It’s pretty simple, really. The rules in today’s NFL are rigged to create big plays in the passing game, and the Broncos don’t make enough of them.
The Broncos last season accounted for 34 catches of 20-plus yards, one of the lowest figures in the league. Of those 34, Javon Walker accounted for 16, virtually half. The rest of the receiving corps combined for 18, only seven by wideouts.
Not that they didn’t notice. One of the coaches’ main goals for camp was to develop a viable No. 2 playmaker in the passing game. But with each passing day, accomplishing that goal becomes more difficult.
Why? Because with each passing day, it becomes more difficult to project Brandon Marshall as the No. 2 wideout. Marshall is on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list, and hasn’t been on the field for one minute of camp.
The coaches are holding out hope that he’ll be in uniform in the next few days. Then again, they were hoping he would be practicing by Monday, but it didn’t happen.
Marshall was a go-to guy for Jay Cutler last season, catching two passes for 20-plus yards — one a 71-yard touchdown — in Cutler’s five starts. Having seen him in action on a limited basis, the coaches want to see what Marshall can do over the course of an entire season.
But at the moment, they just want to see him, period.
Jim Armstrong issues regular reports from training camp throughout the day along with video takes from the sidelines and snippets where fans get to do the talking. Visit .
