We’re bringing back the daily MHR Roundup for the season. I ran out of things to talk about over the summer and decided to put this post on hiatus until the season. Well the season is finally here and MHR Roundup is back!
Hopefully everyone had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. The NFL is wasting no time getting things rolling with a Wednesday Night Football game. From there, it will be 18+ weeks of NFL wrecking ball. Are you ready?
Broncos daily recap
Broncos sign veteran safety Taylor Rapp to their practice squad
Taylor Rapp was widely believed to be their third safety this coming season before getting released over a personal issue requiring time at home. Coach Payton later cleared up the confusion and told reporters that Rapp had a personal issue come up and that he needed some time at home; To make room for him, they released rookie long snapper Luke Basso from their practice squad, leaving veteran Mitchell Fraboni as the only option now.
Denver Broncos 53-Man Roster: Stock Up, Stock Down
Nate Adkins is a Sean Payton favorite and will see playing time in tight end sets; Dallen Bentley made the team over Justin Joly as a surprise stock-up pick for another in-line blocking option. Garett Bolles continues to serve as the Broncos’ blindside protector for QB Bo Nix; Ben Powers is healthy after an offseason of questions. Kicker Wil Lutz remains unchanged despite pressure on game days, whereas Luke Wattenberg stays steady at offensive guard. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw had some growing pains but improved as the season went on so he looks to put his early-season rookie struggles behind him in year two.
Potent quotables
It’s been a quiet Labor Day weekend for the Broncos, but head coach Sean Payton did meet with the media this morning. We have his relevant quotes below.
On what Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III brings to Kansas City’s offense and their evaluation of him during free agency
“You always get a chance obviously to see a top free agent like that, especially when he plays in the Super Bowl. I think he has really good contact balance, vision with home-run speed. He’s a heck of a football player.”
On if it is more difficult to prepare for a Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo defense with multiple new starters
“[Chiefs Defensive Coordinator] Steve [Spagnuolo] has always done a great job disguising looks, giving you zone-pressure looks. He’s not afraid to play zero. You’re going to have to have a real good protection plan and be disciplined in your approach, especially when you’re facing that defense on the road with the noise.”
On the keys to how they have been able to turn things around in the AFC West
“The first thing is focusing as a team on improving. There’s a sense of urgency when you get somewhere new. We have a ton of respect obviously for [Chiefs Head Coach] Andy [Reid], his staff and what they’ve accomplished, that team. So our task or our goal was really get to work and find the right 53 guys each season and work on the details of the game. So it’ll be a big challenge, especially with the crowd noise in Kansas City this year.”
On how they structured practice over the past two weeks
“I think the difference, and to your point, it’s not the bonus Monday, but it’s kind of today, but then also not playing until Monday night. Our work week is planned out accordingly because it’s not the first game of the season mechanics that all of us have somewhat grown accustomed to, it’s the first game being a Monday night game.”
On preparing to face Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes coming off of injury
“I think I answered this last week. I think we’re looking at it and expecting someone who’s 100 percent, someone who’s moving well based on what limited footage you get. He’s going to be one of those guys that threatens you not only in the pocket, but out of the pocket. So our approach has been pay close attention to what we’ve seen historically film-wise, how we defend not only him, but their team. So that’s kind of been the approach.”
The Feed
Post your own thoughts on MHR’s Feed.
The NFL is kicking off the season on Wednesday too, so be ready for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with a game on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday down the road at some point. The NFL is going full tilt on saturating the market. Hopefully the product improves, though. The officiating especially has been a point of major annoyance for fanbases across the country. Keep the product elite and the saturation works out nicely for all. Right now, I still think they have a problem with officiating and the changes made over the offseason likely hasn’t fixed the issue.
I’m probably just getting my officiating angst out now, lol. I’ll actually enjoy watching some NFL football on Wednesday night. It’s been a long wait for Week 1.
