Bouye, once undrafted, looks to help long shots
Seven years ago, A.J. Bouye entered Houston Texans training camp as an undrafted free agent. But he made the team, became a starter in 2014 and after a successful stint in Jacksonville, will be the Broncos’ No. 1 cornerback this season.
But Bouye never forgets about beating the odds. He never assumes anything and he always wants to help young players who were similarly unheralded entering the NFL. Cornerback Essang Bassey and safety Douglas Coleman are two of the Broncos’ undrafted free agents.
“I always want to work with the undrafted guys extra because those guys are sponges,” Bouye said recently. “They always want to learn anything. I just feel like I can relate more to those guys because they’re always learning. When I was coming in, I always wanted to learn from veterans.”
Bouye soaked up knowledge from Kareem Jackson (now a Broncos safety) and Johnathan Joseph (now a Titans cornerback) in Houston.
During Bouye’s first year in Jacksonville (2017), backup safety Peyton Thompson was a locker room sage of sorts.
His take on Bouye should be noted by Bassey, Coleman and all of the young Broncos defensive backs.
“He’s come in and not only led by example, but he’s made statements that make you want to follow him,” Thompson told me in January 2018 as the Jaguars were on their way to an AFC title game loss to New England.
“I don’t even play his position, but I’ll break down his film to understand why he’s making the plays he makes.
“He’s a player that plays the entire down on the balls of his feet — his heels never touch the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it. From my breakdown, there aren’t a lot of wasted steps or movement in his game and that’s play after play after play. He’s very competitive, very physical and he challenges the receiver’s space. I definitely respect that.”
Simmons starts foundation. Broncos safety Justin Simmons and his wife, Taryn, announced Tuesday they have created a charitable foundation.
“I have been blessed with the opportunity and a platform to make a positive impact in the lives of children,” Simmons said in a statement. “I want to use my voice to motivate others and truly help those in need.”
Simmons was the Broncos’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2019. His website is justinsimmonsfoundation.org.
Why Colorado? That’s what I asked Bryan Bennett, chief operating officer of Betfred USA Sports, when his company reached a sponsorship agreement on Tuesday.
Bennett cited the state’s “passionate fan base,” but also the guidelines established by the Colorado Department of Gaming.
“They did a nice job of crafting the regulations to make it consumer-friendly and sports betting company-friendly,” Bennett said. “It’s an ‘open mobile state,’ meaning you can register your account online and can fund it and start betting online in a matter of minutes, which makes it very attractive from a marketing standpoint.”
Betfred’s first Colorado retail sportsbook (Saratoga Casino in Black Hawk) opened Wednesday. Former Broncos linebacker Karl Mecklenburg was on hand as diehard fan Rob Garner placed the first bet on the Broncos winning the Super Bowl (odds of 55-1).
Waiting game. The lack of a traditional offseason prevented teams from bringing in free agents for workouts.
Players who were Broncos last year, but are still looking for a new team: Right guard Ron Leary, defensive end Adam Gotsis, inside linebacker Corey Nelson, running back Theo Riddick and quarterback Brandon Allen.
Around the NFL
Learning curve. A common question for NFL coaches this spring/summer: How can they tell young players are picking up the playbook?
“You can tell by their answers and their in-depth questions they ask in the meetings,” Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson told reporters. “Once we get them on the (field), things move a little bit faster than virtual meetings so it’s how fast they can process the information that we’ve been giving them this spring.”
Leftwich, Brady clicking. What an opportunity for Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. He calls the plays in coach Bruce Arians’ offense and now gets to work with QB Tom Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski. It could help Leftwich get on the head-coaching radar in January.
“We can talk old-school football, things that happened in ’08, ’09 (and) things that are still relevant in this league and the history that he understands (and) the history I understand,” Leftwich told reporters. “Just the conversations that me and him have, it’s exciting.”
Chargers fine at QB. The national media went bonkers Wednesday when Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick was on the team’s workout list. But no workout has been scheduled.
Kaepernick hasn’t played since 2016 and Lynn made a good point in saying: “It comes down to physical shape and his ability to do what he does. You can figure out real quick where he is in his career after an intense workout.”
The Chargers have Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert and Easton Stick under contract. “I’m very confident and happy with the three quarterbacks that I have, but you can never have too many people waiting on the runway,”
Lynn said.