Broncos offense strikes back in camp day two, Wilson finding new favorites

The Denver Broncos had their second day of training camp on a nice weather day. On day one, things were hot, and it was an exhausting day because of the heat. On day two, things were cooled down by cloud cover, and that made for a nice day.

While the defense won the day on Wednesday, I think the offense struck back with the better day on Thursday. It was full of some big plays, and some clues as to what this team will look like in the 2022 regular season.

Here are some of my notes from the second day of training camp.

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Slow Start, Strong Finish

For the first hour of practice, the team didn’t do much of note. There was some stretching, just like there is every day, then the team went into some individual drills and special teams work. It was pretty boring there for some time, but you just knew some excitement was coming.

For the last hour of practice, fans really got a treat. As aforementioned, I think the offense won the day, and there were a few plays where deep shots were taken in the passing game. These are the type of hold-your-breath moments that fans love to see at training camp. The pace has generally been good for Nathaniel Hackett’s first training camp, it was just a bit slow to get started today.

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Struggle Target

One thing I always look for is a quarterback’s ‘struggle target.’ This is the player he looks for when things are breaking down, and this player is a trusted target who will come through when things look rough. A quarterback’s ‘struggle target’ can be his security blanket for when the pressure gets through, and that player can be a wide receiver, tight end or running back.

The ‘struggle target’ for Russell Wilson is wide receiver Tim Patrick. As per usual, Patrick catches everything thrown his direction. He’s one of the most consistent players on the field every day, and it seems like when the play breaks down Wilson is looking in his direction. Patrick is currently the No. 2 receiver opposite Courtland Sutton, and he certainly has earned Wilson’s trust quickly this offseason.

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Echo, Echo, Echo

The Hackett system has a ton of echoes in the playbook. This is a West Coast/Shanahan offense where you can have the same play ran from multiple looks. The offense can be nigh unstoppable if executed properly because of the design, and because of how things echo off each other.

The NFL is about what I call the ‘Declaration of Influence.’ An offense will declare by their formation, and that will influence the defense to make a certain call. It’s then up to the offense to respond to the expected influence and try to make a play. The echoes of this system mean a team can run the same thing repeatedly with success, but they’ll do it from different formations. This means the defense never really knows what’s coming, even though it’s much of the same thing. It’s fun to watch, and without getting specific, we are seeing these echoes on the practice field early in camp.

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Browning Burst

I like Baron Browning as an outside linebacker. When he came out of Ohio State in 2021, I had him graded as an outside linebacker even though he played both outside and inside linebacker during his college career. The Broncos wanted him at outside linebacker last year, but injuries forced him to move inside in training camp last year as a rookie.

This offseason, it was revealed that Browning was back on the outside. That news made me happy because I know the type of player he could be for the team at that position. In two days of practice, without pads, Browning has showed incredible burst and change-of-direction ability. These two parts of his game are what can help him get after the quarterback. Browning gets off the line of scrimmage quickly with a great first step, and I like the way he can make cuts without losing that burst and momentum.

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The Truth About Jeudy

I think Jerry Jeudy is in his own head. More team-friendly outfits will spin that there’s nothing to see because it’s two days of practice without pads, but we at the Fan will tell you the truth. I’d like to see better from Jeudy, and I’m done making excuses for him. If you listen to or read those who will tell the truth, and understand what they’re watching, there is a story unfolding for Jeudy that he needs to change. Perhaps when the pads come on, we’ll see more consistent play.

One big positive came early in practice. Jeudy worked from one side of the formation to the other, then he ran across the field and Wilson found him in a perfect window. Jeudy was not wide open, but he was ‘NFL open’ and Wilson dropped the ball in the bucket with pinpoint accuracy. That was a good play, and it works to Jeudy’s strengths. He showed good concentration on that play. I’d like to see more of that.

Two things stood out negatively for Jeudy today. There was a false start in team drills where he was too excited and started running before the ball was snapped. There also was a play where he caught the ball on an out route, but he did not do so cleanly. Just fighting the ball for an extra beat or two allowed the defender to swoop in for the ‘tackle.’ I’m not expecting him to be perfect, but I want Jeudy to be sharp with everything he does. There is no doubt he works hard, but if he lost the ‘rabbit ears’ of listening to the naysayers and just played football, I think that would help him greatly on the field where it counts the most.

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Lots of Tight End Work

This offense has a ton of weapons at the wide receiver position. I think the group of tight ends, however unproven, have some nice pieces as well. There are many times two tight ends are on the field in the Hackett system. Going with ‘12’ personnel (one running back, two tight ends) can almost be the base formation in this West Coast offense. However, there are times when three tight ends (13 personnel) can be utilized as well.

The Broncos do have the group of tight ends for this type of work. Not only Albert Okwuegbunam and rookie Greg Dulcich, but I like what I’ve seen from Eric Saubert as well. In two days, he’s made multiple plays from Wilson including a big touchdown today where he dunked the ball over the goalpost when he was done. It was one of the biggest plays of the day, and these multiple tight end formations are going to be problematic for defenses going up against the Broncos in 2022.

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Griffith a Playmaker

This is the time of year when you want to see playmakers emerge. The pads will come on soon, and that’s when things really get serious, but you can get clues as to which player is going to emerge early in camp.

For me, inside linebacker Jonas Griffith is that guy. He was arguably the best inside linebacker for the Broncos last year late in the season. Undrafted out of Indiana State, Griffith seemed to find a home with the Broncos last season. That’s why he signed an ERFA deal with the Broncos, and I’m glad he did. He’s a perfect fit next to Josey Jewell on the inside. Like Jewell, Griffith is smart and instinctive. I also like his tenacity and competitiveness when it comes to finding the play and being disruptive. It’s easy to see out at camp in two days that this guy is going to be a problem – for the offense – when the pads come on.

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Undrafted Player to Watch

The Broncos have a long history of finding talent from the college free agents left over after the draft. Since 2011, the Broncos have found a college free agent who has made the 53-man roster in every year except for 2016. After the 2022 NFL draft, I wrote up the group of undrafted players added by the Broncos, and in training camp I am curious to see who could continue the team’s streak.

I think East Carolina cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian could be that guy. He is supremely gifted as an athlete, and McMillian always is around the ball. You can tell that he studies the offense closely, as McMillian rarely takes false steps and is efficient on his way to make a play. It is early I know, but if I am betting on a UDFA to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, put my chips on McMillian.