Bo Nix says the ankle won’t change how he plays, and that matters for a Broncos offense built around his movement.
The Denver quarterback said his surgically repaired right ankle will not stop him from scrambling or leaning into the mobility that helped define his game. “Absolutely not,” Nix said, via ESPN.
“I’m going to roll [out]. I’m going to be as athletic as I can be.
… It’s a strength of ours, and so we’ve got to use our strengths. For me, that’s when I feel at my best, that’s when I feel free.
When I’m playing like that, when I’m moving around, it’s a good thing.”
Sean Payton has noticed that part of Nix’s game too. The Broncos head coach said avoiding sacks is one of the quarterback’s biggest strengths and a key reason the offense can keep drives alive.
“It’s hard to sack some quarterbacks, and he’s one of them,” Payton said. “That was something we saw on college tape, and in our league, when you take a sack, just do the analytics on it, getting points on that drive or likelihood to kick a field goal, it all drops dramatically.”
Nix said he’ll still know when to dial it back. He described a balancing act between using his legs and staying smart with his body.
“It’s always the situation,” Nix said. “If it’s a first down, I’ll go down, not take unnecessary hits.
At the same time, a key third, fourth down, you have to go get the first down, and that’s why you train hard in the offseason to withstand those hits. It’s all about being smart.
I’m not going to be dumb. I know I’m not going to run over everybody on the field.
I just got to be smart, put us, put me, in a good situation and move on to the next play.”
He also said the ankle is not getting in his way. “I feel great, feel normal.
Nothing’s holding me back out there. Playing like I normally do, and I feel really good and continue to push and progress and also continue to get ready for this long season.
”
In Los Angeles, rookie receiver Brenen Thompson is treating his early camp buzz as just a starting point, not a sign he has arrived. “I’m nowhere near where I want to be right now,” Thompson said, via the team’s website. “I think if I was, there would be issues.”
Thompson said the jump from college to the NFL has forced him into a much bigger mental load, especially in Mike McDaniel’s offense. “I think it’s something I put on myself in studying and being mature in that aspect, understanding that you can’t really play football if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Thompson said.
“It’s been a big transition, it’s been huge. I’m used to one word calls in college and now we’re in 20-word calls and really get the calls from the quarterback, dissect which part belongs to you and go out there and execute.
I put a lot on myself to study and know what I have each play, but not only that, get the mental reps of the other 60, 70 plays other players are getting in practice,” Thompson added. “Just making little strides at a time.”
Part of that growth, Thompson said, is earning trust from Justin Herbert and the rest of the locker room. “I think it’s awesome,” Thompson said.
“He’s been a great quarterback, great leader to this whole team and whole club. I think that’s a goal of every rookie coming in, to gain the trust of their fellow teammates and coaches,” Thompson added.
“I’m working very hard every day to do that.”
Over in Las Vegas, Ashton Jeanty is already looking beyond simply learning the ropes. Entering his second season, the Raiders running back said he wants to become a more vocal presence in the locker room.
“Yeah, I think being more vocal for sure,” Jeanty said, via Jared Feinberg of SI.com. “I mean, it’s always tough being in the first year trying to figure out so much stuff.
But this year, there’s a lot of expectations for me and I think I’ve got to make a big jump. I think that starts with helping my teammates as well and just being a better teammate.
So, I think that starts with leadership.”
In Other News...
Broncos Corner Battle Is Taking A Turn Fans Didn't Expect
Ten practices into training camp, Denvers cornerback pecking order is starting to take shape, and it has gone in a direction that looked a little different when camp opened. Riley Moss has separated himself in the secondary, giving the Broncos a clearer answer behind Patrick Surtain II as the defense works through the early stages of installation and competition.
Jahdae Barron, meanwhile, is not lining up where many might have expected. Sean Payton said Barron has not been shifted to safety, but the rookie is being used in multiple spots and is working in nickel and dime packages while competing more directly with Kris Abrams-Draine for a hybrid role and the No. 4 cornerback job. For a position group that still has time to evolve, the real question now is how Denver plans to deploy Barron as the camp rotation continues to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Offense Already Feels Different Under Davis Webb
Training camp has already given the Broncos a different offensive feel under new coordinator Davis Webb, and the changes are showing up in the pace and sequencing of the work. Bo Nix has been part of the early adjustment period as Denver installs new concepts on offense, while the defense has stayed mostly steady with the same veteran core returning to its familiar routine.
Vance Josephs side of the ball brings the contrast into focus, since the continuity on defense stands in sharp relief against an offense still learning its new rhythm. For Denver, the bigger question is how quickly Webb can get the unit comfortable with the fresh approach before camp starts narrowing the runway for experimentation. [Read more 🡒]