Broncos S Brandon Jones said the team knows it needs to continue to embrace the mentality that got them from being an underdog into one of the league’s best teams, even as Denver gets a lot more hype about its prospects in 2025.
“I think we’re handling it really well,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “I will say, we’re still a young team. I think that just kind of brings that juice and energy and kind of that overall dog mentality that we all have. We never want to get comfortable; [you] never can get comfortable in this league. So I think we’re just going to keep striving for greatness and continue to do what we can do.”
Broncos LT Garett Bolles said the team needs to start faster and has the utmost belief in the team’s coaching staff.
“I think we’ve just got to stay calm and composed and just focus on the game and attack each opponent the same way, the way we study, the way that we game-plan, the way that we do things,” Bolles said on how to string wins together in 2025. “We have a hell of a coaching staff here. We really do. One of the best in the NFL for a reason. Coach Payton, I love him dearly. … Just his coaching experience, his mindset [and] his culture that he builds is so special.”
Bolles added that HC Sean Payton prepares the team for situations when they need a critical stop or a conversion.
“I think when we get in those moments when it’s crunch time and you’ve got to score [or] you’ve got to make a stop, I don’t think we’re afraid because he puts us in situations in practice to make us feel uncomfortable so that when we get in those moments, we can win those close games,” Bolles said. “Those are the games you have to win in this league. … I think it’s just all about the culture we have here and the players we have here and the mindset that we have here.”
Raiders HC Pete Carroll highly praised first-round RB Ashton Jeanty, saying the running back is embracing the challenge of being their feature back.
“He caught the ball well, understood stuff, took everything seriously [and] gave terrific effort throughout,” Carroll said, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN. “We made a big deal of him — ‘Everybody’s watching you’ — and he embraced the thought of it. And so, it’s going to be exciting to see what happens.”
Raiders veteran RB Raheem Mostert has been impressed by Jeanty’s ability to break big plays.
“The biggest thing that impressed me the most was that he was able to break and take it another 60 yards,” Mostert said. “That’s something that’s not necessarily going on out there in the world right now.”
Carroll is getting Jeanty and other rookies like WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. and CB Darien Porter a lot of reps in their offseason program. The coach explained its an approach he’s always taken with rookies.
“This is what I’ve done with rookies for a long time,” Carroll said. “It just depends on how well you orchestrate what you ask them to do. And if they can find success, that helps our depth and helps us stay competitive.”
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!