Denver Broncos’ Kayvon Webster: “I want to be part of the No Fly Zone” By Troy Renck Denver Post June 10, 2016 In the darkness after practice, cornerback Kayvon Webster can’t make the starting lineup, but he can make sure he is ready if the opportunity surfaces. It’s his fault, of course. He loves to work, having seen how hours of “staying on the grind” turned him into his family’s first college graduate and a Super Bowl champion. So as the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp ended Thursday, Webster’s pursuit of a bigger role did not. He has worked out in Los Angeles with a good friend, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. He ran drills with trainers in Miami, improved his balance with a Busco board. And if that guy at the local Lifetime Fitness looks familiar, it’s Webster catching at least 150 passes five times per week. “Really the offseason for me, it really wasn’t an offseason. This is the last year of my contract. I can’t take breaks off. I know what I want. I know what I want to get,” Webster says, pausing, “and I know what it’s going to take.” Webster, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft after graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in health sciences, seeks a bigger role. He knows it might not be available, but with uncertainty surrounding cornerback Aqib Talib’s leg injury and potential discipline from NFL headquarters, he knows he must be ready to shine. Bradley Roby projects to start if Talib remains sidelined, which could make Webster an important figure in the Denver defense’s nickel and dime packages. “I want to play more. And it’s up to me to make the most of it, whether it’s five plays or 60,” Webster said. “I want to be part of the ‘No Fly Zone.’ I am in it, but I want people to see me as part of it. Whatever they have in store for me, I have to contribute more.” Webster made two starts as a rookie. None since. He entered the league as an athlete, working off instincts. Working with secondary coach Joe Woods, Webster has improved his technique. The Broncos want Talib in the lineup, but Webster has offered hints this summer that the depth at cornerback is better than expected. “Roby and Kayvon are working hard,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “I thought both of them played well last year. Roby played a whole lot. Kayvon, I’d like to see more, because he’s a good player.” Coach Gary Kubiak praises Webster’s finishing kick, for finding a way to make an impact in the season’s second half on special teams. But his playoff run proved nothing short of a highlight reel as Webster pinned teams back with relentless effort on punt coverage. Kubiak told the players near season’s end that the team which plays best for a month will be remembered. Webster bought in. “We just showed them film on the inside-the-20 stuff. You look at those playoff games against Pittsburgh and New England, and I believe he downed four inside the 5,” said special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis. “That’s going to help you win games. He worked his tail off.”

For Webster, the impact became real this week. He traveled to the White House, reuniting with teammates and soaking in the moment. It created pause for Webster, who grew up wondering if he ever would have an opportunity to play in college, let alone in the NFL. “It was amazing,” Webster said. “I don’t know anyone who has actually been to the White House. For me to represent my family and the county I am from, it meant a lot. I got to shake (President) Barack Obama’s hand twice. It was huge. That’s a memory I am going to have forever.” Another snapshot to savor arrives Sunday. The Broncos will receive their Super Bowl 50 championship rings in a private ceremony. For Webster, the jewelry represents what was and what is possible going forward. “I will probably wear it the first couple of days,” Webster said of his title ring. “What we did goes down in history. And I was fortunate enough to make a few plays to help us during that run. Having that ring shows my community what hard work can accomplish. But that season is behind us too. We have to get back on another run, and I have so much more I want to do.” Webster delivers With uncertainty about Aqib Talib’s availability, the Broncos could lean on cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Kayvon Webster. NFL reporter Troy E. Renck analyzes Webster: –Started two games his rookie season. –One of team’s fastest players after starring in track in college. –Has improved technique and balance under secondary coach Joe Woods –Made name for himself with multiple special teams plays in postseason.

Broncos “getting a handle” on Aqib Talib’s physical status By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post June 10, 2016 There was no Aqib Talib sighting during the Broncos’ final day of mandatory minicamp Thursday. The ninth-year cornerback returned to the team Wednesday after suffering a gunshot wound in his right leg in Dallas early Sunday. The expectation was for him to meet with the team’s training and medical staff and begin rehabilitating the wound. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has maintained that the biggest priority is Talib’s health after the incident. The team has discussed a timetable for his return, but Kubiak was hesitant Thursday to make that information public, saying only that the Broncos are “getting a handle” on when he might return to the field. The Broncos are scheduled to end organized team activities June 16, and it’s unlikely Talib will make an appearance before the offseason program ends. He is expected to stay in Colorado during the break before training camp to continue his treatment and rehabilitation.

Paxton Lynch signs a four-year deal with Denver Broncos By Cameron Wolfe Denver Post June 10, 2016 Denver has locked up its quarterback of the future. The Broncos signed first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch to a four-year deal Thursday afternoon, getting their entire 2016 draft class under contract. Lynch, the No. 26 pick, will make $9.476 million over four years. His contract includes a fifth-year option, which gives Denver a possible extra year of Lynch’s services before he hits free agency. The Broncos will give Lynch a $5.091 million signing bonus. The first three years of his contract are guaranteed. A key to the deal was Lynch getting $600,000 of his $1.742 million fourth-year salary guaranteed when many players in his draft slot get only a roster bonus. Lynch wants to become a role model, starting with donating to his church, high school and college to help fund facility improvements. He also plans to start a charity in Denver, according to agent Leigh Steinberg. With the NFL’s new rookie scale, most contracts are structured based on draft slot, making negotiations smooth. In 2016, Lynch’s salary will be $450,000. Year two will be $880,000 and year three will be $1.311 million. In contrast, the Texans signed former Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract in March. Lynch, who has been working with the third-team offense at minicamp this week, is in a battle with Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian for the Broncos’ starting quarterback job. Passing judgment. Coach Gary Kubiak said he is holding his three quarterbacks to high standard this offseason and there’s “no time for leeway.” Kubiak praised Sanchez’s work ethic, saying no one has worked harder than him this offseason. Kubiak described Lynch’s progress as “up and down” but praised his talent and potential for growth. Footnotes. Inside linebacker Brandon Marshall was excused from Thursday’s session to speak at his former high school’s graduation ceremony in Las Vegas. … Former Broncos quarterback Brian Griese spent time chatting with the quarterbacks at practice Thursday.

Wade Phillips shows off rap knowledge by quoting Drake on Broncos ring ceremony By Cameron Wolfe Denver Post June 10, 2016 Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips always has been a players’ coach. The third day of the team’s minicamp began with “Big Rings” by Drake blasting through the speakers, with a few players dancing along. It turns out that’s one of Phillips’ favorite songs. The Broncos will have a private ceremony Sunday to receive their Super Bowl 50 championship rings. It will be Phillips’ first title ring, and he’s not going to hide it. “As soon as I get it, I’m going to put it on. I might wear it all the time,” Phillips said. “It’s a really big ring. It’s a really big thing. I got a really big team.” Phillips said he has “Big Rings” and other Drake songs on his iPod. Denver special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis didn’t have much to say about Drake, but he said he is a fan of T.I. The Atlanta rapper was on the Broncos’ sideline before their victory over New England in the AFC championship game. DeCamillis said that’s one of the few celebrities he spoke to before a game in his coaching career.

Next up for Broncos: Contract talks with Emmanuel Sanders, Brandon Marshall By Mike Klis 9News June 10, 2016 Contracts talks with Von Miller have broken off. Next. The Denver Broncos never stop conducting business. The team is now engaged in contract extension negotiations with receiver Emmanuel Sanders and inside linebacker Brandon Marshall. The Broncos sent Sanders a contract proposal last week and agent Todd France recently sent back a counter. “Obviously, my heart is in Denver, this city has been so good to me beyond what I can explain,” Sanders told 9NEWS’ Rod Mackey. “From the Broncos Huddle, being with you, to going out and seeing in my first year having so many jerseys, and having so many fans out here in this market. It’s just great to me. “Who knows what’s going to happen with the contract situation. I want to retire a Bronco. I think everyone wants to know, but it’s all about being able to say, ‘I’m getting paid what I put out.’’ After four seasons with Pittsburgh where he averaged 40 catches, 508 yards and 3 touchdowns a year, Sanders in his two years with the Broncos has averaged 89 catches, 1,270 yards and 8 touchdowns. He is making $5.6 million this season in the final year of his three-year contract. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” Sanders said. “I’ve expressed that to (general manager John) Elway. It’s all about just getting the right number. I pray that they do come to the right number. I think I’ve given my heart to this city. I’ve never left anything on the field.’’ The Broncos are further along in contract negotiations with Marshall, in part because he has a deadline of Wednesday. A restricted free agent who received a second-round, $2.553 million tender, Marshall has yet to sign. If he doesn’t sign by Wednesday, Marshall’s deal could be reduced to a 10 percent raise from the $585,000 salary he made last season, although the Broncos would probably re-up him for the $2.553 million.

Broncos reach 4-year contract agreement with first-round QB Paxton Lynch By Mike Klis 9News June 10, 2016 All the kids are now accounted for. The Denver Broncos reached an agreement Thursday morning with first-round quarterback Paxton Lynch on a four-year contract that includes a signing bonus of $5,091,860 and a fifth-year option the team can exercise after his third season. The total value of the contract (not including the fifth-year option) should come in around $9.5 million based on the NFL’s draft pick slot system. Lynch will sign his contract following the team’s minicamp practice today. The Broncos traded from their No. 31 overall pick up to No. 26 in the first round of the NFL Draft to select Lynch, a 6-foot-7, athletic quarterback from Memphis. Lynch has been operating as the Broncos’ No. 3 quarterback during the offseason, although he has been sharing reps with Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian. The Broncos now have all eight of their draft picks under contract.

The reason why Broncos contract situation with Von Miler got ugly By Mike Klis 9News June 10, 2016 There is evil in the aborted Von Miller contract negotiations and it doesn’t lie within John Elway, Miller or Miller’s agent Joby Branion. The sinister component is the franchise tag. The NFL employs a compensation system where you’re better off being Malik Jackson than Von Miller. To the spoils go a team’s second-best free agent player. To the very best player goes the franchise tag that invites hostility. Here’s why: Miller, as a first-round draft pick in 2011, didn’t become a free agent until after his fifth season. Jackson, as a fifth-round draft pick in 2012, became an unrestricted free agent after his fourth season. When the Broncos slapped Miller with an “exclusive’’ franchise tag, he was taken off the open market before he could take one step in. Jackson merrily pranced into the market and nabbed an $85.5 million deal from Jacksonville. The franchise tag isn’t a hammer for teams to use in negotiations. It’s an 800-ton anvil. Given his franchise tag weapon, Elway as the Broncos’ general manager was fair with his offer. The franchise tag market obligates the Broncos to pay Miller no more than $14.129 million in in 2016, a combined $31.084 million after two years and a combined $55.5 million after three years. Elway offered Miller roughly $19 million in year one; $39.8 million combined through year two; and somewhere between $57 million and $59 million combined through year three. The rest of the contract, it can be argued, is little more than numbers on paper, but still it averaged out to $19.083 million a year, a smidge more than Ndamukong Suh’s $19.063 million per year deal that currently sits as the record among NFL defensive players. But given what Miller’s value would be on the open market, the standout linebacker and his agent were extremely conciliatory in accepting a deal worth $19.083 million a year. Never mind Suh’s contract. That was created from the 2015 market where the salary cap was set at $143.3 million. The 2016 market, where the cap increased 8.4 percent, provided Olivier Vernon, a defensive end with 29.0 career sacks, a deal worth $17 million a year -- $29 million in year one. An even $1 million per sack.

The open market helped Malik Jackson, who has 14.5 career sacks, secure $14.25 million per year. Jackson is getting $18 million in year one of his deal, or $1.24 million per sack. Given the new market, it’s not unreasonable to think Miller, who has 60.0 career sacks, could command a contract worth $22 million to -- dare we say? -- $25 million a year. Miller is not greedy given the free-agent market. Elway is not parsimonious given the franchise tag market. Yet, the franchise tag system has created divisiveness between the Super Bowl champs and their best player. Malik Jackson, meanwhile, is laughing all the way to his various banks. The Broncos will have their ring ceremony Sunday evening at Soon To Be Renamed Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Miller will be there. He should get the first ring. It is sad and unfathomable, yet not sensationalized to say it might be Miller’s final moment with the Broncos. Since the franchise tag was partnered with the advent of NFL free agency in 1993, I had been for it. A tool that ensures every team, and their fan bases, to keep their No. 1 player is one reason why the NFL enjoys such wonderful parity. The beauty of the NFL is an absurdly small-market team like the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed greater success over the years than teams playing in the enormous markets of New York and Chicago markets. But there is a cost. The Carolina Panthers so dreaded the prospect of acrimonious franchise tag negotiations with cornerback Josh Norman, they gave up on it early in the process. The team that would have been the defending Super Bowl champs had it not been for Miller rescinded its tag on Norman and simply gave away their most impactful defensive player last year. New England got out ahead of a potential franchise-tag conflict next year by trading away Chandler Jones, their best pass rusher, to Arizona. The franchise tag isn’t going away anytime soon as the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t expire until after the 2021 draft. Teams won’t surrender the tag system without a fight, and isn’t that only fitting? But the union must make tag amendments a priority. It’s gotten ugly between the Super Bowl champions and their Super Bowl MVP. This cannot be good for the NFL. It’s a rotten deal in Broncos Country.

Paxton Lynch's deal means Broncos' rookie class signed, sealed By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com June 10, 2016 And on the last day of their mandatory minicamp, the Denver Broncos formally put a bow on their 2016 draft class as quarterback Paxton Lynch signed his deal. Lynch, the Broncos' first-round pick -- the team traded up five spots, from No. 31 to No. 26, to select him -- was the only unsigned draft pick before Thursday. Lynch's agent, Leigh Steinberg, was at the Broncos' suburban Denver facility Thursday afternoon, and the quarterback formally signed the contract after the team's final practice of a three-day mandatory minicamp. The four-year deal, with a fifth-year option (the Broncos hold the option and must decide whether to engage it after Lynch's third year), includes a signing bonus of $5.09 million. Because the current collective bargaining agreement was agreed to in 2011 with the rookie wage scale, the negotiations on deals have been fairly seamless league-wide. With several picks near the bottom of the first round having signed in recent days, the details of Lynch's deal began to take shape. After splitting up the work with the starters and No. 2 offenses fairly evenly among the team's three quarterbacks for much of the offseason work, the Broncos went with a more traditional depth chart this week at their mandatory minicamp. With that, Mark Sanchez worked with the No. 1 offense, Trevor Siemian with the No. 2 offense and Lynch worked as the No. 3 quarterback. The Broncos have reiterated that they believe strongly in Lynch's future as their franchise quarterback, but the transition from Memphis' spread offense to the Broncos' offense will take time. "Coach said he was going to give us our reps come Monday and where we were going to be," Lynch said earlier this week. "I don't know if this is permanent in what he's going to do, but this is what he's doing now. The way I see it, I'm still getting my reps, so I have to take advantage of every single one of those reps when I get the opportunity to and then when the opportunity comes, if I get bumped up, I get bumped up. Like I said, I'm going to take those guys whenever they're going mentally and when my reps come, that's my time to get out there and get my work in." Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Lynch's practice performance has been up and down. "Paxton is so talented, that's an easy thing to see, how gifted he is throwing the ball and stuff," Kubiak said. "And then sometimes he'll get real slow, and that's when you're thinking too much. It's up to us as coaches to lock on what he really understands and what he's doing to cut him loose. In my mind right now if we were in Chicago for [the first] preseason game, I know what he knows so we can go do. We have got to have growth upon that as we move forward and he's got to continue to grind at what he's doing. [There is] a lot of expectations."

Broncos face uncertainty with Von Miller, Aqib Talib By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com June 10, 2016 The Denver Broncos have a handful of organized team activities remaining in their offseason program before they adjourn for the football summer. But this past week they closed out their mandatory three-day minicamp, and that's the best time to take pause and what questions remain for the defending Super Bowl champions. Whither Von? The Broncos say they want a long-term deal with linebacker Von Miller -- as John Elway put it "Von knows how I feel about him" -- and Miller has said he wants to be "a Bronco for life." But a six-year, $114.5 million offer, with $58 million in potential guarantees, $38.5 million of those guarantees in the first two years of the deal, weren't enough to make it happen. If no deal is made by July 15, then Miller can either play under the one-year, franchise player tender (just over $14 million) or sit out. If the Broncos will move some of the guaranteed money and Miller’s representatives are willing to live with something on the order of the $114.5 million (which would be the largest deal ever for any position other than quarterback) a deal could be made. If everybody is more interested in "the win," then the defending Super Bowl champion will have to explain why it couldn’t sign one of "its guys" and Miller will have to explain why he turned down the biggest contract ever for a defensive player. And that’s not conducive to a Super Bowl repeat. Who’s the quarterback? It’s Mark Sanchez until coach Gary Kubiak does something that indicates otherwise. The Broncos worked with a traditional depth chart look in minicamp and Sanchez worked with the starting offense all week. Trevor Siemian is pushing Sanchez with purpose and consistently has shown his year in the Denver offense in 2015 helped. But Sanchez looked comfortable in the role as the offense's leader through the week, and if he remains efficient in red zone opportunities in particular in training camp and the preseason, he'll still have the look of the starter for the regular-season opener. If the Broncos played tomorrow? The offensive line looks like it would be Russell Okung at left tackle, Ty Sambrailo at left guard, Matt Paradis at center, Max Garcia at right guard and Donald Stephenson at right tackle. Sambrialo, who had shoulder surgery last season, got some limited work as minicamp progressed, while Okung still is working back from offseason shoulder surgery. But that’s the group the Broncos want when training camp breaks. And Paradis, who was the only Broncos player on offense or defense to play 100 percent of the snaps last season, said Okung already has shown the veteran leadership needed with the kind of turnover the Broncos have had up front. Paradis could be the only Broncos offensive lineman who started the Super Bowl to start this year’s opener in the same spot. What will be the tightest position battles in camp and into preseason? Start at running back, where C.J. Anderson showed up intent on being an every-down back and in the best shape of his career. "Just watching him, I think his conditioning level is the best that I’ve seen it since I’ve been here," Kubiak said. "He’s had a really good offseason." Ronnie Hillman looks like he came in dialed in as well. Rookie Devontae Booker already has made it clear it will be difficult to keep him off the field with his ability as both a runner and receiver, while Juwan Thompson plays both running back and fullback to go with a full slate of special teams. Toss in the fact fullback Andy Janovich was a draft pick, and you have the makings of a tight squeeze where somebody who could play in the offense doesn’t fit on the roster. Also, it will

be a tight race for the third, fourth and fifth receiver spots, and get out your stopwatches to measure hang time in camp because rookie punter Riley Dixon and veteran Britton Colquitt will be under the magnifying glass every day. So, are the Broncos ready to defend their title? They compete hard in practice -- the seven-on-seven drills this past week with their front-line receivers and the starting secondary offered high-quality skirmishes, for example -- and the core of a title winner is still in place. But what happens with cornerback Aqib Talib, who suffered a gunshot wound in an incident still shrouded in plenty of mystery, and the ongoing Miller saga are just the kind of big-ticket dramas that can derail a team, even one as good as the Broncos, if they aren’t handled right.

'Coach Wade' just might wear a big ring for a really big thing By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com June 10, 2016 The guys who played defense for the Denver Broncos have learned to expect a little of everything from defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. And Phillips, with his wry smirk and quick mind, did it again Thursday. After a post-practice question about the Broncos' ceremony this weekend when the team will receive its Super Bowl rings, the 68-year-old Phillips -- he'll be 69 in less than two weeks -- added another verbal gem to his ever-growing pile when he referenced Drake’s “Big Rings." Asked when he would wear the Super Bowl ring, Phillips answered; “Well, as soon as I get it I’m going to put it on. I may wear it all the time, we’ll see." And then he added, right out of the lyrics: “It’s a really big ring, for a really big thing, with a really big team." The Broncos defenders consistently talk about “Coach Wade" and his ability to mesh with players less than half his age. Or as cornerback Chris Harris Jr. put it; “Coach Wade, he’ll dance, he knows our music, and then on game day he turns us loose and puts us in the right spots. You can’t ask for more than that. Coach Wade can do it all." About “Big Rings," Phillips said: “I’ve got it on my iPad … mine is very diverse."

Broncos rookie QB Paxton Lynch signs four-year deal By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press June 10, 2016 Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch signed a four-year deal worth approximately $9.5 million, including about $5 million in a signing bonus, on Thursday. The Broncos drafted Lynch out of Memphis with the 26th overall pick in the draft after losing Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to Houston, where he signed a four-year, $72 million free agent deal with the Texans. Lynch is competing with Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian for the starting job this summer, but the Broncos are hoping to ease him into the lineup as he adjusts from the spread offense he ran in college to a West Coast offense. Lynch was the last of Denver's eight-man draft class to reach agreement on a contract. He signed it following the team's final minicamp workout.

Von Miller contract talks on hold for now By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press June 10, 2016 So much for Von Miller's prediction of peaceful contract talks this offseason. An impasse in negotiations has uncorked the startling possibility that the Super Bowl MVP could sit out the 2016 season. It's a remote possibility, to be sure, one that could harm his popularity and marketability that have skyrocketed since he wrecked the Carolina Panthers' coronation at the Super Bowl. But it's an option should the sides fail to reach an agreement on a long-term contract over the next six weeks. Miller has repeatedly said he wants to be a Bronco for life, but the sides aren't talking after Miller's camp declined to accept Denver's offer by Tuesday night's deadline set by the team.

Business savvy Okung bets on himself by brokering own deal By Pat Graham Associated Press June 10, 2016 On the football field, Russell Okung is a top-notch offensive lineman. In the field of business, he wants to reach that status, too. That's why he's investing heavily these days in technology companies, his foundation and himself. Russell Okung Inc. Okung served as his own agent in negotiating a free agent deal with the Denver Broncos in March after anchoring Seattle's O-line. He'll make $5 million this season, and the deal also includes an opt-out clause after the season before the rest of the contract — four years, $48 million — kicks in. That means he's betting big on himself and the kind of season he could have in coach Gary Kubiak's run-oriented offense. A sound investment, he feels, even if on the surface it looks high-risk. "We did a deal that was best for both sides," said Okung, who participated during individual drills in minicamp Wednesday as he continues to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. "I had opportunities to get more money other places, but I really wanted to create a future here." The former Seahawks Pro Bowler hopes to make inroads into the world of money management, which is why he's learning the ropes from private equity investors and hedge-fund experts. That's led him to invest in some companies on the technology side. He would be more specific, but some of his deals are still in the works. "I think a lot of players aren't really serious about how their money is working for them or their understanding of how their money works," the 28-year-old Okung said. "You come into the NFL, it's a very procedural thing: You get a financial adviser and you get an agent, and you just hold on to your money for as long as possible. "I, instead, wanted to do things a completely different way. The long-term goals obviously are to be doing the things the right way and create business around technology and equity deals. For now, I have a great No. 1 job." That includes opening holes for tailback C.J. Anderson and protecting Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian or rookie Paxton Lynch — whichever quarterback is under center. Okung's signing is really the first big-name free agent the Broncos lured to town in the post-Peyton Manning era. It also made Ryan Clady expendable, leading to a trade with the New York Jets.

Kubiak's system figures to be a natural fit for Okung, who thrived in Seattle's run-first offense. The sixth pick in the 2010 draft out of Oklahoma State, Okung started 72 regular-season games and a dozen playoff contests for the Seahawks. He was a Pro Bowler in 2012. What's more, his 20 sacks allowed in his career rank as the fewest in the league among tackles who have started at least half of their team's games in each season since 2010. Okung's part of a restructured offensive line that will also include free agent Donald Stephenson and the return of Ty Sambrailo, the second-round pick who missed some of Denver's Super Bowl season with a shoulder injury. "Stephenson, he's played in this system before. Russell has done it over there in Seattle," Anderson said. "I just think this year everybody knows the system. Everybody knows what they're doing and we know the expectations." Okung jumped at the chance of moving from one winning franchise to another. He helped the Seahawks to a 43-8 win over Denver in the Super Bowl following the 2013 season. "Honestly, I'm in a place I love. I love being here and whatever happens, happens," Okung said. More than anything, he hopes to be viewed as versatile, whether it's blocking on the field or in the field of business. "I think an example sets a standard more than anything," Okung said. "I love business." And giving back. Okung helped launch an organization called the "Greater Foundation," which trains the next generation with tools to reach their goals through mentoring and leadership development. These days, he has a lot on his plate. "I have plenty of time," Okung said. "I have good people working for me. My No. 1 priority is being a Denver Bronco. I have complete focus on the field right now."

Aqib Talib, Von Miller questions remain open as Broncos forge on By Lindsay H. Jones USA Today June 10, 2016 By the time Denver Broncos players gathered at team headquarters early Monday morning to embark on their trip to the White House, enough of them had heard personally from Aqib Talib to know that the gunshot wound the cornerback suffered on Sunday was not life-threatening. Still, it was reassuring for teammates to see and hear from Talib in person this week after he was cleared to return to Denver from Dallas, where the shooting occurred early Sunday morning. “Just to see him healthy and to know that it's not that serious. That's always a big thing when you have situations like that, so it was just a blessing that he's going to be OK and he'll be back to normal soon,” cornerback Bradley Roby said Thursday after the team’s final practice of a three-day mandatory minicamp. Talib met with team trainers and doctors on Wednesday after flying to Denver, and head coach Gary Kubiak said the staff planned to meet Thursday afternoon to discuss Talib’s status and a potential timeframe for his return to football. The Broncos have just one set of voluntary organized team activities scheduled for next week before the team is dismissed for summer vacation. Kubiak has declined to speculate on when Talib might return to the practice field, though he said the cornerback is expected to remain in Denver during the team’s break to recover under the supervision of team doctors. The Talib situation was only one off-field issue for the Broncos to deal with this week during the mandatory minicamp, as contract talks with Super Bowl MVP Von Miller broke down. Miller has been absent from the team’s offseason program after receiving the exclusive franchise tag in March. Miller and the team agreed to the basic framework on a six-year deal worth $114.5 million but reached an impasse over the structure of the contract, particularly the amount of guaranteed money over the first three years. Kubiak said Thursday he believed both general manager John Elway and Miller’s representatives were continuing to work on a new deal that would get Miller under contract for the long term. Miller has until July 15 to sign a new contract, otherwise his choices are to play under the franchise tag, which carries a one-year salary of $14.129 million or sit out some or all of the season. The Broncos are expecting to see Miller in Denver on Sunday when the team receives their Super Bowl rings at a party at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. “I’m still optimistic," Kubiak said. "Both sides are working really hard. I know John is working hard, I’m with him every day. Negotiations are part of business and I know he’ll continue to do that."

Part of Kubiak’s job this week was to keep the team focused despite the off-field drama with two of the team’s biggest stars. He pointed to drama the team endured in 2015, from two defensive players missing the start of the season because of suspensions, through frequent changes to the offensive line to late-season quarterback changes, as reason to believe his team could endure this. “You’re going to deal with distractions. The key is, you deal with them open and honestly with your players, but you keep working. There are some things going on and there are some guys out with this or that, and we’d love to have Von here right now. All those things are going on. But it has nothing to do when the whistle blows and we go to work. Our work has been good. Our focus has been good,” Kubiak said. “You have confidence in what you’re doing and you keep moving forward and you don’t let things drag you down.”

Agent's Take: Here's why (and when) Von Miller will sign a new deal with Denver By Joel Corry CBSSports.com June 10, 2016 Von Miller and the Broncos still don't have a deal in place, but that's likely to change in the coming weeks.

The Broncos and the Super Bowl 50 MVP couldn't agree on a long-term contract prior to the team's self-imposed deadline of 10 p.m. MT on Tuesday. A motivating factor for the deadline was because the Broncos wanted Miller to be at minicamp, which ends Thursday. Miller, who was given an exclusive linebacker franchise tender for $14.26 million, isn't required to attend because he isn't under contract.

Denver reportedly offered $114.5 million over six years, which would have made Miller the NFL's highest paid non-quarterback at $19,083,333 per year. The distinction is currently held by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who received a six-year, $114.375 million contract containing $59.955 million fully guaranteed from the Miami Dolphins last year as an unrestricted free agent. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Denver's offer has $58 million in overall guarantees where $38.5 million is fully guaranteed at signing and $39.8 million in the first two years. Included in the $38.5 million is a $21.5 million signing bonus.

Talks broke down over guaranteed money and cash flow of the deal. The amounts fully guaranteed at signing and in the first three years of a contract are much more important than average yearly salary and the overall value of a deal, which are relatively meaningless because of the general lack of security in NFL contracts.

Miller is believed to be seeking full guarantees and a cash flow more in line with Suh's contract. Suh has $50 million over the first two years of his deal. He's at $60 million after three years. Miller wants overall guarantees approaching $70 million according to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold.

It was initially believed that the Broncos had withdrawn their offer to Miller. The offer is reportedly still on the table while the Broncos reassess their position as the negotiations have reached an impasse.

Here's a look at what lies ahead for Miller and the Broncos.

Here's why July 15th is critical in negotiations

The Broncos and Miller have until 4 p.m. ET on July 15 to reach agreement on a long-term contract. Once this deadline for franchise players has passed, the earliest a multi-year deal can be is signed Jan. 1, 2017, when the 2016 regular season ends.

The sides will likely remain at an impasse until the deadline is approaching. This is partially because the slowest part of the NFL calendar is the period between the end of minicamp and offseason workouts,

which begins on June 17 for most teams, and the Fourth of July. Team employees will begin coming back from vacation after the holiday.

Talks will likely resume as July 15 approaches. Most franchise player long term deals are signed in the eleventh hour anyway. That was the case with Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas last year.

A deal should get done, but it'll take concessions

A deal should be able to be made once negotiations resume because a general framework is already in place. Both sides are comfortable with $114.5 million as the total and six years and the length of the contract.

Reaching an agreement will require concessions from Miller's camp and the Broncos. Miller must realize that he isn't going beat Suh's deal in all contract metrics because he is operating under an exclusive franchise tag, which prevents him from soliciting offer sheets from other teams. Suh got his deal by leveraging interest from multiple teams as an unrestricted free agent.

That's a big distinction between Miller and Suh's situations.

The chart below outlines the top non-quarterback deals in some key contract metrics that should be relevant to Miller.

Name Club Position Guaranteed at signing

Two-year cash flow

Three-year cash flow

Overall guarantees

Ndamukong Suh Dolphins DT $59,955,000 $50,000,000 $60,000,000 $59,955,000

Marcell Dareus Bills DT $42,900,000 $43,150,000 $53,150,000 $60,000,000

Olivier Vernon Giants DE $40,000,000 $41,000,000 $54,000,000 $52,500,000

Justin Houston and J.J. Watt aren't among the top five non-quarterbacks in money fully guaranteed at signing. The six-year, $101 million contract Houston received from the Chiefs last July as a franchise player has $32.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. Watt's six-year, $100 million contract extension with the Texans from 2014 contains $30,876,385 fully guaranteed at signing.

Suh's contract is an outlier in some respects. Quarterback contracts aren't even structured as favorably as Suh's. Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco are second and third in the NFL with $44.5 million and $44 million fully guaranteed at signing respectively from the Packers and Ravens. Dareus is fourth.

Expecting close to $70 million in overall guarantees is also unrealistic and unreasonable. Quarterbacks Eli Manning and Philip Rivers currently have the most in the NFL at $65 million in their respective

contracts with the Giants and Chargers. Manning has $37 million fully guaranteed at signing while Rivers is at $37.5 million.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck could become the NFL standard for most major contract metrics with the blockbuster deal he is expected to sign before the start of training camp in late July.

The Broncos shouldn't expect Miller to accept a structure that isn't at least comparable to Thomas'. As Denver's franchise player last year, Thomas signed a deal with $43.5 million in overall guarantees where $35 million was fully guaranteed at signing, which is the money in his contract's first two years.

Thomas' $8.5 million 2017 base salary in his third contract year was guaranteed for injury at signing but became fully guaranteed five days after Super Bowl 50, which was this past Feb. 12. His third-year guarantee is unusual. The Broncos typically have any third-year injury guarantees vest as full guarantees in that specific contract year. (i.e.; 2017 base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2017 league year).

Thomas also has guarantees without offsets, just like in 2013 franchise player Ryan Clady's contract. This means if Thomas is released in 2017, he will get the entire $8.5 million salary from the Broncos in addition to the full salary from his new contract with another club. An offset clause would prevent this "double dipping" because the Broncos would be able reduce the guaranteed $8.5 million by the amount of Thomas' deal with his new team.

Here's what an acceptable deal will look like

The Broncos are in a position to pay Miller at the top of the non-quarterback market because there shouldn't be a high-priced quarterback on the books anytime soon. Once Paxton Lynch, who was taken with the 26th overall pick in the NFL Draft, takes over at quarterback, he will be one of the NFL's lowest-paid starters at the position. He just signed a four-year, $9,496,307 contract where his largest salary cap number in 2019 will be slightly more than $3 million.

If Lynch is the long-term solution at quarterback, he won't be able to sign an extension until 2019 when the guaranteed money under any long-term deal Miller signs this year will have run out.

The Broncos should be willing to slightly exceed Suh's $60 million in the first three years within the existing framework of $114.5 million over six years. Letting Miller break Dareus' defensive player record of $60 million in overall guarantees is also advisable.

The $61 million to $62 million range for both the overall guarantees and money in the first three years should be a fair compromise. Miller would be setting the standard for non-quarterbacks in these two metrics in addition to average yearly salary.

The Broncos should remain relatively firm with money fully guaranteed at signing when making these other concessions. Topping Dareus' $42.9 million will likely be a necessity. The Broncos shouldn't be opposed to putting Miller on par with Rodgers' $44.5 million or slightly above it to reach an agreement. Miller's 2018 guarantee in his third contract year will need to vest early next February since this money

won't be fully guaranteed at signing. Guarantees without offsets would also be appropriate given it was done with Denver's last two franchise players before Miller.

Miller's second year salary being fully guaranteed at signing without an offset and the $21.5 million signing bonus should eliminate the need for him to have his third year fully guaranteed at the outset of the deal. These structural components would make it too cost prohibitive with regards to the salary cap for Denver to release Miller before his third-year guarantee fully vests next February. In other words, Miller would be practically assured of playing at least three years under the deal with the same structure as Thomas.

Don't expect a holdout (or a long one)

Miller has reportedly threatened to sit out the season if the July 15 deadline passes without a long-term deal. That's likely just posturing. Miller missing any part of the regular season would seem remote with him losing almost $840,000 of salary for each week missed.

In fact, it hasn't happened with a healthy franchise player since the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement implemented the July multiyear deal deadline. This excludes Jason Pierre-Paul, who missed eight regular season games last year while he wasn't cleared physically by the Giants from his Fourth of July fireworks accident that resulted in the amputation of his right index finger and injuries to other parts of his hand. Dunta Robinson came closest when he signed his franchise tender four days before the Texans' 2009 regular-season opener.

It would likely be a matter of when, not if Miller reported to the Broncos. Since franchise players aren't under contract, Miller couldn't be fined up to $40,000 for each day of camp missed.

Miller would still be allowed to negotiate his one-year salary with the Broncos and other conditions relating to his franchise player status. He could insist on a clause that would prohibit the Broncos from using a franchise or transition designation on him in 2017 (i.e.; a prohibition clause) in order to sign his tender and report.

Obtaining a prohibition clause might be difficult for Miller. A franchise player hasn't gotten this type of provision since 2008 when the Titans gave Albert Haynesworth a conditional prohibition clause. It was triggered by Haynesworth making the Pro Bowl, having at least 60 percent defensive playtime, or 53 percent defensive playtime and the Titans winning at least 10 games or ranking in the top five in total defense.

Linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Asante Samuel had clauses similar to Haynesworth's when they were franchised in 2007 by the Bears and Patriots, respectively. Samuel's prohibition clause was triggered by him having at least 60 percent playtime on defense or the Patriots winning at least 12 games. Briggs' clause was predicated on him having at least 75 percent playtime on defense.

Jeff Backus and Nate Clements received the last unconditional prohibition clauses in 2006 with the Lions and Bills, respectively.

Von Miller should sit out 2016 to expose the NFL's unfair franchise tag rules By Dieter Kurtenback FoxSports.com June 10, 2016 Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller was supposed to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was supposed to take his 60 career sacks in 72 games and Super Bowl 50 MVP performance to the free market, where he would surely get one of the most lucrative contracts in the NFL. Instead, he's reportedly considering sitting out of the 2016 season. And when you look at the reason why Miller might take a year off, it's hard to blame him for thinking about it. That's because Miller isn't going to hit the open market this year, and unless he does something drastic he probably won't hit the market after next season, either. In March, the Broncos slapped Miller with a franchise tag —�� an antiquated quirk of the NFL's CBA that's long past its logical expiration point —�� and despite the fact that he's one of the top players in the NFL, there's nothing Miller can do about it. The franchise tag was introduced in 1993 as a band-aid to help teams as true free agency came to the league. Teams can use it on one player annually, and it keeps a star from free agency by paying him the average of the top five salaries at his position or 120 percent of his previous season's contract, whichever is more. There's no way for a player to negotiate for a higher salary or decline the tag —�� he's stuck with it, and it gives the team a tremendous, almost unfair, negotiating advantage when discussing long-term deals. By slapping the franchise tag on Miller, the Broncos are set to pay him $14.1 million in 2016 -- well below his market value, which is closer to $20 million a year. The Broncos and Miller were working on a long-term contract extension, but according to reports from Yahoo and Bleacher Report, those negotiations have broken down, as the Broncos weren't offering Miller anything close to the guaranteed money paid out to defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh ($60 million), Justin Houston ($52.5 million), or even Olivier Vernon, who signed a five-year deal with the Giants worth $52.5 million guaranteed in March. According to multiple reports, the Broncos —�� not faced with the pressure of losing Miller because of the franchise tag —�� are offering Miller less than $40 million guaranteed. Miller is holding out to be the highest-paid defensive player in the league, and given his production and Vernon's market-setting contract, it'd be hard to make a contrarian argument.

The Broncos and Miller can negotiate until July 15 before the tag takes effect, and Miller shouldn't take anything less than his fair market value. If the Broncos won't give him that value, he should sit out the 2016 season. There's a quirk in the rulebook that says if Miller sits out the entire 2016 season, the Broncos can't use an exclusive franchise tag on him in 2017, making him, in essence, a restricted free agent next year. It's not a great option, but it's Miller's only play. If Miller plays 2016 on the tag, he can be slapped with it again ahead of the 2017 season, then again the year after. Over the course of the three years, he'd be paid roughly $55 million, a significant sum but less than his open-market value. If the Broncos tag him three times, Miller will hit the open market at 30 Denver would have taken the best years of his career and undercompensated him for it. Between now and the July 15 deadline, the Broncos are probably not going to do much because there's no external pressure to pay Miller his fair market value for his prime years. There's also no reason for them to rescind the tag, as the Panthers did with cornerback Josh Norman earlier this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent. But if Miller holds out all season, he can garner some leverage in a situation where he could go three years —�� his three best years —�� with none. He'd save his body from the wear-and-tear of a season, and he'd point out the ridiculousness of a system that has long since failed to work for the players. Maybe, just maybe, it'd bring the long overdue end to the franchise tag.

Von Miller, Broncos at impasse over guaranteed money By Chris Wesseling NFL.com June 10, 2016 Super Bowl MVP Von Miller has rejected a contract offer that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid defensive star. The Denver Broncos pass rusher turned down an offer that included a total value $114.5 million, reported NFL Media's James Palmer, via a source informed of the negotiations. In terms of total value, the contract would have been the highest ever for a non-quarterback. Although the Broncos had reportedly set a deadline of 10 p.m. MT on Tuesday to reach an agreement, they have not pulled the offer, per Palmer. The Broncos are reassessing their position and negotiations remain ongoing, Palmer said on Inside Minicamp Live on Wednesday. The two biggest questions, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, is where do the Broncos and Miller stand on guaranteed money and how much does he stand to make over the first three years of the deal. These details figure to play a prominent role in the ongoing contract discussions. NFL Media's Rand Getlin added Miller does not have an issue with the broader six-year, $114.5 million terms of the deal, per a source familiar with negotiations. Denver's goal was to find common ground with Miller in time to attend this week's minicamp. Former Broncos franchise players Ryan Clady and Demaryius Thomas struggled after missing offseason action in 2013 and 2015, respectively, leading general manager John Elway to set this week's soft deadline. Miller expressed confidence early this week, stating during the Broncos' White House visit Monday that "real progress" had been made of late on a new deal. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement by the collective bargaining agreement's July 15 deadline, Miller will have to play out the 2016 season on the $14.129 million franchise tag.

It’s time to get rid of the franchise tag By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk June 10, 2016 [Editor’s note: We never re-post old stories. I now need to change that to “rarely.” Given the suddenly boiling Von Miller situation, I thought it made sense to dust off a hot take from March regarding the thing that is fueling the fight between Miller and the Broncos — the franchise tag. Here it is, in full.] Sure, the current labor deal has five more years remaining. But if, at some point, the NFL starts making noise about an extension, the NFL Players Association should consider putting at the top of the list one very clear and specific request. Get rid of the franchise tag. Concocted in 1993 to help teams adjust to true free agency (Reggie White was exempt because he was a named plaintiff in the case that resulted in true free agency), the franchise tag gives every team the ability, once per year, to hold a free agent in place. Previously, the franchise tender was determined by taking the average of the five highest paid players (based on cap number) at the same position in the prior year. Now, a much more complex five-year average that takes into account the percentage of the salary cap applies. Whatever the formula, the franchise tag continues to be a device for keeping the best players in the league from getting to the open market. And with the rookie wage scale, launched in 2011, now taking full root, few players will be in position to do what Ndamukong Suh did a year ago: Force his way to market under the provision that determines the franchise tender by taking the cap number from the final year of his contract and increasing it by 20 percent. While that could change in 2017, when Saints quarterback Drew Brees would have a jaw-dropping franchise tender of $43.2 million (he has a $30 million cap number this year and would get a 44-percent raise for his third career franchise tag), fewer and fewer great players will land on the open market unless and until they are willing to retain the injury risk for three years under the franchise tag, passing on a long-term offer that would give more security — but that wouldn’t come close to providing what the player would get if truly free to sign anywhere. Consider this year. Linebacker Von Miller has a franchise tender of $14.129 million. A long-term deal based on the tag would guarantee Miller his 2016 franchise tender and his 2017 tender, which would be $17.148 million. That’s $31.277 million fully guaranteed at signing. On the open market, defensive end Olivier Vernon got $40 million fully guaranteed at signing plus total cash flow of $41 million through two years. How much more would Von Miller have gotten on the open market, if it had been him instead of Vernon at the top of the 2016 free agency class of pass rushers? Making Miller’s predicament even more unfair to him personally is the fact that he already has put in five years before getting a crack at the franchise tag, since he was a first-round draft pick. Vernon has hit the lottery with only four years of NFL experience.

Since the franchise tag affects only a small percentage of all players, the NFLPA could be inclined not to fight to get rid of it, because doing so could require a concession that would affect all players. But the franchise tag currently affects all players by keeping the top of the market at each position in check. Basically, it’s legalized collusion — separate and apart from the illegal collusion that plenty of agents believe is happening. Remember when it seemed like half the league perpetually occupied salary-cap purgatory? With the cap now spiking every year but none of the best players in position either to get to the open market or to force their current teams to pay them market value, few if any teams are scratching and clawing to comply with the cap. Which means that less of the total available money under the cap is being paid to players. For every player like Miller, who’d need to put in eight total years and remain healthy and effective in order to get a big payday, there will be a player like Vernon, who will be in the right place at the right time to get a deal that seems shocking to the average fan, in large part because the best players rarely will be in position to squeeze out a deal that would be truly shocking.

Broncos agree to terms with Paxton Lynch By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk June 10, 2016 The Broncos finally have found someone who is willing to take their money this week. Per multiple reports, the Broncos are closing in on a contract with rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch. The first-round pick, whom the Broncos acquired after trading up from No. 31 to No. 26, currently is unofficially No. 3 on the team’s depth chart. He likely will move higher, sooner than later. If he doesn’t, the Broncos eventually could regret moving higher to get him. Lynch’s deal will be a standard four-year deal with a fifth-year option. For first-round contracts, there’s not much to be negotiated. Which makes it precisely the kind of deal the Broncos should be negotiating in the same week that the efforts to negotiate with Von Miller have imploded.

Will Von Miller sit out the 2016 season? By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk June 10, 2016 The Von Miller contract talks became very public on Wednesday, only two days after a White House visit that had everyone singing Kumbaya and Miller talking about progress being made on a long-term deal. There’s now a belief in some circles the situation quickly could get ugly. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that Miller could sit out the entire 2016 season, eschewing (I love that word) his $14.1 million franchise tender and not playing for the Broncos at all. On the surface, it seems unfathomable that Miller would follow his Super Bowl MVP season by not playing football for an entire season. But Miller would indeed gain a tangible benefit by holding out for a full year, as PFT discerned four years ago during the last Drew Brees impasse with the Saints. Article 10, Section 15(c) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement provides that the Broncos can’t use the exclusive franchise tender on Miller in 2017 if he doesn’t play in 2016. Also, the compensation another team would be required to give the Broncos if signing Miller to an offer sheet in 2017 would be a first-round and a third-round pick. It’s a far cry from hitting the open market, Suh-style. But it would undoubtedly bring multiple suitors to the table who would be potentially offering more for Miller than the Broncos are willing to pay. From Miller’s perspective, walking away from $14.1 million for 2016 or a long-term deal with nearly $40 million fully guaranteed at signing entails significant risk. Will he emerge with a better offer from the Broncos or someone else in 2017? Even if he does, that year of football for which he would have gotten at least $14.1 million or, based on the average of the currently-expired offer, $19 million will be gone forever, with Miller getting zero dollars and zero cents (plus benefits) this season. Despite the ability to finagle a possible path out of Denver for 2017, the notion that Miller would sit a full season feels like his reaction to the team taking the fairly aggressive stance of putting a large offer on the table with a deadline for taking it. Making a plausible threat to not play at all in 2016 is undoubtedly aimed at making the Broncos willing not only to put the offer back on the table (which they surely will do before the July 15 deadline for doing a long-term deal) but also to sweeten it. Ultimately, the question likely becomes whether the Broncos will fully guarantee the year-to-year franchise-tag money that Miller would make through 2018. While no one has specifically reported that Miller wants $55.38 million to be fully guaranteed at signing, that’s the sum of what he’d make under three years of the franchise tag, at a 20-percent increase for 2017 and then a 44-percent bump for 2018. It’s reasonable for him to take the position that he’s willing to let the tag drive his long-term deal if the Broncos are willing to assume the risk that he’ll remain sufficiently healthy and effective in 2016 and 2017 to justify using the tag again in 2018.

Broncos moving on, talking contracts with Sanders and Marshall next By Darin Gantt Pro Football Talk June 10, 2016 After playing hardball with Von Miller, the Broncos are on to a few softer targets. According to Mike Klis of KUSA, the Broncos are now working on contract extensions for two players who are not their franchise-tagged Super Bowl MVP, with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and inside linebacker Brandon Marshall next on the docket. Sanders figures to be the bigger deal of the two, as he’s outperformed the three-year deal they brought him in on, which will pay him $5.6 million this season. After four years as a solid bit player in Pittsburgh, he became a star in Denver, averaging 89 catches, 1,270 yards and eight touchdowns in his two seasons there. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” Sanders said. “I’ve expressed that to (General Manager John) Elway. It’s all about just getting the right number. I pray that they do come to the right number. I think I’ve given my heart to this city. I’ve never left anything on the field.’’ Marshall’s currently sitting on the $2.553 million restricted free agent tender. He’s yet to sign it, but has continued to work out as a show of good faith.

Takeaways from Day 3 of Broncos minicamp: Cornerbacks, Mark Sanchez, Paxton Lynch and more By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com June 10, 2016 Mandatory minicamp concluded Thursday with no further injury setbacks and an emphasis on red-zone work throughout the two-hour practice at the UCHealth Training Center. Notes from the Broncos' ninth on-field session of 2016 OTAs follow: 1. NO HELMETS, BUT NO SCALING BACK THE WORK. The veterans who received rest days Wednesday were back at work Thursday, but it was a ballcap session with no helmets. "Our work's been good," Head Coach Gary Kubiak said. "We took the helmets off today and kept our speed going. We've got a long way to go, but a lot of things to build off of." The only unexpected absence from practice was that of inside linebacker Brandon Marshall, who was excused to be the guest speaker at the commencement exercises of Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas, Nev., his alma mater. In previous weeks, Marshall was limited to individual work as he recovers from surgery to repair a dislocated finger. 2. TAKING A LONG LOOK AT CORNERBACK DEPTH. "Did you know the Chinese use the same word for 'crisis' as they do for 'opportunity'?" "Yes! 'Crisitunity!'" -- Lisa and Homer Simpson, 1994 Being without Aqib Talib this week is certainly something the Broncos were not expecting. But the extensive work given to Bradley Roby and Kayvon Webster this week can only help get a better gauge on the quality of the team's depth at cornerback as they face Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders regularly. Thomas and Sanders had Wednesday off, but were back at work Thursday. Mark Sancheztargeted them on more than half of his throws, and each responded with big plays, including two catches by Sanders near the right sideline that saw him tap his feet just before getting in-bounds. Roby and Webster will face few challenges like the one they have in practice, and even with the inherent disadvantage defenders have in non-contact practices, still made some plays. "Kayvon's definitely improved. The game's slowing down for him," fellow cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. "Now you get into Year Four, and he already has the tools and the ability to make plays.

Webster nearly had an interception Thursday, coming up just short on what would have been a diving pickoff of a Mark Sanchez throw to Demaryius Thomas. "Sometimes your process can be slow as a cornerback, but now I think he's definitely sped up," Harris said. “Him and [Roby] definitely, I think they took that leap to where the game's slowing down for them." The biggest key now is consistency. Harris said that Roby's ceiling is "high," but what he accomplishes is "up to him." "It's about how much work he wants to put in, because he has the talent. It's always about how much work you want to put in, and preparation each week," Harris said. "And do you have that mindset of, 'I want to be the best every day,' and not have one of those days where I'm balling, I'm confident, and then out of nowhere, you just don't show up. He just has to be more consistent. "I've seen him definitely grow this offseason. He just has to eliminate those dumb days when he just doesn't want to play. If he can just continue to grow and be consistent every day, he has a very high ceiling." 3. MAINTAINING THE DEFENSIVE AGGRESSION WITHOUT TALIB. Talib's absence will allow the Broncos to evaluate Roby, Webster and second-year cornerback Lorenzo Doss and see if they can handle being left on an island in man coverage as Phillips did so often last year with Harris, Talib and Roby. "Definitely. I'm positive that all our corners are able to handle that, down to Doss," Harris said. Doss' play in particular has caught Harris' eye. "I think Doss is the only one ahead of me in pass breakups [during OTAs and minicamp],'" Harris said. "So he's definitely having great OTAs, too." 4. QUICK REACTIONS IN COVERAGE. Corey Nelson and Todd Davis have each made plays to break up passes in OTAs, but Thursday it was Davis' turn, as he made a quick read on a Sanchez attempt to C.J. Anderson in the right flat to swat away the pass. Rookie Justin Simmons has also shown a knack for being around the football throughout OTAs, and during the seven-on-seven period he reacted quickly when Trevor Siemianlooked for Henry Krieger-Coble on a short pass across the middle. What was most impressive was how Simmons avoided heavy contact. Most of the time, a player positioned as Simmons was, just behind the tight end, would creep onto the target's back, drawing a flag. Simmons avoided that trap and made a clean deflection.

“He made quite a few plays," Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips said. "We chart every day how many plays they make, what they do well and what they do wrong. He’s in the plus territory, so he’s doing well." Safety T.J. Ward also made a play on the football, intercepting a pass from Sanchez in the end zone during the seven-on-seven period and darting up the east sideline for a long return. 5. SANCHEZ PASSING THE TEST SO FAR. Even without players like Talib, Marshall, DeMarcus Wareand Von Miller, the defense is fast and formidable. "It's definitely hard. They've got to go against us every day, so we're not making it easy for them," Harris said. "But I think Mark had a great week this week." Ward's interception was just the third of OTAs for Sanchez, and only the second since the first period of the first OTA on May 24. "He's done some really good things," Kubiak said. "[But] today I reminded him of some mistakes that he made in the red zone. He's got to play really well for this team, and he's capable of doing that." 6. "UP AND DOWN" FOR PAXTON LYNCH. That's how Kubiak described his progress, and such vacillation is is expected just nine practices into his NFL career. One area at which Lynch is improving is anticipating his receivers' routes as they make their breaks. Lynch is able to release the ball as they start their cut to the outside, and the football usually arrives on time. "Paxton is so talented. It's an easy thing to see how gifted he is throwing the ball and stuff," Kubiak said. But while Lynch is improving at looking off the safety and using his shoulder fake and pump fake to disguise his intent, sometimes he will overthink in the moment, which leads to a delayed throw. "Sometimes he'll get real slow because that's when you're thinking too much," Kubiak said. "It's up to us as coaches to lock in to what he really understands and what he's doing and cut him loose. "In my mind right now if we're in Chicago, first preseason [game], I know what he knows. We have to have growth upon that as we move forward. He's got to continue to grind in what he's doing. A lot of expectations." 7. DeCAMILLIS: PUNTING COMPETITION IS "NECK AND NECK." So far, there is no clear leader in the duel between Britton Colquitt and rookie Riley Dixon. "Riley has got a lot of ability, but Britton is a smooth, good veteran," DeCamillis said. "It’s going to be a heck of a competition going into training camp."

Thursday, Dixon and Colquitt worked on their placement punting, with the line of scrimmage near midfield. All of their punts stayed out of the end zone. Each had hang times of greater than 4.4 seconds on four of their five punts. "I don’t think we had a touchback, which is good in that particular drill," DeCamillis said.

Media Rap-up: Phillips quotes Drake lyrics; DeCamillis talks meeting T.I. By Ben Swanson DenverBroncos.com June 10, 2016 Thursday's media availability with Wade Phillips took a delightful detour from regular football talk when the forever-young defensive coordinator responded to a question about when he'll wear his Super Bowl ring by taking the opportunity to recite lyrics from Drake's "Big Rings." "As soon as I get it, I'm going to put it on. I may wear it all the time," Phillips said. "We'll see. It's a really big ring. It's a really big thing. We have a really big team, as Drake would say." Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis followed Phillips' availability, remarking, "Man, he's a tough one to follow." Sticking to the hot topic of the day, DeCamillis said, "Actually, I'm a T.I. guy." DeCamillis got his chance to tell three-time Grammy winner that in person last season before the Broncos' divisional round playoff game against the Steelers, and he even discarded his usual pregame stoicism to do so. "Literally, I never go talk to anybody before the game," DeCamillis said. "I walked up to him and hugged him. He's awesome."

Russell Okung surprises Kodu STEM Bowl winners By Caroline Deisley DenverBroncos.com June 10, 2016 It’s not every day that a kid gets to play a video game that they designed on the scoreboard at Mile High. It’s also not every day that kids get to play against one of the best offensive linemen in the nation. Offseason pickup and self-proclaimed agent Russell Okung surprised winners of the STEM Kodu Bowl on Thursday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to celebrate their accomplishments. “They’ve got some really good talent,” Okung said as he took a break from the game. “They’ve got a good eye just for how these things work. I’m so fortunate to come here and play with them.” The Broncos Tackle STEM initiative partners with organizations like Colorado State University’s Little Shop of Physics, Learn Fresh, RAFT Colorado and Ten80 Education to create positive learning experiences that encourage young students to become more interested in STEM subjects through hands-on activities. This specific Tackle STEM project allowed kids at local Boys and Girls clubs to create and design their own video games that specifically related to the Broncos. The top two entrants won an experience of a lifetime, playing the game they created on the ThunderVision stadium scoreboard at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The first-place game reflected the process of becoming a Bronco player with different “stages” or levels that the player had to pass in order to progress. The creators even included a math portion with multiplication problems that the player had to answer correctly in order to move forward. “We created an awesome game,” said Michelle Vasquez, one of the creators of the winning game. Now, we get to celebrate our accomplishments for winning first place.“ Playing their games on the big screen was certainly a worthwhile experience for the kids, but the surprise appearance from Okung made this more than just a celebration; it was a chance to learn from one of the NFL's top players at his position. “We got to see that [NFL players] do take their work seriously but they can also be really fun with us and not just care about sports but other stuff that is valuable to us like technology or STEM,” said Vasquez. For Okung, the experience wasn’t just another appearance either, but rather an opportunity to inspire the next generation to pursue passions in STEM, a goal that’s close to home for the Broncos offensive lineman. “For them to design these games, congratulations to them,” said Okung. “I think the world is in their hands. They can do anything they want to do.”

Quarterback Paxton Lynch signs with Broncos By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com June 10, 2016 The Denver Broncos completed sigining their 2016 rookie class when quarterback Paxton Lynch inked his deal on Thursday afternoon. The 26th-overall pick joins DT Adam Gotsis, S Justin Simmons, RB Devontae Booker, OL Connor McGovern, FB Andy Janovich, S Will Parks and P Riley Dixon. The Broncos wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday.