Last week, Russell Wilson said he felt “lean and mean,” and Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said the quarterback has looked sharp at organized team activities.
The praise for Wilson continued during the second week of OTAs. Speaking to media members on Thursday, Payton said the quarterback had a good day doing third-down drills.
“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “Today I thought was a good day. Today was [a] third down [practice]. There’s a challenge in OTAs with third down. The challenge in third down is you have to contest every throw. Within the framework of OTAs, it’s hard to do that. They understand it. I’ll whistle them and just talk about the period.
“We can see if there’s a sack, we can see if the [defensive backs] are in position. Generally speaking, especially on those early yards, we’re contesting every throw. It’s a little bit less challenging when you’re in first and second down playing zone defense. He’s doing well.”
Attendance update: Outside linebacker Randy Gregory was not in attendance at Thursday’s practice that was open to media. Gregory was in attendance last week. It’s worth noting that these OTA sessions are voluntary.
Denver outside linebacker Baron Browning has not been in attendance for either of the two OTA practices that have been open to media over the last two weeks.
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson was back on the field Thursday after not attending last week. Defensive lineman D.J. Jones (offseason surgery) was also back on the field, but fellow defensive lineman Mike Purcell (offseason surgery) was not.
Denver running back Javonte Williams (knee) practiced again on Thursday. The Broncos just cut two running backs this week, which might be yet another sign that the team is confident Williams will be healthy by Week 1.
Denver will have one more set of OTAs next week, followed by a mandatory minicamp the week after that. Players will then have a break until the start of training camp, which typically begins in late July.
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