How Payton wants to create a ‘smart football team’ at Broncos training camp

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos training camp sessions take place at “2023 Compete Street.” That’s the faux address placed on a sign that sits a few steps from where players step onto the practice field.

It’s not the first time for Payton erecting that sign. He did so as early as 2015 in New Orleans. But this isn’t about the sign — it’s about how traffic on that street often grinds to a halt.

Because during multiple practices so far in training camp, Payton stopped the session, huddled the entire team and dove into a specific end-game situation he wanted to drill. He did so again Saturday, just before a period spent working on “Hail Mary” plays.

He did this during OTAs and minicamp, too.

“I think it’s important enough, or else I probably wouldn’t bring everyone up,” Payton said. “This game has a tendency to lead to, ‘If it doesn’t pertain to me, then I don’t need to know it,’ (thinking), and there are certain things that I think pertain to most everyone, and those are the ones we’re discussing as a group.”

In short, he wants a sideline filled with players identifying the same scenarios as he does.

“I want, in a perfect world, the sideline to be thinking exactly how I’m thinking when these things arise. Players — and I’m looking at them and smiling, like, ‘You got it.’

“That’s being a smart football team.”

The list of situations is a bulbous one — “48 or 50” on a board at Centura Health Training Center, Payton said.

“We put a check every time we’ve covered it, and hopefully by the start of the regular season we’ve hit these things two or three times,” he added. “We’ll have a half an hour where we’ll just cover it.”

Recapping Day 10 of #BroncosCamp for @DenverSportsCom, starting with the good and the bad for the offense in the always-revealing two-minute period: pic.twitter.com/Wb8EK70U1S

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 5, 2023

But the true examination will be when Payton sets up those scenarios in practice — without having them on the pre-practice script.

“The test would be if I come out here and I tell the coaches, ‘The last half hour, we’ll be inside, probably two weeks from now, where I just call out the situation, and I want to see the behavior,'” Payton said. “There’s no tip sheet, and it’s not on a script.”

And if his team and coaches react well … then he’s got the kind of heady club he wants. One worthy of a residence on “Compete Street.”

EYE-CATCHING PLAYER

Rookie ILB Drew Sanders is aggressive. But he needs to be careful. Because at one point in Saturday’s practice in pads and shorts, he had a near-clothesline tackle.

The lesson?

“Obviously, probably don’t do that,” Sanders said. “Stay up on your feet.”

One likes the third-round pick’s aggression so far. And as he transitions to inside linebacker, he has moments where he does well at diagnosing direction and intent, filling holes to prevent runs from going beyond the second level.

“There’s a learning curve,” Payton said. “Yet, you see physicality, you see speed. His stature, his length, all of those things. He’s going to be someone that does a lot of things for us.”

NOTES:

• RB Tony Jones Jr. stood out during the two-minute drill period, catching a handful of passes from Jarrett Stidham that allowed the No. 2 offense to move into field-goal range.
• K Elliott Fry handled field-goal work and made 8-of-9 attempts between the field-goal period and the two-minute drill period. His only miss came from 53 yards. He capped the field-goal period by drilling a 55-yard attempt.
• The No. 2 offense had a touchdown wiped out by a penalty. Stidham hit WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey on third-and-goal for a 4-yard score, but holding negated the play.


• LB Alex Singleton had what would have been a sack in game conditions by getting to Russell Wilson during a team period. But a huge part of the credit belongs to edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who drew a double team, freeing Singleton to attack. Under practice conditions, the play continued, and it got worse for the offense, as Josey Jewell forced an Albert Okwuegbunam fumble. Jewell also had pressure on another play, but Wilson still found TE Greg Dulcich.


• The ball didn’t touch the ground during the seven-on-seven period. Wilson spread the ball around on his four reps, hitting four different targets, including Okwuegbunam.


• The cornerbacks generally got the better of wide receivers during the one-on-one period.


• RB Jaleel McLaughlin made a nice diving catch to snag a Ben DiNucci pass.

PARTICIPATION REPORT:

• DL D.J. Jones watched practice from the sideline.
• Recently-signed OL Yasir Durant was placed on the waived/injured list. The Broncos signed defensive lineman Forrest Merrill to take his roster spot.
• Edge rusher Frank Clark did not practice. Payton said he thinks Clark will practice Monday, offering “no update” on his status.
• Rookie CB Riley Moss remains sidelined due to core-muscle surgery. He should miss approximately four weeks.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Oh, me, obviously … It was a $50 or $60 gift card to PF Chang’s.” — Sanders, on who won the gift card for giving the most boring interview during rookie minicamp

#Broncos WR Marquez Callaway told me that catching passes from Russell Wilson is like playing with a living legend. #BroncosCamp @DenverSportsCom pic.twitter.com/7dV0s3jLqP

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) August 4, 2023

WEATHER REPORT:

Partly-cloudy skies and light winds greeted the Broncos for the practice, which took place in temperatures that increased from 74°F to 80°F over the course of the session.

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