My favorite picture of the day, one that underscores the oddness of the week — the star quarterback, running for a bus after nearly all of his teammates have already left.

When practice ends at Valley Ranch, the Broncos can’t wait to leave.

But, it’s not that there’s something wrong with the Cowboys’ facility. Far from it, actually; the place is gorgeous, and given the prominence of the Cowboys franchise, and the number of great teams to practice their trade there (although the discrepancy between Broncos and Cowboys Hall of Famers remains a blight on Canton’s shrine), Valley Ranch almost “seems like hallowed ground,” as team photographer Eric Lars Bakke and I noted upon arriving there this morning.

But in spite of the history, the pristine facilities and the availability of water, the Broncos don’t delay in departing, mainly because they stink — literally.

When they left the field following their two joint practices with the Cowboys on Wednesday, the vast majority of players — and many of the coaches, trainers and other support personnel — were drenched in sweat. Ebenezer Ekuban said Wednesday morning that he felt like he lost 10 pounds during the practice.

That means that even a stumbling sloth like myself probably dropped five, which is definitely not a bad thing. If I put myself on the Texas Sweat Diet, I’d be a flyweight in four months.

Anyhow, all of this is a function of the fact that the Broncos can’t dress and shower at Valley Ranch, as the facility does not possess a second locker room. The Cowboys would have the same issue if they came to Dove Valley, which would also be the case at most team headquarters.

So, after every on-field session in the searing sunshine of suburban Dallas, the players must sit on the bus in practice garb — which on Wednesday included shoulder pads — and take a 10-12-minute ride back to their hotel, where they shower, eat and attend meetings throughout the afternoon and again in the evening.

Blessedly, the buses are running when the players storm up the stairs. “Bussy,” a catch-all generic term many have for the driver, has cranked the air conditioner up before practice ends, chilling the conveyance to a comfort level that immediately refreshes the physically drained but emotionally chipper Broncos.

With players seated and itching to leave, the buses roll quickly. Four of the team’s five buses had already left Valley Ranch this afternoon before Jay Cutler finished his press conference. That left the quarterback scrambling towards the last bus, which picked up any post-practice stragglers who for varying reasons and responsibilities could not keep pace with the orange-and-blue herd. A few of those included a few of his teammates, handling media queries of their own.

But with the buses filling rapidly, the result is clear — you talk, you ride the last bus. Fortunately, the players and team staffers have that option. And failing that, they have the passenger seat of my rental car. But I drive the speed limit after seeing a few of Irving’s finest patrolling these asphalt suburban dragstrips that pierce the relatively flat terrain, so if the passenger’s in a rush, he’s out of luck.

With that, it’s on to the practice itself …

ATTENDANCE REPORT: Just like in Denver, a slew of players were given the afternoon off as they remained on the one-practice-per-day schedule. Among the Broncos excused from on-field work were offensive tackle Matt Lepsis, tight end Stephen Alexander, cornerback Champ Bailey, safeties John Lynch and Nick Ferguson, defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban and defensive tackle Sam Adams … Aside from them, the only player in uniform who missed the afternoon session was running back Andre Hall, who is grappling with a hamstring injury that kept him out of team work Wednesday morning.

WHO’S WHERE: Chad Mustard had a new number — 71 — as he worked with the offensive linemen at tackle. Mustard also saw time there early in the 2006 offseason before shifting back to tight end … The first-team offensive line included left tackle Adam Meadows, left guard Chris Kuper, center Chris Myers, right guard Montrae Holland and right tackle Erik Pears … Travis Henry, Cecil Sapp and Mike Bell took the lion’s share of the time at running back … Brandon Marshall saw plenty of first-team repetitions.

POINTS OF EMPHASIS: Third-and-long yardage was a focal point for the offense, upon which I paid close attention this afternoon while the Denver defense went up against Dallas’ offense … After the Dallas punt and field-goal teams took repetitions in the morning, the Broncos followed suit, with Jason Elam and Todd Sauerbrun each kicking against Dallas’ special-teams kick-rushers.

STANDOUT PLAYS AND PLAYERS: Cutler looked sharp in the afternoon practice. He didn’t throw an interception and looked particularly comfortable in both the shotgun formation running the playaction from under center, beginning his work in team drills with a completion to Nate Jackson and progressing from there … Brandon Marshall continued to be actively involved in the passing game, but fell just short on his chance to make the catch of the day downfield, tumbling along with Cowboys cornerback Alan Ball after his attempt at a diving reception went for naught … Patrick Ramsey and Quincy Morgan connected on a deep pass up the right side, beating double coverage … Darrell Hackney also made the deep pass work, finding Glenn Martinez between two defenders. Martinez returned to the field Wednesday for the first time in two weeks … Denver’s only interception came when a deep pass from Ramsey to Javon Walker was intercepted by Aaron Glenn.

Some photos from the day:

That’s it from north Texas. The temperature will blessedly be in double-digits tomorrow. I can’t speak for what the thermometer at Dallas-Fort Worth recorded, but the gauge on my rental car buzzed in at 104 degrees as I pulled away from Valley Ranch to go find some first aid for my ailing left thumb early in the evening.

Until Thursday at midday, vaya con Dios.

Tags: Training Camp

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