Courtland Sutton hype is catching on

Good morning, Broncos Country!

The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.

What else is left to say about Courtland Sutton?

He has the potential to turn into the Chuck Norris of wide receivers.

A few days ago, in our Denver Broncos roster review series, I asked the question: Will the hype stick for Sutton? Three days later, there is no doubt. What the Broncos rookie is pulling off at training camp is incredible. Yes, Sutton still needs to bring this over to the preseason and regular season. Remain skeptical until you see it in a game.

But at some point that skepticism gives way to cynicism. Since camp started, Sutton has put on a clinic. He’s been consistent, regardless of who he’s going against and where he does it on the field. It seems to always result in a touchdown. As I said, Chuck Norris. Remember, he’s a rookie.

What makes it even more eye-popping is that, in the last two days, Sutton’s done it against Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby. So the argument that he needs to do it against the ones and twos is tabled. For what it’s worth: Sutton will go against the opposing defense’s No. 3 cornerbacks. Think about that when you see what he’s doing day in and day out. On the latest MHR Radio Podcast, Adam Malnati and I talked about Sutton being one of the camp standouts.

“Who’s that?” Von Miller asked the media after practice on Saturday, drawing laughs. “No. 14? Hey, that guy’s cold. Courtland’s cold. We really did a great job with the draft this year. We do a great job every year, but we did a great job getting ‘14’, ‘55’ (Bradley Chubb), all of those guys. The rookies that we have this year are phenomenal.

“Courtland, he just brings a whole new dynamic. We’ve got D.T. (Demaryius Thomas) and Emmanuel (Sanders) off the top. They give defenses hell already, and then you’ve got Courtland right here. It’s going to be fun. Then we’ve got a great quarterback. Offensive line has gotten a whole lot better, too. Courtland is great, I sit right by him in the team meeting room. He just has that fire in him. He’s going to be great.”

When you throw in the consistency of Case Keenum, the depth at running back, the offensive line, and there’s actually talk of complimentary football in the Mile High City again. The days of the defense carrying the load may (finally) disappear. Again, until we see all of this on the field in an actual game, fans should remain skeptical. But with the garbage offense the Broncos have fielded the last two seasons, the excitement is warranted.

“It’s a lot more swag on the offense, a lot more confidence,” linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “Case gets back there and everybody else is doing their thing. Obviously, we always knew the receivers had talent. They were great, but now I feel like the whole unit is feeling it. The o-line is feeling it, the running backs are feeling it, the tight end group. There’s a lot more swagger, and I think they’re going to light up the scoreboard a little bit.”

The daily showings of Sutton only add to the optimism for the fans and team. Here’s where it gets really fun: He hasn’t scratched the surface. The chemistry he has with Keenum will continue to improve the more they play and succeed together. For those who think Sutton may get complacent from this strong start, his Twitter bio says it all: “Play like you’re in first. Train like you’re in second.” (Speaking of his Twitter account, his avi is of him on the Royal Gorge Bridge, which is badass).

“He’s pretty good,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said of Sutton. “I was in camp in Houston with (DeAndre) Hopkins as a rookie — very comparable — great ball skills, huge catch radius. For rookies, it’s tough because it’s different levels. It’s a different level next Saturday versus the Vikings, the following week against Chicago. We’ll see. As camp goes on, obviously the intensity goes up. As the season goes on, the intensity goes up. We’ll see how he continues to develop.”

At this point, what else is there to say about Sutton?

Just sit back and watch the Chuck Norris of receivers.

The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.

Broncos Tracks

Broncos training camp Day 7 observations
The nine-on-seven period is typically the most physical of a training-camp practice. It's a chance to find out where a team's ground game and run defense stack up.

Broncos spotlight Alzheimer's awareness on Day 7 of #BroncosCamp
With support from the Bowlen family, the Broncos put Alzheimer's awareness in focus on Day 7 of training camp. In addition to making monetary donations, fans showed their support by wearing purple as they watched another intense day of football.

Sacco Sez: Remembering one-hit wonder John McCormick
Former Broncos QB John McCormick truly had a game to remember in 1963, Jim Saccomano recalls.

So good, it's bad: Von Miller 'can totally wreak practice' when playing at full speed
Head Coach Vance Joseph explains why Miller's skill can sometimes cause trouble for the Broncos.

WR Jordan Taylor 'not close' to returning to practice field
Head Coach Vance Joseph also offered updates on Jeff Heuerman, Tramaine Brock, Josey Jewell, Su'a Cravens and Corey Brown.

Fans turn out for Bowlens, Broncos' Alzheimer's Awareness Day | 9news.com
Three of Pat and Annabel's three children helped collect donations and hand out purple towels and wristbands for the Alzheimer's case.

NFL training camp bold predictions for all 32 teams - Who starts, gets cut, gets traded
Denver's rookie class will be its most impactful since 2011.

Broncos' Von Miller not worried about new league rules or Manning visiting Raiders - Denver7 TheDenverChannel.com
When it comes to Broncos stars, there's Von Miller and everyone else.

Rookie wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton brings familiar mentality to Broncos camp | Sports Coverage | gazette.com
Broncos rookie wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton entered training camp with the same mentality he’s had since high school.

Paul Klee: Yes, Broncos Country, reasons for optimism through 5 days of camp | Sports Coverage | gazette.com
Peyton Manning was a guest at Raiders training camp, DeMarcus Ware continues to consult with the Cowboys, and Eric Decker signed a contract with the Patriots.

Broncos training camp: Courtland Sutton builds big buzz as rookie
Of the all the players who should be the biggest draw at Denver Broncos training camp, including new starting quarterback Case Keenum or star pass rusher Von Miller, it’s a rookie second-round wide receiver has emerged as the must-watch player.

AFC West Tracks

WR Dylan Cantrell Stating His Case For Training Camp MVP - Bolts From The Blue
The 6th-round rookie from Texas Tech has been the most consistent at his position thus far in training camp.

Chargers' Mike Williams flashes playmaking ability first week of camp - Los Angeles Chargers- ESPN
Mike Williams, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is getting into a rhythm after missing training camp last season.

Chargers rookie Derwin James is thrilled to finally be back on the field
Derwin James opened camp on the non-football injury list, forced to train on the side of the field while his new Chargers teammates worked on it. But Thursday, days after James felt he was ready, the team relented and let him suit up.

No, Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid was not taking a shot at Alex Smith Thursday - Arrowhead Pride
Andy Reid muttered the words, "check down," when talking about Patrick Mahomes Thursday.

Kansas City Chiefs training camp overreactions through two weeks of practice - Arrowhead Pride
The AP Nerd Squad (Kent, Matt, and Craig) discuss what they’ve seen and heard from the first week of training camp.

It's no secret, the Chiefs need Dee Ford to emerge - Kansas City Chiefs- ESPN
It's now or never for former first-round pick Dee Ford, whose one stretch of brilliance may not be enough to hold off a pair of second-round picks.

Khalil Mack holdout shows flaw in NFL rookie wage scale - Silver And Black Pride
The NFL needed a rookie wage scale, there is no doubt about it. The contracts that were being shelled out for players that never played a down in the league were astronomical and the holdouts by rookies were extremely detrimental to their own development as players.

Raiders make surprise move, cut kicker Giorgio Tavecchio – Las Vegas Review-Journal
Giorgio Tavecchio was perfect Friday morning when the Raiders held their daily field-goal set, converting all six attempts from 39 to 51 yards. After practice, he learned the news. It wasn’t enough.

Daryl Worley of Oakland Raiders pleads guilty to three charges, including DUI
Raiders CB Daryl Worley pleaded guilty on June 18 to misdemeanor charges of DUI, carrying firearms in public and resisting arrest.

NFL Tracks

Ray Lewis’ 15 most confusing speeches and statements over the years - SBNation.com
The Hall of Famer linebacker is America’s most confusing motivational speaker.

Ray Lewis, and the Bubble That’s Sheltered Him | SI.com
As Ray Lewis enters Canton, let’s reflect on the media environment the NFL has created that protects players from uncomfortable questions

Johnny Manziel’s CFL Starting Debut: Don’t Get Fooled Again | SI.com
After Friday’s debacle, it’s hard to see how Johnny Football will ever show anything more than ‘flashes’ at the professional level

Aaron Rodgers' no-look TD pass a reminder of his greatness - Green Bay Packers- ESPN
All Aaron Rodgers' agent should do until an extension comes is tell the Packers to see his no-look TD pass Thursday and ask: Who else makes that play?

Seahawks kicking the tires on some veteran defenders – ProFootballTalk
The Seahawks spent much of the offseason getting rid of veterans on defense, but now they're looking to bring some in.