Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Reporter Charles Robinson is out on the road covering training camps. Today’s stop: the Denver Broncos
The Broncos QB competition has simmered down to rookie Bo Nix vs. Jarrett Stidham. For now, the staff wants Nix to continue to feel the element of competition. But hes doing what he needs to be the opening day starter, steadily improving as he goes. So long as that continues, Nix will be one of three rookie QB starters in Week 1, joining the Chicago Bears Caleb Williams and the Washington Commanders Jayden Daniels.
Running back Javonte Williams is in great shape and will be the No. 1, but make no mistake, fifth-round pick Audric Estime is going to get a nice chunk of run as a rookie. The staff (especially Sean Payton) absolutely loves his physicality, while the front office feels like Denver stole him in the draft. That equals playing time.
Im going to be watching all of the wide receivers closely. Theres going to be a ton of competition at the position and Payton is keeping the door wide open for surprises. One super dark horse: seventh-round rookie wideout Devaughn Vele, who is 26 years old and a legit 6-foot-4 with solid speed. Its hard to look at him and forget that Payton pulled a seventh-round rabbit out of the hat in the 2006 draft when the New Orleans Saints selected a big-bodied unknown in Marques Colston.
After a disappointing second season, tight end Greg Dulcich is working back into the fold as a dynamic pass catcher. Hes never going to be the blocker Sean Payton covets, but theres definitely a recognition of him in Year 3 as a matchup advantage. Denver doesnt have a ton of those. If he stays healthy, that bodes well for Dulcich.
Overall, theres a stillness to Broncos camp that wasnt there in Paytons first year. In 2023, he came in hot with a lot of spicy headlines, but he now seems more settled with the teaching thats taking shape. One little chippy point? The betting over/under prediction of 5 1/2 wins is a bit of a slap for a coach who has never won fewer than seven games in 16 years.
After Gary Kubiak departed following the 2016 season, the Broncos cycled through five different offensive coordinators in the next six years. With that came multiple changes in scheme and a general but predictable dysfunction. Now theres the continuity of running Paytons system in back-to-back years and beyond. Thats going to matter.