The Denver Broncos return to the practice field on Tuesday, June 11 for the team's mandatory minicamp. There are a variety of reasons to be excited about this particular week of practices, including the fact that every practice is open for the media to come in and watch. Which means we're going to get a lot of updates in the middle of June on how certain Denver Broncos players are progressing, including some players who have been missing for all or some of the voluntary OTAs.
A number of notable Broncos players could be returning to the field for practices this week. Let's take a look at three prominent names to be keeping an eye out for as the team takes the field with what could be a nearly full 90-man roster.
3 Broncos players returning for mandatory minicamp
1. Courtland Sutton, WR
The arrival of Courtland Sutton this offseason has been highly anticipated as the veteran and team captain has been holding out due to a contract dispute with the team. Sutton confirmed last week on the DNVR Broncos podcast that he would, in fact, be returning to the practice field at mandatory minicamp.
That means Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix (and all three QBs, for that matter) will finally be able to have the team's #1 receiver out there to throw the ball to. Sutton noted in the interview he did with DNVR that it's been eating at him to not be out there at practice, but sometimes the business side of the NFL is what it is.
Sutton still doesn't have a new contract, but he's also not going to be paying fines to continue making his point. His stance is clear, and it's now up to his agent to figure out a way to get a deal done with the team.
2. Greg Dulcich, tight end
People may clown on the idea of Greg Dulcich coming back onto the field because of his injury history, but Dulcich is an impact player when he's healthy. Dulcich has been dealing with hamstring issues basically since he came into the league. This offseason, he apparently had foot surgery that has kept him out of the start of OTAs.
But Broncos head coach Sean Payton has noted during OTAs that Dulcich is "close" to making a return to the field, and the media in attendance at OTAs have noted that Dulcich has been working on the side field during practice, an indicator that he's likely getting close to actually coming back.
There's a runaway hype train for Lucas Krull at the tight end position right now, but a healthy Greg Dulcich would upgrade the Denver Broncos' offense significantly.
3. Riley Moss, cornerback
This is only Riley Moss's second year in the NFL, but the 2023 third-round pick is firmly in the mix for the second cornerback spot opposite Pat Surtain II. In a worst-case scenario, Moss is competing for one of the top three cornerback spots on the team, which would mean playing at least around 70 percent of this year's snaps one way or the other.
He was out last week due to a back issue, according to head coach Sean Payton, but he didn't seem overly concerned about it. Moss is now wearing the #21 jersey and hopefully he can channel some of his inner Aqib Talib on the field in terms of attacking the football in the air and making plays.
Back issues, like any lingering injuries, can be tricky. The Broncos need to play it safe with Moss, but don't be surprised if he's back out there and competing at mandatory minicamp.