Courtland Sutton struggles during day one of camp
Jul 18, 2019, 3:29 PM | Updated: 3:31 pm
A year ago, Courtland Sutton was the star of training camp. On a daily basis, he seemed to wow the crowd at the UC Health Training Center with one circus catch after another, causing everyone to proclaim the wideout the next offensive star in Broncos Country.
Fast forward to the regular season and things didn’t quite work out that way. Sure, Sutton had a decent rookie season, hauling in 42 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns. But those weren’t the types of numbers people who saw him at training camp expected. And those big-play moments demonstrated in July and August during practices disappeared once the games began in September.
Nonetheless, the Broncos proved that they believed in their young wide receiver. Midway through last season, they jettisoned Demaryius Thomas to Houston to make room for Sutton, elevating the then-rookie to starter status opposite Emmanuel Sanders.
It seemed premature. In the eight games after Thomas was dealt, there was virtually no uptick in Sutton’s production. The ball went his way more, as his targets jumped from 4.625 to 5.875 per game. But his overall numbers were less than stellar, as he averaged just 3.125 catches and 47.5 yards per game during the second half of the season.
Regardless, the hype train continued this offseason.
In part, that was driven by the Broncos, as the team decided not to bring in a veteran wideout via free agency, a semi-surprising move considering the fact that Sanders is coming off of a torn Achilles tendon and there’s very little experience anywhere else on the depth chart. That showed that they had faith in Sutton.
And the second-year wideout certainly fueled the fire, too. During a post-OTA press conference, he proclaimed himself to be the Broncos No. 1 wide receiver.
That vibe was picked up by the national media, most notably by Reggie Wayne. During an appearance on NFL Network, the former Colts wide receiver lauded Sutton with praise.
“I think this guy is not just the future of the Broncos, but the future of the @NFL,” Wayne said.
Whoa. That’s some heady stuff, as one of the best receivers to play in the 2000s proclaimed that the Broncos wideout is the next Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, etc.
Perhaps the expectations are weighing on Sutton.
In day one of training camp, the wide receiver struggled. And that’s put it kindly. Pass after pass after pass seemed to bounce off his hands and hit the ground. It wasn’t one. It wasn’t two. It was multiple.
As troubling as that sight was to see, Sutton’s reaction was equally disturbing. He was hanging his head, visibly upset by his poor play.
After practice, Vic Fangio didn’t seem too concerned with the drops. In fact, he joked about how he’d use the miscues as ammo in his ongoing efforts to tease Sutton.
That’s probably the right approach. After all, it’s only day one. But a trend is emerging.
Last season, Sutton didn’t answer the bell when the regular season arrived. After Thomas was traded, the wide receiver didn’t step up and fill the void. And now, with everyone heaping praise on him, he crumbled during his first opportunity to prove that he’s up to the task.
That’s a worry. Albeit a small one. At least for now.
