TRAINING CAMP 2022

Broncos Training Camp Day 3 report: Nathaniel Hackett eases off the gas

Jul 29, 2022, 4:29 PM | Updated: 5:04 pm

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The lines were long heading into UCHealth Training Center on Friday. The crowd was robust — over 3,000 people for the first time this summer.

But the practice was slow — at least when it came to the pace during plays.

Day 3 of training camp was what coach Nathaniel Hackett called a “jog-through” day. All of the team-period repetitions took place at half-speed, with no contact.

Why? In part, because the third consecutive day of heavy work can sometimes lead to injuries or other woes.

“My philosophy has always been — and I learned this, especially in Green Bay — it’s always about that three-day thing,” Hackett said. “[The third day] is where all kinds of bad stuff happens. And I’ve acknowledged that after all my years, and then all of a sudden, you see those things happen, so, you want to be sure you can get them fresh and go back real hard on that fourth day.”

Thus, this routine will continue throughout training camp, Hackett said.

For fans attending training camp, plan accordingly.

“So, that’s what we’ll do continuing on as we move forward,” he said. “We’ll just make sure that we make sure we go [have] a nice hard couple of days, and then a refresher to get their legs back.”

There was a function to the work beyond load management. In terms of exposing players to concepts and plays, the reduced pace allows them to get through more repetitions.

“Way more. The last period, that’s probably the most reps that we’ve gotten since we’ve been out here,” Hackett said.

In that final period, Hackett split his team across two practice fields, effectively doubling the overall work in the same time. A practice like Friday’s allows for more mental work, Hackett said. But on Saturday, it will be full speed.

“[Saturday], it’s go time,” he said. “We’re still going to be protecting the team and making sure we’re doing the right stuff, but we’re going to get a good one tomorrow.”

Time will tell whether Hackett’s approach proves fruitful. But what the Broncos learned in the Vic Fangio era was that going needlessly long and hard during camp wasn’t the right path, either. That exacted a physical toll.

Friday, he nudged the Broncos in a different direction from the one they knew in recent years — a day to work the brain and save the body.

“There are so many things we want to cover, and this game is so mental,” Hackett said.

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EXTRA MEETINGS FOR JEUDY

Wide-receiver meetings aren’t enough for Jerry Jeudy. This week, he sat in the quarterback meeting, too.

“Jerry Jeudy was in our QB meeting for an hour just for fun and just to listen and just to study and understand it all,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “That’s a credit to him and his work ethic.”

Added Jeudy: “The first day of camp, I just decided to go in there, to see what they be talking about in there and just understanding their thought process … and just wanting to get better.”

But Jeudy wasn’t just there for general information. He wanted specifics that could aid him as he seeks better timing with Wilson.

“It helps me a lot,” he said. “Just sitting in the quarterback room, understanding their language, understanding their thought process in (how) each play, to understand which read they’re looking at first against which coverage and stuff like that really helps me with my route.”

“The more I learn, the better I can get.”

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NOTES:

  • The low-tempo practice wasn’t just a test for the Broncos to see how they handled it. It was an examination for the notably high-speed Hackett, too. “That was kind of a test for me, because to be able to get through this entire season, you have to learn how to practice with that jog-through mentality,” he said. “We wanted a little more than our typical [walk-throughs] at night. So, this was truly a test.”
  • But as for the players, striking the right balance between mental repetitions and the urge to go full speed was another challenge. Hackett felt they largely passed it. “We’ve never done that before with the helmets on,” Hackett said. “Everybody was nervous about tempo violators and we had a little instance with D.J. [Jones] early, and he tried to bat the ball down and stuff. But I’m unbelievably impressed with how locked in they were. We didn’t have many mental errors at all, and the guys were able to communicate and talk — which you’re trying to create in that environment.
  • Hackett said that he expects the first day in full pads to be on Tuesday, Aug. 2. The Broncos can wear shells for Saturday’s practice.
  • Jeudy had the first touchdown of the half-speed day. “If it were full speed, it probably would have been the same result,” Jeudy said.
  • The attendance was 3,270, the highest of camp to date.
  • I asked Jeudy about the best piece of advice that he has received from Wilson that he can use in his day-to-day work. “Just to know when to turn it on and off,” Jeudy said. “When you’re not on the field, that’s when you can turn it off a little bit. But when you’re on the field, it’s time to lock in and stay focused on what you’ve got to do that day.”
  • Derek Wolfe, who announced his retirement Friday morning, provided the post-practice breakdown for his old team.

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PARTICIPATION/INJURY REPORT

  • Tight end Greg Dulcich continued his work on a side field. He didn’t have a timetable for his potential return to full-speed work. “Still working back into it,” he said. “Making some good progress. I’m happy with it right now.”
  • Graham Glasgow got center reps with the second unit once again.
  • Rookie OLB Christopher Allen practiced for the first time, seeing individual work. The Alabama product had been on the non-football injury list because of a Lisfranc injury suffered in the Crimson Tide’s 2021 season opener against Miami (Fla.).
  • Quinn Meinerz worked at right guard after splitting the reps with Netane Muti on Thursday.

***

WEATHER REPORT:

Another blissful morning greeted the Broncos before the weekend’s heat arrives. Temperatures rose from 68°F to 74°F during Friday’s practice under fair skies with little discernible wind.

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WHAT’S NEXT:

The Broncos practice Saturday at UCHealth Training Center at 10 a.m. MDT. The session is expected to last until noon.

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