Around the Broncos
Nearly two years later, Billy Winn can still recall the sounds and sensations of the knee injury he sustained in the Broncos’ preseason opener at Chicago.
“I felt all three pops,” he said. “It was one of those moments where it’s, ‘Oh, (bleep).’ I just knew something wasn’t right.”
Winn tore his meniscus cartilage and ACL and MCL that night.
In 2016, Winn played all 16 games as a rotational defensive end for the Broncos and resigned via one-year contract.
He could have been on his way to carving out a niche after stints with Cleveland and Indianapolis, but the injury derailed everything.
He missed 2017 and sat out last year to finish his rehab. Winn returned to the Broncos on April 22 and will start camp next month trying to beat out other players for a roster spot.
After his kind of layoff, he knows the task is tall.
“It’s definitely going to be tough, but anybody who knows me knows I’m a competitor and will do anything and everything to get where I want to be,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, there are 31 other teams I’m building a resume for.”
Winn spent the 2017 season rehabilitating at the Broncos’
facility.
When he was not re-signed, he trained near his home in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; his wife, Brooke, a personal trainer, served as his support system.
“Without her, this opportunity wouldn’t be possible because she pushed me every day to go to the gym, go run, work on my diet — she’s a straight shooter and she’s always had my back,” Winn said. “I stayed the course (during the ’18 season) and prepared like I was going to get signed somewhere, but nothing happened.
“There were times when I was like, ‘(Not playing) is my life now,’ but then I had to snap out of that and believe I was going to get another opportunity. It was tough to balance the two.” Replacing practice. The Broncos did carnival-like activities instead of a third mandatory minicamp practice Thursday.
It didn’t take long for one reader to chime in, emailing: “The last day of minicamp should have been the hardest and then some fun afterward.”
That teams like the Broncos tend to bag a final OTA or a final minicamp practice is noble by the coaches who want to reward the players, but it also gives the NFLPA a talking point if/when the owners (via their coaching staff’s request) complain about the restricted offseason program. It was a point the union has made in the past.
Media hat-tip. A salute to KCNC-4’S Bob Burke, whose 38-year run at the station ended last week with his retirement. He was the station’s chief photographer for the last 26 years.
Burke was on the camera from the sidelines for “The Drive,” the Broncos’ Super Bowl losses to the Giants, Washington and San Francisco and their first win (over Green Bay) and preseason games in London, Berlin and Tokyo.
Burke produced the “Broncos Beat,” pregame show, which featured players such as linebacker Tom Jackson and receiver Mark Jackson and hosts that included Peter Rogot, Les Shapiro and Gary Miller.
Burke’s wife, former KCNC-4 sports reporter Marcia Neville, said one of the people he most enjoyed was former Broncos media relations czar Jim Saccomano.
Lacosse rises up. Part of New England’s mix to replace retired tight end Rob Gronkowski is Matt Lacosse, who ended last year as the Broncos’ starter. Austin Seferian-jenkins took a leave of absence last week and his future is uncertain. Benjamin Watson is suspended for the first four games. “The other guys are getting up to speed,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “Matt’s done a good job, Ben’s done a good job, Stephen Anderson’s done a good job. That’s got to be a position of strength even if it’s not one player but multiple players doing different roles.”
Ryan O'halloran: rohalloran @denverpost.com or @ryanohalloran