limiting that, he could be like Brady -- in shape, fit, into his nutrition and able to be an elite performer into his late 30s. Because remember, if you're in the pocket, they can't hit you high, they can't hit you low and they can't hit you from more than a step-and- a-half away."

Fair enough, but if Rodgers cuts down on those off-schedule plays, how much less effective will he become? This voter had an answer for that question as well.

"Because Rodgers is so dangerous outside the pocket," the voter said, "people think he is especially reliant on that part of his game. What they don't realize is that Rodgers does most of his damage on schedule from inside the pocket, where only Brady and Brees are as good. This guy has the quickest release and livest ball in the league across every throw type imaginable."

T-1 Tom Brady Brady passed for 505 yards in LII at age 40, nearly overcoming a terrible performance from the Patriots' defense and the injury loss of No. 1 Brandin Cooks. He could be getting better. Even his biggest disappointments speak well of him.

"He has won five Super Bowls, but think about the Super Bowls they lost," a defensive coach said. "People forget, against the [2007] Giants, in the fourth quarter, he marched them down, he scored a touchdown and it took a helmet catch [by ] to win. They sacked him six times, hit him like 11 times -- it was the best defensive performance you could ever have had, and the guy still almost won the game."

What more can be said about Brady? I'll share three additional comments from voters this offseason.

Offensive coordinator: "It looks like he is getting better. He is such a quick decision-maker, he is so accurate, they keep expanding what they are doing, the burden is on him, they don't play good defense anymore. He carries that team."

GM: "The thing that is cool about Brady and people on the outside don't understand about the NFL is, it is the person he is. It is the leadership he brings to that building. He makes everybody excited about working there, playing on Sundays. Is he an a--h--- sometimes? We all are. But he exudes success and confidence. That is so hard to find in a quarterback."

Defensive coordinator: " is an outstanding coach. If that guy [Brady] is not quarterbacking, then he is like the rest of us, trying to get our s--- together. Brady is just a special dude. The guy understands going back to college that he has to compete for everything all the time. That is what makes him great."

3 Drew Brees A common read on Brees is that he has declined physically and the clock is ticking louder for him than for Brady, but he's still good enough to remain in the top tier. As one personnel director put it, Brees might not play at a Tier 1 level for 16 weeks or even for full games, but he usually reaches that level when he needs to reach it.

"I thought he was done three years ago," a tiers voter said. "Give Sean Payton credit. They are running the s--- out of the ball. It helps protect him. It gives him really big windows to throw into. It is brilliant."

Another Brees admirer who studied the Saints' 2017 game at Lambeau Field thought it was increasingly important that the future Hall of Famer plays indoors at least 10 games each season, shielding his surgically repaired throwing shoulder from the elements. This voter said Brees' passes fluttered in that game, which New Orleans put away with a quarterback sneak for a touchdown after Brees threw two inside the Green Bay 40.

"Brees is a 1, but he is on a heavy decline," this voter said. "I have a hard time doubting that guy because of who he is, but his arm talent is not near what it used to be. There are throws where if he doesn't make them on time, he can't make them anymore, whereas before it was, 'Oh, s---, Drew Brees is coming to town.'"

The percentage of Brees' passes traveling at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage has declined each of the past four seasons, reaching 25 percent in 2017, the lowest for Brees in his 12 seasons with the Saints. However, a quarterbacks coach said he didn't think Brees' arm was limiting the team's offense.

"When you throw it to 41 [Alvin Kamara], you are not throwing it down the field," another quarterbacks coach said. "You are throwing short screens and option routes."

4 Ben Roethlisberger This is the second year in a row Roethlisberger finished with 30 votes in Tier 1 and 20 in Tier 2. He's a 1, except when he is not.

"He is a 1 and I think it will show up a little bit more this year," an offensive coordinator said. "They have put the burden on him and they will try to take it off just a hair this year."

Voters acknowledge Roethlisberger's talent and production while wondering how much more consistent he might be if he were as maniacal in his preparation as the other Tier 1 QBs.

"You could make an argument that he is a 2 because he doesn't play very good on the road, but with his production and what they have done offensively, I think he is a 1," a quarterbacks coach said. "Now, he does not take care of his body very well. He is so naturally gifted, but I think once it goes, it will go fast."

Roethlisberger's 0-2 record at home against Jacksonville last season and five picks in just one of those games bolstered the perception among some that he's too careless with the ball.

"He was always a 1 in my eyes, but I'm going to take him down to a 2," a tiers voter said. "Going into our game against Pittsburgh, we said, 'This guy is going to make 4-5 bad decisions. We just have to catch the ball when he throws it to us.'"

TIER 2 A Tier 2 quarterback can carry his team sometimes, but not as consistently. He can handle pure passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3. He has a hole or two in his game.

5 Matt Ryan The Falcons, trailing 15-10 with 6 minutes remaining in their divisional playoff game at Philadelphia last season, marched into position for the go-ahead touchdown. After securing first-and-goal from the 9 with 1 minute, 19 seconds left, Matt Ryan threw three incomplete passes as Atlanta turned over the ball on downs. That finish, and the way the Falcons finished their Super Bowl collapse against New England a year earlier, hurt perceptions.

"Matt Ryan was a hard one for me," a defensive coordinator said. "I put him as a 1 initially, but I changed him to a 2 because of the playoff stuff. They haven't won the Super Bowl. To me, if you are a 1, you have won a Super Bowl or you are just so talented that your team is playing bad around you and you didn't have a chance to do it."

Ryan's 20 touchdown passes in 2017 were his fewest in a season since he threw 16 as a rookie. He received 19 Tier 1 votes, seven fewer than he received last year, when he was coming off his 2016 MVP season.

"Honestly, I really like him," an offensive coordinator said. "It just seems to me in those tough, crunch times, something gets in the way."

Ryan is the only quarterback with a playoff victory among the top four in annual salary average; he has four, while Kirk Cousins, Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford have zero. Ryan also has six playoff defeats.

"He is probably better than I give him credit for, but I just see inconsistency with him," an offensive assistant said. "He is not a real good foot athlete. He cannot easily avoid. But he can throw the crud out of it and he has had a lot of success. He lines up and plays every week -- every week -- and plays good enough."

6 It was tougher for Russell Wilson to win over voters when the Seahawks' defense was historically great and opposing defensive coordinators focused on slowing a -led running game. How much was really on Wilson's shoulders? The erosion of talent in Seattle has forced him to carry more of the load. He has done it well enough to command 15 Tier 1 votes this year, five times as many as he did last offseason.

"This past year, to me, he carried the team," a former GM said. "He was their best player and in my estimation he took it to another level. He might be a guy that is sometimes a 1, sometimes a 2. Last year, I thought he was a 1."

A team that was once defined by strong defensive personalities has been transformed.

"A lot of guys there thought they should be the alpha males, but the bottom line is, at the end of the game, everybody is looking at that guy [Wilson] to do it, and he gets it done a ton," a defensive coordinator said.

The Seahawks have a 29-18-1 record (.615) since Wilson signed his four-year, $87.6 million extension in 2015, down from 36-12 (.750) when his team-friendly rookie deal made it easier for them to funnel resources elsewhere on the roster.

Some voters questioned whether Wilson's high-profile pursuit of opportunities unrelated to football made him less focused on self-improvement than he was early in his career.

"He has been through two years of hell and he has driven his team to as much success as they can possibly have, with a horrible offensive line," an offensive coordinator said. "I do not remember him complaining about any of it. Now, I don't agree with him doing all these look-at-me things in the spring, like the ESPN show and Major League Baseball, but when it is time for the season, he is ready for the season. At least he does that."

7 Matthew Stafford Stafford matched Wilson with 15 Tier 1 votes. There is no meaningful separation between those two in terms of the voting breakdown, but the raw talent Stafford possesses makes him a more inviting target for criticism in the absence of a playoff victory over nine NFL seasons.

"He is so talented, but here is my issue," a defensive coordinator said. "They should have been scoring lots of points and they never did. It falls on him. He is a 1 talent, but between a 2 and 3 performer. He has gotten more disciplined, but sometimes he freelances and it takes him a while to get it back. Then, if it's late in the game and the coverage gets generic in 2-minute, it is like, 'Boom, he gets hot.'"

The Lions rank 13th in offensive points per game over the past three seasons. Stafford, for his part, set an NFL record in 2016 with eight fourth-quarter comeback victories, according to Pro-Football- Reference.com.

"Detroit is going to be at least .500 every year with that guy [Stafford] and most years you win 9-10 games and be in the playoffs," a GM who placed Stafford in Tier 1 said.

The Lions are 25th in ESPN's defensive-efficiency metric since Stafford entered the league in 2009. Ryan's Falcons and Brees' Saints have won playoff games and reached Super Bowls despite ranking lower over the same period.

"Stafford doesn't necessarily get the results as far as overall wins and playoffs," a voter said, "but he probably has more responsibility on him and has for his entire career than almost all the other quarterbacks."

8 Phillip Rivers It was tough to blame Philip Rivers for the Chargers' playoff absence last season when their special- teams issues were so pronounced, especially with Rivers reducing his interception total to 11 from a league-high 21 the previous season. The reduction in turnovers could explain why 15 voters placed Rivers in the top tier, up from eight last offseason. That made Rivers one of the biggest gainers in Tier 1 votes, behind only Wilson, Carson Wentz and Stafford.

"I have watched him and he can still do everything," a head coach said. "He is fearless with the ball and doesn't care who the receivers are. You can put me out there and he is going to come after you. It is ridiculous."

That fearless mentality does not always serve the Chargers well. The Chargers are 6-18 against the AFC West over the past four seasons. Rivers has six touchdown passes with 13 interceptions in an ongoing eight-game losing streak to Kansas City.

"I always feel like he is calling the game by himself out there," an opposing coach said. "I think he sees the field good. He is a tremendous competitor. Results-wise, I don't see it. Are you scared to death every time you play him? Yeah, I am, but if you look at what he has done, some of the interceptions are just crazy."

Defensive coordinators said they relished and dreaded matching wits against Rivers.

"You better be on your s---, now," one of these coordinators said. "He is going to know all your s---. We played him one year, we had a check, we made the check and he knew the check. He threw a touchdown and he was giving us our check back, like, 'Here it is, f--- you guys.'"

9 Carson Wentz Only Goff enjoyed a larger gain from last offseason among returning quarterbacks. Wentz's 1.1-point improvement from a 2.9 average vote to a 1.8 likely would have been even greater if he had been the Eagles' quarterback during their Super Bowl-winning playoff run.

"I think he is a 2 that will be a 1, and then once he is a 1, it looks like he has a lot of the traits like Brady," a Super Bowl-winning coordinator said. "You'd just like to see him do it more."

A personnel director was one of 12 voters to place Wentz in the top tier already.

"Obviously, he had the knee, but if healthy and all that stuff, he's a 1," this director said. "He has a little backyard in him, but he is a very poised passer, a really gifted runner and he has the arm to make all the throws. He is confident, doesn't get rattled, does all the things that you want, and his team -- the players -- they gravitate to him."

A quarterbacks coach who placed Wentz in the second tier noted that most teams would be in trouble if they lost a Tier 1 quarterback. The Eagles flourished.

"He was slightly above average as a rookie," another voter placing Wentz in the third tier said. "He played 12 games and part of a 13th game last year. With all these guys, we should ask what they would be with an average supporting cast, average coaching, an average defense and an average kicking game. Remember how excited people were about Derek Carr a year ago? These young guys should be slow to ascend. What's the rush?"

Eagles backup Nick Foles doesn't have his own entry here because he's not the projected starter, but I did include him in the survey. He landed solidly in the third tier between Joe Flacco and Tyrod Taylor, pulling five votes in the second tier, 34 in the third and 11 in the fourth.

"He is a 3 and I could rationalize putting him as a 2 because he is a better thrower than anybody gives him credit for," an offensive coach said of Foles.

10 Andrew Luck Voters weren't sure how to handle Andrew Luck. Some assumed, for the sake of the exercise, that he would be healthy and near 100 percent by Week 1. Others assumed he would need time to re-establish himself. Nearly everyone feared Luck might suffer additional setbacks that would keep him off the field even longer. It wasn't until after the voting was finished that the Colts announced Luck had been cleared for training camp without limitation.

"The big wild card there, beyond the health, is the offensive scheme they are going to run," a voter said. "Yes, they need players and must fix their line, but they also need to get the ball out of his hands. If they do that, and I expect them to do that, they can help him out."

Luck remained solidly in the second tier even though his average vote fell by 0.22. He was the only quarterback who received more than five votes in each of the top three tiers. Here's a sampling of voters' perspectives based on which tier they placed Luck in:

Tier 1 Luck voter: "I'm keeping him there until he proves me differently. He is one of those guys where his team is never out of a game."

Tier 2 Luck voter: "I've gotta go 2 just because of his career, but he could be a nothing. He hasn't played in how many months? But you have to give him the benefit of the doubt because when he was playing, he was a stud."

Tier 3 Luck voter: "I'll say 3 because he has played well in the past, but to me, he is almost a 4 in the sense that he is unproven after the injury."

11 The drop from Luck (1.94 average) to Cam Newton (2.30) is the largest from one quarterback to the next in the survey. It's not that Newton has plummeted. His average was unchanged from last year. Wilson, Stafford, Rivers and Wentz simply pulled away from him. Those four combined for 31 more Tier 1 votes than they commanded a year ago. (There were 31 additional Tier 1 votes overall).

"Cam is a 2-slash-3 who probably fits more in the 3 category," a defensive backs coach said. "The defense has always been consistent there, and Cam has really only hit it two years since he has been there. He is close. He can almost be a 2, but I would say a 3 for the inconsistency."

Newton's 78.4 passer rating over the past two seasons ranks last among 25 quarterbacks with at least 20 starts over that span, below (79.2) and Blake Bortles (81.5). Newton is 21st in Total QBR (47.4), 24th in touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.3) and last in completion percentage (56.4) over that period. But when Newton is dialed in, he can be a unique force. He just hasn't done it as consistently.

Newton and Garoppolo were the only quarterbacks to receive a vote in each of first four tiers. While there remains uncertainty over Garoppolo, most voters have made up their minds on Newton. All but four placed Newton in the second (30) or third (16) tiers. The 10 quarterbacks ahead of Newton all commanded at least a dozen Tier 1 votes. Newton drew three.

"Ron Wolf always talked about the most important thing for a quarterback being that when he walked on the field, it tilted in his favor," an evaluator who placed Newton in the top tier said. "I know Cam is a little unorthodox and everyone wants him to be a better passer, but he can carry his team each week. He is, for sure, a difference-maker and it has been that way since college, where he took what was basically a 6-6 Auburn team to a 12-0 national championship season."

12 Derek Carr Carr suffered the second-largest decline from 2017 to 2018 in average tier rating (1.9 to 2.42). Only Manning's average fell by more.

"He came back to reality," said an offensive coordinator who has had Carr in the third tier all along. "I thought he would. I think he's a 3 and I don't know that he will ever have a year like he did when everyone got so excited about him."

Carr's talent is undeniable. He's athletic and can make difficult throws from odd angles. He did not fare as well last season after the Raiders fired offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and struggled to generate a rushing attack behind an offensive line that wasn't as good.

"If everybody is healthy, they win with him at quarterback," a GM who placed Carr in the second tier said. "If they have injuries, I don't know if he is the type of guy who can make them win anyway. I'm not saying he won't get there."

After rehabbing from a broken leg last offseason, Carr suffered a back injury against Denver in October.

"The year he played really well, they were playing well on the line and keeping guys off him," another voter said. "He started getting hit. That is what he showed in college. You start getting to him, he starts missing throws even when he is not getting hit. It affects him."

Some wondered how the deeply religious Carr would handle potentially harsh coaching from Jon Gruden. There was also some question as to whether Carr would be as comfortable in a system that could feature tighter formations, although no one knew for sure what Gruden's offense would look like.

"He throws a really pretty ball," a GM who has been skeptical of Carr said. "Is he a good leader? Is he tough? I think you can pressure him and he gets rattled easily. He needs a quick passing game. Otherwise, he is not going to hang in there."

13 Jimmy Garoppolo Garoppolo and Watson have lower average tier ratings than Alex Smith and Cousins, who head up the third tier. Garoppolo and Watson sneak into the second tier because that is the tier in which they received the most votes.

Garoppolo looked the part while seeming to instantly turn around the 49ers, but he made only five starts, which wasn't much to go on.

"I would make him a 3, which I think is a generous grade for a guy who hasn't played very much," a former GM said. "He won a bunch of throwaway games. But I do like his fit for that offense. You've gotta be smart, you've gotta be a good ball handler, you've gotta be able to throw on the run. Garoppolo has all those things, so I think he is going to do well."

Garoppolo joined Newton as the only quarterbacks to receive at least one vote in each of the top four tiers. The four votes Garoppolo received in the fourth tier came from voters who thought there wasn't enough evidence.

"Tier 3 is fair [for Garoppolo], but it's too early to tell," an offensive coordinator said. "I think there is a better chance he's got that big upside than not, but he could be Kirk Cousins, too."

Multiple offensive coordinators said they thought what Garoppolo put on tape suggested he could reach the top tier eventually.

"That style of player, that quick-twitch kind of guy, is really exciting," one of them said. "It is just reactions to things that happen to him -- not sluggish. And then when you add instincts on top of that, where you can see things happen before they happen, and you are quick and you throw with anticipation into holes that are not there yet, then you have a real chance."

Garoppolo had seven touchdown passes with five interceptions last season, hardly the type of ratio typically associated with top-tier QBs (Rodgers had 38 touchdowns with five picks during the 2014 season, for example). Garoppolo averaged 8.8 yards per pass attempt, however, and he was second -- to Watson! -- in Total QBR among players with at least 175 pass attempts.

"Garoppolo fit the Gil Brandt college formula coming out [27-plus starts, 26-plus Wonderlic, 60 percent completions]," said the lone voter who placed Garoppolo in the top tier. "He throws a runner's ball, always leading the receiver to where he should be. It looks like he understands defensive schemes -- not like my other Tier 1 guys, but better than my Tier 2s. Throw in a full offseason with Kyle Shanahan and I'm comfortable saying Tier 1."

14 Deshaun Watson The voting results easily could be interpreted in a manner that would have pushed Garoppolo and Watson into the third tier. They had lower averages than Cousins and Smith, after all. Either way, the excitement over these potentially dynamic young players is real. With Watson, the torn ACL he suffered last season complicates an already tricky evaluation.

"To me, he is like the guy from Philly [Wentz]," an evaluator said. "Let's just see if he can get through the year healthy. He played like a 1 when he played. These teams are doing a great job doing what guys can do, playing to their strengths. The league has gotten better at that. Whether guys can stay healthy playing that way, that would be my question."

Watson suffered his injury during practice, without contact, so it's tough to blame his playing style.

"I give him an optimistic 3," an offensive coordinator said. "There were a lot of good things, but also a lot of bad things that got glossed over. It was a little bit of his legend. Even the games where they scored a lot of points, he made some horrendous throws that he got away with. Do I think he is talented? Yes. Do I like him? Yes. I just think he is a 3 that could become a 2."

Watson, paired with a Houston defense that ranked 30th for the season in ESPN's efficiency metric, went 3-3 in his six starts. He had 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 103.0 passer rating and 81.3 Total QBR overall.

"He is a player, man," a quarterbacks coach said. "S---, talk about what a team was, night and day with and without him, not just once but twice, before he played and then after he played. And then if you go back to his true freshman year at Clemson, he tore his ACL halfway through that season and that was a totally different team before and after him. Big-time guy."

TIER 3 A Tier 3 quarterback is a legitimate starter, but needs a heavier running game and/or defense to win. A lower-volume passing offense makes his job easier.

T-15 Kirk Cousins Cousins slipped from the bottom of the second tier to the top of the third without the consensus on him changing at all (the year-over-year difference was a matter of two of the 50 votes sliding from the second to the third tier). Cousins joined Smith and Dak Prescott as the only quarterbacks to receive all their votes in the second and third tiers.

"He is smart, has enough elusiveness, got a quick release and is not going to stand back there nursing the ball," a voter said, "but I haven't seen him be able to put the team on his back and just will himself to a win."

Cousins could go from being an overachiever in relation to his fourth-round draft pedigree to being an underachiever in relation to his fully guaranteed $84 million contract, but he is not alone. Four of the six highest-paid quarterbacks in the league have never won a playoff game. That includes Cousins.

"My biggest problem with Cousins is he is just so unaggressive in the pocket," an offensive coordinator said. "When people get around him and they squeeze in, he looks like he weighs 160. That was Case Keenum's strength. He made more plays out of plays that could have been a sack. I don't know if Cousins makes those plays, but Cousins will get some balls thrown quicker."

Some voters thought Cousins was also more accurate than Keenum.

"Cousins has had no run game at all the last couple years and has been really productive," a personnel director said. "You put him in Minnesota and think ideally he will be a better player. As far as the Super Bowl, that is the expectation. I don't think so, but he will be a good quarterback for them."

T-15 Alex Smith Polling was generally done in alphabetical order of team or player names, so voters were not asked about the Redskins' new quarterback (Smith) and their old one (Cousins) in succession. Even so, they finished with the same number of votes in each tier: 24 in the second and 26 in the third. On follow-up, voters typically said they would prefer Smith if given a choice, partly because they perceived him to be a better leader.

"I watched all his tape and would make him the last guy in the second tier," an offensive coach said of Smith. "He gets the most out of what he's got more than anybody else I've seen. He is a great decision- maker."

Smith started five consecutive seasons under Andy Reid and played with a stable of dynamic playmakers featuring Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Smith is joining a Redskins team lacking in that type of firepower. For that reason, it could be tough for him to complete eight touchdown passes of 50-plus yards, as he did with Kansas City last season (the most since John Hadl in 1968).

"Kansas City is going to miss him," an offensive coordinator said. "They are going to be excited about how dynamic [Patrick] Mahomes is, but when it is said and done, I think they would have won more games with Alex than they will with Mahomes next year. They are going to be hoping Mahomes will play more like Alex in the future."

T-17 Eli Manning Manning's average vote declined by six-tenths of a tier, the largest decline for any returning starter. There was some optimism that new coach Pat Shurmur, healthier skill players and new running back Saquon Barkley could be a good combination for Manning.

"My gut tells me he is going to end his career strong, but he is a 3 right now," a GM said. "I think with Barkley helping him now and the tight end with those receivers, I have a funny feeling he will be like his brother, play another three years, play well and ride out."

The knocks on Manning were that he could no longer move and had become so conscious of being hit that he was looking for a spot to sit down. That is not a good combination for anyone, and particularly not for a player whose accuracy has been inconsistent.

"Shurmur helps him the same way he helped Keenum," a personnel director said. "He finds favorable matchups. With the weapons that they have in New York, I think he is going to be really good for Eli. Eli struggled because he kept getting hit, and he is scared of getting hit. I think maybe Shurmur will be able to get the ball out quicker and get it in the playmakers' hands quicker."

T-17 Dak Prescott The way Prescott struggled without Ezekiel Elliott explains why the young quarterback received 13 fewer votes in the second tier this offseason compared to last. He stayed in the third tier overall, slipping three spots in the order.

"What you see is, he needs a run game and the MVP of that team is not Dak Prescott -- it's Ezekiel Elliott," a defensive coordinator said.

We hear all the time about how the NFL is a passing league, almost as though the running game is a waste of time. But the value of the running game cannot be fully measured through rushing statistics.

"When you have that run game, you are going to see simple single-high defenses, so there will not be combination coverages, no stuff where the coverage is going to change on the motion, because people are geared to stop your run game," a defensive coordinator explained. "Unless you have two man-child corners, there are going to be some open throws."

While some voters expressed renewed concerns about Prescott's accuracy, his rushing contributions helped him finish fourth in QBR last season. There was still optimism about what he can become, although Jason Witten's retirement and weakness at wide receiver in Dallas could be problematic.

"He is not afraid, he did it as a rookie, he took his shots last year and still said the right things," a voter said. "I like him."

19 Jared Goff The magnitude of the Rams' offensive reversal came as a shock, but an offensive coordinator quoted in the 2017 QB Tiers deserves credit for saying this about Goff last offseason: "It was a little bit unfair throwing him in there like they did, especially when everything was in turmoil with that organization. I think he has a chance. Maybe he can move toward a 3 this year with the idea of becoming a 2 one day."

That is what happened. Goff made the largest year-over-year leap in average tier, diminishing his 0-7 record as a rookie starter in this evaluation. Now the expectations increase again.

"A starting quarterback should be able to take advantage and not hinder the offense when everything is great -- the playcaller, the running back, all that," a voter said. "Give Goff credit for that. There are moments when the QB has to convert -- it's on him. Atlanta put Goff in those situations during the playoff game, and he could not convert. Now, this offseason, you can bet teams have been breaking down how to slow that offense."

Fourteen voters placed Goff in the second tier. Four placed him in the fourth, which seemed surprisingly low following a full season of productive play. But some voters gave much more credit to coach Sean McVay, a healthy and an improved offensive line. Goff's rookie season wasn't totally irrelevant to them.

"I'm going to step out here a little bit and say he's a 2," a former GM said, "because of the upside, because of the arm talent, because of how he bounced back from adversity. They gave him some weapons, but the majority of quarterbacks need them. He went through some stuff, he responded in the right way and I respect that in a quarterback."

20 It's a problem when a quarterback known for making poor decisions on the field is also known for making poor decisions off the field. That is Jameis Winston, although there was good with the bad on the field last season.

Winston set career bests in 2017 for completion rate (63.8), yards per attempt (7.93), interception rate (2.5) and passer rating (92.2). He also missed three games to injury, added less value as a rusher and saw his QBR fall below 50, a career low. He's now facing a three-game suspension after the NFL substantiated allegations that Winston groped a female Uber driver.

"He's a 3 and part of his deal is he is hot and cold," a defensive coordinator said. "You can always count on him to turn the ball over for you. We counted on it and he was just super careless with the ball."

A former GM noted that Winston was "on fire" against Atlanta last season, which made this evaluator think Winston could succeed with the right team and coach. A current GM noted that Winston beat the Saints late in the season, when the quarterback was supposedly healthy.

"I knew he would struggle coming out," an exec said. "It's his makeup, and then he has lazy feet and a careless mentality. He is still young, but I don't like his game. He has a long, drawn-out delivery and he doesn't throw guys open. That works at Florida State when your receivers are better than the DBs you are playing against, but if you are a second late in the NFL, you are screwed."

21 Marcus Mariota suffered the fourth-largest decline from last offseason behind Manning, Carr and Joe Flacco. That was after he became the fourth player since 2015 to finish with more interceptions than touchdown passes on at least 400 attempts, joining DeShone Kizer, Ryan Fitzpatrick and .

"His intangibles push him up, but man, he throws lollipops up there," an exec said. "He was not real accurate. He doesn't scare you when you play them. They are going to run a bunch of RPOs this year and that will be interesting."

Mariota was coming off a serious injury last season, one that could have lingered. One coach said the Titans had to limit their game plans in an effort to protect Mariota physically. Will that change?

"He is my 3 ascending guy," a defensive coordinator said. "He is more accurate than you give him credit for. They knew he could run, so they put in all that other bulls--- for him instead of saying, 'Listen, let's just be a quarterback.' You don't need to build the Kordell Stewart offense for him. I think he's pretty good."

A veteran offensive coach raised a long-range concern.

"I think he is a 3 that is going to stay a 3," this coach said. "He has too many issues keeping his eyes up the field. He has a little of that Jake the Snake [Plummer]. The eyes go down, he takes off running and you can't survive in this league playing that way."

22 Andy Dalton Andy Dalton ranks 21st in annual salary average and 22nd in this survey. He was very good (70.0 QBR) when the Bengals had a stacked roster in 2015. He's been average to pretty good the rest of the time, just like the Bengals.

"He is one of those guys who was a Pro Bowler at one point, but they never take the next step," a former GM said. "He's smart, they respect him, he's won games for them, but I can't see him going to the next step. I compare Andy to Alex Smith: good enough to win with, but can they get you over the hump?"

Dalton has three years remaining on a contract that is increasingly friendly from a team standpoint as the quarterback market continues to inflate. Goff, Wentz, Mariota and Winston could all pass Dalton in the salary hierarchy over the next couple years. Can the Bengals rebuild their roster sufficiently to take advantage of the relative discount?

"You had better be pretty damn good everywhere else if you want to go win and have him as your quarterback," an offensive coordinator said.

T-23 Joe Flacco Two voters actually put the former Super Bowl MVP in the fifth tier, no longer a legitimate starter. That seemed particularly harsh, but there's no question Flacco has been heading in the wrong direction.

"I'm never scared of Joe," a defensive coordinator said. "I'm trying to stop the run game with Baltimore because that is the only way Joe is effective."

A GM put Flacco in Tier 4 with an asterisk.

"I think he can be a 3 if they play the right style of offense," this GM said. "He's fine if they run the ball, play-action pass and play good defense, but they can't help themselves."

Multiple voters acknowledged that personnel attrition had made Flacco's job tougher in recent years. This survey ranks him as the third-best starter in the AFC North, with Browns newcomer Tyrod Taylor gaining on him.

"A little bit is the personnel around him, a little bit is what they ask him to do," a quarterbacks coach said of Flacco, "but I do believe he is a one-dimensional player [deep ball] and everything just happened right for him, the year he went to the Super Bowl."

T-23 Case Keenum One take on Keenum: He's a 4 who played like a 2, which makes him a 3 until further notice.

"He is one of those guys who will have a couple good years and then he will go to be a good backup and at the end of the day he is going to play 12-13 years in the league and he'll be fine -- like Josh McCown," a defensive coordinator said.

The Broncos aren't asking Keenum to be a star. They want him to avoid the negative plays that doomed them last season, and to play well enough to win with a good defense on his side. While a head coach said he's always liked Keenum and thought the QB showed himself to be a low 2, more voters placed Keenum in the fourth tier than in the second.

"He's a 3 on his best day," an offensive coach said. "They had defense and really good receiving talent for him in Minnesota, and they had enough rushing attempts where it was not all on him and they mixed the play-action so he could survive. What is the difference between Case Keenum and Nick Foles?"

Keenum avoids the rush better, for one.

"Yeah, maybe," this coach replied, "but they are high-end backups who got opportunities with teams that had both sides of the ball ready to go. I just do not think Keenum all of a sudden got good."

The next question is whether Denver is set up as well as Minnesota in terms of supporting Keenum. This coach thought the Broncos' receivers were less hungry and on the downside. But what if having a competent quarterback energizes them?

"Keenum has confidence and he's calm in the pocket," a former GM said. "He doesn't get frantic and make stupid decisions. He has just enough arm strength to make the throws. He won, and he went from nothing to something."

25 Tyrod Taylor Taylor moved more solidly into the third tier this offseason, pulling seven additional Tier 3 votes and seven fewer Tier 4 votes compared to last year.

"You saw what happened when they tried to play the other kid," an offensive coordinator said, referring to Nathan Peterman throwing five first-half interceptions after replacing Taylor in Buffalo's lineup.

Taylor avoids interceptions and can threaten defenses with his feet -- not just as a runner, but as a buyer of time. Taylor led the NFL over the past three seasons in percentage of third-and-long passes (7-10 yards needed) producing first downs.

He averaged 3.09 seconds before the pass on those throws, second only to Rodgers' 3.14 among players with at least 100 attempts in those situations.

"The receivers he had in Buffalo were terrible," a coach said. "They got rid of two [Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods] who flourished other places, and they replaced them with the big guy from Carolina [Kelvin Benjamin] who runs 4.85 [actually 4.61 at the combine] and god knows who else. Then they run Tyrod out of town."

An offensive coordinator said he thought Taylor was so focused on avoiding interceptions that it limited the plays he made, noting that there were "NFL throws that needed to be made" when receivers were open, but Taylor did not make them. A defensive coordinator said he thought facing Taylor was a "nightmare" because of the running and scrambling ability.

"His receivers in Buffalo were not good, so he and Shady [LeSean McCoy] had to do it all," an offensive coach said. "Cleveland does not have great receivers, but if Josh Gordon comes around, look out. Tyrod could make another jump."

26 Blake Bortles Bortles went from getting 40 votes in the bottom two tiers last year to getting only 14 in those tiers this time around. He jumped into Tier 3 as a result. Was it him? The team around him? A combination?

"That is a perfect example of defense and a run game, and what you can get away with at quarterback," a veteran coach said. "Someone who completely and utterly commits to that mentality and the whole building is behind it -- they drafted it, they sell it and everything is all about that."

Bortles became the first starting quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game while failing to pass for even 100 yards -- he had 87 in the divisional-round game against Buffalo, while rushing for 88. Bortles rebounded the next week to play well against the Steelers, especially on third down.

Then he played well enough to nearly upset New England in the AFC title game. This looked like progress.

"We watched a lot of his previous tape while scouting Allen Robinson in free agency and I was just shocked at how many bad balls were thrown by him -- shocked," an evaluator countered. "I don't think one season makes a guy."

Others thought that was giving Bortles a bad rap.

"The perception is that he is terrible, but the reality is, he's a 3, and that's not terrible," an offensive coordinator said.

27 Ryan Tannehill Ryan Tannehill's QBR has been below 50 every season but 2014. (By comparison, Bortles has been above 50 twice over that span, despite having one fewer season.)

Is this the year Tannehill takes off?

"He is one of those guys like Dalton, where you wait for them to take the next step, but they kind of just level off," a former GM said. "He's been hurt, too."

Missing the 2017 season with a torn ACL left voters with nothing new to go on.

"He has a good arm and is a good athlete, but similar to that [Sam] Bradford-type deal, he really hasn't done much except tease us and flash a little bit," a personnel director said. "He needs to be managed, like a lot of them do." Bradford got more Tier 3 votes (29) than Tier 4 votes (20) and there was even a Tier 2 in there, but the obvious durability concerns were an overriding factor.

"If it's 7-on-7, he is a 1 every day of the week, but it is not 7-on-7, so he is a 3," one voter said.

Bradford's performance for Minnesota against New Orleans in the 2017 opener would hold up well against any game any quarterback might play, multiple voters said. The fact that Bradford could not stay in the lineup the next week despite suffering no new injuries was troubling.

"The teams that have him don't seem to want to stay with him," a former GM noted.

The Rams, Eagles and Vikings all moved on from Bradford since March 2015. He has a 16-15 starting record with 42 touchdowns, 19 interceptions, a 94.2 passer rating and 47.1 QBR since then. One coordinator noted that Bradford played in 15 games two seasons ago, and didn't see why that could not happen again.

"I think he is developing a lot of NFL scar tissue that isn't good for a career," a head coach said.

TIER 4 A Tier 4 quarterback could be an unproven player with some upside, or a veteran who is ultimately best suited as a backup.

29 Mitchell Trubisky Mitchell Trubisky fits into the not-enough-information category, especially after playing for a defensive- minded head coach (John Fox) without much weaponry.

"He makes me nervous in that most of his plays come off some kind of movement or broke-down play and I think those plays dry up real fast," an offensive coordinator said. "I just don't think there is enough information and I certainly can't evaluate him off what they were doing last year. I will be anxious to see because they are going to run the Kansas City offense. It is a quarterback-driven offense, and I don't know that he is going to be able to carry it."

There was some thought among voters that Trubisky could enjoy a Goff-like revival after undergoing a coaching change and weaponry overhaul, although no one expected Chicago to start scoring the way the Rams did a year ago. One GM questioned Trubisky's accuracy.

Another noted that when Trubisky was in college, he couldn't make an average team much better than average.

"I like Trubisky," a defensive coordinator said. "I think that kid has a shot to be decent. He is athletic, he's got a big arm, he has pretty good accuracy. When we played him, they had zero receivers. He was playing with a junior-high cast."

30 Josh McCown McCown will finish the 2018 season having earned $32 million after age 35. He will also surpass David Carr as the highest-earning quarterback from the 2002 draft. Not bad for a player who has been considered ideally suited as a backup over the years.

"He does play at a high level for stretches," an offensive coordinator said. "The more you have to play him, the more at risk you are of it going the other way, especially when he tries to run and gets hurt."

McCown's QBR with the Jets last season (51.9) was higher than the QBRs for Winston, Newton, Carr, Manning, Flacco and Dalton. McCown went 5-8 as a starter for a team Vegas had assigned a five-victory over-under heading into the season.

Mentoring first-round pick Sam Darnold will be part of McCown's job now. One voter said he thought McCown could be a QB coach in a year if he wanted to. Another voter said McCown had the makings of being a future head coach.

"McCown is probably making 80 percent of his money for what he does Monday through Saturday," an evaluator said. "God bless America."

31 Patrick Mahomes Mahomes ranks this low only because he has hardly played, leading most voters to place him in the fourth tier until more information becomes available.

"He is a 4 with the arrow pointing way up," a GM said. "He can be a 2. I think it will take Andy Reid a year. Mahomes will be good, but he will turn the ball over and I think that is what you will have to get under control. But I do think he has major upside."

Mahomes' lone start came in a meaningless Week 17 game last season when the Chiefs were resting starters for the playoffs.

"Everybody is making him out to be the next Roger Staubach," another GM said. "Let's wait and see. The guy has played one game and it was a meaningless game. Quarterback is one position where it is a lot easier to get worse than it is to get better."

A quarterbacks coach placed Mahomes in the Stafford category for arm talent.

"This guy, he doesn't have to have a clean pocket, he doesn't have to be able to follow through," this coach said. "The ball explodes off his wrist. He and Stafford have the greatest wrists of any quarterbacks in the NFL, in my opinion."

32 AJ McCarron AJ McCarron has seven touchdowns, three interceptions, an 87.6 passer rating and a 48.0 QBR while going 2-2 as a starter, including playoffs.

The Bills liked McCarron, but still drafted Josh Allen sixth overall in April.

"He is a confident, cocky kid," a coach with ties to the Bengals said. "He believes he can be an NFL quarterback. That can be good and bad. The year Andy [Dalton] broke his thumb, he goes in and throws a pick-six on his first pass."

A few voters held out hope for McCarron. Most seemed lukewarm.

"He does not deserve a 3, but I like him," a GM said. "I would be feeling like, 'We might be on to something.' He basically won a playoff game if that guy did not . He can anticipate throws on the boundary that legit quarterbacks anticipate. Right now, if they said I could have Tannehill or McCarron, I would take McCarron."

What does Shane Ray’s potential early return mean for the Broncos’ defense? By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic July 24, 2018

Shane Ray returned to Dove Valley for offseason workouts this year believing his months of rehabilitation and training were dues he had already paid. He believed his troublesome wrist was healed after three surgeries and a trying season.

He believed he would be back, even if his time with the Broncos remained uncertain beyond the upcoming season.

Things change.

Ray left minicamp early for Houston to report for his fourth surgery, what he said would be a bone fusion in the wrist to relieve the pain and create greater stability in the joint.

“I don’t want to go out there like I did last year and try to force something and put bad film out there and let that be the judge of who I am as a player,” Ray said in June. “A lot of that happened. The injury, I should have sat down. I went out and played, it wasn’t as good as it should have been obviously because of the injury and I feel like a lot of people tried to use that against me. So this time I’m going to be smart. I’m going to do the best thing for me, which is to make sure I’m 100 percent healthy. And then once I’m 100 percent healthy, I’ll be out here and be able to be the player that coaches and my teammates know that I am.”

Ray returned from Houston without undergoing surgery.

Things change.

The Broncos’ former first-round pick instead spent his break ahead of training camp arduously rehabbing his wrist, a path his doctor believed was the best course of action after re-examining him ahead of the scheduled procedure.

In avoiding another invasive procedure, Ray figures to return sooner than expected and may not miss any regular-season games. In fact, he may not even go on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for camp. A decision will be made Tuesday when Broncos rookies and injured veterans undergo physicals.

If he’s cleared — and if the treatment plan had its intended effect — the news is a boon not just for the Broncos, who place their pass rushers in high esteem, but especially for Ray as he enters a contract year.

Shortly after drafting Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall, the Broncos declined to pick up Ray’s fifth-year contract option, essentially a one-year tag afforded to first-round picks. Although Ray was disappointed by the decision, it allows him to either work to get another contract with the Broncos, or sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent next March.

In the meantime, a quicker return for Ray has the potential to alter the plans at outside linebacker.

In investing heavily in Chubb, the expectation is that he will start as soon as the Broncos’ coaching staff feels he’s ready. His versatility allows him to play outside opposite Von Miller, or on the line is sub- packages.

“He was running with the ones and twos even when Shane was healthy, so his role shouldn’t change much,” coach Vance Joseph said during Broncos minicamp. “He’s competing as a SAM backer, he’s competing as a sub rusher on third downs, so I don’t see his role changing much. He’s a guy that we’re counting on to play, so we’ll see.”

But with Ray in the mix early on, there will be competition to start the season with Chubb and .

“The competition is always going to be on, no matter if it’s me, Shane, Shaq — whatever,” Chubb said Monday. “Everybody is going to be competing to better each other. … From that we’re going to grow as a unit and as a team, so we’re excited to get to work.”

Ray first injured his wrist at the start of 2017 training camp. After waking up from the first surgery, he learned his entire wrist was repaired. Screws and pins were inserted then later removed in separate surgeries during the season. But while rehabbing his wrist, he was unable to train as he normally would and his weight dropped some 20 pounds.

Ray started only seven games last season, finishing the year on injured reserve to try to recover once again. When the offseason began, he headed to Phoenix for training, downed nearly 5,000 calories a day and regained the muscle he had lost.

But in June he admitted the pain never really subsided.

“I’m thinking in my head that it’s probably just because of recovery and a part of the process,” Ray said. “When I got back here it was still sore. I started going through offseason workouts and it wasn’t getting better, so I asked to get a checkup and thankfully we caught it now instead of training camp. There’s still some damage in there that needs to be fixed. I’ll get it fixed and be ready to go.”

Things change.

A complete guide to the Broncos’ 2018 training camp — with a projected 53-man roster By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic July 24, 2018

After a two-year absence, the Broncos’ road back to playoff contention begins in earnest Saturday with the start of training camp and the first test of their altered roster and coaching staff.

The stakes are the highest they’ve been in John Elway’s eight years as a Broncos executive. Pat Bowlen’s mantra to “Be No. 1 in everything” is the franchise’s benchmark of success, and 5-11 won’t cut it. Nor will 9-7 if it doesn’t include a postseason berth.

At the end of last season, Elway wavered before deciding to keep coach Vance Joseph another year. Elway’s reasoning, in part, was that he believed Joseph wasn’t given enough to be successful.

So the Broncos fired six assistants and restructured their coaching staff. They handed Case Keenum a $36 million contract to be their starting quarterback; made five different trades that included four starters; released their 1,000-yard running back; added depth in the trenches; signed arguably the top defender in the draft as well as multiple offensive weapons who might contribute immediately; and remade a special teams unit that produced a string of gaffes last season.

On paper, the Broncos appear to be improved. But everything changes once the pads come on and the positional battles ensue.

Here are the top story lines to follow throughout Broncos training camp — and beyond:

The Broncos’ other quarterback competition The Broncos have their starter for 2018 in Keenum, but the backup job has yet to be declared. After losing consecutive offseason competitions for the starting gig, ’s future is on the line as he tries to stave off 2017 seventh-round pick Chad Kelly.

But this appears to be less of a real competition and more of a test for Lynch. He has the physical attributes teams covet in a quarterback — the size, the mobility, the arm. But when the lights come on, his play has typically diminished. It happened last year in camp, when he struggled as the offense became more complex. It happened in the last two regular seasons; as a starter, he’s 1-3 with more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three).

But the Broncos have invested heavily in Lynch and have said publicly they’re not giving up on him yet.

“With Paxton, we still think he is young,” Elway said. “We are not kicking him to the curb. He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, as I said, we knew it was going to take some time.”

Kelly sat out all of last season recovering from knee and wrist injuries. When he returned for the offseason program this year, he was slimmer and eager to prove his ability as a viable backup. If he shows out, he’ll give the Broncos plenty to ponder not just for the backup job, but for keeping three quarterbacks on the roster. Keeping three limits Denver’s options at other positions of need, but if Kelly performs well, the Broncos may fear another team will sign him off the practice squad.

The offensive line shuffle For years now the Broncos’ offensive line has been a patchwork unit with little consistency, outside of center . The right tackle position has been a revolving door and the weakest link among a shaky group. The question is whether the Broncos’ latest changes prove to be fixes or simply another shuffling of the deck.

The Broncos acquired Jared Veldheer in a trade with Arizona, and although he was held out of the offseason program to recover from an ankle injury suffered late last season, he’s expected to return in full for camp and start at right tackle. Paradis will again man the center position and will continue to start at left tackle. Ron Leary, who moved to right guard last year after years of playing left, will likely move back to the left side, leaving the other guard spot up for grabs.

Third-year lineman Connor McGovern has filled in at both center and guard and impressed a staff that set high expectations for him last year. It appears that he’s in the lead for the job, but Billy Turner and Menelik Watson are also in the mix.

“We’re going to have a couple guys that are going to be cross-trained,” Joseph said. “Billy’s going to be cross-trained as a guard and tackle. We’re going to cross-train to be a left guard and right guard now. McGovern is going to be a center/guard. You want guys to be cross-trained because on gameday you’re dressing seven guys, so you have to have guys who can play multiple positions. That’s always the key for the offensive line, to have guys who can move around.”

Watson, a free-agent signing in 2017, played seven games at right tackle before landing on injured reserve. His $5.5 million salary became fully guaranteed in March and if he makes the final roster as a swing tackle, he’ll have the largest cap hit among the Broncos’ reserves ($7.2 million). If he’s cut, the Broncos face a dead money value of about $6.8 million, according to Over the Cap.

Youth and competition at running back After releasing C.J. Anderson, their first 1,000-yard back since 2013, the Broncos turned to a future with the youngest running back corps in the league. Devontae Booker, a 2016 fourth-round pick, is the most experienced of the bunch with six starts and 911 career rushing yards to his name.

But Royce Freeman, the Broncos’ third-round pick this year who recorded more than 5,600 yards on 947 carries at Oregon, has already generated the most attention. Freeman turned heads with his explosiveness in OTAs and minicamp, leading many to believe he could have the most impact of the 2018 rookies.

The running backs room also includes De’Angelo Henderson, whose play was limited his rookie season; seventh-round pick David Williams; and undrafted back Phillip Lindsay, a University of Colorado record- holder who could push for a roster spot with his contributions on special teams.

For now, the lead job appears to be Booker’s because of experience, however limited it may be. Last year Joseph said Booker was “pushing to be the top guy” before injuring his wrist during offseason workouts.

But the hierarchy could change in camp. The Broncos’ need for additional weapons on offense has been apparent for years and Freeman has the potential to be that feature back of not just 2018, but others to come.

“What you want from your room is obviously a lead back, but you need two or three backs to make it through an entire season,” Joseph said. “That won’t change as far as that room. You want more than one guy to be a contributor there.”

Tight end uncertainty The Broncos’ six-player tight end group heading into camp has a combined 12 NFL starts and 411 receiving yards in their careers. Only two — Jeff Heuerman and Austin Traylor — have played as Broncos. Two others — Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli — have yet to play a snap in the NFL. And the other two -— Matt LaCosse and Brian Parker — haven’t caught a pass in an NFL game since 2015.

Since Julius Thomas’ exit after the 2014 season, the Broncos have lacked consistent production from their tight ends, which is especially odd considering their importance to the scheme.

It was expected that the Broncos would let Virgil Green go in free agency. It wasn’t expected, however, that the Broncos would not sign a veteran to bolster a group of relatively unproven players.

There are high hopes that Butt can not only stay healthy after two knee surgeries, but also produce and be their answer at the position. But for now, the tight end position is arguably the team’s greatest unknown — and concern.

Searching for the No. 3 receiver If you’re going to invest $36 million in a quarterback, you better give him help. The Broncos believe they did just that in revamping their receiving group. and are back for 2018, but next year is not guaranteed for either. And both are in their 30s.

So the Broncos added two playmakers who can vie for the No. 3 receiving option this season and possibly much more in the future.

At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, second-round pick Courtland Sutton has a frame similar to Thomas with the athleticism of a power forward and instincts of a defensive back (he converted from safety to receiver and played on Southern Methodist’s basketball team for a year). Denver had a first-round grade on Sutton and believe his natural ability and rawness at the position give him the potential to be a No. 1 receiver in the future.

“He has a huge catch radius and he’s got great ball skills,” Joseph said. “As a route runner, it’s coming, but he’s so big and strong that if he doesn’t win with the route, he wins with his body. That’s important also. He’s a worker, he’s mature and he will help us in the fall.”

But the real steal of the Broncos’ draft could be DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State’s all-time receptions leader who was widely regarded as the most polished route runner in the class of 2018. Hamilton impressed the Broncos’ staff at the Senior Bowl in Alabama and continued to do so in OTAs and minicamp. He could be a threat in the slot. He could play outside too. And he could see the field quite often.

“Oh, he’s a playmaker,” Sanders said. “I think he is one of those diamonds in the rough type of guys. A lot of people don’t know about him but he has deceptive speed. He can get open on routes. He has good hands. He’s been making plays the whole entire time at OTAs. So, he’s going to be one of those guys where I think Broncos (Country) — obviously they know about Courtland — but when the season starts they’re going to be like, ‘Who is that guy out there making those plays?’ as well.”

Players on notice The Broncos’ 2018 rookie class is a departure from recent years. There was a theme of leadership and a clear emphasis on getting proven football players, not just athletes with potential. This year’s draft also put a number of selections from past years on notice.

After a rookie season filled with mistakes and demotions, receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie said he spent the offseason working on his mind and body to prove he still belongs. He called last year “unacceptable” and said: “I know how to do my job. I know how to catch the ball. I know I can run the ball. I just have to make great decisions.”

But McKenzie faces steep competition on both offense and special teams.

De’Angelo Henderson played only five games last year, but his opportunity could be limited again — and in jeopardy altogether — with rookies Lindsay and Williams jockeying for position.

But it’s receiver Carlos Henderson who has the most to prove and the most to lose. The 2017 third-round pick has yet to play a regular-season game because of a thumb injury suffered in training camp last year. He also spent minicamp working with a trainer because of a hamstring injury. Although Joseph has typically avoided drawing a stark line with his players when speaking to media, he didn’t hesitate when asked about Henderson.

“He’s got to get back on the field if he wants to make this football team,” Joseph said.

The ripple effect When the Broncos exercised the fifth-year option on ’s rookie deal, it became clear that Talib’s time in Denver was nearing an expiration. Although Roby was an unofficial starter as the third corner, he would be elevated to the No. 2 corner behind Chris Harris. You don’t draft a guy in the first round, then pay him $8.5 million for a season to not start.

Talib is not a player that can be easily replaced, if at all, and the ripple effect of his departure could be felt most at the nickel corner position that Roby had locked down the past four years. Denver signed veteran Tramaine Brock to a one-year deal to fill the spot and perhaps be a bridge to the future. Behind him is Brendan Langley, who has the physical skills but not the positional know-how (yet) to seamlessly fill the role yet. The Broncos also drafted Isaac Yiadom out of Boston College to compete for the job, but it seems he’s more likely to make his name on special teams for now.

Can the Broncos’ remade No Fly Zone continue to stand among the league’s best secondaries without Talib?

Returner job up for grabs When minicamp ended, the list of contenders was long.

“I want them to earn it. Naturally, Isaiah (McKenzie) and Jordan (Taylor) in my opinion, they’re doing a great job right now. Royce Freeman is back there. We’re using them all,” special teams coordinator Tom McMahon said. “David Williams is back there. (DaeSean) Hamilton is back there. Phillip (Lindsay) is back there. If you watch us after practice, we have seven punt returners back there that are rookies. I don’t know who that guy is. I learned my lesson a long time ago with trying to think this is going to be the guy and not the guy. A year ago, Chester Rogers popped out for us in Indy. Nobody thought he could do it. We’ve got great talent here. We’re going to have a great returner, whoever it is. And they’ll develop.”

The Broncos have plenty of options to be the lead punt returner, but they need consistency (sound familiar?). Special teams was among the Broncos biggest problems last year and finished the season ranked 29th by Pro Football Focus.

McKenzie, who was drafted for his speed and return ability, fumbled six times (losing two on special teams) and was demoted twice. Taylor took over and ended the season as the starter, but he underwent two hip surgeries in the offseason and may not be a full-go in camp. Lindsay’s roster spot figures to be contingent on his special-teams contributions, but he too faces pressure from Freeman and Williams and Hamilton, even Langley.

Said Joseph: “It’s an open competition and the more, the merrier.”

The hottest hot seat No player, no executive, no coach will be under the microscope more in Denver than Joseph. After a 5-11 first run as head coach, Joseph’s return for a second season was hardly guaranteed.

“Ultimately, my goal was to stick with Vance and give him that shot,” Elway said in January. “I would say I also want to give him the best opportunity to be successful. I don’t feel like we gave him that chance. We had some positions that didn’t play very well, that I thought would play better than they played. That part is on me. We will get that part fixed this coming year. Hopefully we solve those issues and give Vance and his staff the best opportunity to be successful.”

Elway kept his word and made changes in all three phases. He provided a roster that, on paper, should be competitive.

Since Elway joined the front office in 2011, the Broncos have had three head coaches and four different offensive coordinators. Developing young players has been a challenge made more difficult with the constant changes in staff and scheme. Then there’s the financial component; firing a staff before their contracts expire and hiring a new one is incredibly costly.

The Broncos could use stability on the sideline. But a poor start to 2018 or a subpar season altogether could spell the end of the Joseph era.

Projected 53-man roster Quarterbacks: Case Keenum, Paxton Lynch, Chad Kelly

Wide receivers: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Jordan Taylor, Isaiah McKenzie

Running backs: Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, De’Angelo Henderson, Phillip Lindsay, Andy Janovich (FB)

Tight ends: Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, Austin Traylor

Offensive line: Garett Bolles (LT), Ron Leary (LG), Matt Paradis (C), Connor McGovern (RG), Jared Veldheer (RT), Menelik Watson, Billy Turner, Max Garcia

Defensive line: Derek Wolfe, Domata Peko, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris, Zach Kerr, DeMarcus Walker, Clinton McDonald

Linebackers: Von Miller (OLB), Bradley Chubb (OLB), Shane Ray (OLB), Shaquil Barrett (OLB) Jeff Holland (OLB), Brandon Marshall (ILB), Todd Davis (ILB), (ILB), Josey Jewell (ILB)

Cornerbacks: Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, Tramaine Brock, Brendan Langley, Isaac Yiadom

Safeties: , Justin Simmons, Su’a Cravens, Will Parks

Special teams: Marquette King (P, H), Brandon McManus (PK, KO), Casey Kreiter (LS)

Roundtable: Four former players talk Broncos positional battles, hot seats and more as training camp nears By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic July 24, 2018

When the Broncos’ 5-11 season ended with a thud, general manager John Elway refused to make any promises.

“Whether we can get there or not, I don’t want to raise the expectation level by saying, ‘Yes, automatically we’re going to get back there,’ ” he said. “But, our goals have not changed for the Denver Broncos and what we want to do — and that’s to compete for world championships. Now, we have to build toward that process.”

The building process is over. Saturday, with the start of training camp, the true work begins as the Broncos try to climb their way back from two forgettable seasons. Their starting quarterback is set, but many other questions remain about the roster, its potential, the confidence in their coaching staff, scheme changes and more.

The Athletic reached out to four former NFL players with close ties to the Broncos — offensive linemen Mark Schlereth and Ryan Harris, receiver Brandon Stokley and linebacker Chad Brown — to get their take ahead of camp:

Jhabvala: Who faces the most pressure going into Broncos camp?

Schlereth: I think it’s Vance Joseph who faces the most pressure. There are a lot of questionable decisions last year, the “We had a great week of practice every week” and you get blown out in games. With so many blowouts in a 5-11 season, there were games you just flat-out weren’t competitive in, your decision to continue to send a rookie out there to return punts even though he put it on the ground (six) times. There are a lot of things going on, like the fact that John Elway had to sleep on it about whether to retain him after just one year.

Harris: Carlos Henderson. After injuring his thumb his rookie season, he missed practices during OTAs this year. Couple that with the two receiver draft picks (a third if you know of the talents of undrafted free- agent running back Phillip Lindsay), and Henderson faces the most pressure to make the team.

Honorable mention: Shane Ray. Ray is healing from a wrist injury after being largely affected by it last season. The reason he’s not under the most pressure? Since he’s a former first-round pick, the Broncos will keep him for the remainder of his contract. For the Broncos, it really does not matter what he does this season now that Bradley Chubb has arrived. But Ray is playing for his future.

Stokley: Has to be Vance. John said he had to sleep on whether he’d keep him last year after going 5-11 with an eight-game losing streak with a lot of blowouts in there. Just not good enough. The way the NFL works is if you don’t win quickly, you won’t be around for very long, especially in Denver.

Brown: I’ll probably have to go with Vance. The way he was brought back, with Elway having to sleep on it, that certainly did not remove him from the hot seat. Now you got a quarterback — or people hope — and that seemed to be the biggest issue of last year. So the expectation is going to be high.

Jhabvala: Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said he’s changed the system, with new plays and new terminology. What are you expecting to see in this altered scheme?

Schlereth: I would expect to see a lot of what you saw last year from an execution standpoint. A lot of that is exactly what Bill Musgrave played in under Mike Shanahan and — a lot of what Gary Kubiak did with the bootleg, the play-action off the zone handoff, the shallow cross, a lot of the West Coast principles. Obviously in today’s West Coast there are a lot of spread principles, but I would expect it to look very similar to what Kubiak does with a little more West Coast and some Chip Kelly stuff sprinkled in.

I expect to see them run the ball, and I think it’s important to run the ball with frequency. So many people talk about yards per carry, but I think frequency leads to better yards per carry and you have to be committed to doing that. That’s a skill like any other, and most offensive coordinators are looking for that to peter out so they can throw the ball on every down. I don’t believe Bill Musgrave will do that. I think you’ll see a team that’s going to commit to taking that pressure off the O-line and taking that pressure off Case Keenum.

Harris: During OTAs I was able to see far more spread concepts, giving Case Keenum great pre-snap reads. This is a departure from a run-first system (C.J. Anderson was the lone bright spot in terms of offensive production last year). This will mean less play-action and more pressure on opposing defenses.

Also, there was a clear emphasis on using the snap count during OTAs. Every practice I attended I heard all three quarterbacks using multiple cadences each set of plays they were in. The snap count in the NFL can be a versatile and lethal weapon used by the most successful offenses.

Stokley: You always hear a lot of talk about what they want to do, but until they go out there and they execute and are able to move the ball and are able to score touchdowns, it’s hard to find a rhythm and be successful. I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I hope that the product is better and more consistent and I think it has a chance to be with Case Keenum and some of the other changes that they made.

Brown: It’s one thing to be a play-caller who has been successful in getting guys incorporated into an offense, which Bill has. But there are still so many question marks about the players on the field, so before you can actually say, ‘I want to run this offense and I want to do that,’ is the offensive line really going to be improved? Can you call the plays that you would like to call? Because if you can’t run the ball effectively, if you can’t play-action, the offense doesn’t really work.

Jhabvala: Which positional battle are you most interested in watching?

Schlereth: I want to know who the third receiver is. Who is going to produce in the middle of the football field? Is it DaeSean Hamilton? Is it Courtland Sutton? Is it Isaiah McKenzie? Who is going to be open and tie up safeties so you have one-on-one matchups on the outside? They have been trying for two years now to find somebody other than Emmanuel (Sanders) and D.T. (Demaryius Thomas) to actually produce in the passing game. That’s an interesting battle and there are a lot of names involved in that battle.

The other thing to me is who is going to be able to be a threat out of the backfield on every down? I don’t believe it’s (Devontae) Booker. Can (Royce) Freeman wrestle that job away? I think Vance and those guys, they’re always effusive in their praise for Booker. But come game day, it just hasn’t led to a lot of production.

Who is the starting running back going to be and can that guy have versatility on third down? Third down- and-2 — can it be a running down? Can we motion you out of the backfield? Can you be a threat in the passing game? The teams that can dictate to you that way make you decide as a defense how you’re going to play it with big personnel, or if you’re going to stack the box. Can we take advantage of that? I think that’s an important factor in third-down football and something that we really haven’t had — a guy who is a threat in running the ball and catching the ball.

Harris: The third receiver and third jobs. Both are important for long-term success for the Broncos. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders will get the bulk of the receptions at receiver, but Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton are going to fight tooth and nail for that third receiver spot. Look also for Lindsay to take some snaps from the slot to prove his case for a roster spot as well.

That third cornerback spot proves to be critical for every defense. Whether it’s because of injuries or you’re facing the Patriots or Steelers, your third corner will either win or lose you games. The position should be Tramaine Brock’s, but Brendan Langley and third-round pick Isaac Yiadom will give plenty of competition to the veteran.

Stokley: The running back position is a big one. I also want to see what their plan for (safety) Su’a Cravens will be. It’s kind of a battle between him and Will Parks. It could be a battle between Bradley Chubb and Shaq Barrett to see who begins the season as a starter and who gets that playing time early. I don’t think it’s a forgone conclusion that it’s Chubb.

Right guard position — can Connor McGovern become a starter? Will it be Menelik Watson or Billy Turner? Will Watson be a better guard than he was a tackle? Kind of seeing how that plays out, but they need to solidify that right guard position.

Brown: Looking at the backup quarterback role last year with the Eagles, it helped them to a Super Bowl victory. There’s a chance your quarterback could miss time and if the offensive line does not improve, it makes the chance greater that you’re going to need your backup quarterback. So that’s going to be an important spot.

Then with the youngest running back room in the NFL, who emerges from that room as The Guy. I’m assuming it’s going to be a committee approach, but every room needs a leader. Who is going to be that guy?

Jhabvala: Which rookie do you think will have the biggest impact this season?

Schlereth: Bradley Chubb is going to be huge. I think of all the guys drafted, there might not have been a guy that was drafted into a better situation. You got Von Miller on the other side whose “off year” is (10) sacks when they can’t convert a third down, they can’t hold onto the ball, they never play with a lead, he’s double-teamed on every play. And he still produces 10 sacks and people are like, ‘Wow, what an off year he had.’ Those are phenomenal numbers considering if in normal game situations you’re getting 12 legitimate attempts to rush the quarterback. When you played in Denver last year, you maybe got six legitimate opportunities to rush the passer, and he still came down with 10 sacks. You put Bradley Chubb on the other side, you got a healthy Derek Wolfe, I don’t know what the rotation will be with Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett, I think you’re in a wonderful position to be a guy who is going to be able to draw a bunch of one-on-ones.

Watching Chubb’s college tape, he is a man child. Myles Garrett was the talk of the draft the year before and when you’re talking about the way that Bradley Chubb attacks the football field, it’s unrelenting effort and just his overall ability. I didn’t even think it was close. The tape I watched on Myles Garrett compared to the tape I watched on Bradley Chubb, to me it wasn’t even close. Bradley Chubb was a much better player.

Harris: Bradley Chubb. He has already shown a willingness to learn from Von Miller and pass-rushing consultant DeMarcus Ware. When he and I spoke, he was learning the importance of get-off from the two future Hall of Famers. He has a humility that begins only on the sidelines, and he has shown bend and comprehension of the defense in just the short amount of time he was at spring practice. Five-plus sacks from him this season are realistic expectations for the No. 5 pick.

Stokley: I’m going to go with Royce Freeman just because there’s a need and a void there (at running back). I think they’ve given Booker a lot of chances and he hasn’t done a whole lot with those opportunities. There’s a need for a running back to take over that group and be the lead back. You can tell watching practices they are very, very open in evaluating all these guys and giving all these guys opportunities to be the guy and to be the starter.

Brown: The rookie receivers have been a hot topic all offseason. They have flashed well during OTAs and minicamp, but the track record of rookie receivers coming on and really playing major roles early is not very good. You start to look at roles where rookies have been successful in the past, and you look at that running back room. If Royce Freeman can take that job over and become The Guy, he would be the most logical choice.

Jhabvala: Which unit — offense, defense, special teams — has the most to prove after the last couple of seasons?

Schlereth: Special teams was absolutely horrific last year. That said, I think it’s the offense. Most of the defensive woes from last year were because of lack of offensive production, always playing from behind and understanding that for you to win a football game, (the defense is) going to have to be spectacular. You’re going to have to do things that are out of character. You’re going to have to gamble on a play. And you gamble on enough of them, you may make one but you may give up three.

I think the O-line has a lot to prove still — Garett Bolles does, (Jared) Veldheer does, Ronald Leary coming off the knee injury and who will be the right guard? At tight end, we get no production, and really they’re counting on a guy (Jake Butt) who hasn’t played in over a year coming off an ACL to be your production guy. You paid money to a quarterback who a lot of people — now, I liked (Keenum) before Minnesota. But he has to prove he wasn’t a one-year wonder.

Harris: Offense, no question. They have been the black sheep of an organization that believes it can win another Super Bowl. If/when they produce, we will get a clear look at what the Broncos are truly capable in terms of postseason play.

Stokley: I could say all three, but I’ll go with the offense. They have to do more. They just have to find a way to do more and be more consistent and help the defense out a little bit more. This offense has to start pulling its weight and find a way to give the defense rest and more of an opportunity late in games to rush the passer with a lead. The offense just needs to get up to speed. It’s been going in the wrong direction ever since the Super Bowl, and the pieces are starting to be there for them to be able to do that. You have a veteran quarterback, you have two really good receivers, the offensive line should be better and I think at running back, they have a chance for a couple of those guys to step up and be explosive.

Offensively, they need to step it up.

Brown: I don’t think Broncos fans are expecting this offense to go out there and light it up, even with Case Keenum. I think they’re just hoping for more consistent quarterback play and a more consistent offense. Not explosive, not incredible, not awesome — just be more consistent. Because there’s still a window for this defense to be a really great defense. You draft a guy like Bradley Chubb and put him on the other side of Von Miller, I think everyone is expecting the defense to still lead the way for the Broncos.

Meet the players — Brandon Stokley, a 15-year receiver, played with five NFL teams and is the owner of two Super Bowl rings (XXXV, XLI). Drafted by Baltimore in the fourth round in 1999 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Stokley joined the Broncos in 2007 after four seasons each with the Ravens and Colts. He played three years in Denver, then returned in 2012 and reunited with quarterback . Stokley retired in 2013 and is now a co-host with Zach Bye on 104.3 The Fan.

— Mark Schlereth, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler, spent 12 years in the league as a guard. “Stink,” as they called him, was selected in the 10th round of the 1989 draft by the Redskins and played six seasons in Washington, where he picked up his first ring, in ’92. He signed with the Broncos in 1995 and was a staple on an offensive line that helped Terrell Davis to 2,008 rushing yards in ’98 and Denver to its first two Super Bowl wins (XXXII, XXXIII). Schlereth retired in 2001 after enduring more than a dozen surgeries during his playing days and quickly transitioned into a successful career in media. After 16 years as an NFL analyst for ESPN, he joined Fox Sports 1 last year as a studio analyst and color commentator. Schlereth is also a morning host with Mike Evans on 104.3 The Fan and a regular on HBO’s “Ballers.”

— Chad Brown played 15 seasons at linebacker after a standout career at the University of Colorado, alongside current Broncos coach Vance Joseph. Drafted in the second round in 1993 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown played with three different teams — eight years in Seattle and two stints each in Pittsburgh and New England — and, along the way, collected three Pro Bowl selections and two all-pro honors. Since his career ended, Brown has done three coaching internships with NFL teams, has been a regular in Denver sports media and, in 2017, was inducted into CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

— Ryan Harris, a tackle and third-round pick by the Broncos in 2007, played nine NFL seasons and was a part of five NFL teams. Harris was a Bronco in three stints in his career, and his final go-round included a victory. The former Notre Dame star ended his pro career in Pittsburgh and announced his retirement in March 2017. He is a host on Altitude Sports Radio (950 AM) and a soon-to-be-published author.

Broncos linebacker Shane Ray avoids fourth surgery on left wrist By Troy Renck KMGH July 24, 2018

Five days from the start of training camp, the Broncos received their first sliver of good news.

Outside linebacker Shane Ray avoided a fourth cleanup procedure on his left wrist, a source confirmed to Denver7. In mid-June, Ray told Denver7 he was unsure if he would require surgery after pain developed, causing him to miss the final offseason practices.

Ultimately, his doctor advised against the procedure, leaving Ray to rehab the injury. It creates optimism Ray will be able to contribute early in the season. Had Ray undergone surgery on his left wrist -- he tore ligaments in the wrist during training camp last season -- he faced a steep challenge to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 9, his stated goal. Ray will likely start training camp on the PUP list, but would be eligible to come off when he practices.

Following the drafting of first-rounder Bradley Chubb, the Broncos declined to pick up Ray's fifth-year rookie option after he struggled with the wrist injury and a lack of production last season. He finished with one sack and 10 tackles in eight games, and is in line to become a free agent at season's end. With the wrist compromised, Ray dropped to 228 pounds and lacked the strength to shed blockers. That remains the key moving forward, a healthy wrist that stays strong as he practices.

Opposite of Von Miller, Denver boasts depth at outside linebacker with Chubb and Shaquil Barrett. And Jeff Holland remains a candidate to make the team as an undrafted free agent.

NFL Network first reported that Ray avoided surgery.

Broncos' Clinton McDonald: 'I am healthy' By Troy Renck KMGH July 24, 2018

Clinton McDonald lived in the shadows, worked in the margins.

The Broncos signed him to a two-year deal in March, but a pectoral issue that surfaced in 2015 and continued to nag him last season required surgery, leaving him absent from the practice field this offseason. As a result, McDonald reworked his contract with the Broncos, changing his base salary this season from $3 million to $1 million because of his inability to pass a physical by June 11. He can earn his money back through roster and game day incentives.

As he brought smiles to kids' faces, stuffing backpacks with school supplies at a community event, McDonald professed his health. He believes he will pass Tuesday's physical at Dove Valley, clearing the defensive tackle to begin making an impact.

"It was humbling and shocking to have to sit out (during offseason OTAs). It was hard not to contribute," McDonald told Denver7. "I am looking forward to getting back out there with my teammates."

The Broncos signed the 31-year-old McDonald to provide an inside pass rush. He found a familiar face in nose tackle Domata Peko. The two were teammates in Cincinnati in 2010.

"He was always smiling everyday. He's a total professional. I have been working out with Domata, Derek Wolfe and Adam Gotsis here for the last three weeks, and I feel great," McDonald said. "This Dline has a chance to be one of the strengths of this team."

Peko arrived last year with questions about reaching a crossroads, and delivered arguably the best season of his career. He believes McDonald will boost a group that improved with the addition of Peko and Shelby Harris.

"I love Clint. He's a true professional on and off the field. He's a great addition to our room," Peko told Denvery on Monday night. "He's stout vs. the run and can rush as well. What I really like about him is his motor and engine on the field. He never gives up on plays."

McDonald embraces the coaching of , who spares no one with his candid critiques and intense motivation. Kollar is credited for helping numerous players reach their potential, including Zach Kerr last season.

"He is passionate about his job," McDonald said. "And that makes it easier for me to do my job."

If McDonald fails to pass his physical, he could land on the PUP list. It could amount to a procedural move. McDonald would be eligible to return before the start of the regular season once he's cleared to practice. However, if he remains on the PUP list for Week 1, he would be required to sit out the first six games.

McDonald harbored positive thoughts Tuesday, while admitting, "I feel like I can contribute right now, but it's out of my hands when it comes to being medically cleared. Everything like that goes to the doctors, everyone that gets paid the big bucks."

Broncos left guard Ron Leary welcomes McDonald's return to the field. He played college ball with McDonald at Memphis.

"He was always the big homie," Leary said. "He helped me a lot when I came to Memphis."

So why Denver? McDonald believed Tampa Bay was poised to turn the corner, and it never happened. With the Broncos, he believes he found a team capable of reaching the postseason.

"I love the journey this team is on," McDonald said. "They want to win and have a history of winning."

Browns' Gordon missing camp to deal with addiction recovery By Tom Withers Associated Press July 24, 2018

Days before opening training camp, the learned Josh Gordon will be missing again.

For how long remains unclear.

The troubled wide receiver, who has been suspended numerous times over the past six years by the NFL for drug violations, said on Twitter that he won't be with the team for the start of camp as he continues to recover from addictions that have derailed his once-promising career.

Gordon has missed two full years after being indefinitely suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell and hasn't played a complete season since 2013, when he led the league in yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns.

While Gordon's social media post was vague, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the 27-year-old has not been suspended.

"We will address the matter at the appropriate time," McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press, adding "there's no timetable" on Gordon's return.

Gordon's disclosure came as the Browns are preparing to begin camp under coach Hue Jackson following a 0-16 season.

The team overhauled its roster during the offseason, adding former Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry and a few other potential starters in trades before drafting Heisman Trophy- winning QB Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.

Gordon had been a major part of Cleveland's plans for 2018, but those could now be on hold.

In recent weeks, rumors that Gordon failed a drug test circulated on social media. But it wasn't until he posted his message Monday that it became known he could be sidelined again.

"I am reaching out to you all personally and letting you know that I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well," Gordon wrote in a statement directed to "my Cleveland Browns and NFL Family."

"You will notice that I will not be in Cleveland for the start of training camp. Rest assured, this, too, is a part of my overall health and treatment plan. I appreciate the awesome support I have received from teammates, friends, fans, and the Browns organization. Just like you, I am excited to start the season and I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans."

Gordon later followed up with a tweet that said, "Thanks again.. See ya soon."

Because he is in Stage 3 of the NFL's substance-abuse program, Gordon is subject to random drug testing. He faces another indefinite suspension for any violation.

Gordon has missed 43 of Cleveland's past 48 games because of suspensions. Last year, he was reinstated by Goodell following a three-month stay in a rehab facility. He returned for the Browns' final five games and caught 18 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown.

Before he returned, Gordon revealed the depths of his substance abuse, saying he had never played in an NFL game sober.

Gordon participated in Cleveland's offseason programs, and the team has been encouraged by his commitment to staying clean and active.

Browns general manager John Dorsey said the team has Gordon's back.

"We will continue to support Josh as he receives the care needed to maintain his progress," Dorsey said. "We are going to respect his privacy while he is away from the team. Josh will be placed on the non- football illness reserve list until he is ready to return."

Cleveland will have its first practice Thursday. Gordon's announcement is another blow to an organization trying to rebuild following numerous losing seasons. The Browns haven't been to the playoffs since 2002 and have lost at least 10 games in 15 seasons since 1999.

During minicamp last month, Gordon claimed to be in the best shape of his life and boasted that with he and Landry, the Browns had the league's best receiving corps.

Gordon also said he felt fortunate to be getting another chance.

"Right now for me it's a bunch of the small victories day to day, just being able to come to work," he said on June 12. "Like the little, little things. Having some structure in my life."

Gordon has played in just 40 career games since the Browns selected him in the 2012 supplemental draft.

David Ramsey: Is Devontae Booker ready to excel as Denver Broncos lead running back? (He says yes) By David Ramsey Colorado Springs Gazette July 24, 2018

A few days after C.J. Anderson’s abrupt April departure from the Denver Broncos backfield, he called Devontae Booker, his friend and former competitor for playing time.

“It’s your time,” Anderson told Booker, offering his blessing. “Go out there and do what you need to do.”

In an instant, Booker traveled from backup to probable lead running back. In the modern NFL, where passing rules, Booker’s contribution will not be nearly as important as the lead role once played by , Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis.

Still, as the Broncos chase revival after a 5-11 season that spread gloom all across The Rocky Mountains, Booker must play a crucial role in the franchise’s transformation from loser to winner.

Is he ready?

“Absolutely,” Booker immediately answered in June.

“I know I’m capable of being the main guy. I’ve just got to keep working hard and grinding on the practice field and getting better. I’m all for it.”

The running game, led by Anderson, was decent if not spectacular during the disaster of 2017. The Broncos finished 12th in the NFL in rushing, with Anderson rolling to 1,007 yards. That total wasn’t enough to inspire John Elway to pay Anderson $4.5 million for the 2018 season.

The plan is easy to see. Elway hopes Booker can deliver Anderson-like numbers on a salary of $725,000. At training camp, which opens Saturday, Booker will battle against De’Angelo Henderson, Royce Freeman and David Williams – a trio with a total of five NFL carries — for the starting job.

If I’m running the Broncos, the plan after Anderson’s exit would have been to find an elite – or near elite – running back to ease the burden on quarterback Case Keenum.

But I don’t run the Broncos.

Coach Vance Joseph, in a brief conversation, mentioned three times Booker’s most valuable asset in the struggle to become starter.

“Devontae is our most experienced back,” Joseph said.

It’s not much experience. Booker has 253 carries and started six games in 2016 with Anderson out with injury. He’s shown flashes, but only averaged an anemic 3.6 yards per carry.

And yet . . .

If you examine Booker’s past, you understand his confidence.

He was a superstar of national proportion at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, where he rushed for an astounding 4,734 yards and 81 touchdowns in his final two seasons. He signed with Washington State, but academic troubles forced a detour to junior college. He sat out the 2013 season to concentrate on his studies.

When Booker finally arrived at Utah for the 2014 season, he was a 22-year-old junior hungry to show he could soar on a big college stage. He finished with 2,773 yards in only two seasons and, more importantly, graduated with a sociology degree.

So, after his long, winding and successful ride to the NFL, he’s hardly overwhelmed by the idea of starting an entire season.

“Not at all,” he said. “I’ve been in this situation my whole life. High school, junior college, college at Utah. Once I get that lead role, you can really see what I can do.”

Booker, 26, has rampaged to more than 10,000 yards since the start of his junior year in high school. He understands skeptics abound. He knows many expect to see Freeman, the Broncos 2018 third-round pick, seize the starting job before the end of the season.

“They’ll just have to wait and see,” Booker said of the skeptics. “People are wondering what I’m going to do. You’ve only seen a glimpse of it.

“You give me the rock, I’m going to do what I need to do out there on the field.” DL Clinton McDonald feels '100 percent,' ready to contribute By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 24, 2018

Defensive lineman Clinton McDonald said he will undergo a physical Tuesday as he aims to return to field work following offseason recovery from a non-invasive procedure.

McDonald — who joined the Broncos in free agency in March — missed the entirety of the offseason program, but he said Monday he now feels “100 percent” and ready to contribute to Denver’s defensive line.

“I feel great,” McDonald said. “I’ve been working out with Derek Wolfe, Domata Peko [Sr.] [and] Adam Gotsis up here in Denver for about three-and-a-half weeks now, and I feel very encouraged.”

McDonald said he expects to pass his physical, but he is unsure whether he will face any repetition limits or other restrictions as the team begins training camp on July 28.

“That’s going to go on the medical staff and go on the doctor,” McDonald said. “As far as how I feel right now, I feel like I can go and contribute now. But like I said, it’s out of my hands when it comes to being medically cleared. [That decision] goes to the doctors and everybody that gets paid the big bucks to make those decisions.”

When McDonald does return to full-speed action, the 6-foot-2, 297-pound player should find himself in the mix along the Broncos’ defensive line. He is one of very few offseason additions to a position group that did not add a draft pick following a successful 2017 season.

The defensive line was a key piece of a unit that allowed that fewest yards per carry of any defense in the NFL.

McDonald, though, could help add a pass-rush element to the group. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer totaled 8.5 sacks over the previous two seasons from the interior of the defense, and he could see a number of opportunities as opposing offenses focus on players like Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.

After an offseason in which he was resigned to the sideline during both individual and team drills, McDonald suggested Monday he was more than ready to participate in more than just the meeting room.

And only once he jogs out on the field, he said, will he truly find his place in the defense and begin to prepare for the 2018 season.

“I’ve actually got to get on the field and contribute to understand what’s going on out there,” McDonald said. “Especially [because] it’s not just you out there on the field. [In] basketball, it’s LeBron James and four other guys. It’s not like that in football at all. Football takes all 11 guys to complete your goal and get to where you want to be.”

“So this spring was kind of hard for me not to be able to contribute in [a normal] sense. It’s the first spring I ever was sidelined due to any kind of injury or illness. It was kind of humbling in a sense. It was shocking, because I know the type of guy I want to be here in Denver. I know the type of guy I want the coaches and my teammates to see me as.”

Should McDonald pass his physical on Tuesday, he’ll finally get the chance to show them.

NFL training camp cuts? Notable guys on roster bubble By Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com July 24, 2018

More likely to be traded than cut

Paxton Lynch, QB, Denver Broncos: This would be an embarrassing scenario for Lynch and Denver GM John Elway. The Broncos have publicly expressed faith in Lynch, but he will be fighting with last year's seventh-round pick, Chad Kelly, just to be Case Keenum's backup. If Lynch loses that battle, Elway might be forced to dump Lynch, his 2016 first-rounder, for a conditional late-round pick, all while hoping Keenum can save the franchise. Strange days.

Is the NFL softening its stance on the substance-abuse policy? By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk July 24, 2018

When it comes to players who have repeatedly run afoul of the substance-abuse policy, the NFL has tremendous discretion. Under Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL has often used that discretion aggressively against the players. Is it possible that the league is now using its discretion in favor of the players?

That’s the only way to explain the vague, ominous statements from the Browns, receiver Josh Gordon, and the NFL regarding Gordon’s status. Something has happened with Gordon to prompt his absence from training camp for at least one week, and his comments on the matter strongly imply that it has something to do with the condition that got him suspended for an extended stretch. As written, the policy creates for players in Stage 3 of the program (i.e., any player reinstated a year or more after a banishment) a clear link between something/anything happening and another banishment.

So if Gordon has slipped up in any way — including a positive test or any failure to cooperate with testing, treatment, evaluation, or any other requirements imposed by the policy of his treatment plan — he technically should be gone for at least another year. While that could still happen, it hasn’t happened yet. Which invites speculation that the NFL may be trying to find a way to not suspend him, again.

Ditto for Raiders receiver . Last month, a report emerged that the Raiders fear another Bryant suspension may be coming. A subsequent report insisted that Bryant hasn’t failed or missed a drug test. But the standard for a slip up is much broader than that. Any glitch, any problem, any issue gets a player in Stage 3 booted again from the NFL, for at least another year.

Maybe, then, the NFL finally has realized that its over-the-top obsession with players smoking marijuana hurts the game more than it helps the game, especially with marijuana no longer possessing the stigma it once did. Maybe the NFL is now willing to find ways to keep talented players on the field, instead of finding ways to keep them off the field.

Regardless, something has caused the swift, sudden hand of Big Shield Justice to do something other than promptly smack players like Gordon and Bryant out of the league. Whatever the reason, it’s a positive development.