Latest news with #SeanPayton
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw (quad) sidelined at OTAs
After straining his quad while working out this spring, Denver Broncos inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been sidelined at organized team activities this week, according to the Denver Post's Luca Evans. Despite not participating in the on-field work, Greenlaw is "still at Denver's facility this week and is around the team," according to Evans. Broncos coach Sean Payton indicated earlier this month that Greenlaw is expected to return in time for training camp later this summer. Advertisement 'He's on schedule," Payton said of Greenlaw's recovery. "I saw the early reports, and you don't know how tempted I get sometimes… But I showed great restraint. He's doing well and will be a full participant in training camp. All of that's doing great, but I refrained.' Greenlaw, 28, signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with Denver in March. He spent the first six years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, totaling 455 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions (including a pick-six), two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 64 career games (56 starts). Once healthy, Greenlaw is projected to serve as the Broncos' top inside linebacker in 2025. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Dre Greenlaw (quad) sidelined at OTAs
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean Payton's 2017 coaching staff looks incredible in hindsight
Sean Payton's 2017 coaching staff looks incredible in hindsight #Saints Coaching Staff 2017: Sean Payton - DEN HC Dan Campbell - DET HC Joe Lombardi - DEN OC Curtis Johnson - UFL HC Joe Brady - Soon to be HC Dennis Allen - Former HC Ryan Nielsen - Jax DC Mike Nolan - UFL HC Aaron Glenn - NYJ HC Absolutely Star Studded 🌟 — Michael Balko (@MichaelBalkoJr) January 22, 2025 Sean Payton knows how to build a coaching staff. Even with the Denver Broncos, who just returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 last fall, Payton has already built a staff coveted by other clubs. That is evidenced by the fact that Payton's staff lost three coaches to other teams this offseason. It's nothing new for Payton. Eight years ago, Payton had a staff with the New Orleans Saints that looks incredible in hindsight, via former NFL journalist Michael Balko: That's five head coaches (not including Payton), including two current head coaches in the NFL who all worked under Payton in 2017. The most recent addition is Aaron Glenn, who became head coach of the New York Jets this offseason. New Orleans went 11-5 in 2017, winning the NFC South before getting knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round by the Minnesota Vikings via the Minneapolis Miracle. As for Payton's current staff in Denver, up-and-coming coaches to note include offensive pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach Jim Leonhard. Based on Payton's impressive history, it wouldn't be surprising to see several of the Broncos' current assistants go on to become head coaches in the NFL. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
‘Go by what we see': How 2 rookie tryout players earned offseason shots with Broncos
Sean Payton patrols practice fields and meeting rooms at Denver Broncos headquarters armed with stories that double as teaching tools. If the Broncos are drilling a specific end-of-game situation in practice, Payton will quickly pause the proceedings and pull from a Rolodex of real-world scenarios where the same sequence unfolded. When the Broncos are recruiting undrafted free agents, Payton can hop on the phone and explain how a previous undrafted player at the same position from his coaching past not only made a given team but also became a key contributor. Advertisement 'I think the first time it was a significant subject (was in) '07,'' Payton said earlier this month. '(In New Orleans) we had drafted a running back, I think in the fourth round out of Ohio State, and we had signed a free agent, Pierre Thomas, out of Illinois. We got to training camp, and there was a period of time that Pierre was playing better. … He was playing better enough, where the players and most people knew. So we released the fourth-round pick and kept Pierre.' Next year, Payton will be able to show every player who arrives at rookie minicamp on a tryout basis that they, too, have a path to follow. As the Broncos began OTAs earlier this week, two of the players working out with the group — wide receiver Kyrese White and inside linebacker Jordan Turner — began their journey with the team earlier this month as rookie tryout players. Neither player was selected in last month's draft. They weren't even among the 15 rookies the Broncos signed in the wave of undrafted free agency to follow. They arrived in Denver in early May with nothing guaranteed beyond participation in three days of minicamp practices. But when Payton addressed reporters following the second of those sessions, he hinted there were tryout players who had already earned strong consideration to be added to the actual roster, saying a couple 'have a chance to go to (training) camp with us.' 'Bill (Parcells) was big on that: Go by what we see,' Payton said. By the afternoon on Mother's Day, instead of flying back home as they were previously scheduled to do, White and Turner were finalizing contracts that added them to Denver's roster. Their three-day audition was turning into something more. 'I was so excited when he let me know because it was couple weeks earlier that the draft was going on and then all the free-agent deals were going on, and Kyrese hit me up a couple days afterward saying, 'Coach, I haven't heard from anybody and I don't know what to do,'' said Kyle Cefalo, who worked with White the past two seasons as the wide receivers coach at Utah State. 'He got one minicamp invite and that was it. It wasn't even like he decided to go to the Broncos. It was his only option.' Advertisement White was hard to miss during the practice open to reporters, and not just because his big hair flowing under his helmet and the No. 43 he wore made him look like Troy Polamalu. White did a little bit of everything last season at Utah State, where he finished with 44 catches and 526 yards while also returning kicks and developing into one of the team's best perimeter blockers despite his 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame. He shuffled through all of those roles with aplomb during his tryout with the Broncos. It wasn't the first time White had willed himself onto a team. He was a walk-on at Utah and, after entering the transfer portal in 2023, also had to earn his way into a deep wide receivers room at Utah State that featured Jalen Royals, a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. 'The one thing I told scouts was, 'If someone gives him a chance and brings him in, you're going to have a tough time getting rid of him,'' Cefalo said. 'He's going to be smart and he's going to work really hard. He's going to be great on special teams. He's a great athlete and he's going to make plays. That's the message I gave. I didn't oversell or undersell Kyrese to anybody. I was just like, 'If you bring him in, you're going to have a tough time cutting him.' Sure enough, that's what happened with the Broncos. Clearly, he made a great impression in a few days.' The impression Turner made on the Broncos started well before he arrived for minicamp. In the days leading up to the draft, he had conversations with Broncos linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding. He had another connection on the staff in Jim Leonhard, Denver's defensive pass game coordinator. Before transferring to Michigan State for his final college season in 2024, Turner had played two seasons at Wisconsin for Leonhard, who was the team's defensive coordinator and later its interim head coach during that time. 'Just from a relationship standpoint, Jordan was having all these different touch points,' said Turner's agent, Jackson Magnini. ' … Jordan had made the comment to me, even before the draft ended, 'I don't want to go anywhere else, even if there are other opportunities. This is where I want to be.'' Despite the Broncos' significant interest in Turner, they signed two other players at his position during undrafted free agency: JB Brown of Kansas and Karene Reid of Utah. The flurry of post-draft activity can be a chaotic time for teams and players alike, like college recruiting on hyperdrive. Teams don't know how many spots they'll have to offer at a given position until players start deciding where they want to sign. The inside linebacker spot in Denver, which should feature ample offseason practice time as veterans Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton finish injury rehab, quickly became a popular destination for players with options. Advertisement Still, the Broncos quickly made it clear their opinion on Turner hadn't changed. They still wanted to see him in rookie minicamp. Turner, unlike White, had a chance to go to other camps. Denver remained his target despite the sting of not being drafted or initially signed by the Broncos. 'Once he got out there, his mindset, which I give him a lot of credit for, was, 'I'm not leaving here,'' Magnini said. Turner impressed the coaching staff with a quick grasp of the playbook. He made a similarly quick transition when he transferred to Michigan State, finishing his final season with 66 tackles (11 for loss), three sacks and two interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound linebacker made enough of an impression at minicamp for the Broncos to add him to an inside linebacker group that now has four undrafted free agents, including last year's post-draft signee at the spot, Levelle Bailey. It also helped White and Turner that they had extensive special teams experience in college. New special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will have a strong voice in shaping the end of Denver's roster. The Broncos were the only team to select a punter in last month's draft (sixth-rounder Jeremy Crawshaw) and other picks, like fourth-round outside linebacker Que Robinson, were made with early special teams impact in mind. The team's two newest rookies will need to make themselves valuable in that phase of the game to extend their stays further. The path to the 53-man roster by September will be a narrow one for White and Turner to navigate. They will continue to battle undrafted free agents at their positions this offseason — White was the fourth wide receiver the Broncos signed after the draft — to say nothing of the veterans already entrenched at those respective spots. Cuts can come any day in the offseason. To make room for the tryout standouts, after all, the Broncos had to cut two other players after minicamp, undrafted rookies Kendall Bohler and Christian Dowell, to stay within the 90-man roster limit. White and Turner know nothing is given from here. But they are here as the offseason rolls forward. For now, that's all that matters. 'I give them the same message each year,' Payton said of rookie minicamp participants. ''(How) you arrive, that's part of us procuring the talent, but once you arrive here, how you arrived here isn't important to us. You're here.'' (Top photo of Kyrese White: Jamie Sabau / Imagn Images)
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
2025 Fantasy Football Outlook: RJ Harvey
ORLANDO, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) runs the ball for a touchdown ... More during the football game between the UCF Knights and the Villanova Wildcats onSeptember 16, 2023 at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Coming out of UCF, RJ Harvey wasn't viewed as a very highly ranked prospect. That said, Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos decided to take him in the second round (pick 60) of the NFL Draft. This selection has made him one of the more interesting backs for 2025 fantasy football. Per this data from DynastyFFDino on Reddit, round two running backs have a 28% chance of becoming an RB1 at some point in their career and a 51% chance at becoming an RB2. While Harvey certainly has some shortcomings, there's quite a bit of upside to his profile as well. With that in mind, let's take a look at the 2025 fantasy football outlook for RJ Harvey. At 5'9' and 208 lbs, Harvey reminds me a bit of Maurice Jones-Drew (5'7' and 210 lbs). Both are shorter backs, but they're more than heavy enough to carry an NFL workload. Funny enough, Jones-Drew was drafted at the exact same spot as Harvey and he went on to be a three time Pro Bowl running back. At UCF, Harvey showcased strong vision and the ability to make defenders miss in space. While Harvey doesn't necessarily have the best long speed, he can still break off plenty of explosive plays. When looking at Harvey from a 2025 fantasy football standpoint, going to the Broncos was a dream landing spot. Payton has a history of working with very good running backs, such as Mark Ingram, Reggie Bush and Alvin Kamara. The hope is that Payton can work with Harvey and get the most out of him. Another advantage Harvey has for fantasy football is that he's already in the prime age for his career. At 24 years old, Harvey spent extra time at UCF working on his game. While some may see Harvey on the same level as these other younger rookies, Harvey should be much more polished. You want to draft running backs who are on a good offense and Harvey fits that mold. Bo Nix had a very good rookie season and is looking to lead the team to an even better year two. On top of that, the Broncos added third round rookie Pat Bryant and free agent Evan Engram. Since rookies typically take longer to get on the field, Harvey dodged a bullet by landing with the Broncos. Audric Estime is currently projected to be the RB2 in the backfield and he was a 5th round pick who only had 310 yards (4.1 YPC) last season. ORLANDO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: RJ Harvey #7 of the UCF Knights runs the ball in the first half of a ... More game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at FBC Mortgage Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by) With all of this in mind, it's time to rank Harvey for fantasy football. While a lot is going to change between now and the start of the year, Harvey was shockingly high in my 2025 fantasy football rankings. Harvey is my 48th overall player in a 1QB, PPR format. For reference, that makes him the RB20 and that 48th overall rank is 32 spots higher than FantasyPros Expert Consensus Ranking. Harvey is a great value for 2025 fantasy drafts if you can get him as a mid to low end RB2. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of Harvey coming out of college, he's a player who will be on a lot of my 2025 fantasy football teams.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Broncos OTAs: Bo Nix's familiarity, position battles and more to watch
The Denver Broncos will hit the field Tuesday as a full team and coaching staff for the first time this offseason as they open the organized team activity (OTAs) portion of their offseason schedule. Denver is scheduled for two weeks of OTA practices (three sessions each week) followed by a mandatory three-day minicamp in June. Then comes a roughly five-week break until training camp begins. Advertisement Here are four things to watch as OTAs begin for the Broncos: Bo Nix began job interviews with NFL teams last year describing his history of adapting to different schemes and coaching styles like a football chameleon. He had two head coaches and three play callers at Auburn. He had two more offensive coordinators at Oregon. Never in five years of college did he have the same quarterbacks coach in back-to-back seasons. That experience created confidence that another transition at the pro level would not be too much for Nix to handle as a rookie. 'Five offenses in five years,' Nix said at the Senior Bowl in 2024. 'Five different play callers. I've been around the block and been able to learn from a lot of different people who have had a lot of different success. … I think along the way I learned a lot from each individual and grew. In my time, I've had a lot of experience and growth.' That adaptability is part of the reason the Broncos drafted Nix with the 12th pick in 2024. His synergy with coach and play caller Sean Payton, after a rocky first month, helped Nix smash every franchise record for rookie quarterbacks. Now, though, Nix gets to settle in. For the first time since high school, he has the same head coach and play caller in place in back-to-back seasons. The same quarterbacks coach, too, in Davis Webb. He is likely to have the same starting offensive line in front of him. His top target, Courtland Sutton, is back, as well. The idea of walking into a season with that kind of familiarity already had Nix excited when his debut campaign ended in January. 'I enjoy the film study and the self-scouting and the things that I can jump ahead on for next year and just kind of be a little bit more ahead after knowing a little bit more of what to expect,' the quarterback said at the time. There is no quarterback competition now. All of the first-team reps from the spring through the end of training camp in August will belong to Nix. It will also be the first time Payton has worked with the same starting quarterback in consecutive offseasons since 2020, when Drew Brees was entering his final season with the New Orleans Saints. The duo still has to battle one of the NFL's best defenses in practices every day, but the continuity should be especially helpful as the offense begins working through third-down and red zone scenarios, two areas Nix pointed to as necessary areas of improvement after his rookie season. Advertisement For all that is the same, though, it's a new addition who could help shape Nix's offseason. Evan Engram, the tight end the Broncos signed in free agency, will be a focal point of Denver's offense this season, and OTAs offer an important early chance for Nix and him to develop chemistry. The Broncos entered last offseason with depth-chart questions across the roster coming off an 8-9 season. There were battles for jobs at quarterback, center, inside linebacker, wide receiver, cornerback and even punter. It all created a competitive environment Payton has tried to cultivate since taking the job in 2023. The picture is clearer one year later as the Broncos come off their first playoff appearance in nine years, but there are still positional questions to be answered as the offseason begins. It starts at running back, where second-round pick RJ Harvey will have a significant role in the offense in Year 1 and can use the offseason to prove he's capable of handling a heavy workload. The battle for roles alongside the rookie should be intense throughout the offseason program. Audric Estimé, who is still the youngest player on Denver's roster at 21, had an up-and-down rookie season that included a stint on injured reserve, early ball-security issues, promising flashes near the season's midway point and an inactive designation for the team's playoff game. The Broncos remain high on Estimé's potential as a bruising, north-south runner, but he needs a good offseason to solidify his role. Can Jaleel McLaughlin, entering his third season, maintain his role as a change-of-pace back in Payton's offense? Could Tyler Badie or Blake Watson be healthy and consistent enough to earn bigger roles? This group will be fascinating to watch beyond Harvey's critical early development. Advertisement Other questions come in the defensive backfield. Will first-round pick Jahdae Barron unseat Ja'Quan McMillian as the team's nickel corner? Or will he find his way into an outside corner role, pushing Riley Moss? At wide receiver, can rookie Pat Bryant turn himself into Denver's No. 2 target at the position behind Sutton? Second-year players Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin will be part of the equation, too, and the menu figures to expand even more for speedy asset Marvin Mims Jr. Payton erased any doubt about the status of free-agent acquisition Dre Greenlaw earlier this month when he announced the veteran linebacker would be a full participant in training camp after recovering from a quad injury. It was a reassuring update for a defense that is depending on Greenlaw to add some bite up the middle. Still, Greenlaw will miss at least some, if not all, of the offseason program. Alex Singleton, meanwhile, is still in the final stages of his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in September. The upshot for the Broncos will be more time during OTAs and minicamp to evaluate depth at the position behind the veteran duo. Drew Sanders is one of Denver's more intriguing figures this offseason. The 2023 third-round pick has struggled to find a consistent role through position changes and an offseason injury last year. But he's healthy and firmly slotted into the inside linebackers group, and he has the athletic talent to be an impactful player at the position for Vance Joseph. He could be in line for his most consistent string of reps since arriving in Denver. The Broncos also brought back Justin Strnad on a one-year deal after he admirably filled in for the injured Singleton last season. Levelle Bailey made the initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent last year and will be in the mix for a spot once again. But three undrafted rookies will be pushing at his heels: JB Brown, Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, who parlayed a rookie tryout invitation earlier this month into a spot on the 90-man roster. The Broncos are trying to uncover a gem at this spot, and there will be ample opportunity to take a close look at the group with the veterans in it sidelined. The Broncos signed four players to massive contract extensions last year and spread those deals out over several months. Right guard Quinn Meinerz was up first, signing a four-year, $80 million deal in July. Pat Surtain II signed what was then a record-setting contract for a cornerback — four years, $96 million — in September. Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper agreed to a four-year, $60 million extension in early November. Finally, veteran left tackle Garett Bolles signed his third multiyear contract with the team since being drafted as a first-round pick in 2017, this one a four-year extension that came with $40 million in guarantees and a max value of $82 million. Advertisement We could see a similar trickling of deals this year as the Broncos enter the offseason with four key players in line for possible extensions: Sutton, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive ends Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers. The most likely leadoff hitter in that lineup is Sutton, who received an adjustment to his contract just before the start of training camp last year but did not receive the multiyear extension he was initially seeking. Now, Sutton is in the final year of that contract and coming off a career-best season in which he caught 81 passes for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns. He did not participate in any of Denver's offseason program last year except for a mandatory minicamp in June. This year, though, he has been a presence at team headquarters since Phase I of the program began in April, and he and the Broncos have struck an optimistic tone about getting an extension done. It would not be a surprise to see that happen before training camp begins. The question then becomes whether the Broncos can reach offseason or in-season agreements with the three aforementioned defensive players and keep them from reaching free agency in 2026. Bonitto, coming off a second-team All-Pro season in which he recorded 13.5 sacks, is set to benefit from an exploding pass-rusher market, but do the Broncos want to see another year of that kind of production — risking a rise in Bonitto's value in the process — before signing up for a long-term agreement? Allen played more snaps than any defensive lineman in football last season while setting a career high with 8.5 sacks, also earning second-team All-Pro honors. He has been a cornerstone of the Broncos' defense since joining Joseph in Denver in 2023 and figures to be a priority. Does that leave enough room to also bring back Franklin-Myers, who had an impressive first season in Denver with a career-best seven sacks? For the second offseason in a row, the Broncos have some important, big-money decisions to make with four of the team's best players.
