Attendance
Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — S Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) and LB Drew Sanders (Achilles). Injured reserve — OL Quinn Bailey (ankle/leg). Out — S Brandon Jones (hamstring), CB Levi Wallace (hamstring), OLB Nik Bonitto (back). ILB Justin Strnad (groin) returned to practice.
QB Race Today
Jarrett Stidham worked with the No. 1 offense Wednesday, continuing the rotation between him and Nix with the top group. He made a big-time throw to open a situational period with a ball over the middle to David Sills IV, but for the most part, it was a day devoid of big plays — again.
Head coach Sean Payton made a point Wednesday of saying he liked how all three quarterbacks have been working their progressions and putting the ball where it needs to go. He wants installations to go as planned and isn’t worried about a lack of explosive plays, though he did a few days ago tell offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to dial up a couple of shots during a particularly methodical stretch.
Top Play
On a day where the defense mostly got the better of the offense in situational work, let’s give it to undrafted rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey. The situation each QB got late in practice: first-and-10 at the defense’s 38-yard line, 51 seconds left on the clock, one timeout and needing a touchdown. Stidham’s throw to Sills set the offense up well but the group stalled from there. Bailey made the capping play when he reeled in an interception on first-and-goal from the 10-yard line with 12 seconds left. It served, essentially, as a game-ender. Bailey is in a fight for a 53-man roster spot and special teams is likely to be a factor in whether he makes it or ends up on the practice squad.
“He’s picking things up,” Payton said. “He, like the rest of this rookie class, it’s going to be important that he can help us in the kicking game. I like him. I like how he’s built. Once we get to tackling I’m anxious to see how he fares there. … He’s working hard and I’m sure it’s a lot compared to what he was asked to do in college, but he’s hanging in there.”
Thumbs Up
Wilson finishes with flourish: Zach Wilson put the only touchdown of the situational work on the board with a third-and-12 pass to Troy Franklin in the back corner of the end zone. The 23-yard conversion might have been contested by the defense given that Franklin’s feet were close to the boundary. It’s no surprise, though, that Wilson had a confident answer about whether it was a good catch. “Absolutely,” he said with a smile. “Touchdown.”
Ja’Quan keeps making plays: Like Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix moved the offense into scoring range in the late-game situation. Broncos nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, though, broke up an eventual fourth-down pass to end the sequence. McMillian has made plays throughout camp and has been one of the most consistent performers on Denver’s defense. He burst onto the scene last fall and looks poised to continue his rise in 2024.
Thumbs Down
Balky back: Training camp is still at a point where minor injuries aren’t much to worry about, though it is notable that Nik Bonitto continues to miss time with a back issue. Bonitto has been out at practice recently and sometimes involved with individual drills, but has not done any team work in recent days. Wednesday, he was not spotted at practice at all.
“He’s working through it and he’s close,” Sean Payton said. “But nothing to report.”
Swing tackle?: Quinn Bailey’s injury last week may have flown a bit under the radar considering he wasn’t part of Denver’s projected starting five, but it could end up having a ripple effect. Bailey, Payton said, was “pretty clearly” the Broncos’ sixth lineman and capable of handling either tackle or either guard spot. The Broncos have mostly used Matt Peart on the left side and Alex Palczewski on the right after the starting pair of tackles, but Peart has struggled at times and the staff sees Palczewski, Payton said, as a right tackle only. It’s been a tough camp overall, too, for rookie Frank Crum, though Denver likes his developmental potential. Sunday will be a big chance for somebody to make a move after Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey get their reps.
Odds and Ends
• Sean Payton wasn’t happy with the energy and execution of Tuesday’s practice but thought it was better Wednesday. This is the toughest part of camp. Two weeks in, in the midst of a second straight long week playing against only yourselves and still quite a bit of hay to put in the barn before lining up against Indianapolis on Sunday.
• Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper had a dominant stretch Wednesday where he nearly single-handedly ruined a set of team reps by getting pressure. “He brings physicality to how he plays,” Payton said. “I think the added reps and experience from last year will help him and he’s someone the players look up to.”
• A familiar face watching practice Wednesday: Adam Gase. The former Broncos assistant and head coach of Miami and the New York Jets usually pops in on camp here at some point. He, of course, was on Denver’s staff from 2009-14 and was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos’ prolific 2013 offense that averaged 37.9 points per game.
• Payton said he didn’t have updates on the hamstring injuries to Brandon Jones or Levi Wallace. Jones, a projected starter at safety, was originally injured July 26 and Payton said he’d likely miss about two weeks. Wallace has been out since Saturday.
Thursday schedule
Parking lots open at 8 a.m., gates at 9 a.m. and practice runs 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Then Denver switches into game mode with a closed practice Friday and a walkthrough Saturday before flying to Indianapolis for the preseason opener.
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Originally Published: August 7, 2024 at 2:23 p.m.
