Denver Broncos Training Camp Notes Day Three and Four: Ayers on Board

For those who were hoping for an update last night, I deeply apologize.  My family headed north to Greeley, CO to visit some other family, and I was unable to find any access to a computer whatsoever.

Late or not, I come bearing some good news as well as some bad.

The bad news is that Brandon Marshall has suffered yet another injury, this time to his hamstring.  Marshall was absent from the team’s morning practice on Sunday, and apparently left the late practice early.

The good news is that the team has officially signed outside linebacker/defensive lineman Robert Ayers to a five year contract.

The 18th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft had been holding out of practices for four days.

Knowshon Moreno, the 12th overall pick in the draft, is still in Georgia working out, and has not reported to Dove Valley for training camp.

Now on to the good stuff.

Sunday’s practice was the hottest I have ever attended in 12 years of coming to Denver Broncos’ training camp.  It was miserable, but the players were all on top of their game’s.

Kyle Orton especially.

When practicing throwing the deep ball, Orton missed only one pass to Matt Willis, and that was because it was dropped.  He consistently put the ball on the receivers’ back shoulder and was throwing the ball 40-45 yards in the air.

Sunday also saw the Broncos’ first real look at the “wildcat” offensive formation.

In this formation, Orton motioned out wide and running back Correll Buckhalter lined up as the quarterback. 

The Broncos did not try anything too fancy out of this formation, just a couple of draw plays designed for Buckhalter, but they did surprise the fans with something else.

On multiple occasions, Orton received the snap and started a wide receiver reverse to Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney took the ball to the right tackle where he stopped dead in his tracks and tossed the ball back to Orton, who looked downfield for a streaking Eddie Royal.

Only once did the Broncos try this against their own defense, and Andre Goodman was able to distract Royal just enough to where he lost concentration of the ball, it hit him in his chest plate, and the play resulted in an incomplete pass.

Still, the efforts of both ends attracted applause from the crowd, but what was really inspiring was what occurred during the two-minute drill.

On the first play, Kyle Orton threw a desperation deep pass that was nearly picked off by safety Brian Dawkins. Dawkins knew he had missed an opportunity, and he punished himself by doing a series of push-up’s.

The crowd took notice and roared in applause. Apparently Bronco fans are not used to this kind of effort and passion.

At the end of practice, the Broncos were running more “gassers”, where they run the width of the field and back in separate units. It is this kind of effort that is really giving skeptical fans hope for the new regime. Josh McDaniels is a “no bull” kind of coach.

Chris Simms was sent running laps again during Sunday’s session, as well as center Casey Wiegmann after the two botched a snap.

With each practice, I have noticed that the Broncos’ running game appears to be as strong as it has been since Clinton Portis was dealt for Champ Bailey, and this team does not even have its prized back in camp yet.

Peyton Hillis, Ryan Torain, LaMont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter, and even Darius Walker have all had their share of moments during practice, but on Sunday, Torain was the horse.

He appears to have fully healed from his knee injury suffered last season, and is a dark horse right now to start if Moreno misses enough time.

Peyton Hillis was spread out again as a fullback, running back, and receiver in different formations, and he excelled at each.

Marcus Thomas had a sack during the two-minute drill, as well as Chris Baker, which was a very welcome sight to Bronco fans who have been sorely missing a ferocious pass rush.

More to come from Monday’s practice sessions.

Josh McDaniels’ Old-School Camp Approach Will Pay off Down The Line

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'” ~ Muhammad Ali

That has always been my personal favorite sports quote. It’s one that I try, and the key word here is try, to live my life by, and you know what? Something about the Denver Broncos’ training camp thus far makes me think that Josh McDaniels likes that quote too.

For all that Mike Shannahan accomplished during his tenure as Broncos’ coach, much is made over some of his bone-headed decisions. I believe one of those decisions was his somewhat soft approach to the physical portion of training camp.

To be fair, Shanny was no slouch when it came to getting his team ready for the season. He did, however, tend to coddle his players a little too much in camp, especially his veterans and high-profile rookies.

I went to training camp each of the past three years, and let me tell you, there was no shortage of guys just standing around and watching. At times, Broncos players looked more like a herd of cattle than football players preparing for the season.

Luckily I took some pictures of those moments, because I doubt I’ll ever see the inmates behave that way again as long as McDaniels is running the asylum.

As we here in the Rocky Mountains are slowly finding out, the “Patriot Way” of doing things applies to far more than just the players and the system; it also covers the kind of mentality a team should have when they practice.

This isn’t your “No Fun League” type of training camp. In fact, you probably haven’t seen or heard of something like this in Denver since the days of the Orange Crush.

One of the biggest differences so far in this year’s camp is that players are actually allowed, and more importantly encouraged, to tackle each other in certain drills.

“We don’t do them too many times, but I think early in camp it is good to do that because you certainly do not want to go into your first game not having tackled somebody or been tackled,” McDaniels said when asked about the tackling drills. “You have got to weigh it, you are right. There are pros and cons to doing it too much, but we are going to try to hit the right mix hopefully.”

If being more physical early on means the defense might actually still be playing in December, then I’m all for it.

Seriously, how many tackles did Bronco defenders miss last season? Hundreds? Millions? Zillions?

Was it due to lack of talent on the roster, or did Shannahan simply not give his players the kind of practice they needed to be ready for games?

It’s a little bit of both, in my opinion, and if you need any indication to how much tougher camp is this year, just take a look at Jarvis Moss. No more than three days into the process and Denver’s first-round pick of two years ago already considered throwing in the towel.

The fact is even though he hasn’t panned out so far, Shannahan had no choice but to support Moss when he was coach because he traded up to draft him in the belief that he would be an impact player.

McDaniels, on the other hand, has no obligation to show that kind of bias to any of the holdovers that came from Shannahan’s mistakes, and it will be interesting to see how many of those players survive the first round of cuts.

Time will tell whether or not this roster is built for success, but it is this writer’s belief that this old-school training camp will do nothing but play to the Broncos’ advantage.

If nothing else, McDaniels will ensure that this team goes through all the motions before they even think about suiting up for a game.

The Reason for Brandon Marshall’s Drama Becomes Clear

Amidst the offseason turmoil Bronco’s fans have endured was the dramatic trade request by Brandon Marshall. Coming on the heels of the Jay Cutler fiasco Marshall’s trade demands seemed to indicate the franchise was alienating its players.

Marshall’s holdout lingered all off-season, sharply dividing Denver fans. When Marshall finally did end his holdout it was only because he ran the risk of being fined.

The complaints coming out of Marshall’s camp were myriad: 

He was locked into a rookie contract that left him vastly underpaid.

The Bronco training staff misdiagnosed the severity of a hip injury that led to his requiring off-season surgery.

He didn’t trust new head coach Josh McDaniels

Just before training camp began Marshall bragged about his workouts with Larry Fitzgerald. His claim was that his only issue was that he needed to work on his speed.

Then came training camp with a pouty Brandon Marshall dramatically ending his holdout. He looked great in showing off his conditioning but ominously had to sit out the first day of practice.

On the third day of practice Marshall pulled up with what was widely reported as a hamstring pull. The Denver Post is reporting today that Marshall did not sit out of practice because of a pulled hamstring but due to pain in his surgically repaired hip.

The reality of Marshall’s surgery is that players generally need six months to a year to fully recover. Marshall had surgery in March, just four months ago.

Even leaving aside the question of whether Marshall can fully recover he may not recover fully this season. This is particularly devastating in a contract year when Marshall needs to elevate his worth.

The offseason complaints by Marshall clearly were a way of trying to get a new contract before the Broncos realized that Marshall may not be able to be as effective as he had been.

Brandon Marshall Injures Hamstring: Another Case of Marshall as Baby TO?

Today, it was reported by ESPN that Brandon Marshall injured his hamstring in the last hour of Broncos’ practice. He was attempting to run a deep sideline route.

Marshall pulled up, limped to the sideline, threw his helmet to the ground, then collapsed to the grass. He stayed on the sideline for a few minutes before being seen hobbling, ironically to the trainer’s room.

I say ironically because one of the reasons Marshall cites in wanting a trade from the Broncos is that he believes Denver’s medical staff misdiagnosed his hip injury last year, something that needed surgery during the off-season.

So, after having to worry about a hip coming off surgery, Marshall now must contend with a hamstring that could end up being a nagging injury.

One thing skill players like receivers and cornerbacks don’t need is a leg injury; see Champ Bailey and his hurt groin last year.

What really happened to Marshall?

Has he been lazy in the off-season, not working hard enough?

Or has he had to take rehab easy as to not strain the hip again?

Or, is it just Brandon Marshall acting up, being his usual “Baby T.O.” self once again?

Marshall showed up for the first day of camp Monday, but it was a move I called selfish, as he was more trying to dodge fines than show he’s a team player.

As he sulked, it was evident he didn’t want to be there, and when asked if he was happy to be with the Broncos, dodged again saying, “I’m just happy to be playing football.”

So, he showed that he’s not being completely hostile by showing up to camp, but could this be his easy way out of working with Denver?

Could he really be faking an injury in order to leverage his trade position even further?

Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t put it passed him.

I used to think his nickname “Baby T.O.” was exciting; referring to his large size, speed, and playmaking ability. But it seems that this moniker has an ominous side as well.

Terrell Owens is one of the most bold, brash, and big-headed players in the NFL today. He creates enemies with teammates and quarterbacks, (see Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia) and coaches alike.

In 2007, Marshall called out Broncos’ fans for leaving early during a very rainy blowout against the Chargers, saying they, “aren’t true fans.”

Though many thought his relationship with Jay Cutler was strong, many times Cutler was seen yelling at Marshall for giving up on routes and going out of games at key moments.

Now Marshall wants a pay raise—even though he’s been doing his best Pacman Jones impersonation, having 13 run-ins with the police in the past two years—and as Denver is hesitant to pay him, Marshall has demanded to be traded.

It seems Marshall is following the route T.O. has been running for years. And if he’s not careful, “Baby T.O.” will catch one too many big hits by coaches and teammates, landing himself on a horrible team with a bad quarterback—basically exiling himself in the NFL.

Goodbye to Jarvis Moss?

It is being reported that Denver Broncos defensive end/outside linebacker Jarvis Moss is considering retirement. The story was first broken by Denver news station KDVR Fox31.

 

KDVR sports anchor Josina Anderson reportedly spoke with a source close to the situation and was told “…Jarvis went to (Josh) McDaniels and met one-on-one with the coach and said he does not want to do this anymore. He feels he might be done with football and he’s thinking about retirement”. (KDVR.com)

 

When asked about Jarvis missing from training camp, Coach McDaniels responded that Moss is going through something “very personal” and that he would respect his privacy.

 

Moss is a former first round pick of the Broncos, 17th overall, and is entering his third NFL season. Thus far his professional career has been a mix of injuries, inactivity and failure to live up to expectation.

 

During his rookie season, Moss played in six games before a broken tibia sustained in practice ended his year prematurely. Through those six games, Moss recorded 12 tackles and 1 sack.

 

Last season he was inactive for four games, but ended up appearing in 12 games, recording 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks. So by the numbers, Moss has played in 18 games, starting zero, in two years, recorded 24 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

 

Clearly, Moss has not lived up to expectations of a first round pick, especially a player that the team traded up to get. Considering he was brought in to help bolster a pathetic pass rush, he has done very little pass rushing.

 

In fact, last season he couldn’t get on the field consistently even though the Broncos featured one of the worst defenses in the league. Maybe Coach Shanahan was beginning to see Moss as a bust, just like many of the fans were.

 

Then things changed. Shanahan was fired and Josh McDaniels was hired to run the team. One of the first things McDaniels did was move Jarvis from defensive end to outside linebacker.

 

With his size, 6’6″ and 265 pounds, Moss could excel as a pass rush specialist. He wouldn’t have to be in the trenches and would be able to use his speed and quickness to try and get to the quarterback. This could be the opportunity for a fresh start that Jarvis needed, but it would be an uphill battle.

 

The team boasts a deep linebacking corps already having DJ Williams, Wesley Woodyard, Spencer Larsen, and Mario Haggan playing in the rotation. Then they added Andra Davis and Darrell Reid in free agency, drafted Robert Ayers and converted defensive ends Elvis Dumervil and Tim Crowder to outside linebackers.

 

Counting Moss that would be ten players competing to play four linebacking spots in the newly implemented 3-4 defense. And Jarvis was certainly not high on the depth chart. In fact he was buried behind almost every other player.

 

DJ Williams and Andra Davis are quality starting linebackers, so they should be ahead of him. Elvis Dumervil has earned his NFL paycheck by being one of the best pass rushers in the league.

 

Larsen showed a degree of toughness and a hard hitting mentality last year, establishing himself as one of the better backup linebackers. Woodyard came out of nowhere and showed that he can be a very good play making backup.

 

McDaniels has belief that Reid can be an impact type player in the new defense and Ayers certainly won’t be on the bench for long.

 

What has Moss done on the field? As already shown, he has not done much, and certainly not more than any of the players listed above him on the depth chart. It was likely that his roster spot was already in jeopardy based on his play alone.

 

How many linebackers can one roster keep? With the holes this team has, and the depth they need at other positions, they will not keep everyone who is listed as a linebacker.

 

It was rumored that Moss was being shopped as trade bait during the draft, with the team reportedly seeking a seventh round pick in return. Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the new staff and likely a sign that his future with the Broncos would end quickly.

 

So after all that, Moss has reportedly decided that he doesn’t want to play football anymore and wants to take his ball and go home. Give up, walk away and forever be labeled as a quitter.

 

And that is exactly what will happen to him; he’ll be labeled as a quitter and be torn apart in the media and by fans if he goes through with his retirement. I ask how any of us are in any position to judge him.

 

Moss is a player who has battled injuries during his collegiate and professional careers. Maybe he doesn’t want to be remembered as one of the NFL horror stories and wants to be able to enjoy life without having to have surgeries and joint replacements.

 

Maybe he realized that he has a higher calling and wants to do something more with his life than play a children’s game. Maybe he just realized that he isn’t cut out for the grind of professional football.

 

Whatever his reason for contemplating walking away, I am sure that Jarvis can justify it to himself, and that is all he needs to do. He doesn’t owe the fans a single thing. He doesn’t owe the media an explanation or clarification. He simply has to be able to look in the mirror and know that he made the correct decision. 

 

If he wants to walk away, let him. He likely wouldn’t have made the roster anyways. It disappoints me that Moss would walk away before his potential was realized but I won’t judge him for it. Best of luck to Jarvis Moss in whatever he pursues if his playing days are truly behind him, hopefully he’ll find something that fulfills his life more than football.

 

Denver Broncos Training Camp Notes Day Two: Chad Jackson Emerging

As the five-o-clock hour approached in Englewood, Colo., fans were treated to a pleasant, all too familiar sight.

Gracing the field for the first time since training camp officially began was star cornerback Champ Bailey.

When Bailey approached the fans’ side of the practice field, he was greeted with a great roar of applause.

On the field, he did not disappoint either.

When the team took the field for 11-on-11 drills, Bailey erased what would have been a sure touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Orton to receiver Brandon Marshall.

In addition to the return of Bailey, fans were treated to their first look at new safety Renaldo Hill and third-year defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.

Hill was practicing with the first-team defense while Thomas was rotating at nose tackle with Carlton Powell on the second- and third-team defenses.

There were mixed reactions about Saturday’s session.  One fan was complaining about Kyle Orton completing a series of five-to-ten yard passes instead of throwing the ball 30 yards downfield, and some fans were harping on the defense after a couple of good runs by Ryan Torain, Correll Buckhalter, and Peyton Hillis.

Still, the defense quite honestly dominated much of the day.

It all started in one-on-one tackling drills, when Josh Barrett absolutely leveled Brandon Marshall, knocking his helmet clean off.

That hit seemed to really inspire the crowd, and Marshall met with Barrett twice more, and twice more the two players had an excellent battle.  On the final run, Barrett even tore a bit of Marshall’s undershirt, and Marshall pushed him away out of anger.

“We were both going out there, trying to get the best of one another,” Barrett said, noting that he couldn’t judge who won the matchups. “I’ll give it to him if he thinks he won. I know he didn’t score.”

Barrett’s physical battles with Marshall prompted me to wonder if some of the players on the Broncos are holding animosity toward the Pro Bowl receiver for his actions this off-season, for thinking he is above the team.

For what Marshall appears to lack in sense and maturity off the field, he was his usual happy-go-lucky self toward the fans.

Before practice, he gave footballs to at least 25 young fans.

The real star of the day was wide receiver Chad Jackson, who was signed midway through last season due to injuries at the position.

Jackson caught every ball thrown his way, and two of the receptions were in triple coverage.  Those catches drew “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from the crowd, as well as applause.

If he continues to perform at that level, there is no way the Broncos can afford to simply let him go.  He is an outstanding talent, and he appears to be a rock-solid athlete.

Brandon Stokley and Eddie Royal continued to set the bar high for the other receivers at practice today, and Stokley was the recipient of quite a few passes on third down during the two-minute drill.

I reported yesterday that LaMont Jordan appeared to be the first-team tailback, but today the Broncos rotated in all of Jordan, Correll Buckhalter, Ryan Torain, and Peyton Hillis at the running back position.

Hillis and Torain did exceptionally well, and free agent signee Darius Walker scored three touchdowns in eight-on-eight drills.

Brian Dawkins was his usual energetic self today, but with the additions of Bailey and Hill to the defensive backfield, this was undoubtedly a more inspired unit as a whole. 

During the first two-minute drill, Kyle Orton seemed to have the team driving down the field when poor communication caused him to throw an interception to Andre Goodman.

Chris Simms had already been struggling throughout practice, and the two-minute drill really did him in.

He threw an interception to Goodman as well, and D.J. Johnson appeared to pick off a Simms pass but he was ruled out of bounds.

He also threw passes that were caught and dropped by safety David Bruton and Jack Williams.

Due to his poor play, Simms was told to run a lap around the field, but he was not the only one.

Rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater and rookie center Blake Schlueter botched a snap and had to run a lap, and the second defensive unit was out of position and McDaniels had seen enough.

The entire group was sent off and running.

Additionally, any time a pass is dropped, fumble or not, the players are required to pick the ball up and run to the end zone.

Head coach Josh McDaniels is really pressing the fundamentals on his new team, and it appears to be paying dividends.  There is a noticeable discrepancy in hustle from the past two seasons, and a huge energy shift.

It is also being reported that Jarvis Moss, who missed today’s practice session for personal reasons, is considering retiring at the age of 24.  This would be horribly sad news for the former first-round pick’s career, but he needs to do what is best for his family.

More to come from day three practice.

Desire: Does Jarvis Moss Have It?

Desire.

You have to want it, and you have to want it badly.

Life does not make it a habit of just handing you something, you have to work for it, you have to want it, especially when it comes to playing football.

Even at the High School level you have to put in the time, go to the weight room, watch the tape, practice until you can do it in your sleep, push yourself beyond your limits to succeed.

Jarvis Moss is no longer sure that he has the desire. 

Several team sources have confirmed that Moss left Dove Valley Saturday without practicing and has informed the Denver Broncos that he is contemplating whether he wants to continue playing football.  

Coach Josh McDaniels explained that,”[Moss] was excused [from practice] for a very personal reason. I am going to respect that, and I hope everybody else does, too.”

Despite being drafted as the 17th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Moss never fully realized his potential as a defensive end with the Broncos over the past few seasons.

Hampered by a fractured right fibula in his rookie year, Moss played only sparingly for the Broncos over the past two seasons, amassing career stats of only 19 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Too small to play Defensive End in the 3-4 defense that is being implemented in Denver this year, Jarvis was moved to outside linebacker to make better use of his 6’6″ 265 lb frame.  

Jarvis seemed to be excited about this change of position which many NFL scouts and commentators thought he was best suited to play coming out of college.

“It’s a brand new start for me,” Moss said. “I’m going to continue to work hard, pray, and everything will take care of itself.”

Moss had been working out with the Broncos all offseason, and despite being low on the depth chart he seemed to be in fine spirits.

Something must have changed his thinking though, as he is now contemplating retirement.

Maybe he couldn’t handle being that low on the depth chart, no longer the big man on campus that he maybe was at Florida, and couldn’t handle the pressure that his high draft status put on him. 

Maybe he felt like he couldn’t keep up physically with the other guys, and that it is only a matter of time.

Perhaps he feels unwanted, as it was reported that Denver tried to trade him for a seventh round pick during the draft.

Maybe he cannot hang with the rest of the team mentally, with the strain of learning a new more complex defensive system.

Whatever his reasoning is, Moss has doubts about whether or not he wants to continue to play football, and you cannot have that.

Moss is paid to play, and it takes a commitment of all that you are. Your body, your time, your energy, everything. 

But he doesn’t know if he wants to play anymore.

It all comes down to how badly you want it. You need to live it, and if he has his doubts about it then this may be the end of Jarvis Moss’ career.

After an action like this, the likelihood that Moss makes the Denver Broncos 53-man roster is remote. 

If you didn’t have him there already, Broncos fans can officially call Jarvis Moss a bust.

If he is having doubts now, then I think it is safe to say that he no longer wants to play. 

He just doesn’t have that essential quality.

You need to want it.

You need to have that Desire.

Denver Broncos Training Camp, Day 2: Hillis, Stokley Look Sharp

Day 2 observations from Denver Broncos training camp at Dove Valley:

— RB/FB Peyton Hillis flattened DL Tim Crowder in a 1-on-1 drill that left Crowder being attended to. He was able to get up and walk off on his own power and later returned to practice.

— One fan was overheard saying “That’s what you’re supposed to do” in the direction of WR Brandon Marshall after he caught a Kyle Orton pass. Marshall was ragged for dropping passes last year.

— Speaking of Marshall, he was back running after taking Friday night’s practice off.
— Champ Bailey was also back on the field and was taken off the team’s PUP list.

— Ryan Torain continued to run strong, including some carries with the first team. He’s doing this despite the protection on his left leg, which he tore the ACL last season at Cleveland.

— One kid sitting in the crowd had a Jay Cutler jersey on, however, Cutler’s name was crossed out with black tape.

— Chris Simms looks to have a stronger arm than Kyle Orton, but Orton has a better touch. That said, there’s no question that Orton is the first-string QB. Coach Josh McDaniels directed Orton to run one set of offensive plays, though Simms was in line to run the plays.

— Brandon Marshall received the largest applause from the crowd on hand. He was also jeered during one dropped pass.

— Brandon Stokley looked good in his quest to be Denver’s No. 3 WR. He’s battling Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd for that honor.

— Good chance that Chad Jackson and Kenny McKinley are battling for the last WR spot on the roster, assuming the team keeps six. Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd would appear to be locks. Jackson may be the odd man out, but he has experience with McDaniels from New England.

— A few plays after Peyton Hillis ran over Tim Crowder, he was taken down by Elvis Dumervil.

— Starting secondary should be no surprise—Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill. Second-round draft pick Alphonso Smith will play the nickle corner and likely be on kick returns with Eddie Royal and Kenny McKinley, if he makes the team.

— The offensive line opened up some nice holes early on for Correll Buckhalter and Peyton Hillis, but the D-line was able to stop Denver’s 2nd-string offense on runs by Buckhalter and Ryan Torain.

— Offense ran a number of five-wide setups with TE Tony Scheffler flushed wide left and using RB out of the backfield as the fifth guy.

— First-team offense ran a number of underneath throws to Eddie Royal, Daniel Graham and Jabar Gaffney, but struggled to go deep on the No. 1 defense, in particular the starting secondary.

— Brian Dawkins should’ve had a pick of Kyle Orton on a overthrow. Immediately after Dawkins punished himself with 10 push-ups prior to the next play.

— CB Joshua Bell knocked the ball away from Brandon Lloyd on a fade pass from Kyle Orton.

— Chris Simms hit Jabar Gaffney on an offensive drill down the right sideline past Darcel McBath, but McBath, making up for getting beat, was able to knock the ball out of Gaffney’s hand and through the end zone for what would’ve been a touchback.

Denver Broncos Training Camp Recap Day One: Marshall, Fields Stand Out

The Denver Broncos opened their training camp officially on Friday, and for as raw as the team is supposed to be with a new system, over 40 new players, and an almost entirely new coaching staff, the overall consensus at Dove Valley was that head coach Josh McDaniels has his team on the right track.

Even without Jay Cutler.

This new regime was doing things fans have never seen before, including “gassers” at the conclusion of the evening practice session, which brought back high school football memories.

Casual fans like myself were hard-pressed to get a strong view of the defensive position players other than one-on-one drills and roughly a half-an-hour of full squad action, but many of the defensive newcomers stood out.

Starting nose tackle Ronald Fields was consistently in the backfield, using a lower center of gravity and excellent strength to anchor the line of scrimmage.  A good portion of running plays were virtually shut down solely because of the efforts of the former 49er.

Additionally, many die-hard Bronco fans were granted one of their training camp wishes.  Second-year player Carlton Powell was lining up with the second team defense as the nose tackle.

He looked much bigger than expected, so much so that I had to check the roster before confirming it was actually him.

Powell found himself in the backfield more often than not today as well, and on one play in particular, tight end Tony Scheffler motioned to the left, attempting a pull block for a running play, and when the ball was snapped, Scheffler simultaneously met the grass courtesy of Powell.

The defense was without three veterans and projected starters in Champ Bailey, Renaldo Hill, and Marcus Thomas, but the unit appeared strong under the tutelage of Mike Nolan.

They were also missing rookie defensive end/outside linebacker Robert Ayers due to a holdout.

Both Ayers and fellow first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno are holding out of camp as they have yet to sign their contracts.  Word is that Moreno is much further apart than Ayers in talks.

The star of the day offensively was Brandon Marshall, who consistently ran crisp routes, did not drop a single pass, and who appeared to be in tip shape after missing time with an injury.

Marshall made both dazzling one-handed catches and tip-toe catches alike, garnering much attention from the crowd. 

For most of the day, he was receiving the passes from Denver’s projected starting quarterback Kyle Orton.

While nobody and nothing was absolutely perfect, Orton and the other quarterbacks seemed to have a solid grasp of McDaniels’ complex offense.  He was making good reads and putting any throw 30 yards and in right on the button.

The knock on Orton has been his inability to throw the ball downfield, but he threw the ball 45 yards pretty easily, sometimes even over-shooting his target.

The offensive line was up to its usual tricks, opening up huge holes for the running games at times.

Two players who really took advantage of those gaping holes were Ryan Torain and Peyton Hillis, both 2008 draftees who are coming off of fairly serious injuries.

It was hard to determine who was running with which units at times, which indicated to me that the coaching staff is willing and able to experiment with which players work best together.  If I had to make a guess, this is how I would have pegged the rosters as of day one:

 

Offense

QB:  Orton, Simms, Brandstater

RB:  Jordan, Buckhalter, Torain, Walker

FB:  Hillis, Larsen

WR:  Marshall, Stokley, Jackson, Lloyd

WR:  Royal, Gaffney, McKinley, Swift, Willis, Shelton

TE:  Graham, Scheffler, Quinn, Putzier, Branson

LT:  Clady, Polumbus, Oldenburg

LG:  Hamilton, Erickson, McChesney

C:  Wiegmann, Lichtensteiger, Schlueter

RG:  Kuper, Olsen, Murray

RT:  Harris, Gorin

 

Defense

DE:  McBean, Askew, Pedescleaux

NT:  Fields, Powell, Baker

DE:  Peterson, Clemons, Davis

OLB:  Reid, Crowder

MLB:  Williams, Woodyard

MLB:  Davis, Larsen, Robinson

OLB:  Dumervil, Moss

CB:  Williams, Bell

CB:  Goodman, Smith, Johnson

S:  Dawkins, Barrett, Bruton

S:  McBath, Fox

 

I will be updating after tomorrow afternoon’s session as well.

Broncos Training Camp Notes: Marshall Holds Out, Jordan Running With First Team

News and notes from observations at Friday night’s session of Day One of training camp:

— Brandon Marshall didn’t practice in the night session after a good (reported) earlier session.

— LaMont Jordan is running with first team, Correll Buckhalter with second team and Ryan Torain with third team. Remember, Knowshon Moreno is not in camp yet as he waits to get a contract deal done.

— First-team WRs for most of night session were Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney. Brandon Stokley played in the slot with Daniel Graham at TE.

— Team ran a lot of group drills after going through stretching exercises.

— Offense ran a number of short five- and 10-yard in-and-out patterns, including a nice catch by rookie Kenny McKinley.

— Passing game looked rough when it went up against the secondary—a lot of deflections and near interceptions.

— Kenny McKinley made a couple of nice long catches from Chris Simms.

— Team threw a number of swing passes to the left flat to Peyton Hills.

— Correll Buckhalter had one nice inside handoff run.

— Brian Dawkins nearly picked off one of Simms’ passes.

— WR C.J. Jones got rocked on one offensive play. Left practice, but came back later.

— DE Tim Crowder would’ve had a sure sack on rookie QB Tom Brandstater on one play. QBs are wearing non-contact red jerseys.

— Rookies Alphonso Smith and Kenny McKinley were working on kickoff returns along with Eddie Royal.

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