Here’s how Todd Davis and the Broncos are staying on track without OTAs

DENVER — Todd Davis, like most of his NFL compatriots, spends hours a day looking at his teammates, Brady Bunch-intro-style, via a Zoom conference.

It’s not ideal for Davis and his Broncos teammates, of course. They’d rather be at team headquarters, meeting with their coaches in person, working out together.

“It’s definitely different. It’s definitely something that I’m getting used to. I know my teammates still are,” Davis said this week. “But I also love it.”

Since breaking into the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Saints before finding a long-term home with the Broncos after being claimed off waivers in 2014, Davis has always looked for the bright side, so it comes as no surprise he would embrace the positive aspects of an offseason altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bonding and communication can continue, even if it is virtual.

“I love being able to see my teammates again — us kind of bonding and getting together and getting back into our playbook, but it’s definitely a new twist to the NFL life.”

Davis said that he has two sets of meetings — one, for special teams, led by coordinator Tom McMahon, and another with his fellow inside linebackers, guided by Reggie Herring, who heads into his sixth season on Denver’s staff.

“It’s pretty much all positional. You do your special-teams meeting all together with the special-teams coach, and then everybody kind of breaks off into their own position groups, [so] the linebackers all meet together.

In a different time, adapting would be far more difficult. Instead of video conferences, the best that teams could do to gather their players would be conference calls. And even 10 years ago, players would not have had tablet computers serving as their playbook.

So when the meetings end, Davis and his teammates can pull out their iPads, call up some game or practice video from previous years and see the concepts they just reviewed.

“That’s been huge for us, because the time that you get to meet with your coaches is very limited — [even] when you are able to go into Dove Valley,” Davis explained. Being able to be home and being able to look at your playbook and go over the film of last year and see where you can improve all day long and all year long has been great.”

HERE’S WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN GREAT FOR DAVIS …

… it’s the acquisition of defensive end Jurrell Casey via trade and explosive skill-position contributors Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler and Melvin Gordon through the draft and free agency.

“John Elway was picking up some firepower,” Davis said. “That’s always exciting. The defense is going to back them up.”

While the offense gained most of its additional firepower in the draft, it was the March trade market that brought Casey and cornerback A.J. Bouye to Denver. The acquisition of Casey, the restricted free-agent re-signing of nose tackle Mike Purcell and the eventual re-signing of Shelby Harris has the most direct impact on Davis, since that is the likely starting defensive line which the Broncos hope will keep interior offensive linemen from firing up to the second level.

So when Davis saw that Casey was Denver-bound, he burst with excitement.

“I felt like John Elway was making the move for me!” Davis said with a laugh. “I’m excited to see him. I’m definitely going to take full advantage of him being in front of me.

“Yeah, I’m excited about the D-line as a whole. I think the two guys we have coming back in Shelby and Mike did a phenomenal job last year, so I think adding him to the mix, it’s really going to be tough for people to guard them. If they can’t guard them, they can’t get to the second level and touch me and A.J. [Alexander Johnson]. I think we’ll have some fun.”

Improving the offense is another key to having fun. The woes on that side of the ball over the last few years have forced the defense to play from behind far too often, veering Davis and his defensive comrades away from the aggressive play that was once the unit’s hallmark.

Consider this: In the last four seasons, the Broncos have trailed by at least 10 points at halftime of 20 games, more than anyone else in the NFL.

And only the Browns have trailed by double digits after three quarters more often than the Broncos, who were behind by 10 or more points 26 times since 2016, according to pro-football-reference.com.

The last time the Broncos won when trailing by 10 or more points after three quarters was in Week 1 of 2016 against Carolina, so the Broncos have lost 25 consecutive games when down by 10 points after three quarters.

Conversely, the Broncos have won 14 of 15 games in that same span when leading by 10 or more points after three quarters.

It’s a situation Davis craves, and one he believes will happen more often with a more explosive set of skill-position players.

“I feel like our offense can now break out to big leads and put us in great positions,” Davis said. “When teams play from behind, it forces teams to have to throw. And when you have to throw and have your offensive line guard against [Bradley] Chubb, Von [Miller], Casey, Shelby, I think it’s going to be a very long day for you.”

Sure, the days right now might seem endless.

But Davis believes the ones coming for Broncos opponents might be even lengthier thanks to the moves they’ve made and the work they’re doing.