Broncos Wire will have weekly updates now through the end of training camp on the latest storylines from practice and preseason. This is the second edition. 

Spicy start: Sean Payton kicked off training camp by defending QB Russell Wilson in an interview with USA TODAY. In defense of Wilson, Payton cast blame for the team’s 2022 struggles on former Denver HC Nathaniel Hackett, saying last season “might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” Hackett is now the OC for the Jets, and Payton suggested New York could face a similar fate as last season’s Broncos. Jets HC Robert Saleh stood up for his assistant. “Obviously, we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play until Week [5],” Saleh quipped. That’s right — the Broncos are set to host Hackett and the Jets on Oct. 8. That game is still four months away, but Payton’s harsh, unexpected comments about the team’s ex-coach stole the headlines during the first week of training camp. The next day, Payton said his comments were a mistake and he said he needs to be more filtered, but New York heard the message loud and clear. 

Rookie watch: LB Drew Sanders is currently below Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton on the ILB depth chart, but Sanders has experience playing both inside and on the edge from his time at Alabama. A third-round pick, Sanders could earn first-team snaps quickly as a versatile rotational linebacker.

This post originally appeared in Sports Weekly.

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Story originally appeared on Broncos Wire