Broncos Camp Day 8: Pat Bryant Breaking Out | Takeaways

Day 8 of Denver Broncos training camp featured the first controlled scrimmage. It was intense.

The Broncos manufactured more game-like settings during the scrimmage, including field goal attempts, punts, and kickoffs. There was, once again, a heavy emphasis on red zone, a hallmark of the Sean Payton regime that has paid dividends thus far.

With Payton, several assistants, and kicker Wil Lutz in Canton, Ohio, for Drew Brees's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, Saturday's practice had some unique aspects to it, so let's get to the news and notes from Day 8, our takeaways, and the biggest winners and losers.

Injury Watch

Safety Devon Key joined wide receivers Jaylen Waddle, center Luke Wattenberg, tight end Nate Adkins, rush linebacker Dasan McCullough, and cornerback Sean Fresch Jr. on the side field, per The Denver Post's Luca Evans. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. didn't practice either after injuring his left leg on Friday, but Key's inclusion in that group is new, so we'll be monitoring the situation to see what might be ailing him.

Offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo (PUP list) and linebacker Jordan Turner (NFI list) also worked the side field. It's good to see them both out there, working their way back to full activity, but especially Turner.

Gargiulo has been on the field the past few days. Turner might be turning a corner in his recovery.

Later in practice, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike headed for the locker room early with trainers (Evans). It's unclear what might be bothering him.

Saturday marked the Broncos' fifth padded practice of the week. With the rise in intensity and physicality, the injury bug took a bite out of the team this week, with several starters missing time.

In a heartbreaking development, defensive lineman Matt Henningsen suffered a torn Achilles on Friday. You hate to see it, but the silver lining is that, amid this week's rash of injuries, the Broncos' starters have avoided anything major and should be back on the field soon, like Pro Bowl rush linebacker Nik Bonitto, who missed two days of practice before returning on Friday.

Veteran Days

Multiple veterans were rested on Day 8. After stretch period, cornerback Pat Surtain II, safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive lineman Zach Allen, running back J.K. Dobbins, tight end Evan Engram, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey did not practice.

Bonitto was given some reps off during team period.

The Broncos' "load management" approach to preserving their veterans marches on apace. This week was a cold reminder of how quickly the worm can turn on the health front, and that's doubly true if a team isn't paying close attention to each individual player, but especially the veterans.

Extended Looks

Jordan Jackson and Calvin Throckmorton — Denver Broncos defensive tackle Jordan Jackson (94) and guard Calvin Throckmorton (76) signs autographs following training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With these starters resting, several players received an extended look with the first-team units. Per 9NEWS' Mike Klis, Kris Abrams-Draine saw extra time in place of Surtain, JL Skinner in place of Hufanga, Uwazurike and Jordan Jackson in place of Allen, Jonah Elliss in for Bonitto, and Frank Crum/Alex Palczewski in for McGlinchey.

In Skinner's case, he also benefitted from Key's absence. And Skinner needed that opportunity, with how the backup safety competition has been shaping up.

Skinner made a nice play during red-zone period, breaking up a Bo Nix pass to Courtland Sutton on fourth down that ended the first-team offense's two-minute drill, as observed by The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel.

Pat Bryant is 'The Complete Package'

Bryant's bombastic training camp continued on Saturday, as he caught multiple passes during the scrimmage. He may have also made the play of the day.

With the first team in the red zone, Nix dropped back and immediately was under pressure. He scrambled and threw the ball up to the back corner of the end zone, where Bryant climbed the ladder over cornerbacks Jahade Barron and Ja'Quan McMillian to come down with the touchdown (Gabriel).

Nix seems to be looking Bryant's way early in his reads, and I don't think it's simply because Waddle and Courtland Sutton have missed multiple days of practice (injury and veteran rest, respectively). No, Bryant is simply getting open consistently, and Nix obviously trusts him. That quarterback/receiver bond is growing exponentially.

After practice, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph — who helped run Friday and Saturday's practices with Payton away — paid Bryant the ultimate compliment.

"He’s the guy in that room, in my opinion—he blocks, catches the ball in traffic, he can track the ball vertically, he’s great in the red zone," Joseph said of Bryant. "He’s the complete package. He’s got great size, man. He loves to play. He’s the same player every single day."

Entering his second year, Bryant is way more comfortable in the scheme, and he's no longer swimming in the deep waters of the rookie learning curve. The Broncos gave him a lot of trust as a rookie, playing him at all three receiver spots, which he believes helped him develop as quickly as he has.

"Going into Year 2 in the offense, I feel like I understand things a little bit differently," Bryant said on Friday. "Last year, I played just about every position, so that helped me going into this year. Whenever guys are tired during camp, I can go out there and take a rep because, at the end of the day, I know my job being in Year 2 in this offense."

Health will be crucial in Bryant's quest to make the Year-2 leap. He suffered two concussions last season and dealt with some other injuries, including a hamstring in the playoffs.

What we've seen so far from Bryant should give Broncos fans a lot of confidence that, if anything were to befall Sutton or Waddle during the season (knock on wood), Nix has another top-tier receiver ready to make plays. Bryant is looking like a bona fide breakout candidate.

Brandon Jones... the Kicker

With Lutz gone, the Broncos needed a place kicker. You might think that punter Jeremy Crawshaw would be capable of taking over those duties for a day, to allow the Broncos' scrimmage to work, but special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said after practice that "not a kicker; he’s a punter."

Instead, the Broncos asked one of their starting safeties to be the emergency kicker on Day 8. And Jones did not disappoint.

Jones nailed his extra-point attempts, and went 3-of-4 on field-goal tries, including a 41-yarder (Klis). After practice, Jones credited his experience playing club soccer in high school for his kicking prowess.

Day 8's Biggest Winners

Denver Broncos running back Jonah Coleman (20) during training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kris Abrams-Draine | CB
JL Skinner | S
Que Robinson | OLB
Pat Bryant | WR
Parker Robertson | S
Tyler Onyedim | DL
Levelle Bailey | LB
Jonah Coleman | RB
Sam Ehlinger | QB
Red Murdock | LB
Hakeem Butler | WR
Lucas Krull | TE

In a tight red-zone drill, right before Bryant's big touchdown in double coverage, Nix went the other way, looking for Sutton, but Abrams-Draine broke up the pass (Klis). KAD is also the only player to pick off Nix in this camp. Entering Year 3, KAD is having a nice camp, securing his spot on the roster as the fifth cornerback.

Skinner made the most of his opportunity to play with the ones. Again, he needed a day in the "Winners" column.

Robinson was a pressure machine on Day 8. He got around Crum for a would-be sack on Nix (Evans).

Robertson picked off Ehlinger, which was one of the few bad plays from the quarterback on Day 8. The pass was thrown slightly behind Butler, and the undrafted rookie safety made him pay (Evans).

Speaking of Butler, after a few lackluster days, he was back to his playmaking ways on Saturday. He caught multiple passes, including a 50-yard bomb (Tomasson), a 30-yarder, and an especially juicy touchdown, all from Ehlinger.

When Butler gives 100% effort, his 6-foot-5, 227-pound frame and my-ball mentality distinguish him on the field. He just can't afford to take any plays off, especially in the run game as a block, as he did this past week.

Ehlinger looked really good again on Day 8. He's especially deadly off schedule, but he's been a smooth operator overall in his second year in the scheme.

Ehlinger started the day with the threes, until it came time for the situational drills. That's when Ehlinger took over the second-team unit (Evans). Conspicuous, to say the least.

Bailey is definitely in the running for the Broncos' No. 3 and No. 4 linebacker spots on the roster. He made a nice play in coverage, breaking up a Stidham pass over the middle (Evans).

Murdock will have something to say about those linebacker spots, too. After a quiet first week of camp, the seventh-round rookie has put together two excellent days of practice, earning praise from Joseph after Saturday's practice.

Coleman's excellent camp marches on. He showcased his between-the-tackles vision and power as a runner, once again, and with Mims out, he was the first up at returner on kickoffs. The rookie running back looked good as a receiver, and even scored a red-zone touchdown.

Besides Dobbins, Coleman has been the Broncos' most consistent inside runner in camp. Positive harbingers, to be sure.

At tight end, Krull isn't going away. The Broncos may have drafted two tight ends, but they also re-signed Krull to a one-year deal, and he's been a consistent receiver thus far in camp, and even distinguished himself as a blocker on Day 8, which isn't exactly his calling card.

Day 8's Losers

Devon Key. — Denver Broncos safety Devon Key (26) stretches before pracitce. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sam Webb | CB
Devon Key | S
RJ Harvey | RB
Jarrett Stidham | QB

Webb was exploited in coverage again on Day 8. He joined the Broncos on July 30, so he's had a lot to learn, but he's a veteran. The Broncos obviously expected more, waiving Webb on Saturday and signing cornerback Ricardo Hallman to replace him on the 90-man roster.

As per tradition, Key is only in the "Losers" column because he didn't practice. It wasn't a vet day, either. The Broncos love their All-Pro special teams ace, but he has a big opportunity this season to win the No. 3 safety job that was held down previously by P.J. Locke.

Harvey has been awesome as a pass-catcher in camp. He looks ready to take a big Year-2 leap in that department, and while he's still a threat on outside runs, he simply hasn't shown the development yet as a between-the-tackles rusher that you'd hope to see. Thankfully, the Broncos drafted Coleman.

Stidham appears to be pressing a bit. Whether that's due to the very real competition he's embroiled in with Ehlinger or an aftershock of his failure to launch in the AFC championship game, I don't know.

The Broncos need consistency from their No. 2 quarterback. For the past three years, Stidham has provided that, at least, in limited exposure.

However, the AFC title game may have changed things for Stidham in Denver. That's a hunch, not me reporting anything specific. But he is having to compete for the QB2 job this time around, instead of being handed it as he was the past three years.

Ehlinger is giving Stidham a run for his money.

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