ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Joe Flacco is 34, going on 23 he’s proud to say.
Life with the Broncos have been his Flacco of Youth.
Courtland Sutton, Flacco’s top receiver of the offseason, is 23 years old. Co-No. 2 receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick are 24 and 25, respectively. First-round tight end Noah Fant is 21.
Do they make Flacco feel old? To the contrary.
“I just don’t think I’m 34,’’ Flacco said at his press conference following the Broncos’ mandatory practice Tuesday. “I forget. I think I’m 23, too. It really does happen. I’ll be sitting in there and we’re just shooting the breeze in the locker room, cafeteria, wherever, and you really forget. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, these guys are 10 years younger than I am at least.’ It doesn’t really dawn on me. I really don’t see it that way.’’
After 11 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco is becoming increasingly comfortable as the Broncos quarterback. He was talking about how his infamous (around these parts) Flacco Fling that stunned the Broncos in the 2012-season playoffs didn’t travel as far as people think because receiver Jacoby Jones, who was not expecting the ball, didn’t take off straight down the field.
Later in a private discussion with 9NEWS in the breezeway to the team cafeteria, Flacco talked about how he had to throw his pass higher to adjust to Jones’ settling down on his route. It was the height of the pass, with perhaps some aid from altitude, that caused Broncos safety Rahim Moore to misjudge it.
“He’s been what I remembered from when I was around him way back,’’ said Vic Fangio, the Broncos’ head coach and former Ravens’ defensive assistant, said of Flacco. “He still has a big arm. The ball still comes out of his hand with a lot of liveliness to it. It’s a very catchable ball. I think the guys like playing with him, and I’ve been happy with Joe.”
Flacco didn’t go grumpy old man on the bizarre nature of how practice was conducted Tuesday. The Broncos started outside beneath threatening skies. Then about 10 minutes in, the lightning siren went off and the Broncos practiced inside at the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse for about an hour, 10 minutes. Then the skies cleared and practice was moved back outside – at first beneath cool temperatures and then the sun blazed its 80-degree heat.
The weather in Colorado adjusted by the minute and so did Flacco, who seemed to execute better outdoors than in. What kid isn’t happier playing outside?
“Everybody wants to talk about age and things like that,’’ Flacco said. “In this sport it really doesn’t matter that much. It’s just about going out there and preforming. Being in an NFL locker room, you never grow up. I don’t care how old you are. Thirty-four is not really that old. I know it’s old in this sport. You don’t grow up. I plan on being a kid the rest of my life.
“That’s why I have a couple of kids of my own. I have to be dad, but it’s nice to be their dad because you can be their friend and be the kid a little bit. In this locker room you have no choice. It’s an awesome work atmosphere and that’s why we’re the luckiest people in the world.”
Lock is learning
Fangio was asked to evaluate his quarterbacks with two practices left in the Broncos’ offseason.
“I think Joe’s had a really good offseason, camp or however you want to phrase it,’’ Fangio said. “I think Drew [Lock] is slowly getting better. Which he’s got a major undertaking here of No. 1, learning a new offense, No. 2 playing under center more and just getting the speed of the NFL game.
“Come training camp once we get the pads on, it’ll amp up even more. I think he’s slowly making strides. And I don’t mean slowly as a negative, I think he’s getting a little bit better every day.”
Mandatory unless…
The only player not present at the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday was inside linebacker Todd Davis. He was excused because his wife Zina went into labor. She delivered a 6 pound, 12 ounce, 19-inch boy – Canon Banks Gabriel – at around 2 p.m. Tuesday. Mom and baby are healthy and well, Davis said.
At first Davis said he wasn’t sure if he would attend practice Wednesday and then he said he probably would attend.
Special teams standout Joe Jones replaced Davis with the No. 1 defense Tuesday.
Bronco Bits
About 50 Army troops from Fort Carson attended the Broncos’ practice Tuesday. Fangio said they are about to be deployed to Kuwait in a couple weeks. …
Running back Phillip Lindsay (wrist) and tight end Jake Butt (knee) continued to participate in position drills but continued to sit out the 11-on-11 team periods. …
Top receiver Emmanuel Sanders has begun running routes as he takes the next step in his recovery from Achilles surgery. “I’ve got no medical basis for this, but I think he’ll be back earlier than people think,’’ Fangio said. …
Two receivers who have been impressive are rookie Kelvin McKnight and former 49er Aaron Burbridge.
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