It’s all about discipline for Bradley Roby this season

Broncos’ coach Vance Joseph told Bradley Roby that he’s not judging the fifth-year cornerback on how many plays he makes, but on how many he gives up.

“If you’re in a good position, you’ll make enough plays, but don’t cheat. Don’t gamble to make plays, because that’s not what winning is about, that’s about you,” Joseph said.

And that’s what Roby is concentrating on this season.

Discipline.

“Just eliminate all of the distractions. Just staying locked in on what I need to do, the things I need to do to get better. That’s really it. Football 24/7—that’s all I think about,” Roby said after the first day in pads. “That’s all that’s on my mind. That’s what’s been the biggest thing this offseason and all of the other ones. I’m always going to focus on football.”

As MHR’s Christopher Hart pointed out in our roster series, Roby has been a big playmaker. But his biggest challenge has been his inconsistency.

Roby apparently knows this.

“I’m always going to make plays. That’s how I’ve always been when I play football. I’ve always been out there scoring touchdowns, forcing fumbles, getting picks, stuff like that,” Roby said. “I know that’s going to come. I just also have to know not to try too hard or try to do things that are not in my job to get those things done. If you just do your job and stay where you’re supposed to be, then they’ll come.”

Having a more robust offense to practice against during the week is going to help with that, no doubt, and Roby also knows this.

“It’s a lot different than what we have seen in the past two years,” Roby said. “I must say, Case [Keenum] is a great leader, a great manager. How he commands the huddle and gets those guys set up and lined up, getting the ball to them, his accuracy, everything, his decision making. We’re going to be so much better than we have been the past two years, so I’m excited.”

But it’s not just Keenum; it’s the new receivers as well, who are giving Roby and the secondary a good test every day.

“I really like those guys,” Roby said of Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, adding that he has “to give it to John Elway” for the good draft picks. “At first it was like ‘Who are these guys?’ I didn’t really watch college football that much, but on that field they’re beasts. Especially ‘14’, Courtland. He’s getting up, snagging on guys every day. He’s a big guy, solid hands. DaeSean is good as well. Good routes, sneaky deceptive fast - they’re great picks. They’re going to help us this year for sure.”

And in case a contract year plus making the team better aren’t enough for Roby to work on his discipline, there’s always the fact that some young studs are on the way up.

Namely, Isaac Yiadom, who is so far having a great camp.

“Isaac, “Ike”, “Little Julio” is what I call him, he’s playing great. He’s picking up all the coverages. He’s doing a good job competing. He’s forcing a lot of incompletions,” Roby said. “He surprised me because he’s another guy that I didn’t know that much about. He’s a good young guy, good character. He’s going to work hard, so the future is bright for all of us.”