UPDATED 2:22 P.M. MDT

Just because you and your fellow defensive linemen earned the coach’s praise doesn’t mean you’ll be exempt from one of the primary tenets of rookie hazing — carrying the pads. So long after his fellow defensive linemen had toddled off to the locker room for a shower and some grub, Moss lingered on the field, taking a long walk that was summarily captured by anyone brandishing a telephoto lens.

Moss, however, seems to be coming along. He won most of his one-on-one drills with offensive linemen, primarily using his outside speed coming from right end. Yet it was at left end where he made the most notable impression; a hand move knocked veteran tackle Adam Meadows off balance and to the ground, earning Moss a hearty “Good work!” from assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates.

I know I touched upon Bates’ verbal evisceration of his defense’s lack of post-fumble exuberance yesterday, but I have to come back to Bates’ words when looking at the morning. During these simple confrontations — defensive tackle versus guard or center and defensive end versus offensive tackle — Bates has something to say after virtually every snap. Moss was among those who received praise; so too were fellow rookies Marcus Thomas and Tim Crowder, the latter of whom went right at tackles, driving into the body and using his momentum and leverage to break into the backfield. But the lineman who received the loudest and most notable praise was second-year defensive end Elvis Dumervil, whose sub-6-foot frame is counterbalanced by arms like Greg Oden’s. After one successful confrontation for Dumervil, Bates was effusive.

“That long arm’s going to be home for you baby, home!” Bates exhorted. “That’s the leverage we’ve got to have, gentlemen!”

The more I watch Bates coach, the more the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is this veteran coach fit. You can see why his players with the USFL’s San Antonio Gunslingers would have laid down in traffic for the guy; he encourages and reinforces as he teaches. There’s a reason why he kept that team competitive in spite of every negative circumstance possible in football — including missed paychecks. That’s the same reason why he could prove to be the Broncos’ most important offseason acquisition.

ATTENDANCE REPORT: Aside from the three players on the physically-unable-to-perform list, everyone but NFL Europa allocations Doug Nienhuis and Lamont Reid practiced; both were injured during their spring season and also missed the minicamp.

NOTES FROM THE MORNING:

POINTS OF EMPHASIS: Two-minute drill work for a second consecutive day … Red zone, with plenty of time during the team session at the end of practice spent inside the 20. The receivers and cornerbacks also worked extensively on red-zone and end-zone fade routes during their one-on-one work.

WHO’S WHERE? The rotation at first-team strongside linebacker continued. D.D. Lewis handled those duties Monday morning; he followed Warrick Holdman and Nate Webster, who played the ’sam’ slot on Sunday morning and afternoon, respectively. There were no other changes in the base first-team defense; the front four remained comprised of ends Ebenezer Ekuban and John Engelberger and tackles Sam Adams and Gerard Warren … Defensive tackle Amon Gordon found himself with the first team when it went to its nickel package; he played alongside Warren, Ekuban and Engelberger. Domonique Foxworth was the nickel back in the first unit. When the Broncos went into a dime, Curome Cox came in, and the defensive line consisted of ends Moss and Dumervil with Warren and Ekuban at the tackles … Safety and special-teams demon Quentin Harris lined up as a nickel back with the second team early in practice … The pecking order at tailback seemed to clarify Monday, with Travis Henry leading things off, followed by Cecil Sapp, Mike Bell, Andre Hall and Selvin Young. Bell had a rough morning, dropping a pass from Cutler across the middle during red-zone work, but later made a nice move in the open field on D.J. Williams to turn a 5-yard loss into a 2-yard gain … Brandon Stokley and Domenik Hixon both saw plenty of time with the first team opposite Javon Walker.

MOVING THE BALL: Neither the first-team nor second-team offense got inside the defense’s 30-yard-line during the move-the-ball work at the end of practice; the second team went three and out, while the offense got a pair of first downs before the practice ended after Domonique Foxworth knocked Stokley off his feet.

MAKING THE PLAYS:

Nate Webster, crushing Brian Clark on a short pass across the middle. Clark was fine and popped back up without missing any time …

… Glenn Martinez, with a reception from Patrick Ramsey on a fourth-down slant route during the No. 2 offense’s two-minute drill aganst the first-team defense. Martinez made some more grabs during seven-on-seven work and later, in the red zone, would hang onto the football in spite of absorbing a strong hit from John Lynch …

… D.J. Williams, one play later, taking a pass that bounced off Domonique Foxworth and returning it for a touchdown …

… Stephen Alexander, getting one step past a leaping D.D. Lewis to grab a pass from Jay Cutler …

… Dre’ Bly, intercepting a pass in one-on-one drills, and nearly picking off two passes in red-zone work…

… Stokley, with several nice grabs, including one from Cutler where the pass was just behind him; Stokley adroitly reached back and made the catch without losing speed.

STARTING IT RIGHT: The defensive backs, led by Nick Ferguson, getting the entire crowd on the west berm to stand and yell “All Ready!” during calisthenics. There may be much on the players’ minds right now, but Darrent Williams remains an ever-present part of their consciousness.

WEATHER REPORT: The cool weather of Sunday morning was just a memory by Monday; temperatures rose to 75 degrees by the end of the morning session with the highs expected to be in the upper 80s by mid-afternoon. The easy-bake oven at Dove Valley should be in full effect the next few days; the high temperatures are forecast to range from the upper 80s to the upper 90s between today and Saturday.

And now, more photos …






Special teams this afternoon, so the late-day report will be short, like the practice itself — only an hour. Until then, vaya con Dios.

Tags: Brandon Stokley, Defense, Domenik Hixon, Dre Bly, Elvis Dumervil, Glenn Martinez, Tim Crowder, Training Camp, Travis Henry

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