The Broncos held their first 2 official “training camp” practice Friday and Saturday after 2 days of “acclimation workouts.” They wore what are known as shells, which is a lighter shoulder pad, but still not in full pads. After Sunday’s player off-day, their first padded practice of the 2025 season will take place Monday at Broncos Park Powered by Common Spirit. Here are some observations after four days on the field:
-THIS IS BO NIX’S TEAM
That may seem obvious after the outstanding rookie season the signal caller had, but just as we heard and saw some in the Spring workouts, we saw even more command of things in the last 4 days. His confidence was already high, but his command of the offense, and comfort level with the system will help him grow exponentially. Nix, who has no problem dishing out trash talk in the direction of his defensive teammates during team periods, is clearly the guy “driving the bus,” this season. “Yes, he's [QB Bo Nix] definitely becoming a name for sure, but he's earned that,” Linebacker Jonathon Cooper said. “He's earned that just from his work, from his leadership, from being a young guy coming into the league and taking on the pressure like he has and carrying it with great poise. So yes, he definitely deserves the love, definitely deserves the jersey wearers and all that cool stuff.” Anyone betting on a “sophomore slump” from the former Oregon Duck, likely will be disappointed. What feels more likely is Nix has his influence on the offense expanded. For the first time since his senior year of high school in 2017, Nix has the same play-caller from the previous season. Head Coach Sean Payton indicated there might even be more RPO (run-pass option) elements this season to utilize Nix’s athletic ability.
Nix, who spoke to the media following Saturday’s workout talked about his comfort level with all aspects of the job heading into year two, “Just been there done that,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about what certain looks are, or—as crazy as it sounds—where we’re going for the locker room, or where we’re going for the stretch. I know it. I can get there and do it, and knock it out and now I can focus on the next level of things and the details and not really the overall picture. A lot of the times as a rookie, you just don’t want to look like an idiot. Now you can go out there and look a lot better than an idiot. So I’m excited for Year 2. I’m excited for this football team. I really like where we’re at right now. I love our teammates. Eventually we’ll get to play somebody else.”
-EVAN ENGRAM IS THE “JOKER”
The “Joker” in Sean Payton’s offense isn’t a position, it’s a description. It’s a player, typically a running back or tight end that is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Think Jimmy Graham or Reggie Bush, or Darren Sproles, or most recently, Alvin Kamara. A Denver defensive coach said in the Spring that despite boasting one of the league’s best secondaries, Engram was “un-guardable at times.” The 2-time Pro-Bowler who signed a 2-year $23 Million deal in the off-season, is happily leaning in to the role, “I definitely think the fans and you guys are having a lot more fun with it,” Engram said. “Whatever you guys want to perceive it as, you guys have that. I just see that as being reliable, being clutch, making plays and just doing my job at the highest level. Whatever I’m asked to do in the run game, in the pass game, in the locker room and in the weight room. Just doing my job at the highest level. Doing that and [with] the work, the results will come and we can have more fun with it as we go.” Engram was the lone Broncos player to wear fully padded football pants in Friday’s workout, as everyone else was in shorts, and when I asked what the reasoning was behind it, he offered, “When the pads come on, it’s going to even go up a little bit. I think that’s just the mark of a really competitive team. You want guys that want to win every rep. You want guys that want to play confident. That’s going to push us to practice harder, make each other better and truly iron sharpens iron.”
-THE RUNNING BACK ROOM IS EXCITING
Understandably, fans are looking forward to seeing what J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey look like in a Sean Payton offense, but the Head Coach isn’t limiting his enthusiasm to just the guys at the top of the depth chart. “I’m anxious to see the whole group. In other words, you’re looking out and seeing them run with the ones, but I want to see these other guys too the same way. We’ll see how it goes once we get into the preseason.” Dobbins is coming off his best year as a pro, despite missing 4 games with the Chargers last year, and Harvey was taken in the 2nd round, with the expectation that he could geta fare share of the work out of the backfield, especially if he can contribute in pass protection. But, picking up right where he left off last season, Jaleel McLaughlin looks like he was shot out of a cannon with the ball in his hand. Audric Estime is the biggest back, and if he can hold on to the football, should factor in to short yardage packages. And they also liked what they saw from Tyler Badie, before his injury in New York last year, as well as Blake Watson, who got the biggest signing bonus of any undrafted player in 2024 coming out of Memphis. The room is too crowded to keep everyone, and if Harvey shows some of the same traits McLaughlin has, perhaps the team’s early bird(McLaughlin is the first person in the practice facility every morning before 5:00AM) might become the subject of trade talks towards the end of the pre-season, and there likely would be a number of suitors.
-THE YOUNG WRs ARE TURNING HEADS
In the limited time we saw the players on the field during OTAs and mini-camp, 3rd rounder Pat Bryant, from Illinois stood out. Early-on this pre-season he’s picking up where he left off. Although he may not have blazing speed, he does manage to separate from defenders and continues to catch everything thrown his way. The other wideout who “flashed” during Spring workouts was undrafted rookie Kyrese Rowan from Utah State made more plays than just about anyone. Despite not being the biggest target at 5-10, the undrafted pass catcher hauls in everything sent his way. That showed up again over the last four days when he seemed to wrangle every catchable pass. However, the best catch of camp so far in team drills, was turned in by another undrafted wide receiver, Jerjuan Newton from Toledo who tracked down a deep ball along the right sideline and somehow came down with a pass from Sam Ehlinger, amongst 2 defenders who easily could’ve intercepted or deflected the pass.
Troy Franklin certainly had an up and down rookie year, despite coming in with the most chemistry with Nix, as they played together for 2 seasons in Oregon. But, Franklin, who changed numbers from 16 to 11, and who scored the lone TD in the Broncos playoff loss in Buffalo on a deep post, it’s becoming more clear what the former Duck is capable of and his college QB certainly sees it, “I think he’s confident. I think he’s—along with a lot of those guys. We have a lot of younger receivers that are on their first, second, third year, and they look good this year. They look confident. A couple of them have had a few years now in the system. For a guy like [WR] Troy Franklin, he’s not thinking as much anymore. He’s like me. When you go through the first year, you just get kind of drowned in install, and new technique, new fundamentals, new coaches telling you different things. I can be really hard, and it can be challenging. It’s not as easy as just going out there and getting open most of the time, which is what his natural gift is. Now I feel like he can take what he knows, and he can go out there and naturally get open. I’m getting a little bit more of, ‘Hey, I’m open. Throw me the ball!”
The Broncos are in full pads Monday for the first time this year, and Guerilla Sports will have you covered, as always, with all of the sights and sounds!
