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With Broncos training camp opening later this week, I initially sat down to write a rah-rah, get off your butt, and get excited kind-of-article, but let’s temper that enthusiasm a tiny bit with the reality that the longest preseason Broncos Country has experienced since 2004 is about to begin.
While it’s an honor to play in the Hall of Fame game, the Broncos will be suiting up for no fewer than five preseason games this year. If you thought the four-game preseason was already unnecessarily long and hard to watch, get ready to get to know Broncos quarterback Kevin Hogan. You’ll see so much of this guy in the coming weeks, his mother and his girlfriend (wife?) will be jealous.
However, when Broncos rookies and veterans report on July 17, few fans will be perturbed by the return of non-competitive (teams, not players) football. I along with the rest of Broncos Country will be eagerly scanning the internet (Mile High Report) for the latest news and information radiating out of Dove Valley. I will love every minute of it.
Kevin Hogan aside, there are a couple quarterbacks it’ll be fun to finally watch. The bemused reaction fans had to the Joe Flacco trade will soon give way to actually watching him wrestle that perfect coif into a helmet with horse heads on its sides to throw footballs to fellas wearing orange and blue. Then there’s Drew Lock. Denver will soon have more than an inkling if Lock is destined for greatness or if he’s soon to be eulogized right alongside the likes of Brock, Trevor, Paxton, and/or Case... but intrigue doesn’t end at the quarterback position.
Whether it’s free agent acquisitions like Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan or the rookies like Noah Fant, Dalton Risner, and Dre’Mont Jones, there will be plenty to follow this preseason. They can’t all be awful, right? There’s winners in them ranks. Who’s excited to find out just who they are?
Woah... Woah... Slow down. The first game of the regular season is on September 9 in Oakland. It’s barely the middle of July! Look, football is still football, even when it’s bad football. If the Pro Bowl can be football, the preseason can sort of be too. Pace yourselves, Broncos Country, the long haul to the regular season starts this week. Get plenty of rest and eat your greens. Football is coming.
HORSE TRACKS
Mason's Mailbag: A 'summer league' for the NFL?
The NFL doesn't have an offseason developmental league, but in a way, some preseason games serve the same function, giving players like WR Tim Patrick an opportunity.
10 Burning Questions for Camp: What will be the right workload for the running backs?
Phillip Lindsay was electric, but the Broncos' RB production was at its highest early last year when Lindsay and Royce Freeman had a near-even split of touches in the first seven games.
Denver Weather: 100 Degree Temps Possible By Broncos Training Camp – CBS Denver
There will be potential for afternoon thunderstorms each day to offer a little relief from the heat, but those chances are rather low.
Bronco player reps McManus, Harris Jr. on owners' 18-game schedule, 16-game player limit idea: Interesting, but doubtful | 9news.com
While most want fewer preseason games, many challenges come with adding a regular-season game or two.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have made one of the best signings of the offseason when they added edge rusher Shaquil Barrett to their roster.
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The deadline to sign franchise-tagged players to long-term deals is approaching on Monday, July 15. Will Jadeveon Clowney and Robbie Gould strike gold by then?
Packers’ increased spending takes major bite out of profits (but they still turned a profit) – ProFootballTalk
When it comes to the ability of a business to earn money, the impact of earnings can be viewed in multiple ways. For the Packers, for example, the notion that the team had record revenues in its most recent fiscal year is balanced by the reality that, as explained by the Associated Press, profits...
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The Cowboys running back seems headed for a legal battle with his accuser from Las Vegas
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The Browns quarterback shared some pictures from his wedding
Dak Prescott talks contract, doesn't sound willing to give the Cowboys a hometown discount - CBSSports.com
Dak Prescott doesn't sound like he's going to be giving the Cowboys any type of hometown discount