Broncos Camp | Day 15: One Player Separates in QB2 Battle
Englewood, CO — Denver Broncos fans packed into Centura Health Training Center on Tuesday for the third week of training camp. Monday’s practice was open strictly to the media after the Broncos lost their first preseason game to the Arizona Cardinals over the weekend.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton and the team are now set to travel to square off with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday for preseason Game 2, eyeing their first collective win with starters slated to see more live-bullet action. This week’s practices feature the final three days of camp open to the public. The Los Angeles Rams arrive next week with presumed joint practices before the preseason finale in Denver.
With the summer days ticking down, the first regular season game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Denver is right around the corner. These last two weeks of practice are quite literally the final opportunities for many Broncos to make their final push to land on the 53-man roster and continue their professional football careers.
It’s also a final chance for the Broncos to tighten up the weaknesses exposed in Friday night's loss to the Cardinals and polish up areas of strength. I watched Day 15 of Broncos camp on Tuesday, so let's talk about my three key observations.
Ben DiNucci Deserves to be QB2
Prior to training camp, Payton explained that draft status, veteran tenure, and prestige won't matter in player evaluations this summer. From what I’ve seen at practice over the last three weeks, he has backed up his words as the entire team has seen mixed reps and time with starters, backups, and the perennial practice squad-tiered players.
I previously dismissed the false narrative that Russell Wilson was being pressured by backup QB Jarett Stidham in the first week of camp, only for Broncos Country to witness that for themselves in preseason Game 1 against the Cardinals. Now it’s painfully obvious that DiNucci has earned the right to be the Broncos' backup QB.
The 26-year-old was a Dallas Cowboys seventh-round draft pick in 2020. He played in three games with Dallas, logging one start where he went 23-for-43 for 219 yards boasting a 53.5 completion percentage.
From there, DiNucci joined the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons, where he started 10 games and led his team to a 7-3 record and a postseason appearance. He also led the XFL with 2,671 passing yards, 272 completions, and his 20 passing touchdowns ranked second.
DiNucci tried out for the Broncos in early spring during the team’s rookie minicamp, which some veterans were invited to attend. Since then, the 6-foot-2, 222-pound QB has been making the most of his opportunities on the practice field.
DiNucci has been the most efficient QB for the entirety of camp, demonstrating his athleticism and ability to find chemistry with the Broncos' lesser-known receivers. His teammates trust him to be on time and accurate with the football, which is why Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, and Caden Davis have all found success.
I’ve previously described DiNucci’s play as that of a wild hare, meaning he plays the game of football loose and snappy. He continues to demonstrate smooth footwork in his three-step drops and has been forcing the Broncos defense to respect his scrambling ability, which mimics Wilson’s athleticism at times.
What DiNucci lacks, he makes up for by being comfortable under pressure and remaining calm under duress. Whether in 7-on-7s, one-on-ones, or team period, I’m campaigning to see DiNucci get an increased quality of reps with the starters or, at the very least, the second-team offense.
I’ve seen all I need to of Jarett Stidham. If Payton truly meant what he said about camp evaluations and them not being skewed due to contracts or draft pedigree, DiNucci has outplayed Stidham and has earned the right to back up Russ.
Marvin Mims Jr.'s Role a Mystery
Reviewing my pages of notes from training camp, I can’t find a bigger mystery than Mims. The Broncos rookie was drafted out of Oklahoma in the second round (No. 63) and has been fighting multiple hamstring injuries before and during training camp.
Mims didn’t see the field at all in the first preseason game against the Cardinals, which was surprising after he was cleared as a full participant in the latter half of practice last week.
The 5-foot-11, 177-pound wideout has been the most natural and effective returner in multiple special teams roles during training camp, competing against Montrell Washington and Kendall Hinton. Mims has a smooth stride that combines with an explosive burst after securing every football punted and kicked his way during camp.
Finally, Broncos Country has expressed a collective relief after years of aching for a dynamic returner that can help spark a franchise turnaround on special teams. Surely Mims wasn’t selected with the Broncos' first draft pick of the Payton era only to play special teams.
The Texas native is known for his blinding 4.38-second speed, which caught the attention of Payton and Broncos GM George Paton ahead of the draft. Mims comes to Denver having earned first-team All-Big-12 honors as a Sooner, where he posted 54 receptions for 1,083 yards and six touchdowns in 2022.
Until Tuesday, it’s been hard for No. 83 to see much time with the starting unit as he battled hamstring injuries. Mims has picked up most of his reps with backup and third-string players and has demonstrated good hands, nice route running, and a solid level of preparation in Payton’s offense.
But Tuesday's practice saw Mims working with the starters in team period and delivering ideal catch-and-runs in 7-on-7 team drills and one-on-one matchups. Perhaps Mims can become the ideal substitute to slide into the WR3 role after Tim Patrick suffered his season-ending Achilles injury to open camp.
Look for a larger role from the rookie wideout sooner or later.
Payton's Sleight of Hand
Growing up, I heard all the stories about Mike Shanahan’s level of control over his football teams, including surveillance systems, team moles, and a host of other juicy rumors. But now that Payton is calling the shots in Denver, I can’t help but feel the sneaky element of disinformation and privacy are back at Dove Valley, and that’s a good thing.
This franchise has aired its dirty laundry for nearly a decade with the entire world watching. Being the butt of the joke has gotten old for Broncos County, and fans have decided that they don’t have time to wait for a work in progress and are demanding a new brand of winning football in 2023.
While I can’t confirm that there are any juicy Payton stories in the works at Centura Health Training Center, I can tell you that we’re not seeing the whole picture with this new-look offense based on camp practices and the preseason.
You're gravely mistaken if you think Payton forgot to run the football against the Cards last Friday or cares strictly about passing numbers. Payton opted not to suit up running back Javonte Williams, who is being monitored with care and consideration after a miraculous camp comeback following a season-ending injury in which he shredded multiple ligaments in his knee last October.
Payton isn't completely advertising the utilization of the fullback, a position that is back in the mix at Broncos HQ with Michael Burton, as I reported last week. Local and national media have been subjected to an intense limitation of access and journalistic strictures, which can never reveal formations, player personnel, or any other giveaways that could give an opponent a competitive advantage.
Without giving away any secrets or breaking the rules, it’s important to know that running the football has been a heavy emphasis throughout the three weeks of Broncos camp in team period and 9-on-7 drills.
Broncos Country continues to witness what I’ve been screaming about since the start of camp, and that is wideout Jerry Jeudy being Wilson’s No. 1 read. Remember, this fast-paced offense is predicated on speed, and Wilson quickly releases the ball in his three-step drops.
For most of camp, Jeudy has been Wilson's No. 1 target on high-low reads, as the Broncos made evident during his 21-yard touchdown catch against the Cardinals on Friday night.
While the fan base bickers over Payton’s preseason play calling and offensive philosophy with Wilson, I fully expect the Broncos to continue to build momentum and achieve success behind closed doors of practice next week, specifically in joint practices with the Rams. Wouldn’t that fit the work-in-silence mantra?
Calm down, folks. The always-calculated Coach Payton has a method to his madness. You're just not seeing it yet, and that’s intentional.
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