Broncos Running a Tight Ship Under Sean Payton
Sean Payton’s back, and we are, too—from Denver, my 15th camp stop. Here’s what I saw and heard …
1) This is an old-school camp. It’s the first one where I saw the players running, as a team, post-practice gassers. Every player wears a Guardian cap—not just the backs, linemen, tight ends and front seven guys—because if it’s good for one, it’s good for all. And the practice I was at lasted well over two hours. There’s a method to all this, of course, and Payton’s going to have a tough, calloused team come September. It also explains a lot of the Broncos’ offseason additions. He and GM George Paton emphasized football makeup for the new acquisitions, and got it in guys like Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers and Zach Allen. There are two reasons for it. First, they wanted guys they knew would be able to handle the demands of the program. Second, they wanted to make sure the locker room saw exactly what sorts of players, and people, they’d reward.
Sean Payton wants to build a hard-nosed team to redeem last year’s disappointing showing under former coach Nathaniel Hackett.
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2) It’s no mistake that two of those big signings were offensive linemen. The reshuffling of the deck up front is where Denver hopes the biggest leap will come. And it’s no coincidence there was immediate investment in that area. If you look at Payton’s history, there were times when his Saints didn’t spend a lot on skill players, but they always—always—sunk cash and picks and everything they could at the line. The hope is that the changes will give Russell Wilson the right picture to look at, and the sort of run game that will help activate his ability off play-action and in concepts where the coaches are moving the pocket around, and keep the down-and-distance manageable. It’ll look different, for sure, than last year.
3) The secondary looks like a strength, and it’s not just All-Pros Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons, either. It’s what’s around those two. Third-year safety Caden Sterns has taken a pretty big step forward, and is flashing the same sort of versatility, range and ball skills that Simmons has—which should make the two interchangeable for new coordinator Vance Joseph. And Damarri Mathis, a fourth-rounder in the team’s 2022 draft class, has stepped forward opposite Surtain. With a little more depth, it’s not a stretch to say this could be one of the NFL’s best groups.
4) Courtland Sutton’s really flashed too, another year separated from his injuries. This summer, in particular, the big-bodied target is showing renewed ability for a receiver of his size to drop his weight and get in-and-out of cuts, and he’s built a nice rapport with Russell Wilson, too. Jerry Jeudy’s had a solid summer too, validating the Broncos’ decision to set the asking price for their receivers high in the spring and, ultimately, the call not to move either of them.
5) So here’s where we could dive into the competition at outside linebacker (Baron Browning, Randy Gregory, Jonathon Cooper, Frank Clark and Nik Bonitto are all in that mix) and for the third running back spot (Samaje Perine’s been a nice pickup to back up the returning Javonte Williams). But I know you want to hear about Wilson. From what I can tell, he’s been solid, he’s bought into Payton’s offense (which will likely deploy him more like he was in Seattle), and he’s down to about 213 pounds. He’s also taken a noticeably lower profile, which to me qualifies as a sign that last year humbled him a bit. Now, we’ll see if he can get closer to what prompted the Broncos to give up two first-round picks (and three later picks, and three players) for him in the first place.
