Broncos Camp Notebook | Day 13: Good News on Courtland Sutton
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Englewood, Colo. — Professional football is full of tradition, quirks, and superstitions. Some players have pre-game day rituals that must be followed rigorously, lest bad luck unravels their performance. When it comes to the injury bug, some in the NFL also subscribe to Murphy’s Law: 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.'
Health and safety were the Denver Broncos' priority on Day 13, with expectations for a physical and painstaking practice to occur on Thursday when the Dallas Cowboys arrive. Even the offensive and defensive lines took it easy on each other.
While players were not tackling, hitting, or gassing themselves in Wednesday's practice, hard work still revealed some exciting observations from the last Broncos-only training camp session. Here's what jumped out to me on Day 13 of Broncos camp.
Exhale: Sutton Returns to Practice
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After WR Tim Patrick’s season ended last week due to a torn ACL, his teammates and fellow receivers were bitten with a less serious injury bug. Tyrie Cleveland is sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks with a throat injury, while Courtland Sutton has been dealing with a shoulder issue that kept him out of practice on Tuesday.
However, Sutton returned to action in position drills and team period on Wednesday, much to the relief of worried fans. Sutton was loose, and moving well but keep in mind, it was an extremely light practice.
Wednesday’s practice at UCHealth Training Center was a walk-through. Players broke a sweat with some jogging and effort in position drills, but the offense and defense during team period were focused on keeping guys off the turf, with the intensity turned down a bit.
Washington is More than Just a Returner
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The Broncos' first unofficial depth chart was released on Tuesday evening, and rookie fifth-round pick Montrell Washington’s name was at the top of the list for punt and kick returner duties. Some may feel this was expected after special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes pounded the table for Washington, seemingly anointing him the returner before the rookie stepped foot in Denver. However, it was WRs coach Zach Azzanni who campaigned for Washington in the draft.
And for good reason, as the 5-foot-10, 170-pounder has been explosive on the practice field over these three weeks of training camp. On Day 13, Washington was one of the first players on the field (as usual) to work on his routes with QBs Josh Johnson and Brett Rypien.
The first thing that stands out when observing the former Samford stand-out at practice is the deliberate movement with his footwork. I’m not calling him the second-coming of Jerry Jeudy in route running, but I am seeing a rookie receiver honing his self-awareness in his routes to expose space against much larger and punishing defenders.
I can’t find any notes from the last three weeks where Washington has dropped a ball (special teams, team period, or position drills), or has fumbled or drawn a penalty. One of the most fascinating aspects of this greenhorn’s skill set has been both short and deep routes.
Before his fellow receivers were plagued with injuries, Washington was seeing first-team and second-team reps. On Day 13, No. 12 was seen with the starters, the twos, and threes.
What he lacks in size, Washington makes up for in consistency and explosiveness, whether that be in a simple slant route or a deep bomb from Russell Wilson. The rookie has caught every pass thrown his way from three different QBs and continues to do so daily.
Look out, Dallas, because this rookie is already shattering the 'he’s only a returner' mold.
Why Broncos are Rumored to be Looking for ILB Help
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The NFL waits for nobody, whether that be at the player, coaching, or front office level. It’s a performance-based business where jobs rapidly turnover in search of fresh bodies and minds that can consistently accomplish the assignments given to them at their respective position.
That’s what Denver's second-year LB Justin Strnad could find out shortly if he doesn’t have a brilliant showing against the Cowboys in Thursday’s joint practice and Saturday’s preseason game. For the most part, the former Wake Forest standout, who was drafted in the fifth round in 2020, has been a JAG (just another guy) in position drills but especially team period.
While Strnad's 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame is ideal for the modern-day linebacker, his consistency has left much to be desired. Wednesday was a walkthrough, but he's had some difficulty in pass coverage, specifically against the tight ends in training camp — a position Wilson has utilized ad nauseum.
Strnad's 4.74-second speed tends to reveal itself in his pass coverage drops as he was caught multiple times flat-footed against receivers in practice. While mistakes are bound to happen, I can’t help but feel frustrated to see the same breakdowns repeated in Strnad’s game as he has the athleticism and physical tools to get the job done.
For the sake of transparency, I loathe reports that bury players' performance, especially in training camp when the details and context of the day are not always available. Nonetheless, for Strnad, it’s time for rapid improvement, starting on Thursday.
I’m unsure whether Strnad's issue is learning the new defensive scheme, or what other change could be placing the second-year player behind the eight-ball. However, he has shown a willingness to mix it up against the offense on rushing plays and has taken nice angles to get to the ball-carrier, specifically Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon on Day 13.
But I’m still waiting to see Strnad fill the rushing lane hole with supreme authority and take on O-linemen at the point of attack. Maybe those types of results can only be replicated in live action against another team.
One thing is clear, Strnad has zero time to waste as Broncos GM George Paton could already be inquiring about available linebackers and playmakers on the trade block.
Practice Footnotes & Observations
- Sutton returned to practice on Wednesday, and looked loose, and energetic, participating in position drills and team walkthrough.
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam worked with the second-string offense for the duration of practice.
- TEs Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson received first-team reps with QB Russell Wilson.
- Center Lloyd Cushenberry has cleaned up messy snaps from last weekend with Wilson operating under center and in shotgun.
- The backup QB battle is still underway, with Johnson and Rypien each receiving second-team reps.
- OLB Baron Browning received first-team reps in team period today.
- Broncos’ Walton-Penner Group had Mellody Hobson and Condoleezza Rice at practice.
- The rumor mill on the media side of training camp suggests that Wilson’s agent met with the Broncos' new ownership team, and there could potentially be a deal done for an extension within the next two weeks.
- The rumor mill suggests Wilson could seek a $300 million fully-guaranteed contract from Broncos.
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