Broncos Camp Notebook | Day 7: News & Notes

After exiting Thursday's practice early, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was absent on Friday. However, after practice, Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained that it is a quad injury, and that further testing revealed that it's not serious.

"He felt a tweak. Fortunately, the scans were good. We're going to be smart with bringing him back, but we see him getting work and being a part of next week. We were fortunate there."

Greenlaw is expected back at practice next week and in time for the Broncos' joint practices with his former team, the San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, linebacker Alex Singleton was out on the grass stretching with teammates, though he's not practicing yet after undergoing surgery to repair a broken thumb suffered on Monday.

As for rookie outside linebacker Que Robinson, he missed his third straight practice. Payton explained that he's dealing with a bone bruise, and like Greenlaw, the Broncos expect him back next week.

No A.T. Perry yet. Broncos fans who want to see the wide receiver out on the grass are still left waiting.

Bo Nix Picked Off Twice

Once again, the Broncos defense won the day, making life exceedingly difficult on Nix and the offense. The second-year quarterback got a few licks in, but the Broncos offense was plagued by pre-snap penalties on Day 7.

Nix was picked off twice, although one of them also featured a defensive penalty, so in a game situation, it would have been called back. Safety Talanoa Hufanga picked off the first one, jumping in front of a short pass.

As KOARadio's Ryan Edwards observed, Hufanga's interception would likely have been a pick-six in a game, as the safety closed the distance of eight yards from the time the ball was thrown to him securing the catch, which Payton commented on post-practice.

"That play was sick," Payton said, complimenting Hufanga.

The second would-be interception was picked off by Patrick Surtain II, but an illegal contact penalty erased it. Both sides of the ball had their fair share of penalties on Day 7.

The struggles Nix and company have endured since the pads went on are nothing for Broncos Country to agonize over, nor are the turnovers. Training camp is the setting in which the coaches want to see the players pushing the boundaries. If you're going to make mistakes, camp is when to do it.

That philosophy isn't as forgiving for players on the roster bubble, obviously, but Nix is pushing the envelope, and against a defense as stacked and smothering as the Broncos' is, he's going to come out on the losing end here and there. The true test will be how Nix and company do against the Niners next week in joint practice.

I would say the preseason game itself will be the first litmus test, but we aren't yet sure how much, if any, playing time the Broncos' starters will get. Make no mistake; Nix has battled and has made some big throws and plays, but this defense is utterly unforgiving.

Iron sharpens iron. Despite the bumps in the road, Payton has been pleased with Nix's comportment thus far, especially in two-minute drill.

"There's a poise," Payton said of Nix.

It was even more brutal for the second-team offense. If it wasn't a penalty, it was a mental miscue, a turnover, or a botched snap. Jarrett Stidham and company may want to burn Day 7's tape.

"We’ve got to clean those up," Payton said afterward.

J.K. Dobbins Assuming a Vocal Role

Dobbins is a young veteran, but even as a relative newcomer to Denver, he's been the most vocal player on offense. We heard about him jawing with Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach on Day 5, and with the pads back on, the intensity elevated, as did the 'chirping' amongst teammates.

However, Dobbins seems to be taking on a vocal leadership within the team. And that's good to see, because it's still a relatively young offense. Nix has also become a lot more assertive and vocal, commensurate with his comfortability and confidence as a Year 2 guy, and while Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram offer some veteran leadership, the supporting cast is still quite young.

“J.K. has been doing a really great job of being a leader, and he’s a really great football player," running back Jaleel McLaughlin said on Friday. "RJ [Harvey] is doing an awesome job. He’s a great football player and he’s going to be great. We have the guys who were already in the room... It’ll be a great year.”

If Dobbins is helping to fill that leadership void, it can only be a good thing for this ascending offense, the struggles of the past few days in practice notwithstanding.

Levelle Bailey is 'Night & Day'

The second-year linebacker once again shined with the pads on. He's been able to stand out even more with the injuries ahead of him on the linebacker depth chart, namely Singleton and Drew Sanders.

Suffice it to say, Bailey is capitalizing on his expanded opportunity, but Payton reinforced that special teams will still be crucial in the final roster math.

"He's very smart, and so, for a second-year player at a position like that, it's night and day," Payton said of Bailey. "Where he's at today and a year ago as an undrafted free agent where he was at... special teams will be important. All those things where he can get on the field. But we've been impressed, and we're glad that we have him."

Saturday's Scrimmage

The Broncos plan to hold their scrimmage on Saturday. Once again, it'll be in a controlled format that provides a nice facsimile of a real game.

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"The format of the practice is much different than what you've been seeing," Payton said about Day 8's scrimmage.