The Denver Broncos are running through their OTA program and this week the media got their first look at the 2024 Broncos. Ryan Edwards from KOA noted one player had himself a day in third-year tight end Lucas Krull.

The former undrafted free agent who head coach Sean Payton signed to the New Orleans Saints in 2022 seems to be coming into his own with Denver this season. He made a couple of big time catches late last season where he got most of his snaps. His biggest game came against the New England Patriots in Week 15 where he hauled in four passes for 28 yards and touchdown. He finished with eight total receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown last year.

Payton had good things to say after practice yesterday too noting that ‘85’ is a number us fans are going to know in 2024.

“I thought he’s had a good week,” Payton said of Krull. “I said, ‘If you didn’t notice, everyone in the media was looking down at their rosters to see who [No.] 85 was.’ I said, ‘Someday soon, they’re going to know who 85 is.’ He’s looking sharp.”

This is a very nice development considering the concern everyone has over the return of oft-injured Greg Dulcich. His hamstring issues have plagued his entire career and the Broncos are not messing around with his progression back to the football field this time around.

“He’s close,” Payton said of Dulcich’s return from injury. “He’s had all the work done. We’re encouraged. I think you’ll see him sooner than later, and we want to be smart.”

It seems like Dulcich’s entire time spent on injured reserve has been meeting with experts to help him resolve this nagging issue. Payton confirmed that this rehab is continuing even to this day.

“Well, no,” said Payton. “The trips back and forth [is] relative to checkups. His rehab has gone well. It’s not going to be we don’t see him until training camp.”

While many fans disparage the situation with Dulcich, I’m feeling a lot more encouraged this time around. If his hamstring gives way again when he returns to the field, then its likely he’ll need to hang ‘em up. However, if that happens it won’t mean that he and the team didn’t do everything they could to give him a chance to make a career in the NFL.

With the glimpses we’ve seen of Dulcich, it is worth the effort. The guy is explosive and could be a major x-factor on the field if he remains healthy. I’m rooting for him.

However, with Krull’s emergence it gives Denver a bit of breathing room knowing they have a capable guy to pair with Dulcich this season. That is something they definitely needed.

A 15-year-old girl has been reported missing from Colorado Springs, according to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation alert.

Leah Black went missing at about 5 p.m. Thursday in the 2600 block of Gobi Drive. Leah, who was last seen wearing light blue pajama pants with ducks on them, a black top, and white Crocs, was walking south on Constitution Avenue.

Leah is described as indigenous with brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.

If anyone sees Leah, call 9-1-1 or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

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Outside of his final year as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton has been lucky enough to avoid hosting a quarterback competition. After Drew Brees retired, Payton hung around the Big Easy one more year, watching Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill battle it out for the right to start at quarterback.

The Denver Broncos‘ quarterback competition this summer will only be the second of Payton’s head-coaching career. Rookie first-rounder Bo Nix is the favorite, but he’s competing with two veterans in Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham.

On Thursday, Payton offered an update on how competition is shaping up and he he’ll make the final decision when it comes to it.

“Look, we go by what we see,” Payton said. “We try to get them as many reps as possible. We’re rotating all of them right now. So Tuesday, ‘Stiddy’ (Stidham) ran with the ones, then Zach [Wilson], and then Bo. We’ll keep doing that right now.”

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As the incumbent who started the Broncos’ final two games last season, Stidham has been given the nominal nod to begin with the first-team offense, but all three quarterbacks are being rotated in with the ones. When it comes to knowledge of the system, Stidham’s year with Payton perhaps gives him that edge, but Nix impressed the Broncos, in part, by his ‘cramming’ ability and knack for picking things up quickly.

In Payton’s opinion, Nix is already ahead of the typical rookie quarterback when it comes to assimilation.

“He’s farther along than most,” Payton said of Nix. “We’re talking about a player who has played 61 games. He’s extremely smart. He’s picked it up very quickly.”

Wilson, the other newcomer to the Broncos quarterback room, was the former No. 2 overall pick out of BYU just a few short years ago. He arrived via trade only a few days before the 2024 NFL draft, bringing 33 career starts to the table.

Payton seems to be impressed by Wilson’s “live” arm.

“I like his experience,” Payton said of Wilson. “You can tell he’s played, and I feel like he has very live arm strength. He’s picking up the offense pretty quickly.”

This quarterback competition is in its early stages. And while Nix emerging as the winner seems fait accompli, Wilson and Stidham will have something to say about it. Each quarterback brings a unique skill set, knowledge, and experience to the table, and judging from the tone and content of Payton’s remarks on Thursday, he’s liked what he’s seen from the trio thus far.

“They come from different systems,” Payton said of the quarterbacks. “One is coming from college. One is coming from two or three NFL systems, and the other is coming from one system. They’re all in a race to learn this system. I would say—you guys watched the practice—they’re doing well.”

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