ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — That the Denver Broncos got Dre Greenlaw back for full-scale work Tuesday — including team-period repetitions — was a significant step forward after he saw limited work last week in his recovery from a quad injury suffered when he pulled up while covering J.K. Dobbins in a one-on-one drill on July 31.
It gave the Broncos a glimpse at their first-team defense in its intended design, with Greenlaw and Alex Singleton together at the core, the pair of inside linebackers counted upon to help guide the defense to the league’s elite after its late-season fade last year.
Without Singleton — who was lost in Week 3 — and with Riley Moss injured and starting safety P.J. Locke playing through an injury that would eventually necessitate spinal-fusion surgery — Denver’s defense was a shadow of its early-season self in the final weeks. Last December, it was 32nd in total defense. In January, Buffalo trampled it, holding the football for longer than any other team against the Broncos in just over 41 years.
But the Broncos need Singleton and Greenlaw together to change that. Singleton returned from the fractured thumb he suffered early in training camp nearly two weeks ago; Greenlaw’s recovery took longer.
Now they’re together, and while they’ve been able to work together in the meeting room, where they sit side by side, the missing element has been on-field work.
“I think when you take into consideration one of them is coming in new to this defense, there are some variables there that need to be worked out,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
But the more snaps they can get to work out those variables and find the cohesion that defines most top-tier inside-linebacker tandems, the better. And there’s only one chance for game repetitions in there — Saturday at New Orleans. So, just how necessary would those snaps be?
“I think all these snaps, they all factor [in] when they’re out on the field together,” Paytons aid. “So we have this week, we have Saturday and then obviously a few days next week. Then we’re leading into the game and there’s going to be that growth at the start of the season.
“I do think it’s a good question, and I’d be curious to hear their response.”
What they’ll get in practice, at least, is better than nothing. But the fact that Payton noted growth “at the start of the season” shows that the Broncos’ linebacker duo likely won’t be all the way there by the time the opener with the Tennessee Titans arrives.
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PLAY OF THE DAY
Bo Nix climbed the pocket under pressure during a team period and found Troy Franklin past Riley Moss down the left side for a gain of 20 yards that would have potentially been a 60-yard touchdown under game conditions when adding yardage after the catch.
BRONCOS CAMP NOTES
Pat Bryant continued his strong summer with three receptions from Nix during Tuesday’s practice. Franklin and Courtland Sutton were also on the receiving end of multiple passes from Nix during the practice.
The seven pre-snap penalties in the preseason opener against Arizona — including one that was offset — were a point of emphasis in recent days. “We showed them all to the team the other day. They were going to watch them,” Payton said. “There’s pre-snap, there’s post-play. We can control those: pre-snap, post-play … Those are a little bit more discipline.” Two of them were against rookie tight end Caleb Lohner, who played just 57 snaps of college football, and Payton noted that his lack of experience had “a little bit” of an impact. “But we gotta get going,” Payton said.
There were two punting periods, including one focusing on placing punts inside the 20-yard line with the line of scrimmage around midfield. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw had only one punt sail into the end zone for a touchback during that period.
Veteran J.K. Dobbins was a standout of the running period early in practice. “Dobbins had a really good run. He’ll keep working on it though, mesh points and the timing of it all,” Payton said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The second practice of the week on Wednesday morning. Practices are closed to the general public going forward.
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