Mile High Monday: The myths about Jerry Jeudy simply aren’t true

The Denver Broncos have wrapped up mandatory minicamp, and now they have around a six-week layoff until training camp begins. The news is constant in the NFL, so I’m busy almost all year long – except for this small window.

I like when there’s a small break in the action. The Broncos are off until late July, and I will be taking some time off, as well.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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All About the City

Denver knows how to win – just look at what the Colorado Avalanche are doing over the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. This city is going to go nuts if the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup, and for a brief time, it will be a hockey town. The Avalanche could begin a dynasty with a championship, so the Broncos had better get back on the winning track.

Like it or not, Denver is always a Broncos town – but things have been unusually rough since they won Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. Broncos fans are among the most loyal in the NFL, but even they have their limits. The losing got so bad that many lost the level of interest they used to have – instead finding things like the Avalanche to put their emotions into as fans.

That’s why the Broncos made the move for Russell Wilson. It was a trade they had to give up quite a bit – perhaps not as much as some thought they would – to get Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. He had a few teams he wanted to be traded to and the Broncos were at the top of the list. It’s the talent on the roster that had to be attractive to Wilson.

But it’s more than that. It’s Denver itself. The city knows how to win, this franchise knows how to win even though they had lost their way. Wilson chose the Broncos because he knows championships are in Denver’s DNA as a sports town.

Russell Wilson on joining Broncos: "I want to go to a city that knows how to win"https://t.co/Q00boEx41I pic.twitter.com/iqBCryK4f4

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 19, 2022

Wilson is going to put it on for his city, and Broncos Country should be over the moon with the results this season – especially after the last several seasons of incredibly poor play from the Broncos. With Wilson, the Broncos are Super Bowl contenders. I’m excited about them pushing for a championship this season, and I’m encouraged that the last two Super Bowl champions have come with new veteran quarterbacks in their first year with their new teams (Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford). Can Wilson make it three in a row? I believe he can.

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Camp Rules

I’ve been going to Broncos training camp since the days they were in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado campus. I’ve been covering Broncos training camp as a media member since the first year they opened things up at UC Health Training Center back in 2004. Some of my best memories in covering this great game of football have happened out at Broncos Training Camp.

The dates for Training Camp 2022 were announced last week, and along with the dates and times (gates open at 9:00 a.m.) I think fans need to remember some camp rules. Over the last few years, training camp has not been heavily attended. Yes, the team would tweet out some numbers, but they were inflated because the hill where the fans sit was pretty barren most of the time – especially last year.

This time around, I expect Broncos fans to show up in full force. That means getting there late and still getting a good seat is going to be a thing of the past. Broncos fans are passionate, but they were not treated to entertaining practices over the last three years under former head coach Vic Fangio.

I have a feeling new head coach Nathaniel Hackett will put on a daily show for fans. The music is back, the fun is back – the fans will be back – but most importantly good football has returned. You’ll be watching a Super Bowl contender from field level – well, on the hill but you get the idea – with access to practice that is special.

Broncos announce training camp schedule from July 27-Aug 11 (joint practice with Cowboys). Sundays off. Free to public. #9sports pic.twitter.com/PQSn5MWaJA

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) June 17, 2022

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times – this feels like the Pyeton Manning-led Broncos. When Manning was in town, training camp was a daily destination for Broncos Country. If you’re planning on attending training camp, make sure to follow the camp rules of how they used to be – get there early and get ready to watch some good football.

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MythBusters: Jerry Jeudy

There are a lot of misconceptions about Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy out there. I’m not going to say fans hate him, but Jeudy is far from a fan favorite. Considered the best wide receiver in the best wide receiver class in NFL history when he came out of Alabama in 2020, Jeudy has not stayed healthy or played up to his potential.

Last year, Jeudy only played in 10 games and did not score a touchdown. This has caused disappointed fans to come up with several reasons why Jeudy has underperformed.

I’m here to bust those myths. First, some say Jeudy is lazy but nothing could be further from the truth. He was credited for a strong work ethic in college for Nick Saban – one of the toughest coaches in college football. Jeudy has put in work, but the quarterback play was not rewarding him when he was getting open. Teddy Bridgewater came off Jeudy too fast when reading the field, and Drew Lock could not make the reads fast enough (or get to Jeudy’s side of the field at all) when he was under center. Work ethic is not a question mark for Jeudy.

Next, some people say Jeudy is too inconsistent with his hands. Yes, drops were a problem for him as a rookie – specifically in one game – but his drop rate was the same of former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams that year. Nobody under the sun will say Adams has a problem with drops or is a bad receiver. I’m not comparing Jeudy to Adams, but I wanted to make the comparison to highlight how Jeudy’s drops were overblown.

"I'm motivated myself, because I know the player I could be and the potential I have."@jerryjeudy eager to return to the end zone, realize potential in Year 3 » https://t.co/WWVRCl6BVA pic.twitter.com/8LMjDF6dRK

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 14, 2022

Jeudy is in a make-or-break season in 2022. If he plays up to his potential, the Broncos will likely pick up his fifth-year option – a decision they must make after this season. Add in another productive season in 2023, and Jeudy will be earning a new big-money contract. In fact, Jeudy may price himself out of the Broncos range – especially since they’ll be paying Wilson around $50 million per year fully guaranteed coming up soon. It’s all on Jeudy this season. He’s not a bust, he just hasn’t been very good to this point. Jeudy can change that narrative with strong play in 2022.

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Danger Zone

I’m enjoying the movies we’ve gotten this year in theaters, and there’s nothing better than seeing a movie that makes you want to go back time and time again. As soon as I saw “Top Gun: Maverick” in the theater over the weekend, I wanted to turn around immediately and go back to watch it again.

I’m not going to spoil the movie, but you need to go see it – in IMAX if you can – before it’s out of theaters. Top Gun is a movie franchise that needs to be seen in the theaters to truly appreciate the action. The footage of dogfights with jets and the footage from the aircraft carrier is thrilling to see on the big screen. Add in that movie theater sound and you get one helluva ride.

You don’t need to see the original Top Gun from the 1980s either to enjoy this movie. They obviously reference what happened as this is a sequel, but this story builds on what is recapped from the first one and quickly gets to business with it’s own story. In the screenwriting book – the Bible for screenwriting really – “Save the Cat” it says if you don’t have conflict you don’t have a story. “Top Gun: Maverick” immediately begins with conflict, and there is more and more conflict – along with character development and incredible action – in a movie that is a fun ride to go on.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is the perfect Father’s Day movie.

At its core it’s about raising kids to trust themselves and protect others in a dangerous world. And it’s not just a celebration of biological fathers, but of the men who step up in our lives to teach us how to fly. pic.twitter.com/DMkng7oaYU

— Glen Powell (@glenpowell) June 19, 2022

What did you think of “Top Gun: Maverick”? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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