With the Denver Broncos set to report for training camp towards the end of July, various players will compete with one another for a spot on the active roster, but they’ll also get a chance to compete with another NFL team.
According to Jori Epstein who covers the Dallas Cowboys for USATODAY, the Broncos will host a joint training camp practice with the Cowboys leading up to their Aug. 13 preseason matchup.
The Cowboys will hold joint training camp practices with the Chargers and Broncos, source tells @usatodaysports.
Scheduled to practice with Broncos Thurs, 8/11 before Saturday preseason game. With Chargers on Wed, Thurs 8/17-18 before 8/20 matchup. Bonus chances vs competition.
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 18, 2022
The current plan per source is that the Broncos will host the Cowboys on Thursday, Aug. 11, and practice separately on Friday, Aug. 12 before they play that Saturday to open up their preseason slate.
Denver will travel to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 before closing out their final preseason game at home against the Minnesota Vikings.
Joint training camp practices are useful for coaches and personnel executives as they evaluate their roster leading toward final roster cuts before the regular season.
For the Broncos, hosting the Cowboys in a joint practice will be beneficial for first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and offensive coordinator Justin Outten who is installing a brand new offense led by Russell Wilson under center.
The Broncos’ first-team defense will get plenty of opportunities to test where they are at by competing against Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Denver secondary will compete against CeeDee Lamb, Dalton Schultz, James Washington, and Jalen Tolbert who was drafted by the Cowboys out of South Alabama.
Competing against those players will also be beneficial for Patrick Surtain II as he enters his second season in the NFL, Ronald Darby, and Justin Simmons who returns to captain the defense.
One storyline that will be interesting to follow is whether or not Broncos’ free-agent acquisition Randy Gregory will be able to participate in practice after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery this off-season.
There is no official timetable for his return, but Hackett said they expect him to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Another thing to monitor is how the first-team Broncos offense will look against a very aggressive Cowboys defense led by Dan Quinn.
What will Denver’s rotation at running back look like between Javonte Williams, and Melvin Gordon, with Mike Boone and Damarea Crockett looking to get reps behind those two?
There will be plenty of storylines to watch for as the Broncos report for training camp in July.