The Broncos got second-round pick Drew Lock back at practice this week after a stint on injured reserve with a right thumb injury that kept him from working with the team for months.
That might have some thinking about Lock being way behind given how much time he’s missed during his rookie season, but Broncos head coach Vic Fangio isn’t in that group. On Thursday, Fangio said that watching Lock in practice this week has left him feeling that the time away from the field has been a plus for the rookie’s understanding of the game.
“I think the time off in some ways, although you never want it, helped him,” Fangio said, via the Denver Post. “I think he learned a lot whereas, when he was going through it in the spring and training camp before he got hurt, it was piling up on him I think. Besides learning the new offense and being under center, which he had never done in college — all those things were piling up on him and getting in the way of progressing the way you’d like to see him progress. I think, through his time off, he’s been able to solve some of those issues emotionally and mentally. I think he’s looked a little bit better the first two days, albeit [in] 8-10 snaps [and] half the scout-team snaps. Very limited sample.”
Assuming Lock shows the team he’s healthy and has the offense down, the sample size should expand to include game action before the year is out.