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Mason's Mailbag: Who stood out during the first OTA?

You can tweet questions to me with the hashtag #AskMase or use the submission form to your right (if you're viewing on a standard browser) or at the bottom of the page if you're on the mobile site.

Based on the one practice that was open to the media for viewing, Royce Freeman, who had some dynamic runs, showed good vision and made decisive cuts. You don't want to jump to conclusions after an initial practice, but Freeman looks like he can be part of a multifaceted solution for the Broncos at running back.

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Could the drafting of Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton be less because they remind the Broncos of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders and more because they resemble Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs?**

-- Jeffery Jackson I don't think the decision to draft Sutton and Hamilton has anything to do with either of those pairings, except in terms of Sanders coming off a season in which he missed four games and Thomas powering through the pain of nagging injuries in recent seasons. (Remember, the Broncos used a Day 2 pick on a wide receiver in 2014 when they had Wes Welker, had just signed Sanders and had picked up the fifth-year option on Thomas, so you're always planning for the future, no matter what kind of quality you have at the position.)

Furthermore, there is so much variance in the performance and development of draft picks that you can't pick two players and project how they will work as a tandem.

What they can do together is push each other -- something Sutton mentioned to me during a post-practice interview Tuesday. But all of the rookies are pushing each other, whether they are draft picks or from the undrafted ranks, as is the case for TCU's John Diarse and East Carolina's Jimmy Williams, both of whom the Broncos signed in the days after the 2018 NFL Draft.

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Do you see the Broncos moving Menelik Watson inside to guard because he was good in run blocking?**

-- Chigaru Gooden

They're already giving him a look, working him at right guard next to Matt Paradis during OTAs last week. This is the time of year for experimenting, and how he does now and in the coming weeks could determine whether it is a legitimate possibility for the regular season.

At the minimum, snaps at guard will help make Watson more versatile, giving him the chance to be a swing backup at up to four positions if he cannot crack the starting lineup.

It's more of a pun that I tweeted about the Vegas Golden Knights a while ago and rehashed while watching them with my daughter in the Western Conference Finals last week: "It doesn't matter whether the puck drops in the day or the evening, every game they play is a 'Knight' game."

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The analysis, opinion and speculation in this story represents that of the author, gathered through research and reporting, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Denver Broncos organization.

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