Especially given all the good news surrounding young quarterback Bo Nix so far at Denver Broncos training camp, things have been going quite well, all things considered. But no NFL training camp is going perfectly right now and every team -- the Broncos included -- is dealing with some issues whether big or small.
The focus of Denver Broncos training camp has been the quarterback battle, but there are a lot of other areas of this team that could dictate whether this team is able to surpass the disgustingly low expectations the NFL world seems to have of them.
What are some of the problems they're facing early on in training camp?
3 early problems the Denver Broncos are facing in training camp
1. Clarity/key injury at cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II
I'm not sure if we want to call this a legitimate "problem" just yet or if it was mostly expected at this point, but the Denver Broncos currently lack clarity at the cornerback position opposite Pat Surtain II.
And one of the top candidates for the job -- veteran Levi Wallace -- just went down with a hamstring injury and the timetable for his return is not yet known. Even though the injury to Wallace could be a short-term situation, the concern for the Broncos right now is whether or not the youth at the position is going to actually come through for this team.
The top options right now are 2022 fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis and 2023 third-round pick Riley Moss to go along with Pat Surtain II and Ja'Quan McMillian. Surtain and McMillian have locked up primary roles for this defense, but someone is going to be facing no fewer than 100 targets this coming season on the other side of the field from Surtain.
Who can the Broncos trust over there? We've heard mixed results from training camp so far regarding both Mathis and Moss, so the preseason will be key for each of those guys in proving they are worthy of the increase in snap count this year.
2. Broncos might have to cut a really good running back (or two)
There are "bad" problems to have like injuries or players looking rough on the practice field, and then there are "good" problems like having too many quality players at a position. As in, the Broncos might be facing a situation where they actually have to cut some good players at running back when the time comes to assemble their 53-man roster.
There's almost no doubt that three spots at the running back position are locked up: Javonte Williams is not going anywhere. Jaleel McLaughlin is not going anywhere. Rookie Audric Estimé is not going anywhere.
The question now becomes whether or not the Broncos decide to keep four running backs on the team and play roster gymnastics elsewhere. They could very well keep five total backs including a fullback on the 53-man roster, but sacrifices would have to be made at other position groups.
The primary guys we'd be worried about cutting at this point are veteran Samaje Perine and rookie free agent Blake Watson, one of the team's priority pickups after the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos signed Perine to a two-year deal in 2023 and he was effective as a runner and receiver, though he didn't really get many carries (just 53) on the season as a whole. For a guy who was so heavily involved in the offense, that number is astonishingly low.
Watson is someone the Broncos won't likely be able to hide after the preseason. He just recently came off the non-football injury list and is back practicing, but his roster spot is not guaranteed by any means.
Again, this is a "good" problem to have when you have this much talent at a position group, but the Broncos need to do their best to maximize value however they can.
3. The safety position is full of unknowns
As I was putting this post together, news dropped that the Broncos were moving on from young safety Caden Sterns, which only already fortified this particular point.
The team is full of unknowns at the safety position, although we can certainly make some assumptions. We know the Broncos love PJ Locke as a starter, and justifiably so. Brandon Jones was signed in free agency to be a starter for this team. JL Skinner and Devon Key are two young players who have had a solid training camp so far, both players getting work with the 1st-team defense.
On the other side of the coin, you just cut Sterns, who was supposed to be a factor on the defense this coming season. Brandon Jones has been dealing with a hamstring injury and also missed time during OTAs with an injury.
JL Skinner and Devon Key have no regular season experience.
When you are committed to a youth movement, you are committed, I guess. The Broncos could very well bring back Justin Simmons, a move that makes a lot of sense on paper. Or they could enter the season with this young group and ride with whatever happens. Is that a problem, per se?
Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some folks would be ecstatic to see JL Skinner earn additional snaps while others would be furious that the team didn't bring Simmons back while they had the chance.