Broncos safety Justin Simmons is dealing with a groin strain and didn’t practice Monday, head coach Sean Payton confirmed after practice.
The veteran defensive back was limited Saturday and did only light conditioning work on the side field Monday.
Payton didn’t provide a timeline on when Simmons might be back on the field but said the team will be “smart” about his workload going forward.
The coach indicated Simmons will be out long enough to get a look at other safeties on the roster, which would likely include Friday night in the preseason opener against Arizona.
“He’s a veteran player and a great communicator. He’s someone that’s always in the right spot, he’s savvy, he’s smart,” Payton said. “Some other younger guys will step in. … We’ll be smart with him and eventually get him back, but in the meantime other guys will get the chance to get in and get some reps.
“When you lose someone with his experience but also his football IQ, his football IQ is pretty rare.”
Outside linebacker Aaron Patrick also did not participate Monday. Defensive lineman Mike Purcell, who is on the non-football injury list with a knee issue, has been around camp for the most part but was not present at practice Monday.
Playing time for starters. Payton indicated most starters will play somewhere in the 15-18 snap range against the Cardinals.
“I don’t look at length, I look at snaps,” Payton said. “… You could be in Phase 1 on offense and Phase 2 on defense because the game started maybe with a long drive where your defense is on the field, if that makes sense. It’s not time in the game, it’s more of a pitch count for these guys.”
Depth chart. The most exciting part of Payton’s week, undoubtedly, will be releasing the Broncos’ first public depth chart ahead of their preseason game.
The coach is actuality loathe to give any kind of intel, but according to NFL rules, the depth chart is mandatory.
“We have to,” he reiterated.
But…
“(Chief communications officer Patrick Smyth) will put it together and hand it to the coordinators and they’ll hand it to me and we’ll tweak it,” Payton said. “Just understand: We can’t write it in pencil, but it’s in pencil.”
“It’s probably easier to answer the question of what I don’t want to see,” Payton said. “I don’t want to see 10 men on the field. I don’t want to see uniforms off after we’re done playing, sun glasses on, Gilligan’s hat on, interviews during the game.”
Fullback half the job. Michael Burton’s job description has two sections. He’s a fullback — and even within that role he’s got to play in the passing game and be a force in the run game — but that’s only half the battle.
Burton also plans on being a special teams frequenter. He played more than half of Kansas City’s special teams snaps the past two years, 31% for New Orleans in 2020 and 64% for Washington in 2019.
“You’ve got to find a way to pick up those snaps and be a four-core guy,” he told The Post on Monday. “You’ve got to be a plus guy. You can’t just be out there. You’ve got to be a plus starter and that’s my goal is to be four-core, plus starter, for sure.”
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