OTAs are underway for the Denver Broncos, and one player has been earning rave reviews. Safety P.J. Locke has been a standout, according to two of his teammates who have applauded his performance.
On March 24, wide receiver Courtland Sutton was asked about Locke at a press conference. Sutton spoke highly of Locke, and he mentioned a particular play where Locke defended him in practice.
“I love watching P.J.’s game. I love watching what he brings to the table. Him making that play – we were joking about how I looked at the quarterback and I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m wide open,’ and then all of a sudden, I see a flash of white come across my eyes and it’s P.J. making a play. You love to see those things.”
Sutton continued to applaud his teammate.
“You love to be able to see guys like P.J. going out there and making plays and making a name for themselves and continuing to make a name for himself. You just love to see it.”
Fellow safety Justin Simmons said Locke is going to be a “special” player.
“When he steps on the field, I felt like there wasn’t a step lost. Obviously, there’s no replacing a Kareem (Jackson), replacing other players, but it was easy flow communication with him. You can see his instincts kind of just take over when he’s out there playing. So, he’s always been a special player and I’m glad. Publicly – because a lot of people here know – he’s going to be a special player for a while.”
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Locke Has Playing Sparingly at Safety for the Broncos
Locke was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Locke did not make the final roster, and he was waived. The Broncos signed him to their practice squad, and he has gone on to become an everyday player for the team over the past two years.
Locke has appeared in 31 games for the Broncos over the past two seasons. He played a large role on special teams logging 690 total special teams snaps.
Conversely, he has not gotten many opportunities to prove himself at safety. Locke has only played a total of 33 defensive snaps over 31 games.
Locke Does Not Have a Clear Path to Playing Time
Despite his impressive performance, there is no clear path for Locke to get playing time at safety. Simmons and Kareem Jackson are locked in as the team’s starting safeties, and there is plenty of competition behind them with Caden Sterns, Jamar Johnson, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and J.R. Reed on the roster.
On a crowded depth chart, Locke does seem to be in a good position to make the 53-man roster, though. His role on special teams along with his offseason performance should separate him from the pack.
Turner-Yell was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, while Sterns and Johnson were selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. So, Reed is a player, who could be on the bubble. According to Over The Cap, he is on a one-year deal that includes no guaranteed money.
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