The quarterback competition is not the only position battle heating up at Denver Broncos training camp.
The Broncos also have a competition at center and before Tuesday, Luke Wattenberg had been running with the first-team offense. Alex Forsyth got his turn with the starters on Tuesday after previously spending time at guard.
“Well, he’s been working with [No.] 1s and we’ve actually been able to get Alex reps at center and also at guard,” coach Sean Payton said when asked about Wattenberg last week. “There’s no etched-in stone right now at that position. There’s competition, and we like it. We like the way that both of those guys are playing. That flexibility that Alex is showing a little bit at guard has been encouraging.”
With Wattenberg seemingly holding a lead at center and Forsyth displaying versatility, it seems that veteran Sam Mustipher might be the odd man out in the competition. Mustipher has played as a center to this point in his career whereas Wattenberg has filled in at guard for the Broncos in the past.
“He’s smart,” Payton said of Wattenberg. “I think he’s got good versatility. There are traits that you look forward to in a center. You look for guys that obviously are strong inside handling the pash rush.
“Then it’s how are they at the second level? Often times, that player is able to combo and get up to a linebacker — can they finish? So he’s someone that’s pretty athletic and has a really good ability to get to his second-level blocks.”
Denver’s staff will want their backup center to be a versatile player who can fill in at both center and guard if needed. Wattenberg has already proven he can do that and Forysth is showing signs of promise. If he doesn’t come out of nowhere to win the starting job, Mustipher could end up off the roster when it’s all said and done.
We’ll see how the center reps shake up when preseason begins later this month. The Broncos will open preseason on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11.
