The expectations for Cushenberry entering his rookie season were simple: Become the Broncos' starting center by Week 1 and keep the job for the entire year.
The third-round pick did that. Mission accomplished.
The expectations for Cushenberry entering his rookie season were simple: Become the Broncos' starting center by Week 1 and keep the job for the entire year.
The third-round pick did that. Mission accomplished.
Vic Fangio isn't ready to publicly declare a starting center.
But the Broncos' actions have indicated they are very close to calling off the three-man race for the starting job.
The Broncos' pass rush is going to be a problem for opponents. Sunday morning, it was a problem for Denver's offense.
Vic Fangio began Friday's practice by bringing his team together in a huddle. After a minute of Fangio addressing his team, players started to hoot and holler and get hyped for whatever message the coach was delivering.
The defense took that shot of energy and ran with it to start practice. The offense, however, didn't pick up on it one bit as they came out flat, sluggish and out of tune. The energy started to hit the offense as the practice went on.
In terms of Broncos' rookies, the first week of training camp has been dominated by Jerry Jeudy with a side of K.J. Hamler. That comes as no surprise as the two receivers were John Elway's first two picks in April's draft.
On Wednesday, other rookies from Elway's draft class began to make noise, earn praise and make their way up the depth chart.
Vic Fangio didn't play "Under Pressure" by Queen on the loudspeakers during warmups on Sunday. But it would have been a fitting theme song for Sunday’s practice as the pass rush brought the heat.
In January, Lloyd Cushenberry III became a national champion. In April, the 22-year old became John Elway’s highest-drafted center ever.
Now, he has a chance to add a cherry on top of what has already been a magnificent year by competing for the Denver Broncos’ starting center position.
On paper, he did just that by signing a Pro-Bowl running back, drafting an All-American receiver and selecting one of the fastest wideouts in the draft. With all of the new additions, including key pickups on the offensive line, the Broncos will have many new faces in the starting lineup.
After a star-studded free-agency and trade period, John Elway plugged many of the holes with his sweet-as-honey moves. Yet there’s still plenty of work to be done as Vic Fangio acknowledged after free agency, saying “we still have enough needs on both sides of the ball.” Here’s how those needs stack up as the team enters the draft.