Denver, CO
New-look Russell Wilson has been an early camp highlight
It was another fun day at Denver Broncos training camp on Saturday. The crowd was into what they were seeing at Centura Training Center, and I’m sure Broncos head coach Sean Payton liked what he saw from the team as well.
Not everything was perfect, but it doesn’t need to be in training camp. This is the time to make mistakes and then learn from those mistakes. That’s what some of these players are doing.
Here are three observations from Saturday’s practice.
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Improvements from Wilson
I’m watching quarterback Russell Wilson closely in training camp. On Friday, Wilson seemed to take off and run a bit too much for my liking. On Saturday, Wilson was attacking the defense with his arm. That doesn’t mean Wilson was throwing “moon balls” down the field, but he did a good job of working within the structure of the offense.
Wilson is going to be tasked with working the underneath routes. That’s what WR Jerry Jeudy does best, and Wilson’s favorite target early on seems to be Jeudy. I think he’s going to be heavily involved with this team as their No. 1 receiver. Jeudy on short routes can set him up for run-after-the-catch production, and it brings defenses closer to the line and sets them up for a deep shot or two (at the right time).
The play of the day was a deep pass to WR Courtland Sutton who happened to be covered by All-Pro CB Pat Surtain. Sutton was able to snare the ball from Wilson – who kept the play alive, climbing the ladder while under duress. The big-bodied receiver got both feet down inbounds, much to the chagrin of Surtain.
This is something that didn’t happen last year. Wilson didn’t test Surtain much in practice last year, and when he did there was no success. Not a little – it was none. Wilson went after Surtain only a couple of times, but that play from Sutton highlighted how he’s trusting the system and running the plays as designed.
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Wanted to See More
The pads don’t come on until Monday, so I thought I would see more from TE Greg Dulcich over the first few days of training camp. Dulcich is a receiving threat who can be difficult to match up against. I thought without the pads – and the task of blocking – he would thrive in practice and wow the crowd. His hair and his potential already make him a fan favorite even though Dulcich has done little during his pro career, so it wouldn’t take much for fans at camp to go nuts from a play or two from the second-year tight end.
That hasn’t happened over the last two days. Dulcich has missed the opportunity to really showcase his skill as a receiver on Friday and Saturday. Payton was just starting to see a vision for the young man at mandatory minicamp, and I wanted some of the momentum Dulcich worked hard to build during the offseason to carry over to camp. It hasn’t turned out that way just yet, but Dulcich has plenty of time to turn things around and impress.
Dulcich was not coming back to the ball as a receiver. He’s fast and can get open, but when the passes from QB Jarrett Stidham weren’t on the mark (because they aren’t with Stidham), Dulcich did not adjust. If a pass was a little behind him – still catchable but behind him – Dulcich would not reach back to snare the ball and make a play. If the passes were just a bit out in front of him, Dulcich would not make the extra effort to get the ball. It’s not just Stidham’s throws – it’s not going to be a perfect pass every time in the pros. I’d like to see Dulcich go “all out” to make the catch.
In order to play as the team’s “Joker,” we need to see Dulcich at least be a capable blocker. However, to thrive as a receiver he needs to show better “my ball” mentality when passes are headed his way. Dulcich is not the only Joker on the roster, and if he doesn’t make a better effort to secure passes, then Payton will find someone (Adam Trautman) who does.
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Playmakers at Cornerback
The Broncos have some areas of concern when it comes to depth on the offensive and defensive line, but they do not have any such problems when it comes to the cornerback position. Sutton is a superstar, and I think he’s the best corner in the league. Opposite him we should see second-year pro Damarri Mathis, and I like the upside of that young corner. However, Mathis is not going to be given the job and there are others to push him. K’Wuan Williams is arguably the best slot corner in the game, and he’ll be a star for the team if he can stay healthy this season.
Ja’Quan McMillian has made plays all offseason, and he’s had a strong start to training camp. I could see him pushing Mathis for the starting job. McMillian is feisty and gets in the back pocket of recievers he’s covering. He doesn’t back down from a challenge and can go up against larger receivers even though he’s a smaller corner. At the very least, McMillian is great depth who could be a spot starter if Mathis has to miss time.
Behind Williams, I think Faion Hicks could win that job as the backup slot corner. Essang Bassey is there to compete for the spot, but it was Hicks who came through with one of the biggest plays on Saturday. While Stidham was “bird-dogging” WR Montrell Washington, Hicks watched the quarterback’s gaze and then jumped the route for a pick-six off what should have been a check-down throw. It’s not the only play Hicks has made in camp, but it further highlights the type of intelligence he plays with and how much of a playmaker he can be.
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