Believe it or not, football season is just about here.
Rookies have already reported to the Centura Health Center, and veterans aren’t far behind. By Friday, open training camp practice will be at hand for Broncos fans that were able to secure tickets — or grab them last-minute.
So, with that in mind, the Bat Signal is out and the Denver Post sports crew has assembled to give their thoughts on some of the most pressing questions facing Sean Payton’s first team as it hits the practice field.
Can Payton help engineer a turnaround that puts a string of playoff-free winters to bed? Can Russell Wilson bounce back from a career-worst year and save general manager George Paton from having engineered one of the worst trades in NFL history?
Those questions won’t be answered in full when Las Vegas comes to town on Sept. 10, but the work starts in earnest this week.
What is the Broncos’ strongest position on the football team? The part of the organization that Payton puts in his mind when he needs to rest easy at night?
Ryan McFadden, Broncos beat reporter: I think the strongest position going into the training camp has to be the secondary. Cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Justin Simmons are two of the best players at their respective positions, and the rest of the secondary is solid. Safety Kareem Jackson has been durable and productive, second-year cornerback Damarri Mathis showed last year that he can be a starter, and rookie Riley Moss has potential to make an impact in Year 1.
You can’t forget about safety Caden Sterns, either, who showcased his potential as a rookie before a hip injury kept him sidelined in Year 2. Overall, the Broncos secondary is a strong group that Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph should be more than comfortable with.
Parker Gabriel, Broncos beat reporter: There’s an argument to be made for the offensive coaching staff, considering how much familiarity exists between Payton, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, passing game coordinator John Morton, offensive line coach Zach Strief and others, but let’s wait and see what the offense actually looks like before jumping to such conclusions.
Where the Broncos have real continuity is up the middle on defense. D.J. Jones is joined by newcomer Zach Allen on the defensive line, but Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton on the second level are backed by Simmons and Jackson (and Sterns, likely) at safety.
If you can control the middle of the field, you’re in good shape — especially with an eraser like Surtain on the perimeter.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: The good news? When the going gets tough, the Broncos know they can lean on the secondary to bail them out. The bad news? The Broncos play in the AFC, which is loaded with so many top-flight quarterbacks that that same secondary usually winds up getting burned out by Week 9.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: There is only one correct answer to this question: the secondary. But since Mr. McFadden has already sung that group’s praises, I’ll instead point in the direction of the offensive line, where tackles Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey give the Broncos a pair of competent bookends for the first time in years. That’s provided, of course, Bolles returns from a broken leg closer to the 2020 form that made him a second-team All-Pro.
Conversely, where is the team’s biggest liability?
McFadden: At the moment, that has to be kicker. After releasing Brandon McManus, the Broncos signed Elliott Fry, who has attempted just six field goals in three career games, then added Brett Maher Friday. The former would be a gamble on a player who doesn’t have a lot of experience, while the latter would be a roll of the dice on a guy who was last seen shanking extra points for the Cowboys in the playoffs.
Gabriel: Jackson said recently he thinks the team looks well-rounded on paper. On the top line, that’s fair. But what about depth? Odds say the Broncos won’t continue to be one of the league’s most injured teams year after year, but can this team sustain even a moderate run of maladies? Cam Fleming’s return helps on the offensive line, but an impressive starting quintet is backed by mostly question marks. K’Waun Williams is a trusty slot man, but after him and Surtain, second-year man Damarri Mathis has the third-most starts among Denver’s corners at 11. Similar questions persist on the defensive line and the edge after the starting group. Perhaps even in the backfield if Javonte Williams hits a snag in his comeback from knee surgery. Denver’s depth will be tested over 17 games. Can it hold up?
Keeler: Kicker scares the daylights out of you, but I’ll concur with Parker — depth, depth, depth. Injuries are inevitable, but the Broncos still feel about three absences away from a free-fall. Take away Surtain, and that cornerbacks unit, on paper, doesn’t scare anybody. There was never a great insurance plan for left tackle Garett Bolles, whose durability was assumed, and at age 31, that assumption isn’t safe anymore. The Broncos have a lot of potential at wide receiver, but Russ doesn’t need potential right now. He needs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett bailing him out.
Schubert: Are we sure Denver will have a pass rush this season? The Broncos struggled mightily to pressure QBs after trading away Bradley Chubb in the middle of last season, and the best pass-rushers on the roster are a guy who’s played more than 12 games in a season just once in eight years (Randy Gregory) and a three-time Pro Bowler who hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2018 (Frank Clark). Is Nik Bonitto ready to make a Year 2 leap? Can Baron Browning produce after likely starting the season on the PUP list? A whole lot of questions, and not a lot of reassuring answers.
Is a Russell Wilson turnaround in the offing under Payton? And what will you be looking for in training camp from No. 3?
Gabriel: This offensive staff will put Wilson in better situations more consistently than the last one did. After that, a good chunk of whether he produces a major bounce-back is on him. Is he willing to take the coaching from Payton that he said in January he coveted? Is he willing to play within the system before freelancing its rules? If he does, he can be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate. If not, it could get messy quickly.
In camp, it’s about getting rhythm down and consistently taking what the defense gives him that will be the best indicator of what’s to come for Wilson in 2023.
McFadden: Payton is going to get Wilson back on track. After dealing with injuries and incompetent coaching in 2022, Wilson will return to form under Payton. The former Saints coach is one of the best offensive minds in football and Wilson is not the type of player that let last year linger.
During training camp, I will be looking to see the connection between Wilson and tight end Greg Dulcich. I think Dulcich can be a major weapon for Denver this season and I’m interested to see how Wilson develops his chemistry with the second-year tight end.
Keeler: Payton made Teddy Bridgewater work. He made Taysom Hill work. He made Jameis Winston work, for pity’s sake. If Russ can’t make it work under Payton, he’s probably never going to work out here. Wilson will bounce back — it’s just a question of where that lands. And at training camp, I’m looking for two things: a.) contact; b.) competition. But mostly contact.
Schubert: Few will soon forget the retina-burning sensation that was watching Russ cook in 2022. The good news: There’s nowhere to go but up in Wilson’s second year in Denver.
We’ve already seen what he can do with a competent coaching staff (nine Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl ring in Seattle), and he’s about to get that again with Payton & Co. Throw in a healthy wide receiver corps (fingers crossed), on-the-rise talent at tight end (Greg Dulcich) and two capable offensive tackles, and all the pieces are there for a bounce-back season.
As for camp, it sure would be nice to see Wilson and Jerry Jeudy pick up where they left off last season.
Where will Payton’s impact be felt most in Year 1?
Gabriel: The Broncos may well benefit from Payton’s offensive acumen and his confidence and his game management, but the biggest impact is, essentially, the entire thing. Payton has his hands in almost every single element of the franchise’s operation. He knows exactly what he wants, from the go-to third-down play call against the Raiders to the grain of paper the call is printed on. It all matters. Control freak? Yeah. But he thinks that’s the level of detail that determines the difference between wins and losses, and he’s got 152 of the former compared to 89 of the latter.
McFadden: I think Payton’s impact is going to be most felt at the quarterback position. Wilson is going to look completely different this season, and that will be essential for the Broncos to be playoff contenders in Year 1 of the Payton era.
Keeler: The floor. Payton is 14-8 in his last 22 games decided by eight points or fewer. The Broncos are 6-16. It’s a league of fine margins: Your head coach matters, from in-game decisions and clock management to culture and accountability. For the first time in a long time, the Broncos have a football dad instead of a cool older brother or quirky uncle.
Schubert: Without a doubt, it will be game management. Remember draining the fourth-quarter clock for a 64-yard field goal attempt in Seattle? The Empower Field fans counting down the play clock for a Broncos offense that couldn’t stop getting delay-of-game penalties? Russell Wilson forcing a ball into the end zone with a fourth-quarter lead against the Colts? All of that foolishness is over.
How about a bold prediction to wrap this thing up.
McFadden: The Broncos will make another free agent signing during camp. Signing Dalvin Cook would make things fun, but that’s not going to happen. Perhaps adding another defensive lineman to improve depth would make sense.
Gabriel: In 2022, the Broncos finished No. 17 in the NFL in run rate. In 2023, they’re going top five and perhaps top three. Mike McGlinchey, Quinn Meinerz, tight end Chris Manhertz and the rest of the front line group are going to get a ton of work.
Keeler: Russ debuts a commercial during the season that doesn’t make Twitter cringe.
Schubert: Is it bold to say the Broncos will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season?
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