Broncos training camp rewind, Day 8: Offense shows signs of life By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post July 27, 2019

Player Attendance Did not practice: LB Todd Davis (calf, eighth consecutive missed practice), WR River Cracraft (oblique, sixth), TE Jake Butt (knee, fifth), WR DeaSean Hamilton (hamstring, second), RG Ron Leary (day off), RT Ja’Wuan James (lower leg, first), TE Bug Howard (ankle, first), OLB Dekoda Watson (lower leg, first) and OL Jake Rodgers (calf, first).

James has a lower leg bruise, according to coach Vic Fangio. “At this point, (it’s) nothing to be worried about.”

Of Howard, Fangio said: “He’ll be out a little while so you probably don’t have to ask me about him for a couple of weeks.”

Leary is expected to practice Saturday.

Top play The offense’s best day of camp was highlighted by QB Joe Flacco’s long pass (at least 40 yards) that WR Courtland Sutton made a diving catch on. Sutton got a step on CB Alijah Holder during a post route.

Thumbs up The offense. They showed a pulse. “I thought it was a little better operation than it has been, which is good to see,” coach Vic Fangio said. “Hopefully when I go in and look at (the video), it’s good play by them and not crappy play by the defense. Hopefully it’s good play by both sides and the (offense) is winning.”

WR Nick Williams. Signed before practice, Williams worked with every quarterback and had two catches in 11-on-11 work.

S Will Parks. He looks comfortable playing at any part of the field in this defense and is consistently around the football.

Thumbs down Receiver attrition. At least Courtland Sutton hasn’t missed any time during camp. The Broncos have had to sign three receivers since camp opened.

CB/PR Horace Richardson. During a live punting drill (no returns, though), he dropped his first attempted catch.

Odds and ends

The Broncos ran 75 snaps of 11-on-11 and 31 snaps of 7-on-7. Quarterback snaps (11-on-11): Joe Flacco 35, Kevin Hogan 19, Drew Lock 18 and Brett Rypien three. Quarterback snaps (7-on-7): Flacco 12, Hogan seven, Lock seven and Rypien five.

Late in practice, coach Vic Fangio quickly gathered the players to tell them the final goal-line period would be “live” except for the quarterback. That led to a spirited segment of rushes and passes.

ILB Josey Jewell on the “live” period: “You’re going full bore every practice rep you have, but down there, it’s the nitty gritty and you can’t give them an inch. It was fun to try to get after it.”

Jewell and LT Garett Bolles began chirping at each other Thursday and it continued at least twice Friday, including the opening play of 11-on-11 when Jewell ran over Bolles. “I think he was mad the rest of the day that I got him knocked over,” Jewell said with a smirk. “He likes to give a little extra every once in a while so everybody likes to find him every once in a while, too.”

Because RG Ron Leary had the day off and RT Ja’Wuan James (lower leg) was held out, Jake Brendel played in Leary’s spot and Eljiah Wilkinson in James’ spot.

Red zone 7-on-7: Touchdown catches by TE Jeff Heuerman, TE Noah Fant, WR Juwann Winfree and TE Austin Fort.

Flacco started the second 11-on-11 period with a 5-for-5 passing segment, including the diving catch by WR Courtland Sutton and a sliding catch by Winfree on an in-breaking route. It was against the No. 2 defense.

The Broncos ran a two-minute drill. Flacco completed six of his eight passes to get into field goal position, but Hogan, after throwing twice to Winfree, threw three consecutive incompletions in his territory to end the drive.

The quarterbacks combined to complete 13 consecutive passes during the second 7-on-7 period.

NFL referee Walt Anderson and some of his crew visited the Broncos this week, including a presentation for the team on Thursday night. “I love having these guys here,” Fangio said. “Walt and his guys are good to work with. Walt’s been a very experienced official and one of the better referees in the league. I would like to have them here every day.”

The coach’s challenge for pass interference will debut in the Broncos-Atlanta game on Thursday. “We do play the first game this season next Thursday,” Fangio said. “I’m going to throw the first challenge flag for OPI or DPI.”

Fangio added of the interference challenge (except in the final two minutes, when it’s a booth review): “The use of challenges may even go down because nobody wants to get caught late in the fourth quarter when they’ve been hosed on a call or no-call to be out of them (timeouts or challenges),” he said.

Fangio said he has re-started only one period of practice during camp. “One time I was with a coach who in an early period, besides just starting the period over because it was sloppy, he started the whole practice over,” he said. “Back to stretch and individual. Maybe I’ll do that one day.” Asked if that coach was Jim Mora, Fangio said: “How’d you guess?”

C Connor McGovern semi-recovered from Thursday’s bad shotgun snapping practice but there were two hiccups — one resulted in an aborted play and on the other, Flacco picked up the snap and threw a completion. “We have to keep practicing because we could have nine other offensive players having the best down of their lives and if we can’t get the snap, it’s wasted,” Fangio said. “That’s both (center) and quarterback. I thought it was a little better (Friday) compared to (Thursday) where we had an epidemic of them. (Friday), we had a few of them, but we can’t have any.”

The Broncos made a roster move before practice, signing WR Nick Williams and waiving DL Deyon Sizer. Williams (5-foot-10, 184 pounds) has 30 catches for 280 yards (two touchdowns) and also has experience returning kicks (20.9-yard average in 2013) and punts (11.8-yard average on four returns last year) for Tennessee (two games) and the Los Angeles Rams (one game). Sizer was an undrafted free agent from CSU-Pueblo who grew up in Aurora. Just since the start of training camp last week, the Broncos have signed WRs Steven Dunbar, Jamarius Way and Williams.

Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, along with his two kids, attended their second practice of the week.

The attendance of 2,907 was the second-highest of training camp.

Saturday’s practice 2:15-4:15 at Broncos Stadium at Mile High (open to fans).

Admission is free but mobile tickets are required to attend. Those are available through Ticketmaster. All seating is general admission and fans must enter through Gates 4, 8 and 10. Pre-purchase parking is $10. Parking lots open at 10:15 a.m. and the stadium gates at 12:15 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a decent crowd,” Fangio said. “It will be good for the young guys, especially the guys who have been at small (colleges) and they haven’t seen a crowd or stadium that big. Hopefully it will help them for next Thursday (vs. Atlanta) and the rest of the preseason.”

Broncos’ tight end Austin Fort emerges as serious roster contender By Kyle Fredrickson Denver Post July 27, 2019

Austin Fort admits there are times he can’t help but look at the big picture.

It’s hard to believe, really.

“I pinch myself all the time,” Fort said.

Four years ago, Fort transferred from Wyoming to Chabot (Calif.) Community College in a last-ditch effort to keep playing quarterback. But Fort returned to Laramie the following season to walk on and re-earn his scholarship at tight end.

“My priorities were screwed up,” he said. “Why did I want to play a position this bad that I’m going to change my whole career path?”

On Friday, Fort starred at his new role in the Broncos’ eighth training camp practice. The undrafted rookie tight end played on 30 percent of the team’s 11-on-11 scrimmage snaps (23-of-75) with four receptions and one touchdown from backup quarterback Kevin Hogan. Fort lined up in the backfield, split at tight and out at wide receiver with the first, second and third offensive personnel groupings.

In the injury absence of tight ends Jake Butt (ACL) and Bug Howard (ankle), Fort has emerged as a surprise candidate to solidify a roster spot; just so long as his playmaking extends to game settings. Fort gets his first chance Saturday when Denver hosts an open practice at Broncos Stadium.

“Hopefully, there are 50,000 people there Saturday to give (Fort) a little taste of a big environment, and the Hall of Fame game and the other preseason games,” coach Vic Fangio said. “He’s been doing well. Now he’s got to bring it. The practice fields are the quizzes. The games are the final exam. He’s been doing OK in the quizzes. Let’s see if he can carry it over.”

Few NFL scouts were buzzing about Fort prior to this offseason. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound prospect was limited to 17 games over his final two college seasons because of a pair of knee injuries. Fort averaged 13 yards per reception at Wyoming but managed only 17 career catches for 221 yards and four touchdowns. He needed eye-popping pro day numbers to get noticed. Loren Landow was happy to help.

Fort trained under the Broncos’ strength and conditioning coach for three months. When NFL scouts descended on Laramie, Fort showed out.

His times in the 40-yard dash (4.56 seconds) and three-cone drill (6.8) would have ranked inside the top three among tight ends invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Fort put up similar numbers for Denver scouts at their local pro day, and within an hour of the NFL draft closing, he signed a free-agent contract with the Broncos.

“You could see in there the talent (Fort) was and how athletic he was,” said rookie Juwann Winfree, who trained pre-draft alongside Fort under Landow. “He’s hungry and he wants it. He didn’t get that big opportunity in college that he probably would have liked. This is his opportunity now and he’s making the most of it.”

Fort provides an offensive skill set not so different from Butt, a 2017 fifth-round pick, with a combination of speed, sure hands and explosive run-after-catch. Fort’s surest path to the roster, however, will be on special teams, where he must address the biggest transition between quarterback and tight end: Physicality. Fort continues to sharpen the blocking skills required at his position.

“There are going to be opportunities for me to get some one-on-one matchups and do some things in the passing game,” Fort said. “That will be favorable for me, but at the same time, we’re using our tight ends in every way. I’m in the backfield, I’m split out and I’m inline blocking. I’ve just got to be good at all that stuff.”

Fort now views his quarterback background as an advantage on the path to his NFL dream. But no matter the position, just one thing will guarantee a roster spot in Denver. Fort has taken Fangio’s challenge to heart.

“It’s one thing to do it in practice, but you’ve got to be able to do it on Sundays,” Fort said. “It’s a little bit different of a ball game when you put the pads on and you get under the lights. I’ve got to grind it out so I can play well in those opportunities.”

Recapping a wild 24 hours for wide receiver Nick Williams By Kyle Fredrickson and Jeff Bailey Denver Post July 27, 2019

Nick Williams is glad to share the story of how he went from running routes at his high school alma mater one day to joining the Broncos for training camp the next. But hold on. First, a quick question for a reporter after Williams’ first practice Friday at UCHealth Training Center.

“What day is it again?” he asked.

It’s been that kind of ride. A true whirlwind. Williams, a sixth-year pro undrafted from Connecticut, was cut by the Rams in December after stints with the Falcons, Titans and Redskins. So he spent recent weeks at The Hun School in Princeton, N.J., catching passes from prep quarterbacks until that call came with another NFL opportunity to prove himself.

The phone finally rang late Thursday morning. His plane landed in Denver that same night.

“I got the call, packed up my stuff, said goodbye to my fiancé, got driven to the airport and I’m here this morning,” Williams said. “I had really been training hard the last few weeks.”

It showed in practice. Williams ran routes in 11-on-11 with every quarterback and hauled in two catches in scrimmage periods. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound speedster will also be given an opportunity to return punts and kicks. It’s all happening so fast.

“You can’t ask for much more than that,” Williams said. “I got here last night, I’ve got a helmet on this morning and I’m out there catching passes today.”

Just one more thing as the interview ended…

“The locker room is this way, right?” Williams asked.

The new wide receiver in camp is just settling in.

Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay voted No. 68 on NFL’s top 100 players list By Robert Denton Denver Post July 27, 2019

In 2018, South High School and CU graduate Phillip Lindsay became the first undrafted rookie offensive player to make the Pro Bowl, and other NFL players have taken notice. Lindsay was voted No. 68 in the 2019 players’ NFL Top 100 list.

The Colorado native had 1,037 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns in his breakout rookie year.

“Phenomenal,” Von Miller said of Lindsay in the NFL Top 100 video. “We need a guy like this on offense.”

NFL players vote to determine the top 100 list.

What to know if you plan on attending Saturday’s training camp practice at Broncos Stadium By Staff Denver Post July 27, 2019

Broncos fans won’t have to pay to see the team at Saturday afternoon’s open practice inside Broncos Stadium at Mile High. They just need a working downloading finger.

In order to attend Saturday’s practice from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., fans must secure mobile tickets ahead of the event. Tickets are available for download through Tickermaster.

All seating is general admission, with Gates 4, 8 and 10 opening at 12:15 p.m. Limited parking can be pre- purchased for $10 through Ticketmaster, with lots opening at 10:15 a.m. All proceeds go to Denver Broncos Charities.

Normal stadium security measures will be in place, including the NFL’s clear bag policy.

The Broncos will also host family friendly activities from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., including Miles the Mascot’s birthday celebration at the Mile High Monument and a junior training camp in the grass area on the south side of the stadium.

The Denver Broncos cheerleaders and Stampede Drumline will also perform at the event and players will sign autographs after practice.

Fans are encouraged to drop off school supply donations at stadium gates. Among the items requested for donation: backpacks, three-ring binders, spiral notebooks, crayons and colored markers. Monetary donations will also be accepted for Colorado school districts in need.

For more information on Broncos training camp, visit denverbroncos.com/nfl/trainingcamp.

Flacco, No. 1 offense have their best day By Mike Klis KUSA July 27, 2019

It was against the No. 2 defense when Joe Flacco got hot.

The Broncos’ top quarterback connected first with Tim Patrick on a deep middle. Flacco ripped it and Patrick caught in stride, then took off for a huge gain.

On the next play, Courtland Sutton got open from here to E-470 on a fly route. Flacco laid it out perfectly. Sutton left his feet to haul it in.

Then, Flacco connected with fifth-round rookie Juwann Winfree on a shorter middle pattern but drilled it through traffic.

Again, it was the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 2 defense. But you’ve got to start somewhere. And in the next team period, the No. 1 offense moved the ball to inside the 30-yard line against the No. 1 defense before the drive stalled.

“I thought it was a little better operation than it has been and that’s good to see,’’ said Broncos’ head coach Vic Fangio. “Hopefully when I go back and look at it it’s a good play by them and not crappy play by the defense.’’

Lock getting No. 2 QB look

The move so many have expected – second-round draft pick Drew Lock moving up from third-string to No. 2 QB – is starting to happen.

Lock got a series or two more with the No. 2 offense Friday, although veteran Kevin Hogan continues to get the bulk of the second-team reps.

“That was our plan the whole way to eventually let him work with the twos some—him and Kevin alternate a little bit,’’ Fangio said.

Roster move

With all the injuries at the receiver position (River Cracraft, DaeSean Hamilton, Winfree until recently) and the Hall of Fame Game less than a week away, Broncos general manager John Elway felt like his roster needed some receiver depth.

The Broncos signed former Atlanta Falcons’ receiver Nick Williams on Friday and made room for him on their 90-man roster by waiving defensive lineman Deyon Sizer.

In 2015, Scangarello was Atlanta’s offensive quality control coach and Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator when Williams caught 17 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.

Williams participated in practice right away.

“It’s a real successful scheme in the league. (Rams head coach Sean) McVay runs it, Kyle runs it, (Packers head coach Matt) LaFleur runs it or run versions of it. It’s kind of the same principles. Those guys are all great coaches, all successful coaches. And Rich is coming up in that mold. It’s all what I expected it to be. … It makes the transition easier.”

Weight loss

Quick. How many adults out there weigh less now than on high school graduation day?

Zach Kerr does.

It’s not easy for any human to drop a few pounds, but imagine how difficult it is for those big defensive linemen to diet.

“Especially when you’re naturally a big person,’’ said Kerr, a Broncos defensive lineman. “I graduated high school the same size I am now.’’

Actually, less. Kerr lost 20 pounds during the Broncos’ five-week break between OTAs/minicamp and is now 324. He was 330 when he graduated from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Md.

“I enjoy it,’’ Kerr said. “My body feels better. My joints, ankles, all that.’’

Another defensive lineman, Billy Winn, lost 12 pounds during the break and is participating in training camp at 318. Winn is making a comeback from a two-year playing absence since he tore up his knee during the Broncos’ 2017 preseason opener at Chicago.

“It’s going good,’’ Winn said. “I’m getting back in the swing of things. I’m 30 now and I feel like I can run around with the best of them and hopefully I’m able to resurrect my career and get out there and play with this squad. If not here one of the 31 other teams.’’

No August 3rd practice

Because of the Hall of Fame Game travel schedule next week, Fangio is giving his players an extra practice off from Saturday, Aug. 3. That had been one of the open-to-the-public practices.

The players will have meetings that day but no practice. That day is also when Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Broncos still have 10 more open-to-public practices including Saturday from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at Mile High Stadium.

Bronco Bits

The Broncos ran some goal-line plays with live tackling at the end of practice. The defense swarmed and made a couple stops. The offense also scored twice, once on a Flacco play-action pass. …

Right tackle Ja’Wuan James missed practice with a bruised lower leg. Elijah Wilkinson moved up to take his place with the first team. Right guard Ron Leary also got another day off. He was replaced by Jake Brendel.

Outside linebacker Dekoda Watson missed practice with a lower-leg injury.

For Broncos offense to return to late-90s glory, it will need late-90s run game By Mike Klis KUSA July 27, 2019

There are two parts to the Broncos’ new Scangarello offense.

We tend to focus on Joe Flacco. But the quarterback doesn’t go until the running game moves first.

Plus you’ve got a head coach who comes from a heavy defensive background. Better believe Broncos head coach Vic Fangio likes it when his team’s offense is controlling the ball.

"I want to move the ball, get first downs and score points and I'm not picky on how we do that," Fangio said. "But there does come a point where you've got to be able to run the ball. If you can run the ball and you are patient with it, big plays can come off of that in your passing game.

"I think we've done a good job of marrying our running game and play-action game together and we're looking to hit some big plays off of that."

Remember back when John Elway was the Broncos quarterback? And then how good it was for the Broncos when it was Elway the QB and Terrell Davis was his running back? That’s always the goal for the Broncos.

Especially now with the offense directed by first-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello just a degree or two removed from the Broncos’ West Coast offense of the late-1990s.

So far in camp, the Broncos have been pounding bigger back Royce Freeman in there, first. And then Phillip Lindsay darts, hops and speeds his way through.

Nothing unusual with this power and speed combo.

But if Flacco is going to hold up the passing game, the Broncos will first need Lindsay, Freeman and the zone blocking system to loosen ‘em up.

Broncos notes: Injuries give kid receivers a chance to catch passes from Flacco By Mike Klis KUSA July 27, 2019

It was a couple days after the Broncos’ finished up minicamp, OTAs and their offseason program.

While the veterans dispersed, the rookies were held back for more meetings, symposiums and seminars. As part of my media presentation to the Broncos’ rookies, I conducted a mock interview with Kelvin McKnight, a likable undrafted receiver from Samford.

Have you caught any passes from Joe Flacco?

"I have caught passes from Joe Flacco … routes on air," McKnight said with a humble smile.

His fellow rookies in the room cracked up laughing about that.

McKnight, though, is no joke. With DaeSean Hamilton down with a hamstring injury, McKnight has been filling in at slot receiver with the first-team offense the past two days. Which mean, yes, McKnight has caught a few from Flacco – and not just from the receiver line during early practice warmup, but during the most serious, 11-on-11 team periods.

"It’s fun going out there with Joe," McKnight said. "You’ve got to be out there on your stuff. I’m trying to be on point. Knowing my assignments is the big thing and I’m just trying to go out there and make plays."

The Broncos have three undrafted rookies who have received some first-team reps in camp so far: McKnight, receiver Trinity Benson and inside linebacker Josh Watson.

McKnight is listed at 5-foot-8, 186 pounds and came from a small school, which likely explains why he wasn’t drafted. But he had 100 catches as a senior and a combined 185 receptions, 2,609 yards and 21 touchdowns his last two seasons.

He has so far impressed the Broncos’ front office and coaching staff with his sudden bursts off cuts and his sure hands.

"The wide receiver position has been hit a little bit with the injury bug, so these younger guys are getting opportunities and sometimes that’s how you find somebody," said head coach Vic Fangio.

Snap to it From the first day of training camp, there’s been an issue with errant shotgun snaps, and not just from No. 1 center Connor McGovern.

"I've noticed it," Fangio said. "There are too many right now and obviously that's something that's got to get cleaned up.

"Some of those we've had have been the quarterback's fault. Ball's right there and they're taking their eyes off it too quickly and they're not catching it. This hasn't all been the center's fault, but you're right. It's the most basic fundamental there is. If we can't get that it doesn't matter what play we called so that obviously has to be perfect soon."

For his part, McGovern said he’ll get the problem rectified.

"I’ve maybe had one (bad snap) a day, today I had two or three," McGovern said. "It’s Day 8 or 9 of training camp, it’s something that’s easily fixable. It’s something I know I can fix. I know how to fix it so I’ll fix it."

Remember, McGovern was always an offensive tackle or guard – never a center – until Matt Paradis went down in game 9 last year.

"For me, there’s times I’m looking at the defense and my hips aren’t where they should be when I snap the ball," McGovern said. "I have to get my hips up. It’s something that’s not muscle memory yet. I know how to get my hips up. I just have to do it and make it muscle memory before Week 1."

Injury Bug

One of the most serious-looking injuries occurred Thursday during a 7-on-7 session when backup tight end Bug Howard. One of Mitch Trubisky’s favorite receivers in college rolled his left ankle as he came down while trying to catch a pass in the end zone.

Howard had to be carted off the field. X-rays were negative so there’s no break, but he was to get an MRI to determine the degree of his sprain.

Backup offensive tackle Jake Rodgers suffered a calf strain during a blocking drill.

Analyze this

Fangio is often described as “old school” but he’s not averse to the modern nuances of the game. He says he does confer with Mitch Tanney, the Broncos’ director of football analytics.

"It helps. It's part of the equation," Fangio said. "I like analytics. I look at everything he does. It does not control me, though. Football is a different game. Analytics in baseball is super valuable because you’re only defending one person. You're defending the batter. Here we have to defend five eligible, six if you count the quarterback."

Broncos camp: Offense has best day yet; Drew Lock opens up about transition to NFL; and more By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic July 27, 2019

About 10 minutes before the end of practice Friday, Vic Fangio brought his players together in a team- wide huddle for the start of something new. When the players dispersed to their respective sidelines, the first offense and defense lined up at the goal line and went live, with full tackling.

The brief team period was reserved for the end of practice, and Fangio said completely live periods (quarterbacks are still spared, of course) have to be limited to preserve players’ health ahead of the regular season.

“Our interior play I’d like to think is pretty damn close to game-like all the time,” Fangio said. “When you do add the element of tackling, it’s a little bit more. But I don’t think it totally affects the O-line and D-line. It affects them in that they have to go tackle somebody, but you can’t do it all the time.

“In all my years in the NFL, I’ve only been one place, one time where there was regular tackling going on, like one period a day. But everywhere else there wasn’t. I’ve been with a lot of tough teams. You don’t need to tackle all the time out here. And plus in goal-line, it’s close quarters and it’s almost hard to practice that if you want tempo and you don’t want one side to win, obviously, to not be live. We’re not going to do it a lot. “

The period was another chance for the offense to test itself against the defense and another chance for the coaching staff to instill a gamelike atmosphere. Making practices as close to the real deal as possible has been an emphasis for Fangio since he took over as head coach.

Some other observations and news from the eighth training camp practice at Dove Valley:

Offense in control? Fangio is not one to hand out praise often, but he did so (sort of) Friday when asked if the offense had its best day yet in training camp.

“According to you guys it has been,” he said with a laugh. “It probably was.”

It was far from perfect — there were still drops and low snaps — but the offense held its own against a defense that had made a habit of intercepting passes and generally wreaking havoc. Joe Flacco completed 5-of-5 pass attempts during one 11-on-11 period, punctuating it with a deep ball of at least 50 yards to Courtland Sutton. Sutton laid out for the diving grab on a post route against cornerback Alijah Holder.

It was expected that the new offense, led by Rich Scangarello, would take time to come together, and it’s still early, especially considering the Broncos’ extra five practices and fifth preseason game. Signs of progress were clearly noticeable Friday, but the key is consistency, for the offense to follow a positive day with another and another.

“I thought it was a little better operation than it has been, and that’s good to see,” Fangio said. “Hopefully when I go back and look at it, it’s good play by them and not crappy play by the defense. Hopefully, it’s good play by both sides and (the offense) winning. Don’t know the answer to that yet.”

Injuries piling up The list of players on the sidelines is growing daily, as players suffer and recover from nicks in camp. A string of injuries to the receiving corps, coupled with the continued recovery of Emmanuel Sanders, prompted the Broncos to sign Nick Williams on Friday for depth, especially in the slot.

“We’re not low enough to ask (Brandon) Stokley if he can still play, but he did a good job,” Fangio said of Williams. “He’s a guy that doesn’t meet your height, weight and speed — things that all the personnel people like, but looks like a pretty damn good football player to me out there. Maybe all he needed was an opportunity, and he’s got one now. Let’s see.”

Williams (5-foot-10, 184 pounds) has played in 27 regular-season games and a pair of playoff contests with Washington (2013), Atlanta (2015-17), Tennessee (2018) and the Los Angeles Rams (2018). The sixth- year receiver has totaled 30 catches for 280 yards (9.3 average) with two touchdowns in his career. He has also returned nine kickoffs for 188 yards (20.9 average).

The latest list of injured/recovering Broncos:

• Receivers DaeSean Hamilton and River Cracraft are dealing with hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively, and did not practice Friday.

• Right tackle Ja’Wuan James and outside linebacker Dekoda Watson have lower leg injuries, neither of which is too concerning, Fangio said. (Elijah Wilkinson took James’ spot.)

• Right guard Ron Leary was given the day off. He will practice Saturday afternoon at the stadium, though. (Jake Brendel took Leary’s spot.)

• Tight end Bug Howard, who was carted off the field Thursday with an ankle injury, is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.

• Tight end Jake Butt missed his fifth day of practice because of his continued recovery from ACL surgery.

• Inside linebacker Todd Davis observed practice but did not participate because of a calf strain. (Alexander Johnson and Justin Hollins received reps in place of Davis alongside Josey Jewell.)

Fangio continues to rotate reserves at ILB as Davis recovers, and Jewell has taken over play-calling in his absence.

“They’ve all had their moments, both good and bad,” Fangio said. “They obviously play a little better when they’re in there with Josey because he can kind of serve as their caddie a little bit. That’s always important to remember when you’re evaluating players, who they are in there with. That’s why we have to always change those guys even without injuries because guys — you don’t lose, for example, both safeties in one game on the same play. So the guy that goes in, he’s got to get used to playing with that other safety. Same thing with inside linebackers and offensive line. Anybody that has to work with somebody close to them it’s always important to get that intermixed in there.” • Offensive lineman Jake Rodgers did not practice because of a calf injury.

Lock with the twos As was planned, Drew Lock has received more reps with the second-team offense lately. For the majority of training camp and throughout the spring, the Broncos had Kevin Hogan taking the bulk of the reps with the No. 2 offense, with Lock and Brett Rypien to follow.

Fangio said the coaches wanted to give Lock more time with the second string at some point in camp to alternate with Hogan. The coach has been blunt when discussing Lock’s progress acclimating to the NFL, describing him as “a hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet” and “not a union NFL quarterback yet.”

The transition for rookies to the pros can be daunting, but for quarterbacks coming from a spread offense in college, the adjustment is even more significant. Lock was a four-year starter at Missouri; now he’s fighting for a backup role in a new environment and a mostly new game to him.

“I definitely underestimated (the transition) myself, so I know people who haven’t gone through it definitely underestimate it,” Lock said. “There is so much that comes into play here. You might have all the plays down, but there’s a lot more that goes into the game.”

Lock spent a few weeks back home before training camp working with his longtime quarterback coach, Justin Hoover, and has said that time was invaluable because it allowed him to reset and refresh before returning to Colorado. When he did, the task at hand didn’t feel as overwhelming.

“It’s more and more comfortable every day,” Lock said. “I think it just comes with reps, which, why wouldn’t I expect for it to get better over time with reps? But that’s just me; I thought I would just come in and be picture-perfect because that’s the competitor I am. But at the same time, you have to realize it’s going to take some time.

“It was definitely frustrating at first. It’s just such a different environment because obviously Joe is one and we’re fighting for everything else after that. I had been a one for four years in college and had every single rep. You’re not only learning the plays and footwork, you’re also learning to be a pro out on the field, not necessarily as the one. You have to learn how to take reps while watching and learn to take reps in the meeting room. There ends up being so much more that goes into this than people think. I mean, you mess up one word in the play call and it messes everything up. And they’re 15-word play calls.”

Stadium day The Broncos will practice Saturday afternoon at Broncos Stadium, marking the first time the team has had a camp workout there in five years. Fangio said he was presented the option of having one at the stadium and accepted with the thinking that it would be good for his new staff and the players to get some time over there, especially the younger players who played at small colleges and didn’t get a chance to compete in an “imposing” stadium.

“Hopefully it helps them for next Thursday and the rest of preseason and moving forward,” he said. “I think there’s benefit to it.”

Fangio has also made clear his appreciation of having fans attend camp practices for free. Saturday’s session is an opportunity for them to watch at the stadium at no cost. For local players such as Dalton Risner, who grew up roughly 70 miles northeast of Broncos Stadium, the practice downtown will mean even more.

“It’s an awesome moment,” he said. “I see that every day playing with the guys I play with and this team and this whole area. Being a part of the Denver Broncos is a dream come true, and I don’t take that for granted any day. Any time that you might get in the grind of camp, I realize that this is a blessing for us.”

Q&A: Brett Rypien on going from Boise State Broncos star to Denver Broncos hopeful By Dave Southorn The Athletic July 27, 2019

The Denver Broncos certainly did their homework on Brett Rypien.

“We watched every snap he played at Boise State, all four years,” Broncos quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney said. “That was a lot of snaps.”

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February, McCartney and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello wanted to meet the guy they had watched throw 1,619 times for 13,581 yards.

They came away impressed and had him on their wishlist for April’s draft. But the Broncos didn’t draft Rypien, instead waiting through every one of the 254 picks before picking him up as an undrafted free agent.

“I thought he was going to get drafted,” McCartney said. “We’d targeted him early, so we were pumped we were able to get him.”

Rypien was given one of the largest contracts for an undrafted player following the draft, a deal reported by The Athletic to be worth $146,000, including a $10,000 bonus. Now, he is one of four quarterbacks on the roster, fighting for consideration to make the 53-man roster behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Drew Lock.

“He’s made the best of his opportunities, and he doesn’t get a ton, but he’s built for it,” McCartney said. “We can’t have a weak link at that position, otherwise any bad play is a waste for everyone. You have to make throws at an NFL level, and we were right, Brett can do it.”

Rypien got a series Sunday with the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense and made some nice throws after being sacked by Bradley Chubb and Von Miller on his first snap.

“A lot of teams only have three quarterbacks in camp. We have four,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said after the practice. “We are getting a fair amount of reps out there as it seems. Some days he’s going to get more than others. That’s just the way it goes, but I like Brett.”

Rypien spoke with The Athletic after Thursday’s practice about his first week of training camp, Boise State’s quarterback battle and more.

Have you had your “Welcome to the NFL” moment?

I threw a pick the other day off a tipped pass. It’s a narrow margin in college, but even smaller in the NFL, it has to be that much more crisp. If it gets tipped here, someone’s probably going to get it. We have two of the best pass rushers in the world, so it feels pretty real when they’re in your face.

From a four-year starter to an undrafted rookie, that has to be a big adjustment.

It’s definitely a lot different, a lot more standing around. My last two or three years in Boise, I was running the show, getting as many reps as I wanted. I’ve got to go back to like when I was a freshman. Every play, I have to watch, learn from that, too. I’ll throw a little during special teams or between periods to stay loose but just get in that mindset as much as I can.

Has the fit in Denver been what you expected?

I think so. I’ve been getting some service reps with the 1s. Going against that defense, one of the best in the league, is awesome. I’m trying to learn as much as I can. It’s going to be a marathon for me, not a sprint.

With five preseason games (the Broncos play in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1), how might that help you?

We’ll see, I don’t know how it’ll play out. I know if I get my opportunity, I’ll be ready to go. It can’t hurt having that extra game to get some of that experience. I know the Hall of Fame Game, they don’t usually like to play the starters a whole lot, but I’m ready for however it works.

You’re with a veteran in Joe Flacco and a fellow rookie in Drew Lock. How has that been?

Joe has been awesome. There are a lot of guys that I don’t think would be as willing to help out like he has. Drew and I, we’re going through the same growing pains, it’s been awesome to have both those guys. Rep-wise, we have a difference, but you don’t dwell on it. We’re learning and competing together.

What’s the best part of the NFL?

Not having to worry about school. I took some classes in the summers, but right now, it’s kind of like our fall camp in Boise. Obviously, there’s a different lifestyle. There’s money, there’s more food. There’s 2- 3,000 people watching every practice, so that ratchets up the pressure a little bit. You felt that a little bit in Boise since football is so huge there, and it’s that way here, just amplified.

What are your thoughts on the Boise State quarterbacks?

I remember being in that same position (four years ago). Ryan (Finley) was going into his third year, it was my first. We have a couple really good true freshmen, and Chase (Cord) has been around for a few years. Jaylon (Henderson), Riley Smith, Zach Matlock, that whole room is really talented. Obviously got to know most of those guys when I was there. It’ll be fun to see. If they need any advice, I’ll give it to them for sure. I have no idea what’s going to happen, but whoever it is, he’s going to do well, there are good things in place there.

Broncos to host free training camp practice, activities at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Saturday By Brian Miller KMGH July 27, 2019

The Broncos will host their free training camp practice at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Saturday afternoon.

Practice starts at 2:15 p.m. and runs until 4:15 p.m. but the parking lot will open at 10:15 a.m. and gates will open at 12:15 p.m.

Fans can download free tickets through Ticketmaster . But the Broncos will not accept screen shots of ticket barcodes, as they are using a rotating barcode system this year.

Parking will cost $10 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster as well. All the parking money will go to Denver Broncos charities.

Starting at 12:30 p.m., the Broncos will hold a birthday celebration for Miles the Mascot and a Broncos Junior Training Camp on the stadium’s south side.

There will also be performances by the Broncos Cheerleaders and others between 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m., and players will sign autographs after practice.

The Broncos are also collecting school supplies, which will be distributed to districts in need across Colorado by Volunteers of America.

The team is asking people to bring backpacks, three-ring binders, spiral notebooks, colored markers or 24-count boxes of crayons, or monetary donations.

The Bronco Reaper: A super fan born from a brush with death By Ryan Osborne and Landon Haaf KMGH July 27, 2019

Over the last 16 years, Jesse Esquibel has survived West Nile virus and brain surgery, blood clots and heart attacks, and a bout with an autoimmune disease.

So when he decided to channel his Denver Broncos super-fandom into an orange and blue alter-ego, Esquibel's character was a natural fit: The Bronco Reaper.

"I figured most people are scared of death," said Esquibel, whose gameday attire includes a long, blue hooded robe, a shiny orange skeleton mask, and a faux scythe customized with the Broncos logos and colors.

"So it was a way for me to get out and make people less scared."

Esquibel last week was waiting outside the gates of the UC Health Training Center, where the Broncos' first practice was about to get underway.

The 37-year-old from Parker was with his wife, Jet'aime, and his three sons. Training camp, for the Esquibels, is a yearly ritual. They've gone since their teenager, Angel, was a toddler. In 2008, Mike Shananan called Angel onto the practice field and linebacker Louis Green threw him a football, which the Esquibels still have.

But it wasn't until the 2014 season that Esquibel went public as the Reaper. He attends as many home games as he can, buying a cheaper upper deck ticket and roaming the stands with Limo Driver, Orange Vader and the other super fans of the team.

Esquibel, as with most Broncos super fans, was inspired by the legendary Barrel Man, Tim McKernan. McKernan, who died in 2006, wore nothing but a barrel and a cowboy hat to nearly every home game for decades, cold weather and all.

Esquibel's outfit might have a darker twist, but he's not trying to steal souls – unless he comes across a Raiders fan.

He gets a kick out of the Reaper persona because of his own brushes with death. The reaper, decked out in hometown colors, puts a lighthearted spin on the battles he faced.

He said his medical issues started around in 2003, with a mosquito bite. Then came the seizures, he said, and the West Nile diagnosis. His recovery included brain surgery, which left a long arching scar along the side of his head. Esquibel said he later developed an autoimmune disease that attacked his kidneys, leading to blood clots.

Then, in late 2015, he suffered a series of heart attacks. Now he said he still battles the seizures and diabetes.

"It's been a series of unfortunate events," Jet'aime said.

The Reaper alter-ego "takes my mind off my health and the situation I'm currently going through and puts it in these fans' hands," Esquibel said.

"It just gives me a different purpose."

Esquibel calls himself the "fan of the fans." But he's been an inspiration for his family.

"Because he has had to fight death for different reasons, he does take on that persona and makes us not afraid of death," Jet'aime said. "It's just a natural part of life. Living it is tougher, but you just get through it."

"He always says you're going to die before you die, and don't let yourself do that."

Broncos sign free agent receiver Nick Williams By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press July 27, 2019

The Denver Broncos put free agent receiver Nick Williams right to work Friday, having the sixth-year pro work with the starting offense shortly after signing his contract.

With wide receivers River Cracraft (muscle) and DaeSean Hamilton (hamstring) missing practice again, it wasn't surprising to see Williams work with the starters, but his quick rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco that resulted in several impressive plays was a pleasant surprise to many at Broncos headquarters.

''We've run low at receiver and particularly at the slot. We're not low enough to ask (former Broncos wide receiver Brandon) Stokley if he could still play. But you know what, he did a good job,'' coach Vic Fangio said. ''He's a guy that doesn't meet your height, weight and speed things that all the personnel people like, but he looks like a pretty damn (good) football player to me out there.

''Maybe all he needed was an opportunity and he's got one now. Let's see.''

Williams (5-foot-10, 184 pounds) has appeared in 27 regular season games and two playoff contests with the Redskins, Falcons, Titans and Rams. He played in two games for the Titans and two for the Rams last season.

Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello was with Williams in Atlanta in 2015 when current 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was running the system for the Falcons.

''It's real similar,'' Williams said. ''I haven't really checked it out too much yet. But just being on the field today and hearing a lot of the plays and a lot of the formations, a lot of carry-over. It's a real successful scheme in the league. (Rams coach Sean) McVay runs it, Kyle runs it, (Packers coach Matt) LaFleur runs it or run versions of it. It's kind of the same principles.

''Those guys are all great coaches, all successful coaches. And Rich is coming up in that mold, it's all what I expected it to be. A decent amount of that stuff in his offense and the things that he has added over the years, it's definitely an advantage to have that background. It makes the transition easier.''

Williams fit right in.

''I kind of expected it to be difficult,'' Williams said. ''You're kind of thrown in there. It's tough to get into football shape, that's the really underrated thing about getting ready for camp. But it was nice and early in the morning. I've been here for a couple hours and then I had shoulder pads on a few hours later. So, I can't complain too much.''

To make room for Williams, the Broncos waived defensive lineman Deyon Sizer.

Notes: RT Ja'Wuan James and OLB Dakoda Watson missed practice with lower leg injuries that Fangio said were minor. ... Fangio said TE Bug Howard, who was carted off the field with a leg injury Friday, will be out a couple of weeks. ... In all, nine players sat out practice. ‘It’s my dad’s life and my life’: How the NFL has shaped the bond between HC Vic Fangio and his daughter By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

A day before Vic Fangio started his first training camp as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, he guided his car down a street near UCHealth Training Center as his daughter posed a question.

Cassie Fangio wanted to know how her 60-year-old father was feeling. After 32 years as an NFL assistant, he was about to begin his first season as a head coach.

“Are you nervous?” his 22-year-old daughter asked him.

He quickly waved her off. No, he said.

But Cassie, who grew up around the NFL and has spent the start of training camp with her dad and the Broncos, can’t say the same.

“Oh, yeah,” she says after a recent Broncos training camp practice. “I’m very nervous to see what my dad is going to be like on TV and just in charge of the game on the sideline. It’s going to be a change for sure, but I’m excited.”

It’s been a long time coming for both Vic and Cassie. Fangio spent 32 years as an NFL assistant or coordinator before he got the opportunity earlier this year, and he had come to terms with the fact that he might never be destined to earn the top spot.

“It’s obviously something I’ve thought about throughout my career at various times, but I was comfortable enough in my own skin that it didn’t have to happen,” Fangio said at his introductory press conference in January. “I was happy with being a defensive coordinator in the NFL for close to 20 years. If a good situation ever arose and I matched what a certain team was looking for, I’d be all in. I believe I’ve found that here and I’m all in.”

Before he accepted the Denver job earlier this year, though, Cassie wasn’t sure if she would see her dad take the next step in his career.

“I mean, he’s not the youngest guy around," Cassie says jokingly, "so you kind of thought maybe it would never happen."

When it did, his daughter’s reaction was reflective of the work he’s put in during four decades of coaching football at all levels.

“When I first found out, I was pretty much in tears,” Cassie says. “This is what he’s worked for and it’s what my family and I have always wanted for him. He deserves it so much. I see how hard he works outside of the office. He’s the last one to leave every night. He deserves it, and I hope he enjoys it because I know it’s going to be stressful, too. But I hope he enjoys it.” As he starts his head coaching career, it’s clear he’s enjoying the moments he can spend with his daughter before she heads to Texas for her first job out of college. When the Broncos aren’t on the field for practice, the future U.S. Army nurse and her dad are nearly inseparable.

In the morning Vic and Cassie eat breakfast together. During practice, she stands on the sideline and watches as her father directs some of his first training camp practices. They grab a quick lunch when the morning’s practice wraps up, and she’s around to talk when her dad gets home after a long night at the office.

“It’s been great,” Fangio says Wednesday. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having her here. She’s starting a new life here and becoming a nurse in the Army soon, so both myself and her mother’s chances to see her are going to be slim and none for a while, so anything we get, you cherish.

“We’ve eaten most meals together every day and I see her at the house late at night every day. She hangs out in my office when there’s some dead time for her. So it’s been great. I’ve cherished it.

“It’s a bonus — and we all like bonuses.”

Vic Fangio’s two children have never known anything but the NFL.

When Christian was born in 1991, Fangio was midway through his stint at the Saints’ linebackers coach. Cassie was born five years later in Charlotte as Fangio got his first shot at being an NFL defensive coordinator.

The Fangio family moved to Indianapolis in 1999 and to Houston in 2002 for a pair of defensive coordinator roles. They moved again in 2006 — this time to Baltimore, where Fangio served as the linebackers coach.

“They’ve never been alive without having an NFL team to root for,” Fangio says.

By the time Cassie turned 10 years old, she’d lived in four cities — and the NFL had become an unmistakable part of her life.

“I don’t really know anything else,” Cassie says. “Sunday was game day. If he was away, my family would order pizza and we’d sit at home and watch the game. I always remember him working long hours. And I think my favorite part as a kid was being able to bring friends to games. Some of my friends had never been to NFL games, so I’d get to give them that experience.”

She started to feel the pull of the game when she was 5 years old and living in Houston and no longer wanted to leave games before they ended. In Baltimore, she would attend nearly every home game. And even though Cassie stayed in Maryland when Fangio headed west to coach at Stanford and then with the 49ers, she still traveled to any game she could.

It was during Fangio’s time with the 49ers that Cassie told her dad she hoped to make it to every NFL stadium. And though a series of 49ers road playoff games proved helpful, she says she has at least 20 to go.

There were other perks. Linebacker Patrick Willis followed her back on Twitter and her dad would occasionally let her break down the defensive huddle after practice. Eventually, though, Cassie recused herself. It was too embarrassing as a teenager, she says now.

But the life of a football coach — and of their children — isn’t always easy.

After Fangio and the 49ers lost Super Bowl XLVII to the Ravens, Cassie had to head back to her high school outside of Baltimore.

“You know how that ended, and I had to come back to a Ravens town,” says Cassie, remembering her sophomore year. “That was probably the hardest part. But it’s always hard. … Winning and losing isn’t just a quick moment of happiness and a quick moment of sadness. It kind of lasts the whole week until the next game. If you lose, you have a knot in your stomach the whole week.

“It’s not just a game for me. It’s my dad’s life and my life.”

Forty years after Fangio started his coaching career, Cassie will begin her own professional journey.

She graduated from Towson University this spring with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, and she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army from Loyola University of Maryland’s ROTC program. She also passed her NCLEX exam to become a registered nurse.

In October, she’ll head to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, for mandatory U.S. Army officer training. She’ll work at the hospital on the base, and for at least a year, she’ll be stationed domestically to learn clinical skills.

After that, she could be deployed overseas.

“Anybody that’s willing to do service for our country is to be commended,” Fangio says. “She came to this decision totally on her own. I didn’t push her; her mother didn’t push her. She wants to do it, so hats off to her.”

Even as she prepares to serve her country, football played a role.

“When I was debating on where I wanted to get stationed first, I initially wanted to go to Germany,” she says. “But once he got hired, that was kind of taken off my list, because I knew that I probably wouldn’t make it to any of his games. I didn’t want to miss too much of his head-coaching career.”

Cassie says she hopes to make it some games this season — the Broncos’ Week 14 game in Houston is just hours away from San Antonio — but there are no guarantees.

And that makes these 12 days at training camp feel a little more valuable.

“I’ve gone to a lot of training camps, but only for a couple days, usually,” she says. “I’ve been here for over a week now, so this is the longest time I’ve ever spent at a training camp. It’s cool. I value it, and I’ll remember getting to watch him as a head coach.”

As she’s stood on the edge of the practice fields for both the team’s full-length sessions and their occasional afternoon walkthroughs, she’s noticed her dad’s coaching and parenting styles aren’t all that different.

Vic the father, she says, is “strict when he needs to be, but not overbearing.”

“He expects a lot,” she says, “just like he expects from his players.”

And with those players — who range from 11-year veterans to undrafted rookies — Cassie says her father tries to do more than just provide coaching tips. At some point in her life, that’s what helped her realize her dad was more than just a smart man.

He was a brilliant coach, as well.

“I’ve always known my dad was smart,” she says. “Not necessarily with football, but with life stuff. And then being here at training camp, I see that he tries to teach the players not just about Xs and Os but about life and family. He did the same for my brother and I.”

Along the way, he also instilled a love for football in his daughter that isn’t going away any time soon.

Cassie says she isn’t necessarily interested in coaching, but she wants to “stay around the game forever” in some capacity. Even after her dad eventually retires, she says she wants to find a way to be involved in a manner that’s more than just being a fan of the game.

As Fangio is told of his daughter’s plan, Cassie stands just a few feet away.

“I’d love for her to do that,” Fangio says as she looks on. “It’s a good way to make a living. It’s healthy to be a part of a team. Any time you’re part of a team, you get a little extra pop in your life — rather than just punching in and punching out every day. … If she wants to do that, I’m all for it.”

This day at training camp, though, isn’t about the future. It’s about adding another memory to a life defined by football.

Vic and Cassie pose for their first photo together in Broncos gear — a snapshot that’s sure to be added to a collection of photos from Fangio’s time with other teams — and then they turn to head inside.

It’s time for another meal and another cherished moment.

Dalton Risner, Juwann Winfree eager for opportunity to practice at Broncos Stadium at Mile High By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

The kid from Wiggins is about to get his first chance to play at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

Rookie offensive lineman Dalton Risner and the Broncos will practice at the team’s stadium on Saturday afternoon, and it will mark the first time the Colorado native competes on his new home field.

“I’m glad I’m doing this before I play my first game there,” Risner said Friday. “That way, maybe I can let a little bit of the emotion out tomorrow. So, no cameras when I walk out to practice.”

Wide receiver Juwann Winfree will be making a return appearance at the stadium after playing in the Rocky Mountain Showdown with the Colorado Buffaloes.

“It’s going to be a special moment,” Winfree said. “Any time I’m just in a stadium like that – just the environment — you feel good. You feel empowered. I had a touchdown in that stadium the last time I played there, so I’m looking forward to making more plays tomorrow when I’m out there and just that feeling of being in the game stadium, just the feeling of that atmosphere.”

The game-like atmosphere is part of the reason that Head Coach Vic Fangio decided to have the team practice in the stadium for the first time since 2014.

“It will be good for those young guys, especially some of these guys that have been at small schools where they don’t see a crowd or a stadium that big," Fangio said. “It can be a little imposing. Hopefully it helps them for next Thursday and the rest of preseason and moving forward. I think there’s benefit to it. That’s why we did it. We didn’t have to do it. They asked me if I wanted to do it and I said, ‘Yeah. let’s do it.’”

The Broncos kick off their preseason schedule on Aug. 1 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game.

Their practice on Saturday is slated for 2:15-4:15 p.m.

“It's going to be good to get the feeling again, to have all those younger guys get the feeling of what it's like, and just to be able to get us back in there,” second-year linebacker Josey Jewell said. “It's going to feel good, and it's going to be awesome to be able to have a practice in there and make it feel more like a game."

A PASS-INTERFERENCE PROBLEM?

NFL referee Walt Anderson and a crew of referees met with the Broncos on Thursday to go over rules changes and how those rules would be enforced.

The biggest change is undoubtedly that coaches may now challenge pass-interference calls — both calls that are made and calls that are missed. The new rule comes in light of a missed call in the 2018 NFC Championship when a Saints receiver was contacted before the ball arrived. The no-call likely changed the outcome of the game, which resulted in a Rams win.

In 2019, coaches can use one of their existing two challenges — or their third if they get the first two challenges correct — to review both offensive and defensive pass interference.

Inside of two minutes, any reviews will be initiated by the replay booth.

“The rule is what it is,” Fangio said. ‘What everybody seems to forget or it gets glossed over is they did not increase the coach’s challenges. You still only have two. And if you’re right on two you get a third. That play that happened in New Orleans which caused all this, just to use New Orleans as the example, if [New Orleans Saints head coach] Sean Payton — that same exact play happens at the same exact time this year — if he’s out of timeouts or out of challenges, that play is going to stand again just like it did in the past. … The use of challenges may even go down because nobody wants to get caught late in the fourth quarter when they’ve been hosed on a call or no call to be out of them, so it’ll be interesting.”

Fangio, a first-time head coach, has never challenged a play before — and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to wait long to start.

“We do play the first game of this season next Thursday,” Fangio said laughing. “I’m going to throw the first challenge flag for OPI or DPI.”

THE OFFENSE’S BEST DAY

In Fangio’s opinion, the Broncos’ offense “probably” had their best day of training camp.

Quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t throw an interception, and he converted on a handful of big plays, including a deep throw down the middle to Courtland Sutton that covered at least 60 yards through the air.

Fangio just hopes the offense’s production didn’t come with a caveat.

“I thought it was a little better operation than it has been and that’s good to see,” Fangio said. “Hopefully when I go back and look at it, it’s good play by them and not crappy play by the defense. Hopefully it’s good play by both sides and they’re winning. [I] don’t know the answer to that yet.”

Ja'Wuan James, Dekoda Watson among Broncos to miss Friday practice By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

Tackle Ja'Wuan James and linebacker Dekoda Watson were among the nine Broncos who did not participate in Friday's practice, but Head Coach Vic Fangio said there's no reason to be concerned about either player.

James is dealing with a "lower-leg bruise," Fangio said. Watson also has a lower-leg injury.

"I don't think it's anything to be concerned about," said Fangio of Watson's injury, "but he needed yesterday and today."

Ron Leary was also held out of practice Friday as he recovers from an Achilles injury.

"We made the decision late today that he probably needed today or tomorrow off, so we gave him today off and he'll practice tomorrow," Fangio said.

Tight end Bug Howard, who suffered an ankle injury on Thursday, will be out for "a little while."

"[You] probably don't need to ask me about him for a couple weeks," Fangio said.

Wide receivers River Cracraft (muscle) and DaeSean Hamilton (hamstring), tight end Jake Butt (knee), tackle Jake Rodgers (calf) and linebacker Todd Davis (calf) also missed practice.

Broncos announce change to training camp practice schedule By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

Head Coach Vic Fangio and the Broncos have adjusted their remaining training camp practice schedule, the team announced Friday.

The Broncos will no longer hold practice on Saturday, Aug. 3. Instead, after the Broncos compete in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on the night of Aug. 1, and return early on Aug. 2, Fangio will give his players both Friday and Saturday off from practice.

The Broncos still have 10 scheduled training camp practices open to fans, including Saturday’s session at Broncos Stadium at Mile High from 2:15-4:15 p.m.

Broncos sign WR Nick Williams By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

The Broncos signed wide receiver Nick Williams on Friday, the team announced.

Denver waived defensive lineman Deyon Sizer in a corresponding roster move.

Williams, a 5-foot-10, 184-pound player, entered the league in 2013.

He has recorded 30 career receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns, but he has also served as both a kick returner and punt returner.

Williams averaged 20.9 yards per kick return in 2013, his sole season in that role. In 2018, he returned four punts for an average of 11.8 yards per return. His longest return went for 47 yards.

Williams appeared in two games for the Titans and two games for the Rams in 2018. Prior to the 2018 season, he spent portions of the 2015-17 seasons on the Falcons' active roster. Broncos Offensive Coordinator Rich Scangarello was in Atlanta with Williams in 2015, when the receiver recorded career highs in receptions and receiving yards.

Williams will wear No. 86 with the Broncos.

Broncos Day 8 Camp report: Kelvin McKnight seizes the day By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

It was a move-the-ball period midway through practice, and the first-team offense was not moving fast enough. A pair of completions had the offense at its 43-yard line. But the drive began with 2:20 on the clock back at its 30-yard line, and after a pair of short completions, just 1:16 remained. To jump-start the series, Joe Flacco turned to undrafted rookie Kelvin McKnight. Reading the zone coverage perfectly, McKnight broke for the left sideline, settled under a 16-yard pass and got out of bounds to move the offense out of its own territory and stop the clock.

McKnight wasn't done. Three plays later, on third-and-2, Flacco found him for a 4-yard completion to keep the drive alive. Two snaps after that, a 9-yard reception to set up what would have been a near-certain Brandon McManus field-goal attempt followed.

The drive covered 50 yards, and 27 of them came on passes to McKnight. Working mostly out of the slot in place of the injured DaeSean Hamilton and River Cracraft, McKnight has seized the moment in the last two days, in part because the rookie hasn't looked like one. Instead, he's learned some tricks of the trade that give him the savviness of a veteran.

“He did all right. He’s progressing," Head Coach Vic Fangio said Thursday. "The wide receiver position has been hit a little bit with the injury bug, so these younger guys are getting opportunities and sometimes that’s how you find somebody."

After practice Friday, McKnight said one of the things he's learned during training camp is that he can "cheat a couple of plays." But to “cheat” doesn't mean what you might think it does.

"It's just a football term -- maybe steal a yard on my alignment, cut my split down, certain stuff like that," he said.

Those tricks have helped him find separation within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, making him effective on short crossing routes. But they might not represent a direct path to a 53-man roster spot.

That's where special teams comes into play. As he often does, he lingered on the field Friday after the two-and-a-half-hour practice to get extra work, focusing on punt returns. He was one of the last to leave the field, and departed flanked by Special Teams Coordinator Tom McMahon, who still had some points to make about what to expect from opposing punters -- perhaps another "cheat" or two, if you want to view it that way.

"Just different looks on punts that I will be seeing throughout the year, different types of punters," McKnight said when asked what McMahon shared with him. "Different techniques, what to read on the ball, stuff like that."

In McKnight, McMahon appears to have an eager student, one willing to soak up the details and sharpen the subtle skills that separate those who manage to stick on an NFL roster with those who don't. He also has a pupil who understands that he will fail. Even though the first eight practices have been mostly stellar for McKnight, rough days will come. But the rookie expects to prosper from them.

"With repetitions, you just get better," McKnight said. "Failure equals growth."

ENDING WITH A THUMP

Fangio huddled his team late in practice, and then sent them to work on what is typically the most ferocious moment of training camp: the goal-line period.

The first-team offense faced the No. 2 defense and scored on two of four snaps. Running back Royce Freeman followed a block from a pulling Dalton Risner to score on a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. On the next two plays, defensive lineman Billy Winn deflected a Flacco pass at the line of scrimmage, and Mike Purcell stopped Freeman at the goal line. The series concluded with a 2-yard Flacco-to-Tim Patrick touchdown pass.

Denver's No. 1 defense dominated against the second-team offense. Safety Justin Simmons stuffed Dave Williams at the 1-yard line on first-and-goal, and two plays later, a swarm of defenders led by Alexander Johnson stopped Devontae Jackson short of the goal line. Two pass plays ended with incompletions due to pressure on Kevin Hogan from DeShawn Williams and Jeff Holland.

MORE NOTES

... The goal-line stop by Simmons was just one of a slew of outstanding plays for Broncos safeties. Will Parks forced one incompletion with a blitz, and caused another on an attempt to Tim Patrick by timing his contact well, arriving just after the football to avoid a pass-interference call. Su’a Cravens also broke up a pass.

... Errant shotgun snaps remained an issue Friday. At one point, a single period of practice saw two low snaps from Connor McGovern to Flacco. Drew Lock also had to field an errant snap, but he recovered for a completion.

"We have to keep practicing because we can have nine other offensive players on offense having the best down of their life [but] we can’t get the snap, it’s wasted. That’s both the snap and the quarterback," Fangio said. "Sometimes it’s the quarterback too.

"I thought it was a little better today in comparison to yesterday where we had kind of an epidemic of them yesterday. Today we kind of had a few of them. We can’t have any."

... With Ja'Wuan James nursing a lower leg bruise and Ron Leary getting a rest day, Elijah Wilkinson and Jake Brendel worked with the No. 1 offense at right tackle and right guard, respectively. Leary is expected to return to practice Saturday.

... Rookie tight ends Noah Fant and Austin Fort each caught touchdown passes during a seven-on-seven red-zone period. Fant caught his pass from Flacco, scoring on an 8-yard pass, while Fort took advantage of blown coverage for a wide-open 7-yard scoring catch. Fort had a chance for another touchdown one play later, but dropped the pass.

... Wide receiver Courtland Sutton had his longest reception of camp to date during a team period in which the No. 1 offense worked against the second-team defense, laying out for a 50-yard reception down the right seam.

... During that same period, the No. 1 offense faced the second-team offense, led by Lock, and finished with two plays that would have been sacks under game conditions, one by Von Miller and the other by Shelby Harris, who put his hands up and held up to avoid certain contact with Lock.

... Aside from the snapping issues and a pair of false-start penalties, the offense appeared to enjoy another strong day. It was particularly crisp in the ground game, with the first-team line doing a good job driving forward to create more space for the running backs to operate, leading to some solid runs throughout the day.

“I thought it was a little better operation than it has been and that’s good to see," Fangio said of the offense. "Hopefully when I go back and look at it it’s good play by them and not crappy play by the defense. Hopefully it’s good play by both sides and they’re winning. Don’t know the answer to that yet."

... Punting, punt coverage and punt returns were points of emphasis Friday during the special-teams periods. Colby Wadman and Justin Vogel opened by working on precision punting.

Later, they punted from their own territory during a punt-return drill. Wadman had seven punts; Vogel had six. Wadman had the better gross average (49.4 yards) and hang time (4.42 seconds) than Vogel (37.2- yard average, hang time of 4.31 seconds), as Vogel was hurt by a pair of mishit punts that sailed out of bounds.

During the punt-return period, eight different Broncos lined up to field punts: McKnight, Trinity Benson, Phillip Lindsay, Horace Richardson, Juan Winfree, Brendan Langley, Devontae Jackson and Nick Williams, who signed with the team Friday.

Bradley Chubb expands charitable foundation's efforts into Denver with donation to Stuff for Students school supplies drive By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com July 27, 2019

It wasn't enough for Bradley Chubb to give his all during the Broncos' eighth practice of training camp.

After practice concluded, he gave some more, as he announced a donation to the Broncos' Stuff for Students campaign, which has encouraged fans to bring school supplies to camp each day. Through the Chubb Foundation, he donated four cases of backpacks, pencils, crayons and notebooks.

"We wanted to give back to the community because we were given so much as kids and we know not everybody was raised the same way," Chubb said. "My parents, through our belief and through our religion, we were always taught to give to others who may not have as much as we have. So, that's one thing we just wanted to do is just give back to the community, as much as we can. Whether it is through football camps [or] entrepreneurship classes. Whatever we can do to help the kids because at the end of the day the kids are our future. We just want to help build that from the ground up."

Chubb particularly felt drawn to supporting the campaign because his foundation has typically only done work in the Atlanta area, where he grew up, and he felt like it was time to start making an impact in Denver.

"Now that I have been up here for a year, I'm trying to get more comfortable with the area and more comfortable with the people," Chubb said. "So, I am trying to expand the Chubb Foundation up to Denver, Colorado. So [I am] working with the Broncos and the off-the-field team. I've donated four cases of school supplies to [the] Stuff for Students school drive this year. I am excited about it. I know fans can come out tomorrow and all open practices to help donate, as well. But this is just my donation. I'm just trying to put my foot into the Denver community as much as I can, and I am really excited about it."

After his first year as a Bronco, Chubb said he has felt the love from the community, from the cheers on game days to seeing people at restaurants and around the city. Through those interactions, he's striving to bring more of an impact off the field in his second season.

"I love everything about the Denver community," Chubb said. "The fans are so loyal, the fans are just people who are really genuine. Even if they see me out at a restaurant or something with my family, they don't make a big deal of it. 'Hey, we really appreciate you,' and then they go about their day. So, just things like that help me know that I am loved here in this community. I just want to give back to it as much as I can."

Fans who wish to donate to Stuff for Students can do so in person at any training camp practice by bringing any of the following items:

Backpacks (for all ages) Three-ring binders Spiral notebooks Colored markers or 24-count boxes of crayons

Monetary donations are accepted online through this link and at every training camp practice held at UCHealth Training Center.

Broncos Training Camp Observations: Hello, offense! By Ryan Koenigsberg BSN Denver July 27, 2019

Eighth time’s a charm?

Better late than never?

At long last?

Finally?

Friday marked the first practice of camp in which the Denver Broncos offense flashed some explosiveness and efficiency, an extremely welcome sight for anyone who has been following to this point.

Here’s what went down.

Feel the Rhythm With both Ja’Wuan James (calf) and Ron Leary (rest) on the shelf for Friday’s practice, one media member turned to me before the seesion began and said, “Chalk up another ‘L’ for the offense.”

Early in practice, that comment appeared to be prophetic, as the offense continued to look out of sync. On the first play of 11-on-11 work, Josey Jewell knocked Garett Bolles on his rump, helping to blow up a run play. Shortly after that, Courtland Sutton had a dropped pass, and pressure in the backfield was everpresent. It looked like we were in for more of the same.

Everything changed, though, when Vic Fangio pitted the first-team offense up against the seoncd-team defense. As Zac wrote about yesterday, it was this period in that practice that may have been the most concerning moment in all of camp, as the offense did next to nothing.

Friday was a different story, though.

In the first play lined up against the twos, Flacco dropped back on a play-action pass and unleashed a bomb to Sutton on a deep post. With the ball thrown a hair too far, Sutton laid out full-extension with his arms outstretched and hauled in the pass. In most cases, a player normally wouldn’t put his body on the line like that in camp, but they desperately needed that one.

It was the first true connection on a long ball all camp, and it just may have jumpstared the entire offense.

On the very next play, Flacco hit brand new wide receiver Nick Williams in the middle of the field for a 20- yard gain. Right after that, the quarterback unleashed one over the middle to Juwann Winfree who went to the ground to snag it for 15.

It may have been against the twos, but a perfect series is a perfect series, and it was precisely what they needed.

In the next set for the offense, this time against the first-team defense, Flacco rolled the momentum over. Working in a two-minute drill situation, No. 5 got hot.

Flacco to Sutton.

Flacco to Patrick.

Flacco to McKnight.

Counting the period before, it was six straight completions for the veteran before be was forced to spike a blown-up screen pass. But then he was back off to the races.

Flacco to Fumagalli.

Flacco to McKnight.

Flacco to McKnight again.

When all was said and done, the offense moved the ball 60 yards in two minutes as the QB went 6-for-7.

Finally.

As the practice went on, while the success wasn’t quite as obvious, the offensive rhythm remained evident.

“I thought it was a little better operation than it has been and that was good to see,” said head coach Vic Fangio. “Hopefully when I go look at it, it’s a good play by them and not a crappy play by the defense.”

Asked directly if it was the best practice of camp for the offense, Fangio said with a laugh, “According to you guys it was,” before admitting, “It probably was.”

Chalk up the first win of camp for the offense.

McKnight in Shining Armour If you were paying close attention in the first segment of the observations, you may have noticed that rookie receiver Kelvin McKnight Jr. was running with the first-team offense.

With DaeSean Hamilton nursing a hamstring injury, it’s been McKnight who has been called upon to step into his role as the slot receiver, and the product of Samford University has taken full advantage of the opportunity.

Throughout his two days with the ones, it’s been obvious that McKnight has the trust of Joe Flacco. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound receiver has been one of, if not the leading receiver in terms of receptions across the two practices, including one first-down catch on Friday in a do-or-die fourth-down situation.

“He told me ‘good job’ on a couple of things,” McKnight said of Flacco. “He likes my spots on the field… Coach threw me in there, and I just went out to do what I do best—make plays, get open and do my job.”

With the Broncos short on guys at the slot position, McKnight could carve his way onto the roster with more solid play from inside and some flash as a returner.

Snap Update As it’s become a top concern of traning camp, it’s now necessary to give an update on how things went for Connor McGovern snapping the ball to Joe Flacco in the shotgun.

Unfortunately for the new center, it was yet another shaky day.

On top of yet another snap that never got off the ground, there was another that sent Flacco so far off of his spot and out of his rhythm that he was forced to throw the ball away immediately.

Asked if there’s anything he can do to improve things, Vic Fangio didn’t have any specifics to offer.

“We have to keep practicing because we can have nine other offensive players having the best down of their life, and if we can’t get the snap, it’s wasted… I thought it was a little better today in comparison to yesterday where we had kind of an epidemic of them. Today, we kind of had a few of them. We can’t have any.”

Through eight practices, there has yet to be a day without a bad snap.

Other Notes With James and Leary out, Elijah Wilkinson stepped in at right tackle while Jake Brendel stepped in at right guard.

Brendel is a fourth-year player out of UCLA who made three starts in three years with the Miami Dolphins.

Neither player stood out negatively, a compliment for two backups on the OL.

It appeared as if Kevin Hogan did not know there were any receivers on the field other than Juwann Winfree, as he targeted Winfree time and time again. While they didn’t connect every time, it was clear that Hogan has big-time trust in the rookie.

In his first practice as a Bronco, new receiver Nick Williams got reps with the first-team offense and made multiple catches.

Noah Fant continues to look more and more comfortable every day.

The following players did not practice as the Broncos list of injuries continues to mount: River Cracraft, DaeSean Hamilton, Todd Davis, Ron Leary, Jake Butt, Jake Rodgers, Ja’Wuan James, Dakota Watson, Bug Howard.

Saturday’s practice will take place at Broncos Stadium at Mile High, and Vic Fangio is hoping for a crowd of 50,000.

Despite the venue, the practice will not change in structure.

Drew Lock is taking an important step in his development By Zac Stevens BSN Denver July 27, 2019

The most important plan in the Denver Broncos organization is beginning to unfold.

On Apr. 27, the night the Broncos drafted Drew Lock, John Elway declared the 6-foot-4, 228-pound quarterback the future.

But, with Joe Flacco in the mix, not only was it going to be a process for the second-round pick to emerge, he was going to have to win the backup spot first.

Throughout the offseason program and the start of training camp, it was clear Lock was not the backup. That was Kevin Hogan’s job.

Early on in camp, not only was Lock making the most impressive throws each day, he was consistently the safest with the ball—two key traits in the development of a rookie quarterback.

But despite that, Lock was clearly still the third quarterback according to the team’s actions. Heck, two days into camp, Vic Fangio didn’t even believe his rookie QB was a QB.

“He’s not a quarterback yet. He’s a hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet, so the faster he gets that the better off he’ll be and we’ll be,” the head coach said. “I don’t think he’s far along being a ready NFL quarterback as he could have been. That’s what I mean when he’s got to get ready.”

But Lock continued to string together days of impressive throws, poise and, most importantly, turnover- free ball, with an occasional hiccup here and there.

“He’s getting better. I think he’s getting better,” Fangio stated after the team’s seventh practice of camp on Thursday. “He’s not a union NFL quarterback yet, but he’s improving.”

A compliment from Vic Fangio. Progress.

On Friday, Lock took his most visible step yet on the football field in his path toward the future. Decked out in the Bronco blue, No. 3 got multiple series with the second-string offense.

“That was our plan the whole way is to eventually let him work with the twos some,” Fangio stated after practice. “Him and Kevin alternate a little bit.”

Although the eye test made it crystal clear for months Lock deserved this, he’s finally moving up.

Lock made the most of his No. 2 reps, too.

From the gun, in a seamless motion, Lock corralled the snap, turned to the right and ripped the ball out toward the right sideline. On a pass that needed to be to the receiver in an instant, Lock’s arm fired the ball the 20 yards laterally and nearly took the receiver’s hands off. During the same series, Lock displayed his arm in a much different fashion.

On a designed running-back screen to the left, Lock slowly rolled right, throwing the defense off, then quickly turned around to find there was a much bigger defender standing directly between him and the 5-foot-7, 170-pound running back Devontae Jackson.

Instead of spiking the ball and waving the white flag, Lock glided the ball just over the defender’s head— putting just enough touch on it to make it to Jackson safely, but adding enough zing so the rest of the defense didn’t have time to collapse and blow up the play.

One day before, Lock’s arm was on display in an even different fashion. Practicing the Hail Mary at a walkthrough pace from midfield, it appeared Lock threw the ball at half-effort, in compliance with the walkthrough pace, as he merely flicked his wrist.

Yet the ball easily went 60 yards into the end zone.

While his arm strength is no-doubt impressive, it’s the level of consistency he’s had with keeping the ball safe that’s really impressed through the first week of camp.

Fangio will let the quarterbacks know their order for the Hall of Fame game on Sunday or Monday.

Regardless of where Lock stands on the unofficial depth chart for Thursday’s game, it’s clear Lock is impressing the coaches and quickly moving his way up.

The future is getting closer. One rifled pass at a time.

Around the AFC West: Camp starts and teams deal with change By James Merilatt 104.3 The Fan July 27, 2019

The Broncos have been in training camp for a week now, but the rest of the division is just getting started with their respective training camps. The slow time of the news cycle is over, as every NFL team is preparing for the 2019 season and we’ll have a preseason game next week!

The AFC West is the toughest division in football, so keeping track of the news from around the division gives one an idea of what the Broncos will be up against in 2019.

Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.

***

Kansas City Chiefs

The weapons in Kansas City are getting healthier at just the right time as they kick off camp this week. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) reported to camp on Tuesday, after he was held out of organized team activities and minicamp following offseason ankle surgery. The team had a plan to hold him out during the spring, but the plan was always to have him ready at the start of training camp.

Kelce, a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, is entering his age-30 season and is showing no signs of slowing down. He’s missed one game in the last five seasons and this ankle surgery was considered minor. The Chiefs offense was one of the most explosive in the league last year, but they would not be the same without Kelce threatening the deep middle seam.

Expect the Chiefs to limit how much Kelce does in training camp. In fact, don’t be surprised if he barely plays in the preseason as he’s a seasoned veteran returning from surgery and doesn’t need a ton of reps.

This will give the Chiefs an opportunity to look at some reserve tight ends in the summer. I’m interested in watching two former quarterbacks compete to see if they can be reserve tight ends for the Chiefs.

Blake Bell, a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in the 2014 NFL Draft, has bounced around the league after converting from a college quarterback at Oklahoma. He’s big, physical and knows how to present a large target across the middle.

John Lovett, an undrafted free agent out of Princeton in 2019, was a running quarterback in college but now is trying his hand at a different position. Word out of Kansas City is that they’d like to use Lovett in a similar fashion to the way the Saints use their No. 3 quarterback Taysom Hill.

I’ll be watching to see if Bell or Lovett can make plays and earn a spot on the 53-man roster at tight end.

*** Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers received some bad news this week about their starting left tackle. Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung (heart) is recovering from a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots and will start training camp on the Active/Non-Football Illness list. Their general manager, Tom Telesco, said that Okung may miss all of training camp due to this illness.

This is a serious medical condition but it was caught early enough and can be treated. Okung called this illness a “wake up call” and that his medical checkup after he didn’t feel like himself a “life saver.”

Indeed, this situation could have been much more dire if Okung had ignored the signs. It’s good that he’s on the road to recovery, but there is no way of telling when he will be ready to resume football activities.

The Chargers lack depth on the offensive line and will move starting right tackle Sam Tevi take over to left tackle while Okung is out. The team is already reeling from the holdout of running back Melvin Gordon, and people I talk to around that team feel the end is not in sight unless Gordon backs down in his demand for a new contract.

With training camp just getting started for the Chargers, they are missing their starting running back and starting left tackle. That’s not a great way to kick off the 2019 season.

***

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders had three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, including Alabama running back Josh Jacobs who with the No. 24 overall pick. Jacobs is set to be their new lead back and should get plenty of carries as the Raiders featured back. The rookie is also likely to get plenty of looks as a receiver out of the backfield.

This could take Jalen Richard off the field for the Raiders.

Richard is the team’s receiving back and has made plays as a pass-catching threat for the offense in the past. Sources around the team I talk to believe that Richard could lose a “good chunk” of the touches he has gotten as a receiving back because Jacobs doesn’t need to come off the field. Richard emerged as a major threat in the passing game with 68 receptions for 607 yards in 2018. It sounds like even though he’s talented and has produced, the team wants to give Jacobs as much as he can handle this year.

The Broncos need to move Drew Lock up the depth chart By James Merilatt 104.3 The Fan July 27, 2019

Kevin Hogan seems like a nice enough guy. His teammates appear to like him. He’s agreeable with the media. And every interaction between him and the fans has been cordial.

But the longer Broncos training camp goes on, it becomes more and more apparent that Hogan isn’t the right guy to be Denver’s No. 2 quarterback this season. With every rep the third-year quarterback out of Stanford takes, the mystery as to why he’s listed right behind Joe Flacco on the depth chart deepens.

That’s not to say Hogan can’t play; he’s actually a decent quarterback. But there doesn’t seem to be a defined role, at least one that makes sense, for him on this year’s roster.

Flacco is going to be the day one starter, that much is clear. For the first time since 2015, the Broncos aren’t using training camp to determine who will lead them into the season. Nor should they, as going with a veteran QB with a Super Bowl MVP on his résumé is clearly the right decision.

And so long as Denver is in contention for a playoff spot, and Flacco is healthy, he should remain the starter throughout the season. Barring some sort of unexpected drop off in the quarterback’s play, that’s the game plan.

When and if the 2019 campaign goes off the rails, then the Broncos should look toward the future. If they’re scuffling along at 3-6, turn the page during the bye week and use the remaining seven games of the season to get a jumpstart on 2020. If Flacco suffers a season-ending injury, the same theory should apply; start thinking about tomorrow and beyond.

In either of those scenarios, that would mean Drew Lock would become the new starter. The rookie out of Missouri is clearly penciled in as the quarterback of the future, so getting him valuable playing time during an otherwise-lost season would be the prudent thing to do. The Broncos traded up in the second round for a reason; they clearly see Lock as a long-term solution.

There is, however, a situation in which Flacco couldn’t play, but Denver might not want to turn the reins over to a first-year quarterback. If the Broncos are in contention, but a relatively minor injury is going to force them to make a change behind center for a couple of weeks, going with a stopgap guy would make a lot of sense; plugging in a veteran who can man the ship for a short period of time, preventing a promising season from spiraling out of control, would be the right call.

This is exactly what happened to the Broncos in 1998. That year, John Elway missed four games during Denver’s run to a second-consecutive championship. Rather than turn the team over to rookie Brian Griese during those contests, Denver instead had Bubby Brister as the No. 2 quarterback on the roster. And it paid dividends, as the long-time veteran was able to come in, run the show and keep the storybook season plugging along.

With all due respect to Hogan, he’s not that guy. At that point in his career, Brister was 36 years old and entering his 12th season in the NFL; he had played for three other franchises, won a lot of games and even seen action in the postseason. So he was the perfect candidate to step in for a future Hall of Fame quarterback on an interim basis and keep things afloat.

If this year’s Broncos were sitting at 7-2, but Flacco was going to be out for two to three weeks, having someone like Brister at the ready would be ideal. In that situation, it would be completely logical to have someone between the present and the future on the depth chart.

But Hogan doesn’t fit that description. He is 27, hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2017, has thrown a grand total of 101 passes during his career and has one start to his name, a 33-17 loss at Houston almost two years ago. In other words, he’s essentially as green and unproven as Lock.

And based on what’s transpired during the first seven days of training camp, Lock would have just as good of a chance of winning a game or two for the Broncos this season as Hogan. In fact, the rookie’s ability to make plays off schedule with his feet and big arm probably give him a leg up in that regard.

So why on earth is Hogan the Broncos second-string quarterback? Why is he taking valuable reps away from the future of the franchise?

There are three QB roles in Denver this season – the starter, the veteran stopgap and the rookie. Hogan doesn’t fit into any of those categories.

That being the case, the Broncos are simply burning time. With every practice that goes by, they’ve wasted another opportunity to develop Lock a little more, pushing those necessary reps down the line.

If John Elway and Company think they need an experienced quarterback behind Flacco just in case the season needs to be saved, that’s a defendable position. But if that’s the case, they need to go out and sign that type of player (see Josh McCown, etc.). Otherwise, they need to stop the charade and get Lock one step closer to being the quarterback of the future.

The Kevin Hogan experiment makes no sense. It’s time to pull the plug.

One key storyline for all 32 teams heading into 2019 NFL season By Charles Casserly NFL.com July 27, 2019

With this weekend marking the first in which all 32 teams have reported to training camp for the 2019 season, NFL Network analyst and Super Bowl-winning former executive Charley Casserly provides a key storyline to watch this year for each club.

Arizona Cardinals: This season is all about Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury. Yes, the world is waiting with bated breath for the joint debut of a 5-foot-10 1/8 rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach with a losing record at the college level -- but when you consider what Murray and Kingsbury can potentially accomplish together, the hype is justified.

Atlanta Falcons: In Dan Quinn's two years as Seahawks defensive coordinator, Seattle had the top-ranked D in the NFL. In his four years as Atlanta's head coach, the Falcons' defense has finished in the top 10 just once. Will his taking over of the play-calling duties pay dividends for a young unit that took a step back in an injury-riddled 2018?

Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore is reinventing itself on offense after the Chargers cooled off Lamar Jackson and the ground-based attack in the playoffs. Rookie receivers Marquise Brown (drafted in the first round) and Miles Boykin (drafted in the third) should help. It would also be nice to see Jackson improve his accuracy.

Buffalo Bills: Is Josh Allen the franchise quarterback the team hoped he was when they selected him seventh overall in 2018? With a supporting cast built to accentuate his skill set in Year 2, we should get a better idea.

Carolina Panthers: Carolina finished with 35 sacks last season, the second lowest total of the Ron Rivera era. Will switching to a 3-4 base and adding talent like rookie Brian Burns and veterans Gerald McCoy and Bruce Irvin goose a defense that finished outside of the top 10 for just the second time in five seasons?

Chicago Bears: The Bears were able to stop the Rams in Week 14, long before New England did the same in the Super Bowl -- but that achievement was overshadowed by the flubbed field-goal attempt that knocked Chicago out of the playoffs. The offense should be better this year, and the defense looks strong again, but all eyes will be on a position battle between two kickers who have never kicked in the NFL before.

Cincinnati Bengals: Even among his fellow rookie head coaches, new Bengals coach Zac Taylor is unique in never having been a coordinator or play-caller in the NFL or a head coach at the college level before this season. And the task in front of him -- reviving a once-competitive core in a stacked division -- is not exactly an easy one.

Cleveland Browns: After assembling an impressive roster led by 2018 rookie QB Baker Mayfield and stud receiver Odell Beckham, the Browns are favored by many to win the AFC North. Will first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens and Cleveland's young stars be able to handle the expectations facing a team that has registered just three winning seasons since 1989?

Dallas Cowboys: With DeMarcus Lawrence locked up, Dallas faces the cap-challenging conundrum of signing the Big Three of Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott to extensions. With Elliott and Cooper combining for 2,737 yards from scrimmage, the trio generated nearly half (49.8%) of Dallas' offensive yardage last season, despite Cooper only playing nine games with the team.

Denver Broncos: The Broncos haven't made the playoffs since their Super Bowl-winning 2015 campaign. Joe Flacco hasn't won a playoff game since the season before that. Can Flacco turn his career around in Denver and return to the postseason arena?

Detroit Lions: Matt Patricia's first season as head coach did not exactly go swimmingly, ending in a 6-10 record and the Lions' first last-place finish in the NFC North since 2012, but the 10th-ranked defense showed promise. Will a successful offseason -- headlined by the addition of pass rusher Trey Flowers, whom Patricia should know well from their time together in New England -- translate into more wins?

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers will have a new (non-interim) head coach for the first time in his 12- year career. How the relationship and trust between Rodgers and Matt LaFleur develops over the next five weeks will play a major part in the Packers' success in 2019.

Houston Texans: Quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked a league-high 62 times in 2018. In response, Houston added veteran Matt Kalil and drafted Tytus Howard and Max Scharping. Whether or not the Texans can better protect Watson will bear watching.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts were a nice story in 2018, making their way back to the postseason behind a resurgent Andrew Luck. The next step will be proving they can compete with the other top teams in the AFC for a championship.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville's defense, which has finished sixth or better in each of the last three seasons, is strong. New quarterback Nick Foles will be key to elevating the offense, as will running back Leonard Fournette mounting a bounce-back campaign.

Kansas City Chiefs: A defense that ranked 31st overall, 31st against the pass and 27th against the run in 2018 has undergone some major changes, with new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo taking over for Bob Sutton and installing a 4-3 defense. Old mainstays like Justin Houston, Eric Berry and Dee Ford are gone, replaced by the likes of Frank Clark, Tyrann Mathieu, Alex Okafor and Juan Thornhill. Will the unit be in a better position to support an electric offense?

Los Angeles Chargers: On paper, this team is better than Kansas City, at least, presuming Melvin Gordon ends up reporting. Can the Chargers win their division for the first time since 2009?

Los Angeles Rams: After rolling through (most of) the opposition in 2018, the Rams failed to score more than 3 points in a dud of a Super Bowl loss. The effectiveness of running back Todd Gurley and the impact of veteran additions like Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle will be key to Los Angeles maintaining its perch in the upper echelon of the NFC.

Miami Dolphins: In one corner, you have Josh Rosen, a former first-round pick who was dealt a tough card in Arizona last season. In the other, you have FitzMagic. This is a surprisingly compelling quarterback battle for a rebuilding team that has posted a losing record the past two seasons.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings gave Kirk Cousins a three-year, fully guaranteed contract last offseason, then proceeded to miss the playoffs. Making big plays in pressure situations to carry Minnesota to the Super Bowl in Year 2 would be a great way for Cousins to justify that contract.

New England Patriots: The Patriots have reached eight straight AFC Championship Games, winning five (including the last three). But they also lost tight end Rob Gronkowski to retirement and have undergone significant turnover on the coaching staff. Will Tom Brady and Co. still be the team to beat in the conference?

New Orleans Saints: After two heartbreaking playoff losses in a row, can the Saints get back to the Super Bowl with 40-year-old Drew Brees at the helm? Or has this group peaked?

New York Giants: Setting aside how many games this team will win in 2019, it will be important to see signs that No. 6 overall draft pick Daniel Jones can be the Giants' quarterback for the next 10 years.

New York Jets: Sam Darnold showed flashes as a rookie, closing out 2018 with a 64 percent completion rate, 6:1 TD-to-INT ratio and 99.1 passer rating in his last four games. Will the next phase of the Jets' turnaround -- marked by the acquisition of big-money free agents Le'Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley and the installation of new head coach Adam Gase -- proceed apace?

Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden said in March he wanted "to have the best receiving corps in football" when explaining the addition of Antonio Brown. Now, Brown, Tyrell Williams and Co. will get the chance to show whether he accomplished his goal.

Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz signed a big extension this offseason, so now would be a good time for him to prove his worth by playing at an MVP level while making 16 starts for the first time since his rookie year.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell are gone, meaning JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner need to step up. Will Ben Roethlisberger's optimism around the offense bear itself out?

San Francisco 49ers: The defense ranked a solid 13th overall but 28th in scoring last season, and San Francisco registered just two interceptions, seven total takeaways and a dismal takeaway differential of minus-25. Will adding No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa and veteran Dee Ford to an already talent-packed defensive line help turn the rest of the unit around?

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks made it back to the playoffs in 2018, but with Frank Clark gone and Jarran Reed suspended for the first six games, the pass-rushing burden will be on rookie L.J. Collier and veteran Ziggy Ansah.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston has posted a sub-.500 record (21-33) and a passer rating of 87.8 in his four NFL seasons. Can the former No. 1 overall pick finally make good on his potential under new head coach Bruce Arians? Tennessee Titans: Entering the final year of his contract, the pressure is on Marcus Mariota to stay healthy for 16 games and be the difference-maker this team envisioned when selecting him second overall in 2015.

Washington Redskins: With first-round pick Montez Sweat joining Ryan Kerrigan, Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis, Washington could have the best combination of pass rushers in the NFL.

Jake Butt “hit a little pothole” in ACL recovery By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk July 27, 2019

Broncos tight end Jake Butt tore his ACL last September and the road back to the lineup has taken a turn for the worse early in training camp.

Butt has been held out of the last four practices because of issues in his knee and the fact that the most recent ACL tear was the third that Butt has suffered will lead some to wonder if he’ll be able to make it back to the field. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio downplayed such concerns, however.

“It’s more of what you’d expect,” Fangio said, via Nicki Jhabvala of TheAthletic.com. “He’s hit a little pothole here in his road to recovery, but I don’t think it’s anything too, too serious at this point. He could be out here tomorrow or he could be another day or two.”

The Broncos suffered another injury at tight end this week when Bug Howard was carted off the field with an ankle injury. That’s an unpleasant reminder of last year’s difficulties at the position and any further absences for Butt will create questions about whether the team can count on him being part of a better 2019 season.

Broncos sign Nick Williams, waive Deyon Sizer By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk July 27, 2019

The Broncos signed receiver Nick Williams on Friday, the team announced. They waived defensive lineman Deyon Sizer in a corresponding move.

Williams, a sixth-year player, has appeared in 27 regular-season games and two postseason contests with Washington (2013), Atlanta (2015-17), Tennessee (2018) and the Rams (2018).

Washington signed him as a college free agent out of the University of Connecticut in 2013.

Last season, Williams played in two games for the Titans and two with the Rams.

In his first five NFL seasons, Williams caught 30 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned nine kickoffs for 188 yards (20.9 average).

In 2015 with Atlanta, he set career highs with 17 receptions for 159 yards and two scores.