Defense intercepts Hogan three times
LB Todd Davis (calf). He was injured late in Thursday’s practice.
TE Bug Howard (illness) and P Colby Wadman (personal) were back after missing Thursday. WR Romell Guerrier did not practice. CB De’Vante Bausby. Two interceptions in as many days for the cornerback trying to win a reserve roster spot. “He’s had a pretty good first couple days,” coach Vic Fangio said. “He’s been doing better. Hopefully, he is a guy slowly but surely maturing and growing into being a professional football player.”
LB Alexander Johnson. With ILB Todd Davis out several weeks, Johnson got the first chance to work with the starters.
WR Courtland Sutton. He bounced back with a quality practice on Friday, including a leaping catch near the sideline in which he also had the awareness to get his feet in as he fell out of bounds.
When does Drew Lock get a significant chance with the No. 2 offense? Hogan was intercepted three times during 11-on-11. “Why can’t you look at those as good plays by the defense?” Fangio asked/half-joked. “It’s way too early to start any thoughts (of moving Lock up).” Fangio said the coaching staff hasn’t finalized a plan for which quarterback plays how much during the preseason.
Pass protection. We charted six aborted plays that were whistled to a stop because of pressure on the passer. Hogan’s third interception came via forced throw when OLB Dekoda Watson won around the corner. How is the depth? “I think our O-line is in good shape,” Fangio said. “Hopefully we have a good unit in our front five. We’re looking for the next guys.”
No music. But Fangio is giving himself a thumbs up for this decision. “Anybody that’s been a position coach, they don’t like music because it makes it hard to talk to your guys,” he said. “I don’t see the benefit of having music out there. … When it comes to the point where we need to simulate crowd noise, which we will do, it will be noise and not music. Noise, by definition, is annoying. Music sounds nice.” • The Broncos ran 63 snaps of 11-on11 and 30 snaps of 7-on-7. • Quarterback snaps (11-on-11): Joe Flacco 26, Kevin Hogan 17, Drew Lock 14 and Brett Rypien six. Quarterback snaps (7-on-7): Flacco nine, Hogan six, Lock 10 and Rypien five. • Interceptions: CB De’Vante Bausby, S Su’a Cravens and LB Joe Jones.
• WR Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) and TE Jake Butt (ACL) were again limited to individual drills.
• RB David Williams signed with the Broncos Friday morning and took part in all parts of practice.
• LB Josh Watson was attended to by trainers midway through practice but returned to team work.
• Flacco’s was 3 of 3 during his first segment of 11-on-11 work: A diving catch by WR Juwann Winfree and catches by WR DaeSean Hamilton and RB Devontae Booker. His second segment ended with an incomplete pass intended for TE Noah Fant when the timing was disrupted by a low shotgun snap from C Connor McGovern. • Hogan’s first segment of 11-on-11: RB Royce Freeman carry, Jones interception, RB Devontae Jackson carry and aborted play (bad shotgun snap by C Austin Schlottmann). On the interception, Hogan was looking for an intended receiver in the left flat and slightly under pressure.
• Highlights from 7-on-7: At one point, the quarterbacks completed 14 consecutive passes. Having 3-of-3 passing segments were Hogan (twice) and Lock/Flacco (one apiece). The streak ended when Rypien threw wide of TE Bug Howard. On the next play, Howard made a nice play to high-point the football in traffic.
• Good insight from Fangio about Lock’s ability to adjust his arm angle to make a throw. “A quarterback that can change his arm angle is a positive, when it’s needed. I don’t think you want to do it when you don’t have to. If I’m strong in the pocket, I want to throw over the top, nice and strong and not rely on (the) sidearm. His college offense (at Missouri) really had no carryover to pro offenses and he was under duress a lot of times so a lot of plays, he was running around. I don’t think he’s as far along being a ready NFL quarterback as he could have been. He’s not a quarterback yet. He’s a hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet. The faster he (learns), the better off he’ll be and we’ll be.”
• Penalties emerged late in practice. DE Adam Gotsis jumped off-side and then the third-team offensive line was called for two false starts. • Catching punts from the machine early in practice: WR Brendan Langley, RB Phillip Lindsay, WR Kelvin McKnight, WR River Cracraft, RB Devontae Jackson and WR Trinity Benson. Catching punts from P Colby Wadman (no live returns): McKnight, Jackson, Cracraft and Lindsay.
• The third-team offensive line: LT John Leglue, LG Sam Jones, C Ryan Crozier, RG Chaz Green and RT Quinn Bailey. On the second-team offensive line, LT Elijah Wilkinson moved to right tackle for parts of practice. Late in 11-on-11 work, Jake Brendel took some of the first-team snaps from RG Ron Leary.
• Rypien ended practice with a long touchdown pass to running back Khalfani Muhammad.
• Fans attending Sunday’s practice are encouraged to wear purple in support of Alzheimer’s Awareness Day. All fan donations, which can be made at camp or online at www.dbron.co/alz, will be matched by the Broncos. The Broncos raised $40,614.13 last year on Alzheimer’s Awareness Day. Owner Pat Bowlen died due to Alzheimer’s on June 13. 9:15 a.m.-noon practice (open to the public).