ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos coach Sean Payton strode through the rows of his players as they went through their pre-practice stretching and calisthenics with a smile on his face.
And who can blame him? Any questions about his long-term future in Denver that could have lingered if the Broncos were to endure a below-expectations season, potentially putting him into a lame-duck/contract-year scenario for 2027 evaporated with word of the extension that ties him to the team through the 2030 season — which dovetails with the length of the new contract signed by general manager George Paton last month.
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“Five years,” he said when asked about whether he’d thought about the future. “I think most importantly, aligning with George and the working relationship. We enjoy coming to work together and going through this together.”
The fruits of their labor were on display Thursday as the Broncos completed their second week of OTAs.
BRONCOS MIGHT HAVE UNEARTHED SOME MORE DIAMONDS
One crucial outcome of Payton and Paton’s work together is the roster itself, which is now one of the deepest in the NFL — a stark contrast to where it stood when Paton arrived in 2021. By the time Payton arrived two years later, the reconstruction project was well under way.
By that point, Paton had already added the following players who remain with the Broncos, helping comprise the core of the roster:
2021: Inside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, right guard Quinn Meinerz, cornerback Pat Surtain II.
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2022: Edge rusher Nik Bonitto, long snapper Mitchell Fraboni, nickel cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, inside linebacker Alex Singleton, defensive lineman Enyi Uwazurike, center Luke Wattenberg.
That’s eight Broncos first-teamers — and another in Uwazurike who’s pushing for a starting role and had a quarterback pressure in Thursday’s practice.
Paton and Payton waited out the one-year gambling suspension issued to the Iowa State product in 2023, then kept him around in 2024 to develop, even though he spent most of the year on the game-day inactive list, playing just 63 defensive snaps in all.
“I remember the first year (2023) we had him in the spring, and then going through that process,” Payton said Thursday. “You’re just glad he was able to hang in because a year may not seem like a lot, but a year for anyone in this sport is a long time.”
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Now, he’s battling to replace John Franklin-Myers in the starting lineup.
“He’s doing well, practicing well. He has his weight right where it needs to be. He’s one of those guys, I think back to the question [regarding Franklin-Myers] earlier, I think he is competing for more time.”
Similar sentiments can be made of edge rusher Que Robinson, who played 162 defensive snaps last year — including the postseason — but showed enough promise to where the team has toyed with the idea of having Jonah Elliss also get some snaps in reserve at inside linebacker just so it can find a way to get Robinson in a jersey after he spent 12 games in all on the inactive list.
Robinson ended up watching most Broncos games in sweats or workout gear because neither Elliss nor Dondrea Tillman did anything to lose their game-day roster spots.
As is usually the case in practices observed in the last two years, Elliss and Tillman both generated pressures Thursday. And Robinson had what clearly would have been a sack in game conditions when he got to Jarrett Stidham.
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To Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, this came as no surprise.
“After the season — in watching the cutups, again — when Que played, he played really well,” Joseph said. “And it looked like a guy that can be a future star for us. So, it’s our job to keep improving with Que and get him more reps.
“Last year, he didn’t dress (in) a lot of games. He dressed a handful of games. But when he dressed, he played well for Coach (Darren) Rizzi, and for me. Obviously, it’s a year later, and he’s ready for the next step as far as playing more defensive snaps and more team snaps.”
ENGRAM MAKES HIS PRESENCE KNOWN
On the offensive side of the line of scrimmage, tight end Evan Engram was the most active pass-catching target. He grabbed the first pass of the initial seven-on-seven period from Jarrett Stidham, then added a few other receptions — including one for a double-digit yardage gain on an out pattern near the right sideline.
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“He’s doing well. He’s moving well. He’s extending plays,” Payton said. “Again, it’s a little easier for those guys that are further away from the ball in these types of OTAs than the linemen. Yet it’s important timing and it’s important for him in his second year. He’s doing a good job with it.”
For the full report from Thursday’s Broncos practice, watch the video: