Jerry Jeudy is showing all the signs of having a breakout season
Jul 31, 2023, 5:43 AM
Training camp is here! After waiting for months after the Super Bowl, football is back, and the Denver Broncos are putting in a ton of work at Centura Health Training Center.
I like most of what head coach Sean Payton is doing in camp. It feels great to go to practice and actually watch the players play football.
I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.
Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.
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Jeudy is Gonna Eat
I’ve been playing fantasy football since 1993, and I’ve been on air as a fantasy analyst since 2003. Almost all year long I’m thinking about fantasy football. Watching the Broncos in camp, I just get the feeling that WR Jerry Jeudy is going to eat. Right now, Jeudy has an Average Draft Position (ADP) of WR29, and he’s coming off the board on average near the end of the sixth round.
That’s too low. I think projecting Jeudy for over 1,000 yards might be too low. He almost reached that number last year. Under Payton, we’ll see Jeudy featured even more. I think Jeudy could push for 1,200 receiving yards with five to eight touchdowns, as well. That means he’s going to easily outperform his current ADP.
I like thinking about Jeudy pushing for a top-12 finish this year in fantasy leagues. He’s a low-end WR2 or flex play right now in the minds of Fantasy GMs out there. I believe that thinking should change because he has WR1 upside. Taking him as a high-end WR2 is the best move. Simply put, he’s lasting too long in drafts that are going on right now – something I expect to change.
You should all be drafting Jerry Jeudy in #FantasyFootball #Broncos offense will pepper you with short passes. Jeudy is gonna eat. @DenverSportsCom
Oh yeah, Sean Payton LOVES him.
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 29, 2023
If you play in a local league, Jeudy will go much higher as most Broncos do when you’re drafting in Denver. I like him as a WR2 with upside, which means you should be considering Jeudy in the fourth or fifth round of most drafts. Big plays from Jeudy in the preseason could have him climbing even further up draft lists.
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All About Russ
This season is all about QB Russell Wilson. Well, it’s about learning whether Wilson can and should be your quarterback going forward after this season. We should all give Wilson a mulligan for what happened last year. It was a disastrous season for the veteran quarterback, and he’s looking to bounce back under Payton’s guidance this year.
Wilson is ready, willing, and able to listen to Payton. You can tell on the practice field that Wilson is dialed into what Payton wants him to do. That doesn’t mean he’s perfect on the field, but he’s showing progress as he continues to work on his timing each day. Players want to know the “why” when they’re getting coached, and Payton has no problem conveying his message to his players. You can see Payton’s impact on Wilson’s mentality when you watch practice.
This system will be set up to get the best out of Wilson. As aforementioned, the team will use short passing to dink-and-dunk their way down the field. Wilson wants to throw “moon balls” but he will have to be patient. Those deep throws will be there, but only when Payton has properly set them up. While the offense works effectively and efficiently, Payton is waiting for the right time to go for a kill shot.
A better day from #Broncos QB Russell Wilson today. Not perfect but I thought his timing within the play design was improved. @DenverSportsCom
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 29, 2023
It’s early in camp, but I like what I’ve seen from Wilson. There is no doubt that he’s heard all the naysayers, and I’m sure privately he’ll use that as motivation to shut those people up. The work to quiet the haters has begun at training camp.
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Split With Samaje
The Broncos have not one – but two quality running backs on the roster. Javonte Williams has the skill set to be one of the best backs in the league. He’s made a remarkable recovery from a multi-ligament knee injury he suffered last year in October. Many players would not be ready at this time after such an injury, but here we are at training camp watching Williams look like he used to out there on the practice field.
Behind Williams – or should I say, alongside him – is veteran RB Samaje Perine. The Broncos picked him up in free agency this offseason, and the former Bengals’ back is a fine starting option himself. Like Williams, Perine is a power back who is tough to bring down when he builds a head of steam. Also, like Williams, Perine is a good receiver out of the backfield.
So far in camp, Williams and Perine are splitting first-team reps. I’m not sure how much Williams will play in the preseason, but Perine could further showcase his starting-caliber ability. I think we could see a healthy dose of both backs this year as the Broncos use the ground game to lead the way on offense. This plays into the hands of their defense – which is clearly the strength of the team.
I believe this #Broncos backfield will be a 50-50 split at least to start the regular season.
Javonte Williams looks great, but Samaje Perine could get a lot of work.@DenverSportsCom
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 29, 2023
Perine is going to get more work than some think, and it has little to do with Williams’ health status. Wilson needs help from the ground game, and the Broncos need to keep both backs fresh. That means a 50-50 split between Williams and Perine could be the plan.
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Long Hair Don’t Care
I’m growing my hair out this year. After shaving my head for most of last season, I decided to do the opposite for 2023. Most of the time, I have a high-and-tight flattop haircut, and I’ve had that look for at least a decade. In 2022, I just kept my hair really short and this year I’m going for a “John Wick” look.
I’ve grown my hair out once before, when I was 21-years old, but the sides and the back were shaved so just the top was long. It was a cool look for the time, and I had a lot of people say I looked like “The Crow” years ago. I have thick hair, so having more hair is a chore to deal with. To make things worse, I’m in the in-between phase with my hair. It’s not short by any means, but it’s not long enough to look like I want it.
That’s why most of the time I wear a hat – either slouchy beanie or baseball cap – to cover my lettuce. When I don’t, people let me know about it. I’m surprised so many people will go out of their way to negatively comment on my hair. I’ve never thought hair length is a big deal, but apparently, it’s something that draws the ire of some in the audience. First, I don’t care what anyone says; it’s my hair. Second, I think there are many more important things to spend your time and energy on. Finally, the complaints about hair say more about the person who is complaining than it does about the person with “weird” or “different” hair.
I believe this #Broncos backfield will be a 50-50 split at least to start the regular season.
Javonte Williams looks great, but Samaje Perine could get a lot of work.@DenverSportsCom
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 29, 2023
Have you grown your hair out before? Hit me up on social media and let me know!
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