ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos have spoken often about the value of youth and competition as they head into the 2024 season.

"I think young and hungry can be very dangerous," Head Coach Sean Payton said during the first week of training camp.

Having a veteran like Courtland Sutton to complement a young core? Even better.

Sutton was elected a captain Wednesday for the fourth consecutive year, and he was the lone player among the Broncos' six captains to previously hold the position in Denver.

"I told the guys at the dinner how grateful I was and how much of an honor it was," Sutton said Wednesday. "I don't say that lightly. To be able to get voted on by your peers as a captain of a team and for guys to choose the leaders, it's something that I treasure, and I hold [it] dear to my heart. I appreciate the guys. They know that they're going to get my best every day when we come out here for practice, meetings, the game or whatever it may be. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I'm putting myself in a position to be successful and hopefully helping the guys be successful as well."

Payton, though, made it clear Sutton wasn't named a captain solely because of his tenure in the league.

"Any young team, you're still counting on experience and leadership," Payton said. "… I wouldn't say it's just because of his experience. I would say it's because of his personality. It's because of how he works. There are so many other traits. Years in the league, I don't think, equates necessarily to being a good captain. I think there's more to in than that, and I think that's the way that his teammates looked at it."

Payton said he believed Sutton received the most votes of the Broncos' six captains, but Sutton said that total wasn't what was important to him.

"If I won by one vote or I got all the votes, it doesn't matter," Sutton said. "I'm just grateful that the guys see me as somebody that is a leader of this team and somebody that is going to do everything he possibly can to help the team be successful."

INSIDE THE BRONCOS' GAME-PLANNING PROCESS

As Payton and Co. fine-tune their game plan for Week 1, Payton said he believes "hearing those final thoughts" from his quarterback is an important part of the process.

"Periodically, there is an idea that comes up," Payton said. "I want to know what these guys really like. Then, when it comes to the actual game planning, I think it's more towards the week as we wind down, [asking] 'What are the things that you like on this plan?'"

Payton said the Broncos' final meeting comes Saturday night and that the team puts a dot by the plays the quarterback "really likes" for the upcoming game.

"If there's a play that he's not as comfortable with, I'll cross it off," Payton said. "That's kind of how the process goes during the week. If we have a new idea, [asking] 'How do I, in practice, create the look where he gains confidence with that play?' Then, all of the sudden, it's a dotted play."

Payton acknowledged there also have been times where he has liked a play, but it ends up being removed from the plan.

"It's not unusual on Saturday [that] you're going through the list and there's a play that [you say], 'God, I love this play,' and whoever that player is is kind of like, 'Eh,'" Payton said. "I'm like, 'Ugh.'"

Bo Nix said Payton and the offensive staff has worked to elevate his strengths, but he also noted that he'll aim to succeed with any play on the game plan.

"They've been very intrigued with what I've been good at in the past and my strengths," Nix said. "They're trying to play to those. At the same time, [Payton's] been doing this for almost 20 years, so he's going to be doing what he's comfortable with. It's my job to go out there and execute what he calls."