Unable to be in the same room as offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and quarterbacks coach Mike Shula, Broncos quarterback Drew Lock has enlisted a close associate in Lee’s Summit, Mo., to help develop a comfort level with the new playbook.
His dad, Andy.
Last year, Lock would spend spare time reciting the plays while standing in front of a mirror. This year, because NFL teams are prohibited from training at their facilities due to the coronavirus pandemic, Lock turned to Andy.
“He’s doing a good job,” Drew said during a video conference call on Tuesday. “I had to teach him some rhythm on how to call plays because it was pretty choppy at first, but I think we got it down to an art now.”
Lock has been teaching his dad how to recite the plays, but the beginning of the offseason program has been mostly about learning. The new system. The new teammates. The new processes. A lot to handle for a second-year player, but one Lock is embracing and appears ready for.
“Nothing’s in fine ink right now as far as wins and losses just because of the people we drafted,” he said. “We have a lot of work to put together to hopefully be on our ‘A’ game every single Sunday.”
The new system: Shurmur and Shula joined the Broncos from the New York Giants, where they were the coach and offensive coordinator, respectively. In just the early part of the installation of the playbook, Lock sees a big and welcomed change.
“There are more possibilities for us to press the ball downfield, which I think plays into my strengths and will play (to the strengths) of the receivers that we have on this team now and being able to (move) down the field and give me options to change a ‘curl’ route into a ‘go’ route if we can get man (coverage),” Lock said.
Lock said picking up the 2020 Broncos offense is happening “10 times quicker” than a year ago.
“I think having this be my second year is benefiting me in a lot of ways I didn’t necessary expect (when) learning a new offense,” he said. “There is similar carryover from the old one — you can pocket that and don’t have to necessarily study that as much because you know what they’re talking about. Even the new stuff I’m being taught, it’s easier for me to learn because I’ve found a way that fits me best.”
The new teammates: Since Lock wrapped up his rookie year with a win over the Raiders, the Broncos have acquired running back Melvin Gordon, right guard Graham Glasgow, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam and receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.
“I’m super-pumped about the guys we added,” Lock said. “You talk about Melvin and Graham, two experienced players to help this offense start rolling early when the season starts and then you talk about the guys in the draft — a bunch of young, extremely, extremely talented players. But at the same time, I thought of myself as an extremely talented player coming into (the NFL) and it took some time for me to adjust.”
The Broncos want to be more explosive (their 46 completions of at least 20 yards last year were 25th-most in the league) and lining up Jeudy and Hamler opposite receiver Courtland Sutton could aid that.
“We saw a lot of teams start doubling Courtland toward the end of the year when I was playing,” Lock said. “Being able to have speed on the other side, it’s going to scare d-coordinators I believe — you’re not going to shade a single-high safety over to Courtland if you have those guys on the other side. (They will) probably have to stick to more two-high stuff and play us straight up and if you play two-high, we have Phillip (Lindsay) and Melvin. I think we’re very versatile as far as what we can do — attack through the air or run the ball.”
The decision by general manager John Elway, coach Vic Fangio and Shurmur during the offseason to surround Lock was a hat-tip to his play last year (seven touchdowns, three interceptions and an 89.7 rating).
“It says they saw something positive in the way I played in those last games and can stay for a long time and help the Broncos win as many games as possible,” Lock said. “It means a lot to me to see that happen. It puts some extra confidence on my back, but at the same time, the expectations also rise. I like to say I hold myself to high expectations and put pressure on myself in general and that always outweighs the pressure from the media or even friends and family.”
The new processes. Lock has continued to work with his personal trainer, Austin Pace, in suburban Kansas City during the shutdown and once permitted, wants to get the Broncos’ skill-position players together for throwing sessions.
“I actually got pretty lucky,” he said. “My trainer here has a private place where it ended up being just me and him during the quarantine. It worked out just fine. We got to keep my running going and my lifting going and I connected him and (Broncos strength-and-conditioning coach) Loren (Landow) together to have a similar mindset as far as what Loren wants and he relayed that to Austin.”
Lock has the offensive players, all of whom have the new offense on team-provided iPads, on a text chain and “whenever the professionals say it’s OK, we’re going to be ready and start throwing and get this chemistry down and get things rolling.”
Lock called the Zoom conference meetings with the offense, “definitely a little different. … You have to be more vocal; you’re not up at the board and face to face with your receivers or running backs. It’s not awkward, but it’s definitely different to chime in during these meetings and have all the eyes looking at you on the screen.”
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Broncos quarterback Drew Lock “super-pumped” about new system, players - The Denver Post
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