ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — One offensive weapon was ready for ramp-up.
Another stalled again.
Running back Javonte Williams was out there for the first set of reps as the Broncos neared the end of their 90-minute ramp-up training camp practice beneath a warm late-morning sun Wednesday – the first camp practice of 2023. But Sean Payton said the Broncos’ top running back, who is nearly 10 months removed from the ACL injury he suffered in Game 4 last year at Las Vegas, wouldn’t be out there every day in camp.
“Any player who had a significant injury a year ago, Beau [Lowery, the Broncos player health and performance boss] and I will sit down and we’ll have a group one -- and that would be someone like [Williams] -- we’ll have days on, limited days, day off,’’ Payton said following practice at the Broncos’ training center. “And so there’s a process. And it won't only be with him. There will be a handful of those players [coming off surgeries] and then we’ll have a mid-group of players we’ll have a set schedule with load management. And then the last group will be veteran players like Kareem [Jackson] – we have a handful of those guys we’ll be smart with.
“So (Williams) would fall into that first group. But we’re pleased with his progress. We felt really good about it in the spring. And yet he put the work in.”
Second-round rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr., however, continues to be plagued by soft-tissue leg injuries. He missed the final week or so of OTAs and minicamp with a hamstring pull, and he will miss the early part of training camp because of a pull to his other hamstring suffered during a recent workout.
“He’ll be full in about four days, five days,’’ Payton said. “Maybe a week.”
Injury update
Four players will start camp on injury lists. Three of them – Baron Browning, Mike Purcell and Kendall Hinton – observed the early part of practice and worked out on a side field. The fourth, receiver KJ Hamler, was not seen. Hamler was making good progress from his torn pec injury during the latter part of OTAs and minicamp, participating in most drills. He was tracking towards avoiding the injury list entering camp, but did he experience some sort of setback?
Maher on prove it deal
Former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher – who had a tremendous regular season but failed to convert five consecutive extra points in the postseason in 2022 – was almost a Bronco on May 24 following a kicker tryout.
“At the time we were a little bit off contract-wise,’’ Payton said.
A couple months later, Maher didn’t find the market he was hoping for. He accepted the Broncos’ offer of a minimum $965,000 salary (for a player with his service time) with no guarantees and no bonuses. So it’s a prove-it-to-make-it deal.
“We like his talent,’’ Payton said. “Obviously he had a tough game (against Tampa Bay in the playoffs) but shoot, when you look at his body of work it’s been pretty impressive. So we were happy we could get it done for the start of camp.”
Elliott Fry, who took his $750,000 minimum salary deal following the same kicker tryout in late May, will compete fut y fut with Maher in camp and preseason. And then they’ll also compete against other kickers around the league who won’t make their respective 53-man rosters.
There are also two notable free agents available in Robbie Gould, 40, and Mason Crosby, 38.
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