Broncos Camp Notebook | Day 2: 3 Key Observations
Englewood, Colo. – Day 2 of Denver Broncos training camp began on a cloudy and overcast Thursday morning at UCHealth Training Center. Fans and players alike welcomed the pleasant 65-to-70-degree windy weather, with the occasional rain drop as the setting for the Broncos' second free public practice.
The defense might have won Day 1 of camp, but Thursday’s practice was all about the offense as QB Russell Wilson and company stormed back with fierce competition in team periods. From the offensive line to the receivers, tight ends, and running backs, the new-look offense devised by first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett is a welcomed sight to a resurrected fan base.
That’s not say the Broncos' defense had a poor performance on the practice field by any means, as the linebacking corps looked especially locked-in as a unit for coordinator Ejiro Evero. Not to mention the Broncos' talented secondary has consistently challenged the offense and at times, has gotten the better of the team's wideouts.
Competitive football is back in the Mile High City, so it’s time to get to what Broncos Country is buzzing about after the second day of training camp.
A Principled & Creative Offense
When GM George Paton landed Wilson in a trade with Seattle, nobody was happier than Hackett. Wilson’s elite talent, preparation, and leadership are at Hackett’s and first-year OC Justin Outten’s disposal.
On Thursday morning, in multiple team periods, Wilson executed a healthy mixture of rushing and passing plays with installations as well. But it was the multiple formations called by Hackett that showed his preference for player versatility and allowing his offense to have options. At one point, Wilson and the first-teamers ran the same play three times in a row out of entirely different personnel sets.
Sometimes there were jumbo, tight-end heavy sets, while at other times, receivers were spread out. There was also a common pre-snap motion from different receivers both on and off the line of scrimmage, forcing the defense to keep track of a barrage of traffic and offensive looks.
Different schematic variations vs. play-action were featured on Day 2, which can fundamentally allows a seven-man protection front to keep the play alive for longer. Or receivers can be spread out wide for the big splash, or checkdown in open space. Either way, the Broncos' new-look offense was efficient, energetic, and looked prepared.
I know, it’s only the second day of training camp. But after being tortured with inept and pathetic offensive displays for years, I can’t help but get excited about this offense’s potential. Pair a future Hall-of-Fame QB with an offensive innovator who's gushing energy, and a few sparks are bound to fly.
O-Line Enduring New Scheme
While it was sad to see Mike Munchak and his assistant Chris Kuper leave the Broncos, a completely new offense has been installed at Dove Valley due to the team's coaching and philosophical change.
Former San Francisco assistant OL coach Butch Barry commands the room for the Broncos' O-line and has been tasked with converting the unit from its gap-power scheme of 2021 to a modern zone blocking philosophy. That's why Denver let the revered Munchak go — because his distaste for the zone blocking scheme is the worst-kept secret in the NFL.
Once again on Thursday, a barrage of mixed offensive line units received reps with Wilson and the starters, backups, and even the third-stringers. Dalton Risner has put together two back-to-back days of excellent performance at left guard alongside center Lloyd Cushenberry III. There’s no doubt that the zone blocking scheme aligns more with Risner’s movement ability and athleticism as an interior anchor.
The second-year Quinn Meinerz has had a balanced camp thus far with some coaching moments but responded well as a competitor and coachable player on Day 2. The revolving door at right tackle currently has Calvin Anderson and Cameron Fleming rotating in and out in the wake of Billy Turner and Tom Compton opening camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List.
That's revealed left tackle Garett Bolles as the most stable of the front five — and the entire room. While I expect big things from No. 72 this season, I also expect a natural regression due to the nature of Wilson’s style of play.
At times, Wilson has been known to scramble and extend plays for what feels like an eternity to his O-line. This could catch Bolles in some holding or clipping scenarios, but I hope that’s not the case.
However, the rumor mill suggests that it could take some time for Coach Barry and the Broncos O-line to learn one another’s personalities and preferences. Not that it’s a bad thing, but sometimes bonding takes time, especially for the big bruisers of the offensive trenches.
An Answer Emerging at ILB
Sometimes it’s tough to decipher whether offseason buzz about a player is legitimate. But for once, the rumors were right about the hard work that Jonas Griffith has put into his craft.
The 25-year-old from Indiana State spent brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts before arriving in Denver last year. At 6-foot-4, and 250 pounds, it's pretty easy to pick No. 50 out during positional and team drills.
Griffith has been fearless in taking on offensive linemen in narrow lanes and has halted the progress of the Broncos' rushing attack on more than one occasion. He’s also demonstrated smooth lateral movement when diagnosing the play (run vs. pass), and has shown an exceptional level of preparation.
Coaches and teammates continually praised Griffith on Thursday.
Remember, second-year stud defender Baron Browning, who wore the green dot for Vic Fangio’s defense down the stretch last year, has moved to the rush linebacker group in wake of the injuries to Randy Gregory and Jonathon Cooper. This thrusts Griffith more prominently into the mix after playing in 13 games (four starts) and logging 46 tackles, two QB hits, and four tackles for a loss in 2021. Griffith averaged 10-plus tackles in the four games he started.
So far, Jonas has taken full advantage of every first-team rep and appears to be chasing the chance to start in Evero’s defense.
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