Broncos Journal: Four takeaways following Denver’s offseason program, including two breakout receivers ...Middle East

On Thursday morning, the Broncos spent about an hour on the practice field going through their final minicamp session of June.

By Thursday evening, players and coaches found their way to planes, trains and automobiles on the high tail toward summer break.

So now the NFL goes (mostly) dark for a few weeks before everybody reconvenes for training camp, the preseason and eventually the 2025 regular season. Players will report back in late July and, as Broncos coach Sean Payton says, “board the aircraft carrier” for what they hope will be a season that extends well into January.

In the meantime, here are four thoughts on what we’ve learned, observed and think about the Broncos as they check the last bit of the offseason program off the list and turn their attention, eventually, toward training camp.

Bo Nix’s growth is obvious — off the field more than on

The second-year quarterback looks more comfortable with what he’s doing on the field. He and Payton each said so multiple times over the past month.

Nix has more continuity around him than perhaps ever before in his football playing days at any level, and he had more time for rest and recovery this spring than he’s had in years.

Payton says he’s quicker making decisions and getting in and out of the huddle. Nix himself said he’s not thinking at all about the offense and is instead focusing entirely on the defense.

That’s all well and good. What really stands out being at no-pads, no-real-pressure practices, though, is the feel Nix gives.

This is fully his team. He knows it. Everybody else does, too. He appears comfortable carrying that load, whether it’s jawing with defensive teammates during practice or sitting courtside at a Nuggets game. Running a kids camp at Valor Christian or outlining the team’s goals in front of reporters.

There’s a lot more to being a franchise quarterback than throwing a corner route on time, obviously. We’ll get the full look at how ready Nix is to make the on-field jump come September. For now, it’s clear he’s in full, comfortable control of a lot of the other stuff.

Two breakout candidates… at the same position

Looking back throughout the offseason, Denver’s really gone to work trying to upgrade the playmaking talent around Nix. They’ve added tight end Evan Engram and running back J.K. Dobbins through free agency and running back RJ Harvey, receiver Pat Bryant and tight end Caleb Lohner in the draft.

Engram, Dobbins and Harvey have the biggest 2025 expectations, of course. But among the factors that will determine just how much more dynamic Denver’s offense can be are a trio of young returning receivers.

Marvin Mims Jr. started to break out down the stretch of the 2024 season. This summer, second-year men Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele each looked capable of doing the same. Not everybody can catch 70 balls, so the competition for playing time will be steep, but Franklin and Vele took turns looking primed to take big leaps forward this fall.

Vele missed all of minicamp with a knee issue but will be ready for training camp. Franklin repeatedly ran away from the defense and drew praise multiple times, including Thursday, from Payton.

“Repetition is the mother of learning and you’re seeing him play faster and with a much greater awareness within each play,” Payton said of the 2024 fourth-round pick out of Oregon. “He’s extremely explosive and I think he’s, I would say, 5 pounds heavier. A little thicker. He’s had a good spring.”

If you’ve got six RBs, do you have no RBs?

Payton said multiple times last year he was getting used to the idea of trying to work three running backs into a gameday rotation rather than two.

So, what did Denver do this offseason after letting Javonte Williams hit free agency? Drafted Harvey in the second round, signed Dobbins this month and kept everybody else.

Payton snarled last week at the idea of starting to count roster spots before the pads even come on, and, to be fair, we’re not real good at math over here in newspaper land. But to borrow a Kevin Bacon line from Apollo 13: “I can add.”

There’s not room for Dobbins, Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson. Injuries could pop up, sure, but if this group is healthy, somebody or somebodies are getting pinched.

The addition of Dobbins makes it easy to think about pairing him with Harvey atop the room. McLaughlin’s not your typical third-down back, but he had by far the most trust from the staff a year ago and he’s looked good this spring. Payton’s reiterated multiple times publicly that Estime’s going to get chances and the Broncos told his camp the same before the offseason program began. But Badie got a spot on the playoff roster ahead of him in January.

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Here’s a prediction nobody can be salty about: This will be a great camp battle.

Vance Joseph’s defense has no obvious holes — with one big caveat

Pretty straightforward here. The Broncos were too soft up the middle last year, so they went big in landing safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw. The veteran safety’s presence has been felt immediately, though only half of Denver’s starting inside linebackers and safeties participated fully this spring because Greenlaw (quad) and Alex Singleton (knee) are rehabbing injuries.

This defense has a chance to be every bit as good or even better than last year’s, which was among the best and most disruptive in the NFL. They’ve got talent at every level. They had perhaps the best defensive front in the game last year and added a pair of draft picks in Sai’Vion Jones and Que Robinson (one of the spring’s standouts). They had maybe the best cornerback group in football and drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round.

There’s really only one major caveat lurking and that’s the need to continue on the path of being among the healthier teams in football.

That’s never a sure thing.

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