Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton’s return to the field helps everyone
May 18, 2021, 6:38 AM
The Denver Broncos didn’t get to see wide receiver Courtland Sutton take the league by storm last year. In what should have been his breakout season, Sutton did not get through two games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
On Monday, Broncos.com reporter Phil Milani caught up with Sutton after practice. I loved hearing Sutton’s comments about how much he wanted to get back on the field. His return is going to help everyone around him, and we’ll see just how much he was missed last season.
Great catching up with Courtland today. He has the perfect approach to tackling his rehab: One step forward each day.
Says the game plan is to return by training camp https://t.co/V6y8Qg0qlP
— Phil Milani (@philmilani) May 17, 2021
Sutton’s return helps different people in different ways. Let’s examine why.
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Teddy Time
The Broncos went out and traded for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this offseason. He’s a seasoned veteran who is here to compete for the starting job or at least to push Drew Lock to be the best he can be. Bridgewater has looked good as a starter during his time with the Vikings, Saints and Panthers but he’s never had a collection of weapons like he’s got here in Denver.
Sutton may not be on the level of a Michael Thomas (Saints), but he’s got the potential to be there. He’s got the potential to be a top-five receiver in this league when healthy.
Bridgewater struggled as the Panthers starter in 2020. But in 2019, he went undefeated as the Saints starter filling in for an injured Drew Brees. He had no problem feeding the ball to a star receiver like Thomas. His numbers surged with Bridgewater tossing him the rock, including a season-high 182 receiving yards against the Buccaneers.
We could see Bridgewater build that type of confidence with Sutton. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Sutton has the length and speed to make plays all over the field. Getting 1,000 yards seems like a given for Sutton, but with Bridgewater feeding him the rock we could see that number eclipse 1,200 yards or more.
Bridgewater isn’t going to fill the air with footballs, but the veteran is going to know who he can trust – and that should be Sutton ASAP.
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A Mentor for Jeudy
Last year, Broncos rookie first-round pick Jerry Jeudy flashed some potential in the pros. He really missed out on the coaching in the huddle and on the sideline he could get from Sutton had they been on the field together. Jeudy was a fine route runner, but he lacked chemistry with Lock and didn’t seem to be on the same page at times.
Sutton is here to help that. Jeudy could have used that veteran voice on the field with him during his rookie struggles last year. He dropped way too many passes and that seemed to build negative momentum. Sutton could be there on the field with him to give him a word of encouragement when the chips are down.
Jeudy also didn’t have great chemistry with Lock. He seemed frustrated at times when Lock didn’t see him break wide open multiple times during the 2020 season. Sutton could be there on the field to ease that frustration.
He’s got strong chemistry with Lock, and that could help Jeudy see how it’s done. In addition, defenses would pay more attention to Sutton than Jeudy and that would leave him even more open. Lock wouldn’t be able to lock onto Sutton and would be forced to go away from him – and towards Jeudy.
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Lock’s Best Friend
The biggest help from Sutton could be for Lock. We didn’t see much good film from Lock as he struggled in his first season as the Broncos starter. He’s in a battle for the starting job this year and nothing is going to be given to him. If he goes to Sutton early and often, Lock could help himself look better in that competition for the starting job.
Sutton is always open because of his ability to play “above the rim.” The sky is his window as Sutton has the length and vertical leaping ability to reach to the heavens for passes others can’t touch. Add in the fact that Sutton is a great “bad ball” receiver, meaning he can gather in passes that are off the mark regularly, and you can see how much his presence will help Lock.
I think mainly Sutton can help Lock calm down and play within himself. Sutton is a security blanket receiver for Lock or any quarterback tossing him the rock. His ability to be a consistent presence for his quarterback makes him a favorite, but that reliability also helps when the chips are down.
Lock was one of the least sacked quarterbacks last year but when he was under pressure, he didn’t look good or respond well. Having a player like Sutton out there to go to when the heat is on will really help.
