At Broncos training camp, Montrell Washington is finding his stride

Aug 2, 2023, 7:12 PM

Senior Broncos Writer

ENGLEWOOOD, Colo. —Hardly a day goes by now that Montrell Washington doesn’t make something happen. And after a cloudy rookie season that ended with two healthy scratches after the Broncos replaced head coach Nathaniel Hackett with Jerry Rosburg, it seemed that Washington’s days could be numbered.

Right now, the only numbers standing out are the ones that reveal the big plays he’s making.

A 70-yard catch from Ben DiNucci earlier on Tuesday. A 40-yard catch despite tight coverage during Wednesday’s practice. And increasing confidence as he fields punt after punt after punt, with punt periods becoming a key point of emphasis this summer.

Now, preseason games will tell the tale. Earlier in camp, Broncos coach Sean Payton spoke at length about what he desires in a punt returner.

“The first thing is reliability and ball security,” Payton said. “There is nothing worse than when the ball is in the air and you have that, ‘I hope he catches it’ [feeling].

“That is something where the preseason will help show its hand a little bit.”

But in the camp calculus, the start of success is stacking together good days and big plays. So far, Washington is doing both.

My @DenverSportsCom report from #BroncosCamp Day 7 … thoughts on Russell Wilson, Sean Payton and how perspective illuminates how a couple of practice INTs are perceived … pic.twitter.com/jwkoPyLuWK

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 2, 2023

EYE-CATCHING PLAYERS

Yes, we could focus on Russell Wilson’s interceptions. We talked about them on Orange and Blue Today. You could build a bonfire with printouts of the myriad disseminations of the picks.

But a tip of the cap belongs to the secondary, which, for most of camp, has been in lockdown mode. Open receivers were scarce Wednesday. And when opportunity came in the form of Wilson misfires in the team period and red-zone period, both Justin Simmons and K’Waun Williams pounced.

Simmons INT off Wilson. Looking for Brandon Johnson. Overthrown. Heavy traffic. Not good

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 2, 2023

Simmons read the overthrown pass to Brandon Johnson perfectly for his third interception of camp.

“He’s the player we knew he was back when we had to play him (in 2016 and 2020),” Payton said.

Williams stepped in front of a short pass in the red-zone period. It isn’t the only head-turning moment for Williams, who has been stout in coverage so far.

“He’s had a good camp. He’s got good ball skills,” Payton said. “You see his speed, and he’s got really good range. I think he plays well deep and some guys have trouble with the ball deep, but he’s someone that I think is very comfortable going from low to high, and vice versa. I think he stood out.”

PLAY OF THE DAY:

In the first red-zone period, the situation brought out Wilson’s best — including a solid, decisive scramble that could have been a touchdown in game conditions. But perhaps the finest play of the day for the offense came when Wilson maneuvered to his left and hit Courtland Sutton inside the 10-yard line for what could have been a touchdown with yardage after the catch in game conditions.

NOTES:

Once again, Jaleel McLaughlin ripped off multiple explosive runs. His balance and burst allow him to keep his speed as he slices through creases.

Punt returns and punt coverage were the points of emphasis on special teams, which covered multiple periods of practice. Both Marvin Mims Jr. and Washington were clean in their work fielding punts —- both from Riley Dixon and the JUGS machine.

WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey had perhaps the standout play of the punt period, leaping to bat a Dixon punt back into play, preventing a touchback and resulting in the ball being downed at around the 5-yard line.

Humphrey also found himself on the receiving end of a nice pass from Ben DiNucci, who climbed the pocket with good protection and located him down the left sideline for a 23-yard gain.

NFL game officials will be on hand for Thursday’s practice, Payton said.

Nik Bonitto beat Mike McGlinchey multiple times during team periods Wednesday. “This will be a big training camp for him,” Payton said.

PARTICIPATION REPORT:

Edge rusher Frank Clark returned to practice.
RB Javonte Williams and edge rushers Randy Gregory and Aaron Patrick received rest days as they work their way back from their injuries.
Rookie CB Riley Moss will miss approximately four weeks following core muscle surgery.
ILB Jonas Griffith did not practice. “He went down yesterday, and we’ll kind of go from there,” Payton said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“A coach that has our back, coach that loves us, [and] a coach that wants what’s best for each and every single person…It’s just a great time to be Bronco.” — LT Garett Bolles, on what he likes about Payton