Attendance
Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — WR A.T. Perry (foot/ankle). Out — ILB Alex Singleton (thumb), ILB Drew Sanders (foot), OLB Que Robinson (unknown), WR Devaughn Vele (unknown).
Robinson was a somewhat expected absence after he was seen limping toward the end of Tuesday’s practice. Vele, though, was surprisingly missing from action Wednesday. The second-year receiver previously missed all of Denver’s minicamp with injury.
Newcomer impact
Yesterday was rookie RJ Harvey’s day, shining amid a new-look Broncos running back room. Wednesday was J.K. Dobbins’.
On easily the chippiest day of camp yet, the Broncos’ defensive front — as has been the case for months — dominated the first team period. They hooted. They hollered. They locked arms in glee. At the heart of it all was emotional ringleader Malcolm Roach, who devoured Dobbins on an early run in 9-on-7 work (defense had nine) and let him know about it.
Dobbins, though, is no shy presence himself. In subsequent 11-on-11 work, he took a draw, registered split-second that Denver’s front had overloaded on the right, and jump-cut two gaps to burst through a clean hole in the middle of the formation.
And after trotting out the rest of his run, Dobbins came back off the field barking warning shots at Roach and the Broncos’ defense.
“It’s the sheer speed, power,” Dobbins’ high school coach Matt Kates said last month, “but the ability to make somebody miss in a phone booth is something that even great backs don’t have.”
Between Dobbins and Harvey putting plenty of shifty cuts on practice tape in recent days, Denver’s RB room has shown explosiveness in camp. Both have gotten their fair share of reps, but Dobbins has taken early pole position as the Broncos’ likely leading man.
Top Plays
Estime goes bowling: Speaking of Denver’s backfield … In one single rep, second-year back Audric Estime showed more pep than he’s had all training camp — and put forth his best play of the preseason. As undrafted rookie Jordan Turner filled a gap on an Estime carry, the linebacker took 230 pounds of accelerated force straight to the chest. Estime knocked him on his backside so hard, in fact, that it sent the offense and defense alike into a frenzy, Evan Engram bellowing in support and Roach verbally tipping the cap.
Courtland Sutton head-tap: The man certainly isn’t resting on his golden laurels. On a simple 5-yard out toward the end of 11-on-11, Sutton took flight to high-point a toss from Sam Ehlinger and pin it to his helmet, somehow maintaining control as he crashed to the grass on top of a defensive back. It’s the type of grab he’s paid $92 million to make.
Thumbs Up
Trash talk: Dove Valley was ablaze with chatter Wednesday. Dobbins, a veteran wholly unafraid to make his presence known, led the Broncos’ offense. Fellow veteran free-agent signee Engram joined him. Offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz yapped, too. None of them, though, could hold a candle to defensive tackle Roach, who ripped off his helmet and bellowed to anyone in earshot after a stop in early 9-on-7 run work.
“I mean, sitting next to him in the locker room, guy doesn’t shut up,” receiver Marvin Mims Jr. cracked after practice. “He’s talking crap to receivers. It’s like, you’re a fat guy.”
Roughly a half hour later, Roach retaliated with a rather choice finger on Twitter. Mims replied he needed PR training and literally tagged a Broncos PR staffer. The games continue.
Thumbs Down
Ehlinger wayward: Jarrett Stidham was re-signed to a two-year deal this offseason to serve as Bo Nix’s unequivocal backup, meaning free-agent import Sam Ehlinger can’t afford many stumbles if he wants to force Denver to carry three quarterbacks on its initial roster. On Wednesday, he looked a beat slow in going through progressions, tossed a deep ball out-of-bounds when Jerjuan Newton had a step, and fired too high to an open Joaquin Davis toward the end of team work. Ehlinger had some solid moments this offseason and appears to have a great rapport in Denver’s quarterback room, but it wasn’t his finest day.
Odds and Ends
• The Levelle Bailey agenda is taking shape. Bailey’s been the biggest beneficiary of increased reps at ILB in Singleton and Sanders’ absences. After the offseason and camp he’s had, it’ll be extremely hard for anyone to play him out of a role. The second-year Fresno State product stood up Estime on an early run and filled gaps beautifully on a pitch to Jaleel McLaughlin and handoff to Harvey.
• Speaking of those increased ILB reps, undrafted rookie Jordan Turner caught some eyeballs on Wednesday, drawing verbal coaching praise after staying square and meeting McLaughlin on one run. Veteran Justin Strnad hasn’t popped much in recent days, and the room could see a notable reshuffling amid injury.
• Trent Sherfield was largely viewed as a special-teams add in free agency, but he has shown plenty of upside as a receiver in camp. He made two standout grabs Wednesday, catching a deep corner route from Bo Nix and strong-arming another ball over the middle. Head coach Sean Payton loves receivers who can block, and Sherfield fits the mold. He could be a sneaky-big factor in Denver’s wideout room this year.
“We’ve always had a handful of receivers that can run and stretch the field, and when you get one that can do that and then block also, you can set up play-action, marries well to the run game,” Payton said of him Saturday.
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