Broncos Notebook: Vance Joseph points to Davis Webb’s grasp of the defensive game, while Red Murdock and Brandon Jones stand out in camp

Denver’s training camp on Sunday continued to focus on a familiar coaching theme for the Broncos under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph: the difference between activity and understanding. In the club’s latest Broncos Notebook, Joseph discussed how offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s work with quarterback Davis Webb has shown up in practice, emphasizing that Webb “understands defense.” The point, as Joseph presented it, was not just that Webb could run a play, but that he could recognize defensive structure and respond accordingly as the day-to-day pace of camp picks up.

Webb’s performance was framed as a repeatable process rather than a single highlight. Joseph’s comments situated Webb’s development inside the broader challenge of learning a professional scheme environment quickly, where coverage disguises, disguisable pressures, and quick adjustments can change the best option at the snap. For a quarterback, camp is where those connections are supposed to form, and Joseph’s emphasis suggested he is seeing that mental processing translate onto the field.

Along the defensive front seven, the BroncosNotebook also spotlighted rookie inside linebacker Red Murdock, describing him as having “his best two days” of training camp. The language matters because it speaks to momentum and consistency, two traits coaches track when evaluating young players over the first stretch of the season. For an inside linebacker, camp work typically tests range, recognition, and the ability to stay disciplined in the middle against both run fits and passing concepts.

What makes Murdock’s progress notable in the notebook format is that it comes paired with Joseph’s framing of understanding. Inside linebackers are expected to process quickly, and when a young player is called out for his best recent work, it usually reflects improvements in how he reads formations and reacts to what the offense does pre-snap. Even without a stat line attached in the notebook, the coaching praise indicates the Broncos are paying close attention to how Murdock is translating teaching into execution.

In the secondary, safety Brandon Jones was also included, with the notebook noting his thoughts as he attempted kicks on Saturday. That detail points to the wider reality of training camp, where special-teams reps and role flexibility can matter as coaches evaluate depth and practice-day reliability. Kick attempts by defensive backs do not replace the specialist role, but they are part of a broader evaluation process for personnel, confidence, and mechanics under practice conditions.

Jones’s inclusion alongside the defense-and-understanding narrative suggests Denver’s staff is tracking development across phases at the same time. When a team is learning and layering new looks on offense while also tightening defensive responses, it can be harder to keep every player focused on his primary responsibilities. Yet the notebook indicates the Broncos are doing exactly that, while still testing skills that appear on the margins of Saturday practice.