The Denver Broncos are set to be back on the practice field this morning as they report for their 13th day of practice. With preseason on the horizon this Sunday, the ongoing quarterback evaluation will continue to be the focus of Sean Payton.
Denver Broncos Day 13 training camp primer
The Denver Broncos quarterback evaluation continues as the team prepares for Sunday’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Following Day 12 of Broncos camp, head coach Sean Payton didn’t have the details down just yet as to who would start offensively in the opener, but that those details will be ironed out soon.
“We’ll have that meeting today and tomorrow,” Payton said.
That time is here and we’ll keep an eye on whether or not that information gets revealed today before or after practice. With Jarrett Stidham getting the first-team reps on Tuesday, if we’re following the trends, Bo Nix should be getting the first-team reps today.
As a matter of fact, Nix has received first-team reps in five of the last eight practices, which is worth noting — with all signs pointing to Zach Wilson no longer being considered for the starting job.
Payton felt like the team hit a wall during Tuesday’s practice with their focus and wants them to come out sharper here today.
“I just thought mentally we hit a wall a little bit,” Payton said. “We’ll see the film. When you come off the field, there are times where you feel like, ‘Man, I thought it was just okay.’ So we’ll be sharper tomorrow.”
Denver’s ongoing center competition will also be a factor that impacts the quarterback evaluation. Luke Wattenberg has received a majority of the reps, but Payton noted that he and Alex Forsyth are the two players competing for the job.
“He’s listed alone,” Payton said. “He’s smart. He’s doing a good job on the second level. We have good competition there. We could have put ‘or’. I look at that and we get the list together. It’s due today by 2 p.m. The word there is ‘unofficial’. We get it written out. To your point about Luke though, he’s doing a good job with what we’re doing offensively, as is Alex. There’s really good competition there between those two. Both of them will play a lot in this preseason.”
Left tackle Garett Bolles was not at practice yesterday. Veteran Matt Peart stepped in during his absence. We’ll see if he returns today.
Devaughn Vele watch continues
Devaughn Vele is somebody we’ll have our eyes on this morning. Vele has had an impressively under-the-radar camp, showcasing his ability to catch in traffic and catch some 50-50 balls. He’s been a standout for the last week.
“I like his size and hands in traffic,” Payton said. “I thought he’s had a couple snaps now this week where we have to keep giving him opportunities because I think he has strong hands in traffic. There are a few players like him out here, but I think he can take reps inside and then I think he can also play at the ‘X’. His ability to catch away from his body—when you’re throwing it to him, he has a large catch radius, so you become a more accurate quarterback.”
If he can stack another impressive day, chances are his stock will continue to rise, and the likelihood of him getting more reps increases.