Which Broncos will be impacted most by not having a regular offseason program?
Keeler: Broncos safety Kareem Jackson said the quiet part out loud a few weeks ago when he told reporters that the early spring install period has worked just as well in his mind via Zoom meetings as it does in person. “I actually told the coaches, ‘I think the first two phases, we should do this (so) that way everybody can stay home and do whatever we need to do,’” Jackson said. That said, not everybody gleans the same knowledge from their man caves and couches as they do face-to-face. Which leads to this question: Which Broncos are missing out most from not being able to practice what Vic Fangio is preaching up close?
O’Halloran: I’ll start with those players whose spot on the roster may be impacted by this fiasco. And it’s complicated. Does a player like defensive end DeMarcus Walker benefit from no in-person offseason program because the coaches know him? Do cornerbacks like DeVante Bausby and Davontae Harris stick minus OTAs or do the coaches lean toward rookie Essang Bassey, choosing potential over more-seasoned options? If the Broncos aren’t on the field until early August and play only two preseason games, it may initially benefit the players on defense who are familiar with Fangio’s system or the players on offense who have more NFL experience. But I also expect a ton of roster movement once the season starts and coaches figure out who can and can’t play.
Keeler: Drew Lock is a no-brainer on that front: A new center, a new offensive coordinator, a new running back, and a slew of new targets he’s got to get his timing down with. No matter how many times you’re throwing at home, it’s not the same as the reps with your teammates, building that timing and rapport. Improvisation works better at game-speed if you’ve practiced Plan D, Plan E and Plan F about 1,000 times prior. Even if Lock’s been back throwing in town, those kinds of relationships take time.
O’Halloran: The other side of not having in-person classroom and on-field time is making sure it doesn’t stunt the development of players like Lock. A few weeks ago, receiver Courtland Sutton said he was told the Broncos ran 300-plus plays in last year’s OTA sessions. Don’t underestimate the importance of those reps. Back during the 2011 lockout, the Redskins’ players held formal workouts at a local high school. It was great for the media, who needed to produce stories about something other than labor talks, but it wasn’t the same (tempo, intensity, attendance) as a team-run offseason workout.
Keeler: And you’ve got some serious “prove-it” veterans on this team, too. Garett Bolles. Ja’Wuan James. Elijah Wilkinson. Bradley Chubb coming off surgery. But the guy that could’ve alleviated some serious fears with camp work in May and June was cornerback Bryce Callahan, who signed a three-year deal in March 2019, dinged his foot, and sort of fell off the face of the Earth. You’ve got a dance card coming up, COVID-19 permitting, that features Patrick Expletive Mahomes and Derek Carr twice each, plus Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Josh Allen. If No. 29 can’t cowboy up, you’re chucking some combination of Bausby, Isaac Yiadom, Duke Dawson and rookie Michael Ojemudia into the deep end of the pool and hoping nobody sinks.
O’Halloran: I can’t shake the opinion the Broncos will get off to a slow start again. They play Tennessee, at Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and at the New York Jets. They have two short weeks that include East Coast trips. They have a new offensive play-caller (Pat Shurmur) and as many as seven new starters/ rotational players. And they have a defense with new personnel (Jurrell Casey/A.J. Bouye) and their best player (Chubb) is coming off ACL surgery. Get all that? It could be tough sledding if the Broncos, hypothetically, don’t have their first face-to-face meetings until the first week of August and have a limited preseason game schedule.