5 takeaways from Day 1 of Broncos training camp
1. injury report: Wide receiver A.T. Perry (ankle; PUP) remains sidelined, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey was absent for the second straight day on Friday. Denver coach Sean Payton seemingly indicated that it's nothing to be concerned about. "He should be returning, I'm going to say, either tomorrow or Monday," Payton said. "We'll keep you posted. No announcements.'
2. Cornerback rotation: After getting reps as an outside cornerback earlier in the week, first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron lined up in the slot on Friday. Barron's versatility will be a great addition to Vance Joseph's secondary, and it improves depth at multiple positions because he's even capable of filling in at safety. "[T]here are a handful of guys that are going to dual train and there's a handful that would be outside," Payton said. "Every once in a while, you have a corner that can go to safety. There's a vision with each player relative to where we see him at. The flexibility certainly helps, especially on third down.' Payton noted that the team envisions Barron "starting off competing inside," but he's clearly capable of playing outside, too.
3. Troy Franklin's trending up: Multiple reporters after Friday's practice noted that Franklin had an impressive day. Payton also praised Franklin this spring, but after the first day of camp, the coach pushed back on potential Day 1 overreactions. 'We just started," Payton said when asked if Franklin's taking a step up in Year 2. "But do I think he has a chance to? [Yes.] I felt like we began to see that towards the latter part of last season. I'm looking forward to seeing him. He's had a real good offseason. It's just a little early to make headlines, 'Troy Franklin's making steps up.' He had a good day.' A good day. Just hold off on the headlines -- for now.
4. Que Robinson has also impressed: Robinson, the team's fourth-round pick in April's draft, is projected to begin his pro career primarily as a special teams player because the Broncos are so deep at outside linebacker. Robinson impressed this spring, though, and that seems to have carried over into training camp. "Que is coming on for sure," veteran Jonathon Cooper said Friday. "Definitely a big talent for us. I think he's going to be a great addition to the team." If Robinson continues this trend, the rookie pass rusher might end up getting more snaps on defense than initially expected.
5. Stay tuned for Monday: The pads aren't on yet, so it's hard to judge the running backs (and the trenches). Everything's different when players are wearing shorts and shirts. That will change when the pads arrive on Monday. "It's difficult for those guys, honestly," Payton said of the running backs taking reps without pads. "It's difficult for the offense and defensive lines. They're trying to do their jobs and to keep it safe. It becomes a little bit easier when we're in pads. I think up until then, it's difficult.'
Denver is set to practice again on Saturday before a day off on Sunday. The team will have 13 total practices open to fans this summer (but tickets are required due to the limited capacity). Next week, the Broncos will have six straight days of practice as camp heats up. Stay tuned.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of training camp
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