Tag: Sean Payton

Up next for the Broncos is mandatory minicamp

After wrapping up OTAs last week, the Broncos are set to hold a mandatory minicamp this week.

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The Denver Broncos just wrapped up voluntary organized team activities last week. Up next on the team’s offseason calendar is mandatory minicamp, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow.

“Next [this] week, we start with minicamp,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on June 8. “When you’re observing, the practices are very similar. The time allotted is a little longer, and there are some things that are different. By and large, if any of you came to an OTA or came to a mini-camp practice, it’d be hard to tell the difference.

“We’re allowed a little bit more time on the field. That’ll start on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then Thursday’s schedule will be shortened because of our time constraints.”

The minicamp practices won’t be open to the public but the team will have a practice session open to media members. Players who skip mandatory camp are subject to fines.

After camp wraps up later this week, players (and coaches) will get a summer break from mid-June until late July.

“The break is healthy, for the coaches as well,” Payton said. “Everyone knows that when we come back, it’s like getting on an aircraft carrier for six months here. You’re here seven days a week well past midnight.”

The break will end when players report back for the start of training camp, which typically begins in late July. The Broncos are expected to announce their training camp schedule sometime this month.

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Sean Payton comments on Broncos cutting 3 running backs

Broncos coach Sean Payton downplayed cutting three running backs, saying the team wanted roster space to look at players at other positions.

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In less than a week, the Denver Broncos recently parted ways with three running backs: Jacques Patrick, Tyreik McAllister and Damarea Crockett.

Those three cuts left the team with just five running backs on the 90-man offseason roster. Some speculated that the cuts were good news for the recovery status of Javonte Williams.

Others have speculated that the Broncos are making room for a big-name addition at running back, such as Dalvin Cook.

Denver coach Sean Payton downplayed both possibilities during his media availability last week, suggesting that the Broncos made cuts at RB simply to have roster space to get a look at players at other positions.

“Part of [roster cuts] is just it’s normal with this roster that you are going to churn certain position groups based on getting a chance to look at other players,” Payton said on June 8. “It just so happens that a couple have been at running back.”

Whether or not Payton is being truthful remains to be seen. We’ll be keeping an eye on Cook’s status in the coming days.

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Broncos coach Sean Payton praises Nuggets for unselfish play

“The star players are unselfish, and I feel like it’s a team that enjoys each other,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the Denver Nuggets.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 109-94 on the road in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday evening to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Before the NBA Finals started last week, Broncos coach Sean Payton said he texted Nuggets coach Michael Malone to congratulate him and wish him well in the series.

As a new Denver resident, Payton’s been watching the Nuggets and it’s safe to say he’s been impressed.

“When I’ve watched them — we all get caught up and you get excited — but the star players are unselfish, and I feel like it’s a team that enjoys each other,” Payton said on June 1. “I’m going to guess that they probably do things together off the court and I don’t know that that’s the case with every team.

“Literally last week, I was just having a conversation with Mike Krzyzewski about something else, and then I asked the question, ‘How do you like to match up with the Heat?’ He mentioned culture with both teams. I think you see that with our team, and I think you see it from the Heat as well. It’s why they are the last two teams remaining. From a beginner’s perspective, when I watch them, you feel that and that’s impressive.”

Payton, quarterback Russell Wilson, safety Justin Simmons and retired QB Peyton Manning were among the Broncos in attendance for Denver’s two home games earlier in the series.

Broncos coach Sean Payton praises ‘elite’ cornerback Pat Surtain

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Pat Surtain has the physical and mental traits that create an elite cornerback in the NFL.

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Entering his third season in the NFL, Denver Broncos coach Pat Surtain is already considered one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.

After a practice session last week, Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked what makes Surtain special.

“With Patrick, I remember his dad playing,” Payton said on June 1. “You would say his physical traits [are impressive]. He’s long and he’s built [as a] prototype for what you’re looking for in that position. He’s got great makeup, he’s tough, he’s smart and the ball finds him. He’s got good ball skills.

“With a few of these corners — it’s funny, I always love this time of the year where everything is getting ranked, and he appears on all those top corner lists. A lot of those guys are younger players, so there are certain positions that can reveal themselves quicker than others. Certainly, we’ve seen that from him. I mentioned the physical [traits], and I mentioned mental [traits]. All those things come together and then you get an elite player, and at corner, those are hard to find.”

Surtain, 23, has totaled 118 tackles, 24 pass breakups, six interceptions, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown through his first two seasons (33 games) in the NFL. Surtain’s career is off to a great start, and he’ll only get better from here.

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Broncos TE Greg Dulcich will fill a unique role in Sean Payton’s offense

Greg Dulcich isn’t exactly like Jeremy Shockey, Jason Witten or Jimmy Graham, “but he’s got traits that are exciting,” Sean Payton said.

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When Sean Payton was hired as the Denver Broncos’ new head coach earlier this year, he inherited a roster that includes tight end Greg Dulcich, the team’s third-round pick in last year’s draft.

After two weeks of organized team activities, it seems safe to say Payton is excited about having Dulcich in his offense.

“He had a good day,” Payton said when asked about Dulcich last Thursday. “He’s got a unique skill set, and he’s got traits in the passing game. We use the term ‘Joker’ where we can get matchups. The trick sometimes is trying to predict what you’re going to get defensively, if you’re either going to get a nickel package or a base package. But man, he can run, he’s got good ball skills and he had one of his better practices today. Then you begin to build on that. … I think his menu is going to be lengthy in the passing game and there’s enough stuff that we can do in the run game.

“I’ve been lucky enough to — I’ve had [Jeremy] Shockey, [Jason] Witten, Jimmy Graham, and I’m probably leaving out a few guys. I’m not saying this young player [will be just like them], but he’s got traits that are exciting and today was one of those days where you begin to have a vision.”

Payton went on to explain that the “Joker” in his offense is not a receiver but typically a tight end or a running back with exceptional receiving skills – Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara filled the role in the past. This season, Dulcich will have that job.

“Those were all unique players, not just in the running game, but they had passing game skill sets that allowed you to do multiple things, and I think Greg does too.”

Dulcich (6-4, 245 pounds) missed seven games as a rookie with injuries last season. In the ten games he did play in, Dulcich totaled 33 receptions for 411 yards and two touchdowns.

Now with a year of experience under his belt and playing in what undoubtedly will be an improved offense led by Payton, Dulcich figures to surpass his rookie numbers in 2023. The 23-year-old tight end might even be a candidate to watch for as a potential breakout player this fall.

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Cumulative draft grades are not kind to the Broncos’ 2023 class

Cumulative draft grades have the Broncos ranked 28th out of 32 teams for their 2023 draft class.

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The Denver Broncos only made five picks in the 2023 NFL draft this spring, and general manager George Paton tried to maximize those picks.

Opinions are varied on the team’s 2023 draft class. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar gave the team a “B” grade, which seems pretty fair. Some draft pundits were much harsher.

René Bugner (@RNBWCV on Twitter) recently compiled 29 evaluations of the 2023 class and gave each team a cumulative draft grade. The cumulative grade for Denver is 2.42, which ranks 28th out of 32 teams.

The Broncos’ cumulative grade was sunk by an “F” grade and three “D” grades. Denver was one of just four teams who received an “F” from one of the 29 evaluators.

Of course, none of this really matters — draft experts have been wrong plenty of times before. As coach Sean Payton noted after the draft, it’s hard to give a fair grade to any particular class until three years after the draft.

We’ll have a better idea of how good (or bad) the Broncos’ 2023 draft class is in 2025. In the meantime, draft pundits aren’t feeling too optimistic.

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Sean Payton comments on NFL’s emergency 3rd QB rule

NFL teams can have an emergency QB3 not count against the game-day roster this season, but such a QB would have to be on the 53-man roster.

The NFL made a rule change this offseason that will allow teams to have an emergency third quarterback not count against the game-day roster. There is a catch, though, as the QB3 has to be on the active roster in order to not count against the game-day roster (practice squad elevations will count against the game-day roster).

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about the new rule after the team kicked off organized team activities last week.

“The rule changes — I know with the quarterbacks — if you carry three [QB] on your 53 [man roster], you get a [third on] game day,” Payton said on May 25. “Let’s say what happened to San Francisco was a once-in-every-seven-year occurrence.

“Each team will then have to decide if they want to continue to have two and get an additional player other than a quarterback on their 53. Everyone has three in the building — a lot of times on the practice squad. I think team-by-team, it will vary.”

Based purely on Payton’s comment about the 49ers incident being a rare occurrence, one might be led to believe the coach is still planning to only carry two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in 2023.

Payton usually kept two true QBs on the active roster while with the New Orleans Saints, but having Taysom Hill available as an emergency QB might have impacted the team’s roster construction.

It remains to be seen if the Broncos will carry two or three QBs on the 53-man roster in 2023, but the league’s new rule will give the team more roster flexibility for whatever decision Payton makes.

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Broncos OTAs notes: Sean Payton says Russell Wilson is doing well

“He’s doing well,” Sean Payton said of QB Russell Wilson. Meanwhile, RB Javonte Williams (knee) continues practicing on a limited basis.

Last week, Russell Wilson said he felt “lean and mean,” and Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said the quarterback has looked sharp at organized team activities.

The praise for Wilson continued during the second week of OTAs. Speaking to media members on Thursday, Payton said the quarterback had a good day doing third-down drills.

“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “Today I thought was a good day. Today was [a] third down [practice]. There’s a challenge in OTAs with third down. The challenge in third down is you have to contest every throw. Within the framework of OTAs, it’s hard to do that. They understand it. I’ll whistle them and just talk about the period.

“We can see if there’s a sack, we can see if the [defensive backs] are in position. Generally speaking, especially on those early yards, we’re contesting every throw. It’s a little bit less challenging when you’re in first and second down playing zone defense. He’s doing well.”

Attendance update: Outside linebacker Randy Gregory was not in attendance at Thursday’s practice that was open to media. Gregory was in attendance last week. It’s worth noting that these OTA sessions are voluntary.

Denver outside linebacker Baron Browning has not been in attendance for either of the two OTA practices that have been open to media over the last two weeks.

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was back on the field Thursday after not attending last week. Defensive lineman D.J. Jones (offseason surgery) was also back on the field, but fellow defensive lineman Mike Purcell (offseason surgery) was not.

Denver running back Javonte Williams (knee) practiced again on Thursday. The Broncos just cut two running backs this week, which might be yet another sign that the team is confident Williams will be healthy by Week 1.

Denver will have one more set of OTAs next week, followed by a mandatory minicamp the week after that. Players will then have a break until the start of training camp, which typically begins in late July.

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Broncos still monitoring kickers even after signing Elliott Fry

Even after signing Elliott Fry, the Broncos will continue to monitor the kicker market in the coming months.

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After releasing veteran Brandon McManus in a move that saved $3.75 million in salary cap space, the Denver Broncos brought in three kickers for workouts and ultimately ended up signing Elliott Fry to a one-year deal.

Fry is currently the only kicker on the 90-man roster, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will be the team’s kicker in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Speaking after an OTA practice on Thursday, Broncos coach Sean Payton indicated that the team will be watching kickers on other teams in addition to watching Fry this summer.

“Look, that’s not the only position we’re going to keep looking at,” Payton said. “One of the things that I learned early on which was interesting — and Bill Parcells taught me this — when he would talk to the team, he would say, ‘Don’t pay attention to the depth chart, just in your meeting room,’ If you’re a safety and you’re just looking at the other strong safety — you’re competing against the other 31 teams’ safeties, as well, because one might become available.

“We had a kicking battle one year in New Orleans with two guys and man, [the media] all charted it each day during training camp. It was either/or. This went on and on, and it was one of those battles where I don’t know if I was any clearer after four weeks than I was when it began. They both did good things, and then had days maybe they weren’t as good. Then the final cut down takes place at 53 and I get a call from someone I know well with another staff that thinks he’s got two kickers.

“We bring him in on Monday, work him out, and we sign neither of the two in the kicking battle. So don’t pay attention to the line in front of you or the room you’re in. You’re competing with yourself to put your best product on the field because there’s 31 other teams that might be deeper in a position and that you have availability for. So we’ll talk about that.”

Payton has a history of moving on from kickers quickly. He went through nine different kickers in his first ten years with the New Orleans Saints before landing on Wil Lutz.

As other teams begin making roster cuts later this summer and more kickers become available, Denver will undoubtedly be tracking the waiver wire. Fry could end up being the team’s Week 1 kicker, but the Broncos haven’t ruled out the possibility of looking elsewhere this summer.

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Peyton Manning, Sean Payton and Russell Wilson were at the Nuggets’ win last night

Peyton Manning, Sean Payton, Russell Wilson and Justin Simmons were in attendance to watch the Nuggets win Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was in attendance to watch the Denver Nuggets defeat the Miami Heat 104-93 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena on Thursday evening.

After wrapping up the second week of organized team activities, Payton took some friends to the game to “convert” them to being Nuggets fans.

“I’ve got some college friends that are in town,” Payton said after the Broncos’ practice session on Thursday. “All of us played quarterback at Eastern Illinois and we get together once a year. I’m going to take them and convert them to Nuggets fans. It’s exciting for the city.

“When you think of this for a second — in two years, the Kroenkes have won a Super Bowl, have won a Stanley Cup and they’re in a position to win an NBA championship. I think that’s something that — it’s good to be a Kroenke for the last two years. That’s pretty impressive to have that type of success. I’m excited for the city to watch these guys. Yeah, we’ll have a chance to go.”

The Broncos have been all in on supporting the Nuggets.