{"id":800715,"date":"2026-07-31T23:09:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T23:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/800715\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T23:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T23:09:25","slug":"broncos-training-camp-report-a-big-day-for-evan-engram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/800715\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos training camp report: A big day for Evan Engram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attendance<\/p>\n

Physically Unable to Perform list \u2014 OL Nick Gargiulo. Non-football injury list \u2014 ILB Jordan Turner. Did not practice \u2014 OLB Drew Sanders, TE Caleb Lohner and WR Joseph Manjack IV.<\/p>\n

Lohner drew strong praise from head coach Sean Payton after the team\u2019s rookie minicamp, but the second-year man then missed all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp with an unknown injury. He has not yet been seen on the side field.<\/p>\n

Sanders has played in only four games over the past two seasons due to foot and Achilles injuries, but Payton indicated he didn\u2019t have a high level of concern about either Sanders or Lohner. He declined to give a return timeline for either.<\/p>\n

#Broncos<\/a> news and notes from Friday: <\/p>\n

\u2013 An Evan Engram-heavy day in front of the fans<\/p>\n

\u2013 It takes very little time to see Jaylen Waddle\u2019s influence <\/p>\n

\u2013 All three QBs did good things. Battle brewing for the backup job? pic.twitter.com\/DkNAUuKGB8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) July 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Jaylen Waddle makes an early impression<\/p>\n

This might be picking the low-hanging fruit on the first official day of training camp, but there\u2019s no denying the impact Jaylen Waddle<\/a> should have on Denver\u2019s offense even from this early date on the calendar.<\/p>\n

Broncos cornerbacks generally and Riley Moss specifically<\/a> are going to be thrilled when camp ends and Waddle lines up against somebody else. Waddle has game-tilting speed and the ability to take the top off a defense, but his impact should go well beyond that. He consistently creates space for himself in the middle of the field and on underneath routes. Just as important, he creates space for other players.<\/p>\n

On Friday, he worked in the middle of the field and drew the attention of safeties and linebackers enough to create space for other pass-catchers working in behind or in another part of the field. Waddle is the kind of player who can raise the ceiling of an entire unit.<\/p>\n

\"QuarterbackQuarterback Bo Nix (10) of the Denver Broncos throws during practice on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Broncos Park in Centennial, Colo.(Photo by Timothy Hurst\/The Denver Post)
\nTop Plays<\/p>\n

Each of Denver\u2019s three quarterbacks made big plays with the ball on Friday, but top billing goes to Nix. He threw a perfect, deep rainbow down the left sideline to Marvin Mims, Jr. for a touchdown over Moss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got that top-end speed,\u201d Payton said, \u201cbut his strength is locating the ball when it\u2019s down the field 40 yards or 50 yards. He does that really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jarrett Stidham threw a beauty of a deep ball down the middle of the field to tight end Evan Engram for what might well have been a touchdown. Sam Ehlinger threw a couple of balls into tight windows, too.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t all offensive firepower Friday, though. Moss at one point logged back-to-back break-ups in 11-on-11 against Nix.<\/p>\n

Thumbs Up<\/p>\n

Is that a Joker? It may no longer be the Year of the Joker, but Evan Engram\u2019s second Broncos training camp<\/a> is off to a strong start. The veteran tight end ultimately put up decent numbers last year, but the overall impact he made felt underwhelming. Engram made a series of big plays and was heavily involved across the board Friday.<\/p>\n

One day in July doesn\u2019t mean a massive season is imminent, but it certainly doesn\u2019t hurt. Engram, of course, began his career with the New York Giants and had now-Denver OC Davis Webb as a teammate. He credits Webb as one of the foremost reasons he came to Denver over the Los Angeles Chargers last spring. Whether a Webb-called offense<\/a> can find better spots and play more to Engram\u2019s strengths is one of the interesting questions of the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Webb) is trying to find different ways where you might have a matchup and that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Payton said. \u201cNow I think it\u2019s executing and ball security, catching, landmarks and some of the nuances. He\u2019s one other piece where you\u2019re trying to spread the ball around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thumbs Down<\/p>\n

Stickier fingers needed. A couple of big plays that were not to be offensively. Thumbs up, to be sure, if you\u2019re a defender. Two-time UFL offensive player of the year Hakeem Butler had a perfect back-shoulder throw on his hands from Stidham, but he wasn\u2019t able to finish the catch because corner Kris Abrams-Draine ripped his hands through and knocked the ball away. Then Michael Bandy made a catch in the flat but fumbled when linebacker Karene Reid knocked the ball away. Reid, the second-year man competing for a spot in the inside linebacker room, tracked the ball down and may have run it back for a touchdown in a live setting.<\/p>\n

Odds and Ends<\/p>\n

* One more sign that quarterback Bo Nix is feeling good as training camp gets rolling: He\u2019s not been at all hesitant about getting outside the pocket. He flushed out multiple times Friday and made a couple of plays, though he also forced a throw back across his body for Pat Bryant that was nearly intercepted by Moss. That\u2019s an area, though, where Nix is dangerous and he\u2019s wasted little time getting back to feeling out extended plays after a pair of offseason ankle operations.<\/p>\n

\"BenBen Powers (74) of the Denver Broncos prepares to break off with his group during practice at Broncos Park in Centennial, Colorado on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

* Left guard Ben Powers took a substantial pay cut recently in exchange for guaranteed money. Powers had a base salary of $12.49 million, but it was not guaranteed, meaning the Broncos could have traded or cut him during camp without paying any of it. Now Powers is set to make $6 million this year, according to NFLPA data and multiple sources. That comes in the form of a $4.65 million base salary, a $500,000 signing bonus and up to $850,000 in per-game roster bonuses. He can earn up to $2 million more in incentives, which sources told The Post are based on the number of games Powers plays.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s doing fantastic and we certainly see him as a starter,\u201d Payton said.<\/p>\n

* The first time through 7-on-7, all three quarterbacks were sharp. Only one pass in 12 total reps hit the ground. The one incompletion was perhaps not a surprise. It came when All-Pro Pat Surtain II calmly batted a ball down on a pass from Nix to Mims.<\/p>\n

* Payton said Thursday that he\u2019s restructured the order of Denver\u2019s installations some. During the team\u2019s two ramp-up practices Wednesday and Thursday, the Broncos spent a ton of time installing red zone concepts. Friday featured a heavy emphasis on two-minute and third down.<\/p>\n

* Payton had typically high praise for left tackle Garett Bolles on Friday but also got a little jab in at the nature of the veteran\u2019s offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s playing well, he\u2019s been consistent,\u201d Payton said. \u201cHe got the \u2018I\u2019m Available\u2019 award for his offseason with the media. It\u2019s a little gold microphone. I had it after the (USA Today) interview two or three years ago and I presented it to Garret. I think he did a piece with pretty much everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

* After Friday\u2019s practice, nearly every Broncos player went to the temporary bleachers on the north end of the practice fields and signed autographs. That, a source said, was an instruction from Payton in his end-of-practice address. Nobody skips.<\/p>\n

* The head coach noted that Saturday would likely mark the first day that some veteran players would see some reduction in the amount of practice work they get.<\/p>\n

Next up: 10 a.m. Open training camp practice. Parking lots open at 8 a.m. and doors open at 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

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