ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Ja’Quan McMillian thought he was in good position, but the ball kept climbing. That’s because the receiver the Broncos defensive back was covering in practice, veteran Josh Reynolds, kept elevating, too.
When the rising spiral from rookie quarterback Bo Nix met Reynolds at the apex of his leap, all McMillian could do was shake his head. The considerable wingspan and leaping ability of the 6-foot-3 wide receiver had won out — and not for the last time Wednesday.
“Look, the guy that jumped out was Josh Reynolds,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after practice. “Shoot, he had three or four catches that were something else.”
The Broncos signed Reynolds, 29, to a two-year deal in free agency that could be worth as much as $14 million, valuing a wide range of traits they believe he’ll add to an answer to a receiving corps in need of more consistent staples. His signing was also illustrative of Payton’s desire to get bigger at wide receiver — or at least play bigger. Reynolds is listed at 194 pounds, but his wiry frame belies a punch he brings as a run blocker. In an overall quest to become a more consistent running team, winning battles on the perimeter is an important part of the equation. With Reynolds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick — all 6-3 or taller — the Broncos believe they will be improved in that facet.
GO DEEPER
Broncos rookie progress report: Troy Franklin, Kris Abrams-Draine making noise
But Reynolds’ No. 1 job is providing a consistent target for whoever ends up as the Broncos’ starting quarterback. Through four team periods — Denver’s most extensive practice since camp began — Reynolds demonstrated some of what he’ll bring as an “outside-in” receiver in Payton’s offense. He found space inside of cornerback Pat Surtain II to catch a well-thrown ball from Nix on a slant route. Later, he got a step on Levi Wallace down the left sideline and then leaped up to grab a deep throw from Zach Wilson, over the contesting arms of the veteran cornerback.
“He’s a vet, through and through, and so am I, so we always know what time it is when we get up in front of each other,” Wallace said of battles with Reynolds, which included each player winning a rep during a one-on-one drill earlier in practice. “I think he went two reps to one on me today, but there’s days where I’ll get him. We’re good friends. We laugh and we joke and we try to trade notes on what we saw and things like that. We’re getting good work out here. … That’s football.”
Reynolds caught 40 passes for 608 yards and a career-high five touchdowns last season in Detroit. Among 102 NFL receivers who caught at least 40 passes last season, his 15.2 yards per reception ranked 13th, according to TruMedia. When the Broncos were evaluating Reynolds ahead of free agency, needing a cost-effective replacement for Jerry Jeudy, they had a valuable resource in pass-game coordinator John Morton, who had seen Reynolds up close as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit in 2022.
“(The feedback) was real good,” Payton said. “He’s a tough player. He’s got range. You saw today that there were a number of 50-50 balls he ended up with. We had a real clear vision for him and I’m glad we have him.”
Reynolds in this camp looks like a player who may be forcing that vision to grow.
Other takeaways as the Broncos practiced in pads for the third straight day:
More on Broncos offensive lineman suffering a significant ankle injury at Wednesday’s practice.
“It’s one of the bitter realities of our game.” https://t.co/9HCQ9k9eQU
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) July 31, 2024
Nix sharp in rotation with first team
Nix on Wednesday ran the first-team offense for the third time since camp began last week and had his best performance in that role so far. He deftly dodged pressure on his first rep and delivered an on-the-run, on-target throw to Marvin Mims Jr. The play resulted in an incomplete pass thanks to a Herculean effort by linebacker Alex Singleton to rip the ball from Mims, but it was another example of Nix using his legs to create opportunities, something that has been more pronounced in the past few practices.
During the same opening team period, Nix buried a slant throw into Reynolds’ chest against tight coverage and later maneuvered through traffic in the pocket to hit tight end Greg Dulcich for a nice gain. He twice found Lil’Jordan Humphrey over the middle on third-down plays.
GO DEEPER
Broncos QB battle: Finding a ‘happy medium’ between safe and soaring pass attempts
His final throw of the day came during a series focused on third-and-long plays, and it hit Sutton on the right sideline for a 15-yard gain. Both that completion and the previous sideline throw to Reynolds demonstrated an ability to layer intermediate throws to the outside against tight coverage. He had mixed results with his deep ball. He threw a perfect go route for Reynolds to beat Wallace during the one-on-one drills, but later missed Phillip Dorsett after the veteran receiver had come free deep down the field — though it’s possible Dorsett lost the ball in the sun as he got turned around.
Overall, Nix showed power behind his arm Wednesday.
“I like his progress,” said Payton, who has largely refrained from making day-to-day evaluations of the quarterbacks during the competition.
Starters to play in preseason
Payton on Wednesday said the team’s starters will play in the preseason, beginning with the Aug. 11 exhibition opener at Indianapolis. This is no surprise. Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and the majority of the team’s starters played snaps in each of Denver’s three preseason games last season.
“I think it’s important to build a callus,” Payton said. “Obviously, you weigh the reps, so when I say we’re going to play them, in Week 1 it will be a certain amount of snaps, in Week 2 the same and then we’ll see where we’re at Week 3. I think it’s important. Our guys know that.”
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
The biggest question is how the quarterback competition will be handled in the preseason. When measuring by the division of first-team reps, it’s a race that appears to be down to Nix and Jarrett Stidham. Both of those quarterbacks have now worked with the top offense three times during practice. Wilson has done so once, though Payton said Tuesday the change in rotation doesn’t serve as an announcement about a change in the competition.
Either way, the preseason should serve as a critical evaluation point.
Iron sharpens iron ⚒️@SuttonCourtland x @PatSurtainll pic.twitter.com/9BS25E2Pfw
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 31, 2024
Quote of the day
Defensive lineman D.J. Jones is entering his third year with the Broncos and his eighth season in the NFL overall. So he was asked whether he’s reached a point in his career where he has to do more to take care of his body during the grind of training camp.
“Oh, yeah,” Jones said. “If anyone tells you no, they’re lying.”
After a brief pause, Jones delivered the punchline.
“Or they’re a kicker.”
(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)
