Category: Broncos Buzz

Here are the jersey numbers for Broncos’ undrafted free agent signings

Here are the jersey numbers for the Broncos’ 11 undrafted free agent additions.

After previously announcing jersey numbers for their draft class and veteran free agent signings, the Denver Broncos have assigned numbers to the undrafted free agent signings on the team’s online roster.

Here are the UDFA jersey numbers ahead of OTAs:

13 WR Taylor Grimes*
28 CB Art Green*
38 RB Jaleel McLaughlin*
45 TE Nate Adkins
52 OLB Marcus Haynes
57 ILB Seth Benson
59 OLB Thomas Incoom
63 OL Alex Palczewski
64 DL Haggai Ndubuisi**
66 G Henry Byrd
71 OL Demontrey Jacobs
97 DL P.J. Mustipher

*Three players will share numbers with players on opposite sides of the ball this summer — Grimes (13) with DB Delonte Hood, Green (28) with RB Damarea Crockett and McLaughlin (38) with DB Devon Key.

**Ndubuisi joined the team earlier this month as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway. Ndubuisi will not count against the 90-man offseason roster this summer.

Fans should note that all of these numbers are subject to change. Several players will likely switch numbers after the 53-man roster is set.

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Peyton Manning stars in funny video promoting Centura Health’s deal with Broncos

Centura Health recruited Peyton Manning to help them announce their new partnership with the Broncos in a funny video.

The Denver Broncos announced a new 10-year partnership with Centura Health on Monday. As part of the deal, the team’s training facility will now be called the Centura Health Training Center.

Centura Health will replace the team’s previous practice facility naming rights partner, UCHealth.

In an announcement for the partnership on Monday, Centura Health president/CEO Peter Banko referenced former quarterback Peyton Manning.

“I’m going to close with a few words from ‘The Sheriff,'” Banko said. “‘It’s not wanting to win that makes you a winner, it is refusing to fail.’ This is just the beginning of a friendship between two big winners and the No. 1 brands in the market.

“It is built on common ground, rooted in shared values, and amongst people that actually really like working with each other. It is so great that we’ve reached this day, one that we have envisioned for so many years, and one that I’ve envisioned since moving here in 2015.”

It’s no surprise that Manning is now involved with the partnership himself. The two-time Super Bowl champion shared a funny video on his Instagram page on Monday announcing the deal in signature Manning fashion.

In the video, Manning and current Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson serve as enthusiastic waterboys for Centura Health’s medical staff.

Well done, marketing folks. Well done.

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Billy Turner had a refreshing take on the Broncos’ 2022 season

“I’m not going to sit here and point blame at any individual person,” Billy Turner said. “I was a part of the problem.”

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Following the arrival of coach Nathaniel Hackett and quarterback Russell Wilson last spring, hype for the Denver Broncos was off the charts.

Denver failed to live up to that hype. Hackett was fired with two games remaining after going 4-11 and Wilson had the worst statistical season of his career.

In a recent interview with Lance Medow of Mad Dog Sports Radio, former Broncos offensive lineman Billy Turner shared his take on the team’s struggles in 2022.

“You just cannot go into a season relying on expectations that you hear and see from the media,” Turner told Medow. “I found that out firsthand. We weren’t good at all, I’m just going to be honest with you. We weren’t. We were s – – -.”

Turner said the team could have been good — they had the pieces in place to be — but they didn’t live up to the offseason hype. Turner rejected the host’s hinted suggestion that Hackett and Wilson were the driving causes of last year’s struggles. Turner instead took responsibility for being part of the problem.

“It’s easy to point the finger at Nathaniel Hackett or Russell Wilson and blame them … but it’s not entirely either of those people’s fault. … I’m not going to sit here and point blame at any individual person. I was a part of that offense. I was a part of that team. I was a part of the problem, 110% I was.”

Turner actually played relatively well in the eight games he was healthy for last season, committing just one penalty and only allowing a half-sack in seven starts, according to STATS LLC. He missed nine games due to injury, though, and the offense struggled all season.

Turner said the team struggled to gel on the field and find their mojo.

“That is not on Nathaniel Hackett,” Turner said. “That is not on Russell Wilson. That is on the offense as a whole, that’s on the organization, that’s on the entire team.”

One could make an argument that Hackett and Wilson deserved the most blame, but it’s fair of Turner to point out that they were not exclusively at fault. It’s refreshing to see a player take that kind of accountability.

It’s probably also worth noting that Turner reunited with Hackett this offseason when he signed with the New York Jets. Hackett, who now serves as New York’s offensive coordinator, will return to Denver with Turner when the Broncos host the Jets in Week 5 this season.

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Broncos OLB Randy Gregory ‘doing well’ in recovery

Broncos OLB Randy Gregory is ‘doing well’ in his recovery from a knee injury that sidelined him for 11 games last season.

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Denver Broncos outside linebacker Randy Gregory started the 2022 season on a strong note, totaling seven quarterback hits and two sacks through the team’s first four games of the year.

Gregory then suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the team’s next nine games. He returned for a two-game stretch in December before being placed on injured reserve for the final two weeks of the season.

Gregory is among the team’s key players who are now set to return from injuries in 2023.

“Randy is doing well,” coach Sean Payton said during rookie minicamp last weekend. “[We are in] Phase 2, and he’s been here. He’s in good health. Again, in Phase 2, we’re doing a lot of the teaching, but he’s doing well and looks good.”

Payton emphasized that the team is in Phase 2 as a way of noting that Gregory’s on-field work has not begun in earnest just yet.

“[W]e’re still lifting, running and doing a lot of that,” Payton said. “That’s gone well. … It’s a little bit more — it’s not [practice], it’s more football school.” 

After they wrap up “football school,” the Broncos will start Phase 3 of the offseason program when they begin organized team activities on May 23. We’ll see if Gregory is able to begin on-field work during OTAs.

Broncos signing LB Drew Sanders to 4-year rookie contract

The Broncos are signing LB Drew Sanders to a 4-year contract. Spotrac estimates it will be worth about $5.7 million.

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The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with rookie inside linebacker Drew Sanders, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Sanders, who was picked by the Broncos in the third round (67th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft, is now under contract through the 2026 season.

Based on the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with players, Spotrac.com estimates that Sanders will receive $5,734,727 over four years with an estimated $1,170,711 signing bonus. His salary cap hit is projected to be $1,042,678 this season.

Sanders projects as a future starter on defense but he is unlikely to start over Josey Jewell or Alex Singleton at inside linebacker as a rookie. While competing for rotational playing time at linebacker, Sanders will likely contribute primarily on special teams in 2023.

Sanders could also provide depth at outside linebacker in addition to competing for snaps at inside linebacker. He has experience at ILB and OLB from his time at Alabama, where he played before transferring to Arkansas ahead of the 2022 season.

Sanders is the fifth and final member of Denver’s draft class to sign.

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Broncos finalize dates and times for preseason schedule

The Broncos will face the Cardinals (Aug. 11), 49ers (Aug. 19) and Rams (Aug. 26) during preseason.

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The Denver Broncos have finalized the dates and times for their three preseason games this summer.

The team’s updated preseason schedule can be seen below.

Week Date Opponent Time (MT) TV
1 Aug. 11 (Fri) @ Cardinals 8 p.m. KTVD
2 Aug. 19 (Sat) @ 49ers 6:30 p.m. KTVD
3 Aug. 26 (Sat) vs. Rams 7 p.m. KTVD

All three preseason games will be locally televised on KTVD Channel 20. The NFL will also broadcast select preseason games on NFL Network this summer, but NFLN’s finalized TV schedule for preseason is yet-to-be-announced.

After playing in Arizona and San Francisco, the Broncos will host the Rams in their preseason finale. Denver is expected to host Los Angeles for a joint training camp practice before that preseason game.

After preseason, the Broncos will have to trim the roster from 90 players down to 53 by Tuesday, Aug. 29. Denver will then prepare to host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 10.

To view the Broncos’ 2023 regular-season schedule, click here.

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Russell Wilson was courtside for the Nuggets’ win last night

Broncos QB Russell Wilson, DB Justin Simmons and DL D.J. Jones were courtside for the Nuggets’ win over the Lakers last night.

At least four Denver Broncos were spotted in attendance at the Denver Nuggets’ game on Tuesday evening.

Three of the players — quarterback Russell Wilson, safety Justin Simmons and defensive lineman D.J. Jones — were courtside. Broncos kicker Brandon McManus was also spotted behind the Los Angeles Lakers‘ bench.

Wilson previously attended a home Nuggets game earlier in the playoffs and sat next to wide receiver Tim Patrick, coach Sean Payton and Payton’s wife, Skylene Montgomery. The QB is clearly all-in on Denver sports teams.

After defeating the Lakers last night, the Nuggets will host the Lakers again on Thursday night before traveling to L.A. for Game 3 on Saturday.

Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists in Denver’s 132-126 win on Tuesday.

The winner of the Denver-Los Angeles series in the Western Conference will advance to face the winner of the Eastern Conference series (the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics) in the NBA Finals in June.

6 revenge games on Broncos’ 2023 schedule

The Broncos’ 2023 schedule will feature several revenge opportunities for some of the team’s former players.

The Denver Broncos now know their 2023 schedule and it will feature six revenge games with former Broncos facing off against their old team. Here’s a quick look at six games with ex-Denver players on the 2023 schedule.

Sean Payton comments on ‘unremarkable’ Broncos schedule

“I don’t know that anything stood out,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the team’s 2023 schedule. He does like having a Week 9 bye week.

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The Denver Broncos had their 2023 schedule released last week and it is, in the words of coach Sean Payton, unremarkable.

“I would say, if this makes sense, it felt like it was very unremarkable,” Payton said last Saturday. “When I looked at it all, it was — I don’t want to use word calm, but I don’t know that anything stood out. I look at three things right away when the schedule comes out. Where is the bye [week] at, and we’re mid-season so that’s fine. [I look at] travel logistics. … we’re on the rotation of the nine [regular season] home games versus the eight. That’s good.” 

The Broncos will have a mid-season bye in Week 9 and they currently have four prime-time games (more could be added during the season). There’s no trip to London this year and nothing that stands out in a glaring way on the schedule.

“I didn’t look at anything and just say, ‘Wow!’” Payton said. “We’ve got four games that we are scheduled to play on prime time. That’s great. For me looking at, what is it [2:05 p.m.] or 2:25 p.m. getting used to that being the baseline, you know, it’s different because my whole career it’s always been 12 noon or 1 p.m. I hadn’t coached out west. So when those times start changing, that’s usually a good thing.”

Denver will play on Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football this fall, and they will have a game on Christmas Eve. It might look like an unremarkable lineup to Payton, but it will put the Broncos back in the spotlight even after they went 5-12 in 2022. You can view the team’s full schedule here.

Broncos coach Sean Payton won’t overlook bottom-of-roster players

“[W]e’re rooting for every one of these guys to do well,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the team’s bottom-of-the-roster players.

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It’s natural for NFL teams to prioritize drafted players over undrafted free agent signings. Drafted players obviously took draft capital to acquire and they also cost more to sign than a UDFA.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, though, is no respecter of draft status. The coach will give a fair opportunity to everyone on the team, whether it’s a tryout player, undrafted free agent, draft pick or free agent signee.

The Broncos had more than 20 rookies trying out at rookie minicamp last weekend, plus five veteran tryout players. Payton did not want to overlook any of them.

“Historically — and we talk about this all of the time as coaches — for me, my biggest fear is that somebody that is out here for three days ends up somewhere else [and is] playing well,” Payton said on May 13. “We are really trying to look at everyone. Not just the draft picks, but the guys that are here for three days [on a tryout basis].”

Before practice, Payton showed rookie minicamp players clips of wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Kyrie Robinson, who had to get tryouts for their first opportunities in the NFL.

“[O]ur league has had a number of those players,” Payton said. “Chris Banjo, who had a long career as a special teams player for me and most recently in Arizona, he went a year without an opportunity then got a tryout.” 

Talent can come anywhere and any school. How they arrive in Denver doesn’t matter. How they perform on the field does.

“We are really trying to look at every one of these guys, evaluate them properly with an open mind, knowing that history would tell us there are players that get overlooked and it’s not a science,” Payton said. 

The Broncos signed two XFL tryout players after rookie minicamp and the team’s undrafted free agent additions will all have opportunities to make the 53-man roster this summer.

“[W]e’re rooting for every one of these guys to do well,” Payton said. “All the support staff, everything that goes into this, we’re wanting to see these guys have a chance to make it.”