Denver Broncos Training Camp: Day 5 news and notes

Day five of Denver Broncos Training Camp is now in the books. It was the second padded practice they have had and thankfully they came away looking healthy. Today we have Courtland Sutton looking like a star in the making, Paxton Lynch having a solid day, Chad Kelly getting second-team reps at some point, an update on Isaac Yiadom and Brendan Langley, news and notes, and an update on injuries.

Courtland Sutton the star of the day...again:

I try not to repeat storylines in these camp reports in back to back days, but rookie wide receiver Courtland Sutton is forcing my hand a bit here.

Sutton has been demolishing his competition and becoming a touchdown machine. That continued today when Sutton hauled in multiple touchdowns from quarterback Case Keenum(especially in the red zone). He has shown he can high point the ball with the best of them and has big and strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air.

Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave noted that quarterback Case Keenum has been routinely putting the ball only where Sutton can go up and get it. This is something they have been stressing throughout the offseason according to Musgrave.

“He is. We talk about altitudes and placement so we can minimize the risk of the defenders getting their hands on those footballs.”

One thing Musgrave also noted is that Sutton is working hard at learning multiple positions so he contributes at more than one spot on offense.

“He’s working hard at it too. He has his mistakes that we’ve got to correct, and he’s continued to work and embrace the playbook. The sooner he learns the entire concept and not just one position, the more we can move him around, so people don’t prey on him or cloud to him or roll to him and try to take him out of the equation.”

If Sutton wants to see the field over fellow rookie DaeSean Hamilton, he will need to learn the slot position and work on his route running. This is Hamilton’s strength and why I believe we will see a good mix of both receivers depending on the situation, matchup, and field position.

One way you know a player is playing well is when a coach on the other side of the ball calls you a “beast”. Well, that is exactly what Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods did when he was asked about Sutton.

“He’s a big guy. He’s talented. Him and [WR] DeaSean Hamilton are both really good draft picks for us, but down there when you play against a big, physical receiver it’s all about body position. It’s been a test for us. He’s made some very nice catches. We’ll continue to work on it, but so far, he’s a beast.”

If Sutton(and Hamilton) continue this sort of play, the Broncos offense could be tough to stop in 2018. Kinda hard not to get excited about this offense right now.

Paxton Lynch has his best practice of camp:

We may have finally had some positive movement in the backup quarterback competition. Paxton Lynch put in his best practice of camp thus far today and hopefully showed some signs of growth.

Lynch flashed his big arm and hit some deep throws today including a deep bomb to another camp standout, wide receiver, Tim Patrick. It was Lynch’s best day by far and will look to build on this momentum going forward.

When asked about Lynch, Head Coach Vance Joseph said that he looked okay from his vantage point but will need to go over the tape to see everything. He did add that Lynch is getting better and has made plays all offseason.

“He looked OK from my angle. Obviously we’ve got to watch the tape and see what the total practice looked like, but he made some plays. He’s made plays all offseason and even our first four days of camp. It’s practice. He’s made plays, he hasn’t made plays. This is practice. He’s getting better.”

Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave double downed on Joseph’s comments by saying that “Paxton has some tremendous qualities”.

We’ve just got to keep building. All of us, not just Paxton. We all have to keep building, isolating and identifying what we do well and then hanging our hats on those. Paxton has some tremendous qualities, so again we’re all working together with all of our players to find their strengths and then we’ll play to those respective strengths.”

Here is the thing with Lynch and we have all lived it with him. He will give you days like this where you think he is turning the corner only to have three inconsistent practices in a row. Lynch needs to consistently put solid practices together but that is something he has yet to do during his NFL career.

Chad Kelly will get second team reps...eventually:

So far, Chad Kelly has not lived up to the Chad Kelly hype. He has been behind Lynch throughout camp and has yet to take any second-team reps. However, that may change sometime in the near/distant future according to Head Coach Vance Joseph.

Joseph told reporters that Kelly would indeed get some second-team reps sometime in the near or distant future. He didn’t specify how many or when this may happen but Kelly fans will get their guy with the second team eventually.

“Yes, he will. He’s doing a good job and so is [QB] Paxton [Lynch]. They’re both locked in, they’re both battling and they’re both making plays out on the field for us. It’s been fun to watch those two compete.”

Kelly has made some wow plays throughout camp it seems, but he is still shaking off that rust. He hasn’t played a football game since October of 2016 and is now making the jump to the NFL.

Kelly mishandled a few snaps today while working with a couple different centers but apparently had these issues yesterday as well.

Now he did have some good plays. A few tweets noted a touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver John Diarse and another touchdown where he fooled the defense so bad where he was able to hit running back Dave Williams in the flat for an easy touchdown.

Kelly can turn the tide during the preseason but it appears he will be the Broncos third-string QB heading into week one of the regular season.

Updates on cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom and Brendan Langley:

Many have asked about updates on the Broncos two young corners and we got some info on them from the Broncos coaches today.

Yiadom has had his ups and downs so far in the camp which should be expected for a rookie(remember Roby?) but Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods says he is doing a “real good job” thus far.

“He’s doing a real good job. He is a guy you love to coach because he does exactly what you tell him to do. He plays with clean eyes. He has a proper technique at everything he does. Just from our time with him in the Senior Bowl we know—we haven’t had a chance to hit full pads—he has that little nasty demeanor. He’s kind of a silent killer. I really look forward to him playing in the preseason.”

The 2018 third-round pick as already passed 2017 third-round pick Brendan Langley and is looking to capitalize on veteran Tramaine Brock’s week long absence and hopefully vault himself into the Broncos number three cornerback job.

Here is what fellow cornerback Bradley Roby had to say about Yiadom yesterday after practice.

“They’re all coming along well. The rookie, 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. 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.”

As for Langley, it has been a bit of struggle. He is still making the transition from wide receiver and is still going through growing pains. Here is what Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods said was his message to Langley.

“Just to slow his process down. It’s not going to change. Whether they get on the ball and go no huddle, whether we’re in the red zone or it’s two minutes, the technique you’re playing is the technique. Don’t change it just because of the situation. So, I’m really just trying to have him be patient. He gets frustrated making mistakes. I said, ‘Hey, learn from that mistake and move on to the next play,’ but right now he’s hanging on to it. He’s holding on to it too long. He just has to continue to mature and trust what we’re teaching him to do and play technique.”

Langley the 2017 third-round pick is ultra-athletic but came into the league very raw and needs a good amount of development. We saw him struggle last year and he is still going through those growing pains this year. Hopefully, it clicks with him eventually.

News and notes:

• Tight end Jake Butt did not participate in team drills today as the Broncos are easing him back into action.
• Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave singled out running back De’Angelo Henderson when asked about the running backs.
• Vance Joseph noted rookie running backs Phillip Lindsay pass blocking as a strength to his game
• Rookie offensive lineman Sam Jones was getting some reps at center today. As well as rookie lineman Austin Schlottmann who was getting some second-team center reps. Schlottmann is a potential practice squad candidate
• Continue to remember this name: Tim Patrick. The big wide receiver continues to make big plays and get mentioned positively by onlookers.

Injury report:

• Derek Wolfe and Brandon Marshall returned to practice after having injury scares on Tuesday.
• Tight end Jeff Heuerman sat out practice with knee soreness for the second straight day.
• Safety Su’a Cravens also sat out practice with knee soreness. Vance Joseph said they are playing it safe.
• Nose tackle Domata Peko received the teams first “veterans day off” and did not suffer any injury.
• Cornerback Marcus Rios returned to practice after missing a few days with hip soreness.
• Tight end Jake Butt did not participate in team drills. Again, the team is just playing safe.
• Cornerback Tramaine Brock(hamstring), linebacker Josey Jewell,(hamstring) wide receiver Philly Brown(concussion) and wide receiver Kenny Bell(hamstring) all missed practice as well.

Tweets from camp:

Quotables:

Vance Joseph on the challenges that their pass rush presents:

“Obviously on sub downs in our NASCAR package, to get a speed rusher on the inside guard or center, that’s impossible for those guys to block. We do have those body types who can rush on guards. In our base package, we have some things we can do to add rushers to the package and to have some coverage ideas behind it. It’s a good thing when you have rushers and you have three or four guys that you can rotate also. It’s a good thing, it makes it hard on the offense.”

Vance Joseph on OC Bill Musgraves effect on the quarterback:

“It’s been really good for us. [Falcons QB] Matt Ryan, [Raiders QB Derek] Carr, [Eagles QB Nick] Foles, [Former Falcons QB] Michael Vick—he’s coached a lot of young quarterbacks as rookies. Billy Musgrave does a good job of making their jobs easy. That’s coordinating, right? It’s our job as coaches to make their jobs easy, not make it hard. He’s done a good job with our offense creating completion passes. We can drop back on first-and-10 and hit a four-yard pass. That’s huge for us. That’s his job and he’s done a good job at that. He gets it with young quarterbacks, as far as the time it takes to develop young quarterbacks and the progression it takes. [He’s] giving those guys enough operate so we can operate, but not so much where it’s overwhelming. That’s been his strength.”

STC Tom McMahon on punter Marquette King:

“I’ve had some great ones. With [former Colts P] Mac (Pat McAfee) and [Colts punter] Rigo (Rigoberto Sanchez) last year, he set every record. I’ve been spoiled—[Chiefs punter] Dustin Colquitt, before him. All those guys I’ve had—[former Rams P] Donnie Jones—they’re all great ones. I think at this altitude, and with [King’s] leg speed, we’ve only just touched it. He’s a worker. That guy is going to work his tail off and he loves to have fun. We’re just going to let him boom this ball and try and hit those red lines. He’s working for these guys.”

DC Joe Woods on safety Su’a Cravens:

“Very instinctive football player. He is a natural player in the box. I know he was more of a hybrid linebacker in college and that’s what he played for the Redskins, but right away you can see how quickly he can fit inside. He’s a good underneath cover guy. The biggest thing to work on with him is playing deep defense. He really hasn’t played it a lot, so it’s just going to take time to develop them. Overall, he’s doing a good job.”

DC Joe Woods on DT Clinton McDonald:

“Very impressed with Clinton McDonald, [DE] Deshawn Williams, all those guys, [DE] Shelby Harris. Right now, we have a really good depth at the defensive tackle position, and it’s going to be a tough decision when it’s all said and done. Right now, Clinton is very strong. He has great get-off. He’s getting excellent push inside. Even when we go with our stunts and some of the stuff we’re doing in sub, he’s showing he has the ability to rush the passer. It’s going to be a battle, but I’m glad we got him.”