Three observations from day one of the Broncos mandatory minicamp

The Denver Broncos kicked off mandatory minicamp under the hot Colorado sun, but it was the hot takes after practice that really exhausted me. It’s funny how things are reported and seen by those in attendance, and I see things a bit differently than others do. That’s normal and something that happens every year, mostly during training camp, so I’m not surprised we get varying reports at mandatory minicamp.

It was good to see the whole practice, and this is as close as you can get to training camp. I was locked into what was going on and have plenty to get to.

Here are three observations I had from the first day of mandatory minicamp.

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Did. Not. Dominate

Let’s be honest, Drew Lock did not dominate the practice. If you want to say he got better as practice went on, then that’s fine. If you even want to say that he dominated in the red-zone drills, then that’s a point you could argue. However, with the way he started practice in 7-on-7 drills, there is no way you could summarize his day as “dominant.”

Lock did have a better day than Teddy Bridgewater. It started off rough for Lock, and he was holding onto the ball too long early in practice. It ended with a hot streak and three touchdown passes from Lock in 11-on-11 drills in the red zone.

While Lock’s day got better, Bridgewater was roughly the same he’s always been – consistent. He’s a steady player who makes full-field reads and will hit the open man while taking what the defense gives him.

Bridgewater did not throw any touchdowns in red-zone drills, but he did not get as many opportunities to throw passes in the red zone like Lock did. Instead of attacking through the air, Bridgewater mostly was asked to hand the ball off. When he did pass, he threw away a couple of passes as the defense shut his unit out.

Drew Lock; finished STRONG in red zone. He looked comfortable getting the ball out, I feel like cramped field position actually helped him make quicker decisions. Couple of TDs, good timing, good rhythm.. FINAL play did hold onto ball too long & didn't throw #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) June 15, 2021

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio likes the progress his quarterbacks have made during OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

“They’ve both done well. Obviously, they’re getting more comfortable with the offense. I’ve seen them operate a little quicker and a little faster with their decisions, comparing the first few days to now. Both of them have benefitted greatly from the work we’ve done,” Fangio said.

Let’s see if Lock can build on this momentum from Tuesday. Building confidence is important for a young quarterback, and Lock should feel good about how he ended practice.

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Receiving Praise

I was interested to see what Melvin Gordon looked like on Tuesday. He did not attend OTAs as he was working out on his own, so this was going to be the first time we saw Gordon at Dove Valley in 2021.

Gordon cut his hair, but not only are his long locks gone, he looked to be leaner on the field. The new size seemed to fit him, and Gordon showed plenty of burst when he got a chance to handle the rock.

He’s in a position battle for the starting job with rookie Javonte Williams. While Williams is a power back, Gordon looks best in space where he can use his slashing style. Gordon also looked good as a receiver out of the backfield on Tuesday.

Melvin Gordon; looks leaner. @NickFerguson_25 @TroyRenck and I were talking about his physique and how lean he looks… looks good, certainly springy with his movements. showed GREAT as a receiving option. First day out there, little to no rust by my account #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) June 15, 2021

Fangio discussed after practice the role he sees with Williams in the offense.

“You always need a couple backs to carry the load offensively. I don’t see any limits with him. We could work him and Melvin, just spelling (him) as it goes. One can get the predominant third-down stuff. It’ll work itself out. We think he’s capable on all down and distances and all situations for us. We believe that he and Melvin will be a good combination back there along with ‘Booney’ (Mike Boone),” Fangio said.

The role for Williams can be on all three downs. However, Gordon looked so good as a receiver that he needs to at least get some work on passing downs.

Who will win the job between Williams and Gordon? No matter who begins the season as the starter, the Broncos need both backs to stay healthy and produce in a 17-game season.

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Not Same Old, Same Old

I’m not a huge fan of Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. It’s nothing personal, he’s a great guy, but his offense has no history of being anything more than pedestrian for most of his coaching career. His offense did look sharper on Tuesday – mainly because both quarterbacks are familiar with the scheme.

The offense seemed to be sharper and there were not plays which had to start over because a play was called wrong, or guys lined up incorrectly. Instead, the offense got to the line of scrimmage and ran the play in good rhythm. I didn’t see too many designs outside of the normal Shurmur offense, I just saw a team which was executing better.

PAT SHURMUR offense looked sharper. It was nice to see it run better by Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater is familiar with it and did a good job managing plays. The concepts he uses (which we can't talk/tweet about) help both passers in different ways. #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) June 15, 2021

On defense, it looks like we could be seeing more versatility from that side of the ball. I cannot get specific in terms of what the Broncos did that could be different. Per Broncos media policy, we can’t reveal that type of information. I just know that with all the talent they have on defense, it opens up where you can put people within the system if need be.

Fangio knows with the talent in the secondary he can be more creative with his scheme.

“It’s possible. We might be able to play some more man (coverage), and we might be able to pressure more than we have. It will be an evolving process as we get to know them and figure out the best way for our defense, in total, to play (better). The better you are at those positions—it does open up more avenues,” Fangio said.

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Lock is building confidence, Gordon looked good, and the offense was crisp while the defense had some exciting plays. All in all, the first day of mandatory minicamp was a hit for the Broncos.

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