New coach. New coordinators. New quarterback. And, before the season opens Sept. 12 at Seattle, new owners.
Since the Broncos last played, the organization has undergone near-constant changes. Nathaniel Hackett replaced Vic Fangio as coach and hired Justin Outten (offense), Ejero Evero (defense) and Dwayne Stukes (special teams). Quarterback Russell Wilson was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks. And the group led by Rob Walton agreed to pay $4.65 billion for the team.
Out of the playoffs for six consecutive years, Wilson's arrival returned the Broncos to relevance. Now it's about gaining ground — or even overtaking — their AFC West rivals.
The process begins Tuesday when the full roster reports for physical exams, followed by Wednesday's 10 a.m. practice.
Here are some questions and attempted answers heading into camp:
Question: What should be the realistic expectation for this Broncos team?
Answer: Playoffs.
The AFC West is ultra-competitive and the Broncos could go 10-7 and still finish third behind Kansas City (the favorite until proven otherwise) and the Los Angeles Chargers (great offseason).
The Broncos need a productive training camp to overcome all of the aforementioned new-ness and they must go a minimum of 5-3 in the first eight weeks because the schedule stiffens after the bye (Titans, Raiders, Ravens, Cardinals, Rams, Chargers and two with the Chiefs).
Q: What are the injury concerns entering training camp?
A: The main one is new outside linebacker Randy Gregory (shoulder), who had his surgery after signing a five-year, $70 million contract and did not participate in any offseason workouts. The expectation remains that Gregory will be ready for Week 1, but when he will begin practicing and how he will be managed remains unclear.
Receiver KJ Hamler (knee/hip surgeries) has earned praise from Hackett and general manager George Paton for his rehabilitation, but his injury history should force the Broncos to take a conservative approach.
Right tackle Billy Turner (knee) was out the entire offseason, which meant the competition at his position never started.
Q: How much should we expect to see Wilson during the three preseason games?
A: The guess is if Wilson has his way, he will get playing time against Dallas and Buffalo in the first two exhibition games.
From 2013-19, when Wilson was the established Seattle starter, he averaged 36.9 pass attempts in the preseason. There was no preseason in 2020 (pandemic) and he was held out last year. The Seahawks rationalized it by saying they needed to figure out the back-up situation.
Hackett was Green Bay's offensive coordinator from 2019-21 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers sat out the entire preseason in '19 and '21.
Q: On the offensive side entering camp, what are some position competitions to monitor?
A: Only two jump off the page, but that could change once the pads go on.
Right tackle — The Broncos are painting this one as Turner vs. Calvin Anderson vs. Tom Compton. Turner, in his second tour with the club, has experience in Hackett's system from their time together in Green Bay so if he's healthy, he has the edge.
Starting tight end — Kind of, sort of, right? Albert Okwuegbunam and rookie Greg Dulcich will both play a lot, but somebody has to start the game. Okwuegbunam, entering his third year, has a terrific opportunity.
Does Hackett open up the center spot for competition between Lloyd Cushenberry and Graham Glasgow? It may make more sense for Glasgow to train at guard and center and be an experienced "swing" player.
Q: What about position competition on defense?
A: None in the starting lineup if Jonas Griffin seizes the inside linebacker spot alongside Josey Jewell.
Among the reserves, No. 4 cornerback (Michael Ojemudia, Damarri Mathis or Essang Bassey) and No. 3 safety (Caden Sterns or P.J. Locke?) will be intriguing. Initially, we would go with Ojemudia and Sterns, respectively.
Q: Is the kick/punt return job rookie Montrell Washington's to lose during camp?
A: As long he can catch the kicks, he will be the guy in Week 1.
The Broncos drafted Washington in the fifth round after he averaged 22.4 yards on 48 kick returns and 16.4 yards in 47 punt returns (five combined touchdowns) for FCS Samford.
Our post-offseason projection was that the Broncos will carry six receivers on the initial 53-man roster and Washington slots in at No. 5 (the sixth receiver will be inactive).
Q: What are the biggest question marks entering camp?
A: Offense – Will the offensive line, once the starting group is established, have enough time to gain cohesion? … Does Javonte Williams take the initial first-team running back snaps? … How big a part of the offense will the tight end be? … Can KJ Hamler simply get to Week 1 in good order to make an impact?
Defense — Can Gregory and Bradley Chubb stay available to anchor the pass rush? … Can cornerback Ronald Darby break his two-year drought of no interceptions? … Does new coordinator Ejero Evero's scheme feature more pressure calls to create more takeaways? … Is there enough depth on the defensive line after the base-package trio of D.J. Jones, Dre'Mont Jones and Mike Purcell?
Q: Should fans attending practice expect the offense or defense to have a head start?
A: Definitely the defense. Players say Evero has installed several concepts used the previous three years by coach/defensive play-caller Vic Fangio. Plus, the defense has more blue-chip players in the starting lineup. The Broncos face Geno Smith/old friend Drew Lock (Week 1 Seattle), Davis Mills (Week 2 Houston) and Trey Lance (Week 3 San Francisco). They should have the advantage.
The offense will be a work in progress because of the line.
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