On a beautiful day in South Florida, the AFC squad took the field first on the opening day of practice for the 2010 Pro Bowl.
It was a day that was just as much about getting acquainted with new teammates as running drills, and the loose session included plenty of laughs. Some of the loudest came from Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, who not surprisingly spent much of the morning trying to get a rise out of the crowd of high schoolers who watched the practice at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
At times it almost looked like a regular Broncos practice, as five Denver players took the field — Champ Bailey, Ryan Clady, Brian Dawkins, Elvis Dumervil and Brandon Marshall. It was a typical affair, as Bailey matched up against Marshall plenty of times, and Clady found himself blocking Dumervil on a number of occasions.
Some of the odder sights of the day came on special teams. First, Marshall dropped back to field a few punts — nothing too out of the ordinary — except the kicks were coming from Ochocinco. Later, Marshall took a few turns at long snapper, sending the ball back to Baltimore running back Ray Rice, who punted a couple deep balls. Some of the blockers on the punt team included Dumervil, Dawkins and Titans quarterback Vince Young.
If any Broncos fans were in attendance, things might have seemed a little backwards. Clady took his snaps as the starting right tackle, as Cleveland’s Joe Thomas lined up at left tackle. The reasoning? Most likely the fact that Thomas has been elected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league — he gets to exercise a bit of seniority.
So while the practice was about joking around with some of the AFC’s best, Bailey said he knows the group will get down to business as Sunday approaches.
“You want to come out here, have some fun and take advatange of the opportunity to play with some of these elite guys, guys you watch throughout the league,” Bailey said. “It’s a good thing to build camaraderie and build relationships, but at the same time we want to win.”
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Here are more photos from the opening practice session:
For more photos of Wednesday’s action, check out the photo gallery.
Tags: Brandon Marshall, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, Pro Bowl, Ryan Clady
Still looks like fun.
I bet Revis is not so happy to be there, he had different plans.
On an interesting note, Klis is reporting at the practive that Marshall appears to be fully recovered from that hamstring injury. Yep, the one that he suffered in practice the final week of the season and that led to all the drama leading up to the Kansas City game. LMAO!!!!!
baylinorcrush: What are you saying that he may have been faking it? LOL!
brian don’t put words in my mouth, LOL, it’s Klis who said that, I’m just relaying it to you guys. I don’t want to get in trouble with the pro Marshall camp on this blog, if you know what I mean…
What happened? Did Cutler”s invitation get lost in the mail? LOL Go Broncos
We miss the ProBowl here in Hawaii!!
YEP!!!!
Say what you may about the pro bowl, for some reason…i still get excited seeing so much talent on the field. And its more about the fun than anything else, Players get to play with friends and players from other teams that they wouldnt get to play with ordinarily
And Yes Baylin….Lets not start another Brandon Marshall discussion cuz this Marshall camp of 1 can counter all you say to no end. On a lighter note…I think thats what asomugha was teasing him about…LMAO
GO BRONCOS IN MIAMI
C’mon people, Cutler has feelings too. Making those kind of comments really hurts him. Maybe he doesn’t show it on the outside but on the inside he’s crying. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
wow,,,,sure looks fun out there….
please,,lets not listen to more debartes…aha..
that LB crew looks sick!!! and Dawkins still acts and plays like a young gun…
brian,
Cutler does cry…on the outside…after he throws 3 INTs in a game during the post game interviews…
I think Clady should get a tinted visor, he’d look like a beast with one.
he would look cool with his old hair also.
” [The franchise tag] is decent money for most people out there. What I do, it’s OK. But I don’t look at myself as an OK player. … It’s just basically a slap in my face and an insult to me to basically tell me I’m an OK player.”
– Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork
Something might be brewing here!
Aww sndvl, I just read that and I wanted to put it on here.
I think Clady cut his hair after that dirty Raider player pulled him down by his hair or w/e…not cool.
Do you think our guys are thinking to themselves that “man I’m glad I don’t have to go against Clady, man Dumervil is a great OLB, Oh man Bailey’s shutting me down, Marshall is a BEAST, good thing I don’t have to go across the middle with Dawkins there.” I know they go against them in practice and stuff, but even then do you think they think that kind of stuff?
I wanna say yes shneider….but knowing athletes, they all have an ego…men period have an ego not to talk about professional atheletes. They can admit someone is talented but in their mind im sure they relish the challenge. Plus the fact that they go up against them im practice improves both their games and by now they have probably gotten it out of their system about 1 uping their team mate
in other words they respect the talent and look forward to the challenge, not fear it. And appreciate having it on the same team cuz they get to practice against the best on a regular basis.
I was intrigued when Marshall was covered by Champ. And Clady was blocking Dumervil! Dawkins ever lurking over the middle.
Sorry Brian, just read it myself! So maybe that 3 team trade might still go down? Marshall to Tampa-Wilfork to Denver-Draft Picks to New England???
TRB, it was Richard Seymour who had a handful of Cladys dreads!
anyone know the recent news about Dumervil possibly leaving to miami or the current marshall situation?
Im just curious…
so in other words its ok to want wilfork who is asking for market value but not ok to want and pay Marshall who wants the same thing….Im surprised people arent saying…”wilfork is not a team player”
The man has been blessed with a superbowl ring and making it to the big game on more than one occasion….superbowls/winning prolly dont mean as much to him now, all about the cheddar now. Im fine with him as a bronco cuz i understand having talent and team players and paying the players what they are worth but dunno about the rest that think a player should be happy since he is a millionaire…..im just saying…IMO
broncos 14441 here is a link about your questions-
http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/9508/denver-wont-let-dumervil-simply-walk-away
Dumervil should be our #1 priority. Marshall 1a. But you never know with McD!
Broncos14441
Anything is possible. Like many have said. Nolan would be dumb if he didnt try to get Dumerville to come along. Whether he does is a different story. Dont be worried about the fact that his contract hasnt been extended yet. That wont happen till like March 5th. As for Marshall, same thing….ANYTHING is possible, NOTHING is Definitive…..
I follow you TRB. Marshall has proved his worth, IMO. He should be paid accordingly. Not how McD rolls
Just a heads up…Dawkins is about to be on NFLN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-M1SlbJXto
This is just for the Marshall fans…Many vids of his highlights some better than this (still looking forward to yours Invesco love lol) but this is most recent and had stuff form this year and years past…especially a game agaisnt the Jaguars a few years back that I remember quite well. The song does the video justice as well….
Like right now florio?
Yeah.
Dawkins is a special human being man…not just a player…a human being…wish he was with us from the start but I’m glad we were even blessed to land him for a couple of years. The man is a role model, what he will do for your team and the other players off the field is equal to his performance on the field….A lot of players on our sqaud have and will be come better people from knowing him and witnessing how he goes about things….Blessed man of the Lord…first and foremost…EVERYTIME!!! I agree and respect that.
on a sidenote, for a guy who was the like 4th alternate for the probowl squad media sure is flocking ocho in Miami…If welker, moss, wayne and lrest didnt bow out…he wouldnt be there lol…but he did have a good year.
lock up Doom and Marsh…pls..
TRB you are right about the Wilfork and Marshall dilemma…
Just wanted to know i wasn’t crazy bronco20….
its the nature of the league…players want their worth and the ones in question aren’t rookies who haven’t proven them selves in the NFL yet but proven pro bowlers. Marshall finished his contract like a professional after acting up a bit…and proved him self once again.
The man fights for every yard. Colts game he had like 12 first downs. Moved the chains like a RB and not easily but with YAC and tackle breaking effort. For some to say he doesn’t give his all in game is ridiculous to me. He leaves everything on the field. And for those who say he doesnt give his all, If this is how he plays when he is “unmotivated” by his pay, imagine how well he will play when he is being payed. And he is a great blocker.
WR are replacable but all he does in one player is rare. Just my opinion….sorry to rehash the Marshall topic but Wilfok reminded me of it.
Dumerville reality check. Doom is RESTRICTED Free Agent. The only way any team but the Broncos can sign him is offer him a contract that the Broncos CHOOSE not to match. Anybody see any possiblity of that happening?
Suppose the Broncos choose not to match an offer another team makes. This will result in AT LEAST one additional first round draft pick. Pretend it’s two. Which is cheaper, signing TWO big first round contracts or one Big Doom contract? Doom is with the Broncos to stay.
wont question you TRB,
coulndt agree more…
he is the only player of that caliber being paid like a 3-4 stringer….
I’m happy I get to see more Broncos in the pro bowl….surprising how Jonny Knox made it….
Don’t you guys think I agree about everything about the Marshall hoopla just because I don’t say anything about it, LOL, it’s just like TRB said I think it has already been rehashed to death. Just keeping everyone straight on this one, LOL.
BRANDON MARSHALL?!?!?!?!?!
Yup Broncos20, for the sake of his fans on this organizations success i pray he stays.
As far as dumerville, he wont go so easily. Sure he may want to play in his hometown but theres something to be said about playing with a teams, I belive he feels very comfortable in Denver. Either way same with Marshall, will cost another team alot to sign him. but from what I’ve heard on these blogs, people rather have draft picks (shots in the dark) than proven talent…which result in alot of Phonzies, Mosses, and other busts (still have hope for phonzy)
lol, You right Baylin, i think everyone knows where everyone stands on that topic….
sorry florio…lol…anyone see the Brian Dawkins pro bowl interview today…and ocho cinco was up to his usual antics lol
Have you guys heard what the “analysts” are saying about Tebow? They keep saying: “A guy like Josh McDaniels would be a great candidate to draft Tebow and coach him up.”
lol
If Tebow is there in the second he may take a chance on him, he is a good leader and a winner. You never know he could be great. But there are alot of other needs that need to be covered first. We will have to wait till after FA before we have a better idea of what we need to do.
You thought there was controversy here before.
Tebow..Yes!
What analysts have you heard this from, florios_Mom? Whats the source so I can go check it out.. Thanks
Yeah it is possible, but I think half of Broncos Country would die of a heart attack when his name is called in the draft. There are other needs but remember McD ego, imagine the headlines if McD turns Tebow into the greatest ever QB. McD would love that, who knows what that guy would do.
And what was Brandstater for then?
Well now it’s time to enjoy watching our Broncos in the Pro Bowl!! Kudos to all of them:
Brandon Marshall, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, Ryan Clady
I enjoyed watching Ryan Clady’s interview on NFL Total Access. Man he is a Beast. He is like 2 feet over all that interviewed him. Their heads were at his shoulders. I loved the Blue shirt and pink tie. He is a quite giant and I hope he stays and ends his career in Denver. Only time will tell. The future of all of them is unknown. But I am proud of what the Broncos have as representatives of our team!!
GO BRONCOS
FTR
Who knows, a gimmick?
Mayock and Lombardi
I still say McD coaching Cutler could have been interesting. Even though I was never a big fan. He sealed his own fate by not returning Mr. B’s phone calls and that will always remain a question mark. My guess is if we end up with extra draft picks, I can envision a scenario where we draft him. Tebow that is. If Simms is released it opens the door for a 3rd QB. Crazier things have happened!!! GO BRONCOS 2K10