ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Frank Clark is signed up and delivered to the Broncos.
But first, a Super Bowl ring ceremony with his former teammates, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
“That will be a little awkward,’’ said Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton.
Not for the Chiefs it won’t be. They’ve defeated the Broncos in 15 consecutive games going back nearly 8 years. Clark, the Broncos’ newly signed outside linebacker, and new fullback Michael Burton, helped the Chiefs win their second Super Bowl in four years last season.
While Clark was in town for his physical Monday and signed his one-year, $5.5 million (with another $2 million in incentives) contract Tuesday, he won’t be available for the final two days of minicamp Wednesday and Thursday. He’ll hook up with the rest of the Broncos for the start of training camp in late-July.
“A pressure player and someone that I remember doing a lot of work on when he was coming out in the draft,’’ Payton said of Clark, who was Seattle’s second-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2015 and has 13.5 sacks in 17 career postseason games. “We followed him, obviously, in Seattle, first, and then in Kansas City. It’s one of the areas that we paid close attention to.
“We’ll find a role within what we are doing and where he can help us. I think it’s always a challenge to find those guys who you can say are pressure players, but he is one of them. Certainly, he’s excelled in the postseason, both in Seattle and in Kansas City.’’
The knee injury to projected starting outside linebacker Baron Browning was a factor in signing Clark. 9NEWS reported last week Browning underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. Browning suffered the injury during the Phase II conditioning period, according to a source. Payton pushed his recovery past the start of the regular season.
“He is someone who will start the season on PUP (Physically Unable to Perform),’’ Payton said. “Outside of that, I think that had a little bit to do with (the Clark signing), and that’s part of the deal.”
Surtain a returner?
Last year, special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes chafed at a local reporter’s suggestion of putting the Broncos’ best player, cornerback Pat Surtain II, back as a punt returner.
Score one for the media. During the minicamp practice Tuesday, Surtain was seen rotating in with other punt returners.
“He did it in high school,’’ Payton said. “I want to know who we are going to if (option 1) isn’t ready. There are 53 on your roster and 47 on gameday. If I need a gunner taken out of the game, then who better to do that than Patrick? That’s what he does for a living. It’s not just offense go over here; defense go over here, and the kicking game go over here. … If Surtain can help us as a returner when needed, then we’ll have him ready.”
More practice needed
Payton brought in refs and officials for the team’s minicamp this week. In one regard, the practice Tuesday inside the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse looked similar to the 2022 Broncos team Payton saw on tape.
“Too many flags on the ground for me today,’’ he said. “It was good to have the officials here, and yet, we ran out of sand in some of the penalty flags, so they had to go get backup flags. Before you start figuring out how to win, you have to know how not to lose. Last year, we ranked (29th) in pre-snap fouls on both sides of the ball. That’s going to change. It’s good to have that pointed out.
“I like the way they’re practicing. I like the intensity. I like their effort, and I think they are working hard. But you also have to be smart. That would be one takeaway from today’s practice.”
Bronco Bits
To make room for Clark on the roster, the Broncos waived receiver Nick Williams, who was just signed a week ago. Williams hails from Cherry Creek High School and CSU-Pueblo. …
Broncos receiver Tim Patrick said fellow receiver KJ Hamler lives at his house – at Patrick’s invitations. They are both recovering from injuries – Patrick from an ACL and Hamler from a torn pec -- and Patrick helps mentor Hamler on the importance of routine during those lonely rehab times. …
Jerry Jeudy on reports he was momentarily on the trading block: “It’s always good to be wanted but I’m also glad I’m a Denver Bronco and that I’m here now.”
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