On Monday, the Denver Broncos were back on the grass after a day off. There were no pads for Day 9, with the players in shorts and shells, but it was a spirited practice nonetheless.
Let’s get to Day 9’s news and notes.
Wide receiver A.T. Perry (ankle) remains on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Meanwhile, linebackers Alex Singleton (thumb), Drew Sanders (foot), Dre Greenlaw (quad), and Que Robinson (knee) didn’t practice for the same reasons that none of them have for days.
Fullback Michael Burton returned to the practice field after missing Day 8. It was curious that Robinson still sat out (with a knee brace on), considering Sean Payton’s optimism last week that we’d see him back out there by Monday. Injuries and their associated recovery aren’t often perfectly predictable.
Barron hasn’t exactly looked bad — far from it — but those big splash plays that make him an obvious winner on a given day haven’t been there. Day 9 saw the rookie first-round make some big plays, as The Denver Post’s Luca Evans reported.
“And as Barron continues to learn the complexities of working the nickel at this level, he gave fans a glimpse of his raw traits on Monday. First came a tremendous one-on-one play in drills against none other than Courtland Sutton,” Evans wrote. “Barron attached himself to Sutton’s chest and sent a deep ball bouncing away. Then came an advanced-level rep on a third down in a team period. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sent Barron screaming in on a nickel blitz, leaving quarterback Bo Nix with no other choice than to chuck a ball out of bounds.”
It’s great to see the rookie getting his. Barron obviously factors in big to the Broncos’ defensive plans, so Day 9 was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the future holds for the first-round pick.
Bo Nix was picked off twice on Day 9, once during 7-on-7s by safety Devon Key and again during 11-on-11 by linebacker Justin Strnad. Remember, Nix didn’t throw his first interception until Friday’s practice (Day 7), but he’s been consistently pushing the envelope, which has resulted in some turnovers.
After practice, Payton dismissed the interceptions .
“Look, we’re charting picks here like hurricanes, so he is doing fine,” Payton said of Nix.
After some explosive comments given to Yahoo Sports, Payton also told local reporters on Monday how far Nix has come, although the project is still “ongoing.”
“He’s much further along. What it allows him to do is message more to other players in the huddle,” Payton said of Nix. “He’s light years further along. He’s doing well.”
The rookie third-rounder had himself a day. As KOARadio‘s Ryan Edwards reported on X, Bryant “split the secondary” to haul in a 70-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham. The battle for the No. 2 wide receiver job has been fierce since camp began, and Bryant just let everyone know that his hat is still in the ring.
Payton was impressed by third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s day at the office. Ehlinger hit undrafted rookie wideout Courtney Jackson on a nice 40-yard connection as the quarterback was essentially falling out of bounds, per Edwards once again.
“He made a throw today. He’s extremely athletic, and he’s comfortable throwing on the run,” Payton said of Ehlinger. “There’s a little moxie to him. Sometimes it can be a little big for guys, but with him, not at all. You feel like a guy who has played well before, and his confidence and he carries himself that way. He’s very good off the pocket, very good off schedule. He’s strong. I like the player a lot.”
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It’s also good to see Jackson make a big play. He and fellow undrafted rookie Joaquin Davis have made it harder on the incumbents ahead of them on the wide receiver depth chart.
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