Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
- 2,455
- 0
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — De'Vante Bausby would've been gone for six.
In coverage against rookie Jerry Jeudy during Sunday's practice, the cornerback read reserve quarterback Jeff Driskel's eyes and undercut an outbreaking route.
Bausby took off for the end zone, and he wouldn't have been stopped in a game situation. It was the highlight of another solid practice for Bausby, who is in the throes of a competition to be the Broncos' third cornerback.
And while Bausby's interception came against the second-team offense, he was again part of the rotation with the starting defense. On Sunday, Bausby, Isaac Yiadom and Davontae Harris all took reps at the outside cornerback position in the Broncos' nickel defense, as Bryce Callahan shifted inside to cover the slot receiver. Rookie Michael Ojemudia and Duke Dawson Jr. also figure to work into the competition at some point during camp.
Big plays like the one Bausby made Sunday will help get the coaching staff and front office's attention. President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway happened to be standing on the sideline as Bausby snagged the interception right in front of him. But while the big plays will help Bausby get noticed, he believes consistency is what will earn him the job.
"The guys upstairs know I can play, know I can cover," Bausby told DenverBroncos.com on Sunday. "[I've] just got to do it day in and day out. No mental errors."
Bausby, who appeared in games with the Bears in 2016 and Eagles in 2018 before leading the now-defunct Alliance of American Football in interceptions, said he's looked back at his five games with the Broncos in 2019.
"I go back and look at it so I can right my wrongs," Bausby said. "Those reps I had last year were very good for me, and I've got to keep stacking [them] … so I can go out there and compete with those guys."
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound player replaced Yiadom in the starting lineup in Week 4 against the Jaguars, and he recorded eight tackles and a pass breakup vs. Jacksonville. A week later, though, Bausby suffered a season-ending neck injury in the team's win over the Chargers.
"Man, it feels good," said Bausby of being back on the field. "Like you said, I haven't been on a practice field since October. No OTAs and offseason — just working out and that's it, not really doing any football stuff. It was getting kind of frustrating. I'm excited to be back."
On the practice field, Bausby can hone his craft against Courtland Sutton — whom he called a top-10 receiver in the league — Jeudy and KJ Hamler.
"[No.] 10 [Jeudy], he's different [in] how he moves," Bausby said. "That'll be good for me for different matchups. Even [No.] 13 [Hamler], he's a short, quick guy, and we have those in our division. So seeing those is beneficial for me."
Bausby will aim to stack more positive practices, but he doesn't expect a decision to be made about the starting job until late in training camp.
"It's all camp long, baby," Bausby said. "It's going to be a competition all camp long. I love it, because it's going to bring the best out of everybody. ... I love it. I like it like this so I won't get comfortable. You've got to keep grinding."