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Broncos Day 9 camp notes: Offense struggles against blitz

Sometimes, practice is for working on things a player or team isn't very good at executing. Isn't that right, Mr. Iverson?
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2018; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph on the first day of training camp at UCHealth Training Center.

ENGLEWOOD — Sometimes, we forget a team is not always supposed to look good in practice.

Sometimes, practice is for working on things a player or team isn’t very good at executing. Isn’t that right, Mr. Iverson?

The 11-on-11 “pressure” period Tuesday on a warm, sunny morning at UCHealth Training Center, for instance. Denver’s three defensive units brought blitzes and whether it was the quarterback not recognizing the pressure pre-snap, or a running back not picking up the blitzer, or the offensive line struggling to work in concert, the Broncos’ three offensive teams struggled.

“Yes, they struggled a lot,’’ said Broncos head coach Vance Joseph. “That’s why we do it. It’s a team pass period. Billy (Musgrave, the Broncos’ offensive coordinator) has been great at calling really good plays versus our defense for the first week-and-a-half. Today, we called five-man pressures. We want our offense to have the ability to block pressure without maxing up all the time. We want to get four guys out running pass patterns.’’

Yes, for some of the greats, practice is about strengthening strengths. For everybody else, practice is better utilized improving weaknesses and correcting mistakes.

Lynch, Kelly update

Joseph didn’t come right out and say Paxton Lynch. Although, Chad Kelly continued to quarterback the third-team offense and Lynch stayed with the No. 2 offense Tuesday, Joseph didn’t declare it that way when asked if his backup quarterback was on the practice field Tuesday.

“We have a starter, obviously in Case (Keenum) and we have two guys behind him that are competing their butt off to be the two,’’ Joseph said. “So, yes, we have them on the field.”

Tight end health concerns

When training camp opened, Austin Traylor might have been considered an underdog to make the 53-man roster. But in the last seven of nine camp practices, Traylor has taken virtually every first-team tight end rep.

The usual No. 1 tight end, Jeff Heuerman, has been out with a knee injury. A concern considering Heuerman’s been injury-plagued throughout his young career. No. 2 tight end Jake Butt has been healthy with Broncos’ fingers crossed after he missed his rookie season last year to recover from ACL surgery.

And No. 3 tight end, rookie Troy Fumagalli, missed the entire offseason to recover from sports hernia surgery and practice Tuesday with a sore groin.

Traylor has been playing in large part because he has stayed healthy. He’s a solid player but tight end is perhaps the one position that brings the Broncos the most concern.

Bronco Bits

Defensive end Adam Gotsis (ankle), receiver Corey “Philly” Brown (concussion) and cornerback Marcos Rios (hips) returned to practice Tuesday. …

Cornerback Tramaine Brock (hamstring), safety Su’a Cravens (knee), inside linebacker Joe Jones (unspecified) didn’t practice. …

The Broncos drew 3,852 fans to camp practice Tuesday.

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