Team news: Denver Broncos | Page 21

Robert Saleh trusts Zach Wilson’s process.

Saleh made an eye-opening statement during the weekend when he said that Wilson’s "process is light years ahead of" most rookies. Saleh said Monday he didn’t mean how Wilson processes the game, but his preparation.

"I’ve been fortunate to coach some of the best linebackers this game has ever had, and those guys were swimming their first year and were grabbing at things to try and figure out," Saleh said. "This young man has a tremendous process on how he gets to Game Day. It’s that process that we trust is why he’ll continue to grow and fix mistakes that he may have."

"His process is phenomenal," Saleh said. "Game day might happen and we’re like, ‘Damn, he hit the wrong wall.’ But what we trust is he’s going to be able to reset on Monday, go through that process that he has and find ways to get better from the week before."

Wilson has led the Jets’ first-team offense on four scoring drives in six series in the preseason. He was 9-for-11 for 128 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against Green Bay, with two TDs to Tyler Kroft. Seventy of the yards were to Corey Davis. Thus far, it’s been against second-team defenses, the story pointed out. But Saleh sees something that can continue to build. How Wilson "goes about his day-to-day business" is a big reason for the optimism. We have Wilson 21st on our QB list, which makes him low-end QB2.

"Corey Davis is a reliable, trustworthy receiver. He's gonna do the right things, you know he's gonna be where he's supposed to be, you know he's gonna get separation," Jets HC Robert Saleh.

Related players: Zach Wilson

Saleh's quote went on to say that Davis and Wilson are constantly working, and that relationship is growing. The duo looked pretty good on Saturday against the Packers. While it was Tyler Kroft who caught two TDs from Wilson, it was Davis who caught four balls for a team-high 70 yards, the longest a 27-yard completion.

Jets WR Corey Davis feels like he and rookie QB Zack Wilson are connecting as training camp goes on according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I feel like it’s definitely getting there,” Davis said. "...Zach is a lot more comfortable in the pocket, delivering the ball really accurately. My part, I’m getting open, creating a lot more space for him to make it easy. We’re definitely getting there.”

No need to go overboard with excitement about the connection being established but Wilson's comfort targeting Davis shows positivity for both. Davis was brought in to be a WR1 for the rookie and has taken to the role. It also shows that Davis has not let his walk year be the high bar for what he accomplishes. There should be a lot of growing pains for the Jets offense but an established chemistry between these two is a good start.

Denver Broncos rookie running back Javonte Williams looked sharp in his NFL debut on Saturday evening, rushing five times for 29 yards in a 33-6 preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings. The second-round draft pick also rushed for a touchdown, but the score was nullified by a holding penalty.

Related players: Melvin Gordon

The story said the team wanted to see Williams and his ability to break tackles and felt he was able to do that in his first preseason game. Williams is trending to be the team's Week 1 starter despite Gordon still being around. Gordon was a no-show for OTAs and the team traded up to get Williams so things are beginning to add up. It's a battle to keep an eye on this summer before drafts.

I’ll add my thoughts to the general Josh Reynolds discussion… it’s not crazy to think that Marcus Johnson or Chester Rogers could emerge as the Titans WR3 given how camp has gone. He’s making $762,500 more than Johnson, it’s not like they’re super committed to him financially.

Related players: Dez Fitzpatrick

It's not that long ago Reynolds was a popular fantasy target and a potential WR2. But now Julio Jones is opposite A.J. Brown and Herndon went as far to say that it wouldn't be jaw-dropping if Reynolds doesn't make the cut. Herndon added Reynolds has some work to do the rest of camp.

According to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton has flashed since returning to the practice field.

Courtland Sutton has been making a number of exciting plays in training camp, so much so that Kosmider opined that Sutton is flashing his Pro Bowl form. It is great news that Sutton has started turning heads after a slow start to camp. Fantasy managers can now feel more confident that he is trending towards a full recovery and will still be the same receiving threat he was before the injury. Currently, our 36th ranked receiver, Sutton, has the tools to outperform his ADP as the 31st receiver off the board by a fair margin.

Even without the pads on, it's clear second-round pick Javonte Williams has the talent to be a dynamic player for Denver's offense.

His practice on Monday was not unlike others throughout the first five days of training camp, as he made an impact both on the ground and in the passing game. Williams said he worked on his receiving abilities this offseason, citing the need to be an all-around back.

Related players: Melvin Gordon

HC Vic Fangio said, "He's showing his versatility. He can run a route as well as carry the ball. We think he can block, although that hasn't been tested yet to the nth degree. We like him. He's done everything that we expected up to this point." So far, most, not all, seem to agree that Gordon remains the RB1, at least for now. But the Broncos traded up to get Williams so it may only be a matter of time. But Gordon had 1,144 total yards and 4.7 YPC, so it may not be that easy for Williams to pass him.

Free agent WR Josh Reynolds is signing with the Tennessee Titans.

From a real-world perspective, I like this signing for the Titans, who lost Corey Davis, Adam Humphries and Jonnu Smith in free agency. Reynolds started the season sharing time with rookie Van Jefferson, but took over the WR3 role for the Rams in Week 3, his snaps dipping below 70% just once from Week 3 to Week 12. In that span, he averaged 3.9 catches for 49 yards and 0.22 touchdowns on 6.3 targets per game, which is a 62-794-3.5 pace (on 101 targets). Per PFF, his yards per route run (YPRR) has been remarkably consistent over the last three seasons, never higher than 1.26 YPRR and never lower than 1.23 YPRR. For reference, Davis posted 1.48 YPRR in 2019 before his breakout season (2.58 YPRR) last year. With OC Arthur Smith moving on to lead the Falcons, it remains to be seen if the Titans stay as run-heavy under new OC Todd Downing as they have been, but Derrick Henry's presence on the roster is a strong indicator that they will. Reynolds could post Davis-type numbers (65-984-5) if he sees 100+ targets. (Davis saw 92 targets in 2020.)

"I would imagine [Cam Newton will start]. We're going through that right now. We'll see," said HC Bill Belichick.

Related players: Jarrett Stidham

Belichick was also asked what Newton did well last night, with him saying, "I thought he did what we asked him to do." It doesn't appear the Pats are going to give Stidham much more of a chance going forward. Even being eliminated from the playoffs, the team continues to go with Newton despite him being pulled several times over the last few weeks.

Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been placed on the league’s COVID-19 reserve list.

Related players: Josh Reynolds, Van Jefferson

Players are placed on COVID-19 reserve if they test positive or if they have close contact with someone who tested positive. It is unknown whether Kupp tested positive or is classified as a close contact. Kupp is the Rams’ leader this season with 92 catches and 974 yards. If he can’t be activated in time for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, that would be a major blow to the Rams’ hopes, the story went on to say. It could mean Reynolds and Jefferson see more snaps and action, but with Jared Goff out, the passing game is likely going to be limited for the Rams.