ENGLEWOOD – With Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler no longer on the practice field, candidates are looking to step up to provide the Broncos with depth at wide receiver.

Patrick was lost for the season Monday when he suffered a torn left Achilles in a training camp practice at Centura Health Training Center. Hamler later that day was waived due to what he wrote on social media was a diagnosis of a “mild heart irritation,’’ although he could return to the team early in the regular season.

For now, Broncos wide receiver Marquez Callaway said it’s wide open who move up with Patrick and Hamler out.

“We lost recently a couple of receivers, so I know that will be a big opportunity for a lot of guys,’’ Callaway said. “I just hope I’m going to be one of them to be able to fill in those spots. It’s a great (receiving) room. There’s a lot of guys fighting for those spots.”

Callaway brings some strong credentials to the competition. While playing for current Broncos coach Sean Payton with New Orleans in 2020 and 2021, he had 46 catches for 698 yards in the latter season. He filled when the Saints were without some top receivers, including star Michael Thomas missing all of 2021 with an ankle injury.

“We had a couple of guys go down and I had to step up, so that I think was the biggest thing that season,’’ he said. “Hopefully, I can do the same this year.’’

Callaway had just 16 catches for 158 yards last season when Payton was gone from New Orleans, and he said he didn’t have the same opportunities to play as he did in 2021. Now, he’s thrilled to be reunited with Payton in Denver after signing as a free agent.

“I thought it was a great opportunity and I was excited and happy,’’ Callaway said. He said it’s “pretty much the same offense, so I didn’t have to learn too much.”

Nevertheless, there is work to be done. The Broncos also signed Lil’Jordan Humphrey, a Saints receiver under Payton from 2019-21.

“I’m waiting to see something from both of those two guys,’’ Payton said. “I’m expecting to see a little bit more.”

Payton made note of another wide receiver looking to move up the depth chart now in Kendall Hinton.

“This is an important camp for him,’’ Payton said. “He’s got a chance to be a slot-type receiver. He’s smart.”

Too many penalties

NFL officials were on hand for the second straight day at Broncos training camp, and plenty of flags were thrown on pre-snap calls.

“We had too many fouls there with the officials here,’’ Payton said. “Before you ever really get going, you put yourself in a hole. It’s something we have to improve on.”

So, what is one thing Payton does to try to eliminate pre-snap penalties?

“There is a point at which you pull the player out,’’ he said. “There is an emphasis to it, but it has to be more than just that. It has to go away.”

Callaway knows all about Payton being flustered by pre-snap penalties and other infractions.

“You can’t let yourself beat is what irritates him from what I’ve picked up,’’ Callaway said.

When the Broncos were able to get snaps off, they worked on their two-minute offense Friday. Payton said there was “nothing really unusual of note.”

Dulcich working plenty

Tight end Greg Dulcich is usually among the first Denver players on the practice field during training camp. But he insisted he’s not the first.

“Chris Manhertz, he’s really the guy who’s out here the earliest,’’ Dulcich said. “He’s out at midnight doing his stuff.”

Nevertheless, Dulcich said it’s important to get out early on the field because “you get only so much time to work on those things.”

What Dulcich is trying to do in 2023 is take another big step after having 33 catches for 411 yards as a rookie in 2022 in a season in which was bogged down by hamstring issues. Dulich said during the offseason it was “a huge focal point” doing “mobility work” and trying to avoid such injuries.

Dulcich likes the history Payton had with tight ends when he was the Saints coach for 15 seasons. His biggest star at the position was Jimmy Graham, who played for New Orleans from 2010-14.

“The tight ends with his offense and with this scheme is real cool, and so far, we’ve just scratched the surface of it,’’ Dulcich said. “So, it will be cool to kind of see how that grows.”

Briefly

Adam Gase, who was a Denver assistant from 2009-14, including the last two years spent as offensive coordinator, was at Friday’s practice. Broncos senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt, who was with Payton in New Orleans, is his father-in-law. Payton said he’s known Gase for a “long time” and a “good relationship with him.” He said Gase, who was head coach of Miami and the New York Jets from 2016-20, is “now taking care of the kids, teaching, taking them to little league and golfing.” … Payton likes what he sees from third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci but said it’s not determined yet whether Denver will have three signal callers on the 53-man roster. “I like his experience,’’ said Payton, who figures to at least keep DiNucci on the practice squad. “There’s a calmness about him, a little poise.”