ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — They used clear Hefty trash bags this year, not the black bags that would cover their belongings as the players walked out for the last time in the 2022 season.
It was locker cleanout Monday at the Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center headquarters in the Dove Valley subdivision. The playoffs begin this weekend with the Broncos once again watching at home with their collective 5-12 record.
Some Broncos players barely packed up anything from their lockers, knowing they’ll be back. Some Broncos players packed up knowing it was their last day in the locker room. Some players weren’t sure if they were coming back.
“I want to come back, but I know I’ll have to restructure,’’ said backup running back Chase Edmonds, the Lightning to Latavius Murray’s Thunder the last two games.
After making $6 million this year, he is scheduled to make $6 million next season, but none of it's guaranteed.
“You take the business side of things, try to make it make sense for both sides and hopefully I’m back," he said.
Funny. It’s been a common feeling among Broncos players in recent years. Almost all of them love it here and want to stay. Von Miller cried when he was traded away 18 months ago. Bradley Chubb hoped to stay. The Broncos haven’t won in seven years, but the organization is considered first class compared to other teams, from the facilities to the cafeteria meals to the support staff.
All the players want to win. Badly. But they’d prefer to win here. The team’s ownership group, led by Greg Penner and general manager George Paton, is again looking for a new head coach.
“Having a consistent coach is going to be vital for us,’’ said Garett Bolles, whose sixth season as a starting left tackle was halted by a broken leg in Game 5. “Somebody that’s disciplined, somebody that has accountability and doesn’t break the rules. That’s what we need. We need a tough guy to come in here and a true leader is what we need to lead this ship to victory.”
Locker cleanout day brought out some players who haven’t been seen in a while. Among them were Injured players like Caden Sterns, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Jacob Martin, KJ Hamler, Aaron Patrick and Bolles. Two rookies who made the Pro Football Journal’s All-Rookie Team were tight end Greg Dulcich (first team) and defensive lineman Matt Henningsen (second team).
Dulcich is going to use the offseason to figure out how to heal his nagging hamstring injury, which caused him to miss seven games. Henningsen wants to work on expanding his package of pass-rush moves.
Right guard Quinn Meinerz was in good spirits from the team’s season-ending 31-28 win Sunday against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers. Nothing makes an offensive lineman happier than a concerted effort to run the ball. The Broncos, behind Murray and Edmonds – and receiver Jerry Jeudy – rushed for 205 yards on 5.7 yards per carry against the Chargers.
When four tight ends have more snaps than the No. 3 receiver, you know the game plan is focused on running the ball.
“I love looking up in the huddle and seeing Eric Saubert, Eric Tomlinson and [Andrew] Beck,’’ Meinerz said, referring to the three tight ends who block first, block second and block third before they’re maybe allowed to touch the ball. “It was so much fun. Running the ball helps everything. It helps the defense because you’re controlling the ball. It helps the receivers because it brings the defense in tight and it gives them space to run. There may not be as many passes, but you can get bigger plays. Ding, ding, ding, Jerry Jeudy goes for 193 [combined receiving and rushing yards against the Chargers].’’
And Russell Wilson played well, too, throwing off the running game for 505 yards and 4 touchdown passes the past two games combined.
“I like playing with Russ,’’ said Edmonds, who played four previous seasons in Arizona and the first half of this season in Miami before he came over in the Chubb trade. “First time I’ve really played with a veteran quarterback. That’s something that inspired me a lot. I played against him in the NFC West and watched him up close, and now that I’ve been on the same team, the culture he inspires and how he goes about his business, how he handles himself on and off the field, it’s something I would like to part of next year.”
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