The Denver Broncos will be back on the field Tuesday through Thursday for the second week of organized team activities. What are we looking for from the Broncos quarterback battle and other positional storylines?
Denver Broncos kick off second week of OTAs
The vibe around Dove Valley this offseason has been drastically different in comparison to the buildup to OTAs last year. Last year, the vibe was mysterious around Denver as everybody waited in anticipation to see how the dynamic between Sean Payton and Russell Wilson would work out.
Fast forward to today, there is a strong sense of calm circulating around the building, and it starts with Payton’s crop of quarterbacks.
Broncos QB competition continues
The Denver Broncos ‘competition’ for the starting QB job this fall continues this week as Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson continue to get reps during on-field work. Here are some things that we’d like to see from each QB this week as OTAs continue.
Can Bo Nix continue good start?
In our only available media session last week, Nix received a majority of the first-team reps on Thursday. During Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices, Stidham and Wilson each got their share of first-team reps, according to Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
“Look, we go by what we see,” Payton said regarding the QB rotation. “We try to get them as many reps as possible. We’re rotating all of them right now. So Tuesday, ‘Stiddy’ (QB Jarrett Stidham) ran with the ones, then [QB] Zach [Wilson], and then [QB] Bo [Nix]. We’ll keep doing that right now.”
For Nix, he’s looked extremely comfortable with the first-team unit and has a strong pocket presence. He faced pressure on several occasions but didn’t panic, stepped up in the pocket, and made some throws to evade pressure from Nik Bonitto on several reps.
The only visible critique from Thursday’s practice was that a few of Nix’s throws were behind a receiver, but that will improve with further chemistry. It’s important to note that the end result of what we saw on a few throws could also mean that a receiver didn’t get enough depth on their route or timing on the route, and the release was off, and this is applicable to every QB.
Payton said that Nix is further along than most rookies and has done a great job of picking up the offense. As long as he continues to pick it up and take things a step further, that’s all that matters.
Jarrett Stidham eager to win starting job
Stidham looked comfortable last week during the practice session we were granted attendance at. Jarrett Stidham. After starting the final two games last season, he’s got the advantage of knowing Payton’s offense a little more than Nix and Wilson do.
“Like I said, I’ve dealt with this before when I was in New England with [QB] Mac Jones,” Stidham said on Thursday. “It’s a business and I totally understand it, but at the same time, I’m here to compete. I’m not going to just sit down and let someone else walk in here and… I’m going to work my butt off to get the job. I’m super excited about it.”
So far, he has looked comfortable in the practices we’ve been able to attend and has expressed to us that he feels that way.
“Way more comfortable,” Stidham told us on Thursday. “I’m not out there thinking as much, I’m just out there playing free and playing more confident, which is great. It’s been good.”
He’s also embraced helping Wilson and Nix out despite competing with them, which is something you don’t often see in NFL locker rooms.
Zach Wilson has strong arm talent, and aims for more consistency
Wilson’s arm strength and athleticism are things that have stood out about him. Despite being the only QB to throw an interception last week, Wilson showcased his ability to throw the football into tight windows.
His one interception came on a play where it seemed two receivers were in the same area, which made it easier for one of the safeties to jump and intercept Wilson’s pass in a small window.
For the second week of OTAs, Wilson just needs to focus on finding consistency, which is something that will take time as he continues learning a brand-new offensive scheme.
Regardless, how this QB competition is analyzed and broken down by the media will be important. For far too man years, the focus has been on daily scorecards, which mean very little to the coaching staff in the long-run.
Payton and his staff are going to make the decision after the NFL preseason on the full body of work. These QBs are going to make mistakes, and it’s encouraged that they do so in practice, which will allow them to learn and adjust in team meetings.
This staff’s hope is that the players, not just the QB position, can continue to showcase growth on an upward trend and the job isn’t going to be won or lost during OTAs.
The Denver Broncos are back on the practice field on Tuesday as OTAs continue.
