SEATTLE — The Broncos have followed through on their initial training camp plan to divide the quarterback snaps between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater and right tackle plays between Bobby Massie and Calvin Anderson.
But the center competition that was swung open following the addition of third-round pick Quinn Meinerz didn’t just fizzle, it never got started. It has been Lloyd Cushenberry all the way.
Count Cushenberry among the surprised.
“I was expecting us to kind of share,” he said.
But in a nod to his offseason combined with Meinerz’s occasionally rocky transition to a new position at a new level of football, Cushenberry gripped the starting spot and hasn’t let go. He was expected to start Saturday night’s game at Seattle.
“I think he’s on that steady climb,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “He’s got a bright future. He’s smart, he’s tough, he works hard and he’s really self-aware when something bad happens. We’re pleased with his progress.”
Cushenberry was thrown into the fight last year without the benefit of an in-person offseason program, a full training camp or any preseason games.
On-the-job training in the NFL is never ideal, but it’s also the best way to get better. Cushenberry was Exhibit A.
First eight games: Booked for 15 pass protection “disruptions” per The Denver Post’s game charting — 4 1/2 sacks, 6 1/2 knockdowns and four pressures.
Last eight games: Booked for four “disruptions” — one sack, one knockdown and two pressures.
Cushenberry, whose 19 “disruptions” led the Broncos, was the only offensive player to appear in all 1,075 snaps.
The blip down the stretch was his run blocking — 4 1/2 “bad” run plays (gain of one or fewer yards not including short-yardage and goal-line) in the first half compared to seven in the second half.
“Obviously, last year was unacceptable and I didn’t play up to my standards,” said Cushenberry, a third-round pick from LSU, where he won a national championship in 2019. “I could have used a lot of different excuses — no offseason, no OTAs, whatever, but there are no excuses.
“I just went to work in the offseason and feel much better.”
Cushenberry visited his family in January and then it was back to the Denver area to re-start the grind.
“I probably took a week off after the season and ever since, it’s been preparing for this moment knowing they were going to bring somebody in to push me,” he said.
General manager George Paton drafted Meinerz and the Broncos said he would battle Cushenberry. At the outset of camp, coach Vic Fangio declined to declare the center spot open and Cushenberry has pounced on that semi-vote of confidence.
“The coaches believe in me and I just have to go out and prove this is my job and while doing that, continue to bring (Meinerz) along because he has to be ready, too,” Cushenberry said. “Be a leader while keeping my job.”
Paton has been impressed.
“He’s had a great camp (and) great offseason,” Paton said. “He’s gotten stronger (and) confident. He was really asked a lot to play as a rookie in a COVID(-19) year with no offseason, no (normal) training camp. The fact he started 16 games, I was really impressed. It wasn’t perfect, but he looks like a different guy than I saw on tape.”
Said Shurmur: “We put him through a test last year. You can’t imagine a young man coming from college … and in our first four games, we were playing playoff-caliber teams (Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay) early against really good fronts and multiple fronts. He battled all year and didn’t say a word and continued to improve.”
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Offseason work already paying off for Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry - The Denver Post
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