NFL Notes: Broncos, Packers, Patriots

Broncos

Broncos second-round QB Drew Lock is working on transitioning from the spread offense he ran in college at Missouri to a pro-style offense. 

“It’s very difficult to transition to do all the things you’re asking of them,” Broncos OC Rich Scangarello said via Pro Football Talk. “In 24 hours, you’re crash-coursing it. . . . No doubt, once you realized what you’re faced with and you can actually be within it and sense what it’s going to take, the good one always find a way to figure out what it’s going to take to make themselves the best they can be. I think that is probably what he realized yesterday. He went back and he realized, ‘Hey, this is what I have to get real good at in the next coming days and the rest of my career.’ He’s up for the challenge.”

• Broncos HC Vic Fangio said QB Joe Flacco would take all the first-team reps during OTA’s. (Vic Fangio)
• Fangio mentioned DB Kareem Jackson would work at both cornerback and safety. (Ryan O’Halloran)
• Fangio told reporters CB Bryce Callahan would be a full participant during OTA’s, while RB Phillip Lindsay, TE Jake Butt and G Ronald Leary would be limited. (Klis)

Packers

Despite his freakish athleticism, Packers first-round LB Rashan Gary had less than 10 sacks for his college career. However, his role on Michigan’s defense contributed to that. 

“Rashan is able to play multiple positions on the defensive line,” Michigan S coach Gary Partridge said via Tom Silverstein. “But other people can’t play multiple positions on the D-line. So for the team, we didn’t ask him to line up on the open side and rush the passer. We asked him to line up inside the tight end and knock the crap out of the tight end and stop the run. Because college is a lot different than the pro game.

“You’ve got so much quarterback-driven run, so much tight end run. He did that better than anyone in the country” Partridge continued. “You can’t tell me that you can find somebody in the country that was better at knocking the crap out of the tight end and stopping the front-side run game. He had so many tackles on front-side, tight zone and power, and all that stuff. He completely took the play away. If people would actually look at it and notice, teams started running weak (side) against us all the time. They started attacking us weak because of what he was doing on the tight end side. So his production was very much related to what we asked him to do in the scheme.”

Patriots

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said the Patriots plan to adjust to the talents of the players they have on their roster, like WR N’Keal Harry. 

“I think the biggest thing we try to do with our team and our offense, in particular, is take guys who have a skill and a talent and don’t try to fit them to what we’ve done in the past,” said McDaniels via NBC Sports’ Tom Curran. “If you try to do that, you tell me where the next Troy Brown is. Or the next Logan Mankins or the next Tom Brady. We’ll try to go get that guy. It’s not that easy. You have to have enough flexibility and versatility in your system that you can maybe feature the X-receiver. Or the Z-receiver. Or the tight end. Or two tight ends. Or the halfback. Whatever style you want to be, it should reflect the talent of your team. So that’s what we’re gonna do with (Harry) and see what happens. Now, he’s a rookie and he’s got a long way to go but in terms of him being different, he is. And we’ll try to see what he does well and see what can fit in his wheelhouse.” 

• Patriots ST coach Joe Judge will also coach the wide receivers this season. (Mike Reiss)