Broncos news: Phillip Lindsay working on pass catching skills

The Denver Broncos news no one else in the AFC West wants to hear: Phillip Lindsay is working on adding better receiving skills to his repertoire.

In case the team didn’t already get enough help in the 2020 NFL Draft, one piece of Denver Broncos news no team in the AFC West or on the Broncos’ 2020 schedule is going to want to know about is that running back Phillip Lindsay has been working on his skills as a receiver.

If you’ll recall, Lindsay’s first career touchdown in the NFL came against the Seattle Seahawks on a brilliantly designed pass play to get his speed out in space where he’s most dangerous.

Since that play, Phillip Lindsay has caught 69 passes in 31 NFL games. He has not scored on a passing play since then, though he had one taken off the board in Houston by a bogus block-in-the-back penalty call.

It’s still shocking that Lindsay has caught 70 passes as an NFL player and he’s not scored on any since his first.

The Broncos have been targeting Lindsay in the passing game, but this is an area of his game he’s needed some improvement, to be certain. Lindsay is dynamic and a natural all-around football player, but for whatever reason, he’s not forced the Broncos to keep him out on the field in every passing situation.

Royce Freeman was targeted more times in 2019 (50) than Lindsay (48) and when you factor in that Devontae Booker took nine targets and another five went to Andy Janovich, there were plenty of opportunities that were not given to Lindsay.

There’s nothing wrong with roughly 50 passing game targets for Lindsay, but he knows he has to do better to maximize those opportunities. If he’s going to average 15-20 touches per game, he’s got to make himself indispensable on passing downs.

You know Lindsay is putting in that work this offseason. Here he is training with fellow former CU Buffalo Juwann Winfree, working on footwork, hip movement, and quick releases.

https://twitter.com/sidelinehustle/status/1255211534428655616

Lindsay is certainly looking like his usual explosive self in that video, but the hands look really nice.

Coming off of back-to-back seasons with over 1,200 all-purpose yards, year three in Denver could finally be the year Lindsay breaks out as a dynamic receiving threat. The Pat Shurmur will require it of him.

Even with Melvin Gordon in town, this is shaping up to be a huge year for the former undrafted superstar who has become one of the most beloved players in Denver.