Most crucial part of the Broncos’ season is right now

Good morning, Broncos Country!

We are in the boring part of the NFL season. There’s no news at this point, unless it’s the bad kind - meaning injuries or someone got in trouble with the law.

To pass the time, fans are forced to either make predictions of what the team will look come training camp, or the position battles we’re most looking forward to come training camp.

I’ll throw a knuckle curve: The Denver Broncos are in the most crucial part of the 2017 season. Some will say it’s training camp, and while it’s important, it’s not nearly as much as right now. That’s especially true with a new head coach, new coordinators and offensive system.

As I told Adam Malnati on the latest Mile High Report Radio Podcast, this is when the Broncos lay the foundation for the 2017 season. Come training camp that’s when they start to build the house on that foundation. But until the foundation is in place, you can’t build anything else.

Denver is set to enter Phase 3 of organized team activities on Tuesday. That’s when teams are able to do offense vs. defense drills. So the work to master the playbook, especially on offense, gets put to an early test. It’s the first indication of what the Broncos could look like on both sides of ball. It’s also the first chance to get recall and the mind ready for the season. Not to mention timing and familiarity with positional players.

That’s not to say training camp doesn’t still play a big role, it’s just not near as important as it was say 15-20 years. Back then, training camp was the first time players stepped on the field to begin preparation for the season. Now, it’s a year-long process. So there’s a bit of nostalgia for training camp, and that’s especially true for Adam and me given we grew up in Greeley. But it’s not as vital as it was back in the day given they work all year.

There may not be any news at this point in the season, but it doesn’t mean it’s not crucial. What the 2017 season eventually looks like depends on the foundation the Broncos lay right now.

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