Training camp has featured mostly good weather so far at Dove Valley, and Tuesday’s morning session was no different. It was a hot one, with barely a cloud in the sky.
Without further adieu, let’s get to the recap.
ROLL CALL
Louis Leonard (knee), Mitch Unrein (knee), Brandon Minor (knee) and Eddie Royal sat out practice. Brandon Lloyd (knee swelling) sat out the second half of pracitce, Nate Irving left with an ankle sprain, Richard Quinn left with a knee sprain and Derek Domino left with a finger sprain.
DRILLS
There were some interesting drills to start practice this morning, including a period focused on low blocks.
While the offensive linemen and wide receivers worked separately on diving low at blocking dummies, the defensive line, linebackers and secondary all worked individually as well on avoiding cut blocks.
Another new defensive drill had all 11 players sprint to a coach, who had the ball in his hands. The players huddled around the coach and kept their feet moving — simulating swarming to the ball as a unit.
DEFENSE SHOWS ITS STRENGTH
The defense dominated, for lack of a better word, the early team sessions in practice.
During the first team drill, the offense was backed up near its own goal line and working on getting into safer territory. The defense was having none of that. First, Kyle Orton led the offense, but his session was cut short when he fired a pass for Eric Decker that Champ Bailey cut right in front of for an interception.
Next, Tim Tebow stepped in, but he bobbled a snap and was wrapped up for a safety by Ty Warren.
Then it was Brady Quinn’s turn, and the defense snagged its second interception of the drill — this one by Syd’Quan Thompson, who has made plays on a regular basis throughout camp.
In the same drill, Knowshon Moreno found a hole to get the offense some space. Afterward, Defensive Line Coach Wayne Nunnely shouted to his linemen, “Be physical! Get off the blocks!”
OFFENSE ANSWERS
After taking the defense’s punishment for much of practice, the offense got some revenge during red zone drills. In one of the first passes of the drill, Orton faked to his right then threw back left to Daniel Fells, who was wide open for a touchdown.
Later in the drill, essentially the same play was run for Virgil Green, and the defense was ready all the way — but a big block by Stanley Daniels freed up the rookie tight end to get near the goal line.
The other quarterbacks saw success as well. Quinn found Dan Gronkowski for a touchdown in the heart of the defense in the middle of the end zone. Later, Tebow executed a shovel pass to Brandon Minor for another score.
PLAYMAKERS
Those drills weren’t the only time players shined on the field Friday.
DAILY JUKEBOX
There was a distinct summer theme during the stretch portion of practice, when music was blaring from the speakers.
First up, “Summertime,” by Kenny Chesney. That was followed immediately by another “Summertime,” this one by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince — aka Will Smith. Kanye West broke up the theme with “Power” before the music cut off and the players got to work.
QUICK HITS
The team is back on the field for a walkthrough closed to the public this evening at 6 p.m. The next public practice is tomorrow morning at 8:50 a.m. — the last one before Thursday’s exhibition game against the Cowboys.
Below are a few more photos from the session.
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Training Camp
I sure hope all these picks and pass break-ups translate according when the games start to count. Seemed like last season we had guys intercepting and knocking down passes in practice but we didn’t have a lot of defensive turnovers. It is promising to hear that the defense is really flying around to the ball!
Vaughn and Decker!!! I’m glad Fox is here. He’s a players coach.
Won’t take much to make an improvement from last year’s sorry excuse for a D. With the pass rush we have now, I believe it’s gonna open up the opportunity for our D to make some plays on the ball and get turnovers. I’m really hoping our run D has much improved as well.
GO BRONCOS!
Sounds like our defense is making vast improvements already compared to all of last year. Our defense will do much better it looks like.
I want to get happy about the defense picking up but then again its practice and they already know what’s coming at them since they going back and forth for days now…besides this happen last year in practice and once I got my hopes up we finished 32nd in defense…smh
I am confident that the D will keep it up come game time. With Dumervil and Miller in their faces, I’m sure that QBs will be making some rash decisions. I can’t wait to see it happen!
From last blog – your welcome killerkod. It was an interesting article to say the least.
What is everyone’s feeling on Champ? Does he still have it in him? Will he be an impact player this year?
Syn’Quad Thompson is tearing it up so far this year.
I hope he gets the opportunity to play nickel and possibly some CB.
He’s been snagging int’s on a regular basis.
I have a feeling that we’re just going to accumulate more sacks with more pressure. I don’t think it will be all INT’s. We have to remember, most of the starting QB’s in the NFL are smarter than ours. They know it’s better to get sacked than to turn the ball over. HOWEVER, if our guys are knocking the snot out of QB’s, that changes everything. That’s where I see the Denver D really causing turnovers. Knocking the opposing QB’s block off! Hopefully it’s the latter.
I think Champ still has it. I think he’s not as “feared” as he once was but he’s still a great well-rounded CB. If it is crunch time and the opponent is going to test a CB, Champ would be the one I want them to go for. Last season’s Cowboys game still sticks in my head, twice in a row they went at him and he denied them. I think he’ll be an impact player in key situations, but I think the spotlight will be on our pass rush.
I definitely think that Champ still has it. It sounds like he an Lloyd are constantly challenging one another to improve thier game. I think that Champ will shine as long as he can stay healthy.
Yeah, that’s what I think too brian. I do think there’s something inside him that wants to prove to everyone that he’s still a shut-down corner. He won’t be hurting our team by any means….and his veteran leadership will speak volumes as well.
aw man irving with a knee sprain? no bueno
ankle sprain excuse me
If he can stay healthy? When was the last time he missed a game?
Hey, Gray, it’s “Without further ado”, not “adieu”. Ado = fuss, adieu = goodbye. See, even us English nerds can enjoy football!
The thing about guys like Champ, Dawkins, Smith, Elway, Sharpe, Marino, to just name a few, they are/were great. One of the things about those types of guys is they knew when to hang ‘em up. Dawkins said it himself when he said “I’ll continue to play this game as long as I can play at a high level.” Ever older veteran is going to lose a little here and there but they are/were at such a high level already that even if they do lose a little bit they’re still playing at high level. Of course there is always that talk about if Champ would move to a safety position.
Brian technically the Cowboys game was 2 seasons ago I believe. But last year, he made Dwayne Bowe look like a Highschool WR .. NO catches. Not even one. And Bowe torched everyone last year. He played with a chip on his shoulder that game because people said he got torched the game before, when he really didnt. Wink was just playing back. But sometimes last year I believe Champ didn’t play his hardest, he seemed frustrated … like eff it. he was doing everything, covering, tackling, sheesh, he was like a one man defense. Cuz lord knows he is the best tackling CB ive ever seen. But if we finally get pressure and everyone seems like they are making an effort, he will play very well and he does have some stuff to prove.
I am so glad no more Nnamdi. Raiders are about to feel the pain. I am looking forward to thursday. TRB out…
MaGahee trucked moore huh….guess that’s his welcome to the nfl hit…better now in practice then on national tv
looks like our run d is still going to be pretty suspect from all the big runs im reading about every day in this blog. then again im not there so i dont really know do i?
Duh, that’s when Marshall had that very nice run after the catch.
Bottom line……..With Doom and Miller creating havoc in the back field it frees up the corners! PERIOD!
Asking ANY CB to cover guys for a long period of time while the QB sits back and picks the defense apart is going to put the favor in the offense every single time!
However, take that same CB and give him a dynamite pass rush and pressure coverage doesn’t have to be as long! That QB has to get that ball out many times before the route has finished. And if that WR is being covered even by an aging Champ……Champ will win everytime!
Give this secondary a chance with pressure and they’ll chew ya up!
Killerkod, to answer your question…YOU BET HE STILL HAS IT, but you have to give him some pressure up front. The pressure up front helps the guys in the back. Champ has an ability like not other and that comes from years in the league playing at a high level. But to ask him to cover with little to no coverage? It’ll be a long day no matter who is back there!
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
3 drills on the goaline and the Defense got 2 ints and a Satety…WOW!!!
I’m liking what I hear so far,and glad to see Sydquan and Vaughn are stepping it up.
Seems like McGahee is gonna be a great pickup for us!
Champ is still Champ,I think he will still be elite 3 years from now(35)!!!!
BFE
Well said brian re: Champ. Cowboy game you’re referring to though was 2 yrs ago.
Mikeyb1203, I’m just saying that injuries happen. I’m not trying to insinuate that Champ is injury-prone, but he did miss time last season with a bruised heel. I honestly don’t remember if he missed a whole game because of it, but he did miss some playing time. Anyway, I’m just saying that his play will still be top-tier as long as he doesn’t get hurt.
And TRB, I echo your sentiments about Nnamdi and the Raiders.
Never mind TRB already mentioned that about Cowboy game 2 yrs ago.
August 9, 2011 at 1:26 pm,end of last blog
Let me make a couple things clear, I never called anyone stupid, I did suggest some of you were ignorant for ignoring the facts concerning the issue being discussed. There is a big difference between being ignorant and stupid, I’d suggest a dictonary.
The “not a fan” statements where made with one purpous in mind. It was to elevate your commitment to the Denver Broncos as a team. To remind you that no one player is bigger than the team and hopefully to get you behind the team, supporting each and every player and coach.
I support all the players and staff of the Denver Broncos. Like many, I’m a fan of T. Tebow. That doesn’t mean I think he is qualified to be the starting QB of the Broncos. Supprisingly, I’ve become somewhat of a fan of K. Orton though all this QB ordeal. He has been poised and professional throughout this entire mess, I admire him for it. The same goes for the coach Fox, who I’m fast becoming a big fan of as our head coach. We have the third toughest schedule in the NFL this season, we haven’t lost a game yet. Cheer for your team and help the players perform to their best ability. That’s what all my rough and tumble blogging has been about. Go Broncos!
Champ! You know when the chips are down, he WILL be lockdown/shutdown/I dare you to run on my side of the field. Maybe it’s true he’s lost a step speedwise, but he more than makes up for it with experience.
When you hear the term “shutdown” CB what names come to mind? I can only think of 3. One of em is a hype machine, the other a Raider(sorry iggle).
Guess with a little bit of a pass rush, we will soon see the answer to that question!
I for one can’t wait to put my #24 jersey on Thursday evening!
The funny thing, is that Champ never did want to be a “shutdown” corner. He wanted/is the best balanced CB. In an interview he gave quite a while ago he said something to the affect of “a shutdown corner means you can cover well, I want to be the best corner.” Paraphrazing of course but I think he is the best balanced CB in the league.
Thursdays game is just a good taste of things to come.
I’ve got my silverware ready and I’m licking my chops!
I am really glad to see our defense dong the job that they are doing in practice, but I am real concerned about all of these long td passes being completed by all of our qb’s against them. Will this clean up so the coverage gets better? I for one sure hope so. If not, our pass defense might be a little lacking. I realize that the defense is not able to hit our qb’s and I am hoping that that one thing will be the difference maker in a real game. One other thing, the photo of Miller and Irving colliding looks like two truck hitting head on!
Imready, I`m heading to Wyoming tomorrow morning to go fishing again at those Beaver ponds we talked about. Going to camp out Wednsday night out there. I`m looking forward to it. I should be home in time for Thursday game agains the Cowboys. Fun filled days ahead. HaHa!!
DB coach Ron Milus has been around the NFL for sometime…(12th yr). This is his 2nd stint with the Broncos. Years back he helped coach Deltha O’Neal to 9 interceptions.
Is the game Thursday going to be televised on a national network? I hope so so those of us in other parts of the country or world can get it on something other than nfltv.
I only said that Brian because you said LAST season instead of 2 seasons ago. TRB
Yeah, that was a “Duh” to myself because when I was thinking of that game I was thinking without Marshall turning that big catch into a TD none of that would’ve happened. Then I had a brain fart and my fingers to stuggling to breath and just typing from cache memory. LOL!
I just noticed this, but the little boy in the pic of LLoyd catching a TD pass, looks like he must be a Raiders fan. LOL! The look on his face is priceless.
…so is our Defense really good…Or our Offense really bad? Only time will tell!
Can I just say how Stinking excited I am for this season to get underway.
Orange Crush in 2011-2012 and beyond
Delayed telecast on NFL network sweatherman. Not sure what part of country you’re in other than TX,CO WY & NM will carry local stations.
I don’t know about live coverage of the Broncos/Cowboys game, but tape-delay on NFL Network will be Friday night at 11:00 pm EDT – or so I heard it on a network ad … I don’t think 15 – 16 plays is enough for the first team, but I know they have to evaluate as many players as they can … especially since it’s the 54th and up player thats in jeapordy … it seems like forever since we’ve seen the team in a live game situation … autumn can’t be far behind …
Glad your getting another chance to get up in the Wyoming high country Strand. It’s so beautiful up in that area, I still have vivid pictures in my mind of the beautiful stands of Aspen all golden in the fall when I was there over 20 years ago. I do most of my fishing in the northern part of the state but lived in Cheyenne around 1988. If I remember right, I was able to catch those little guys on small shrimp flies, nothing exotic about them. Funny, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast but I always somehow remember what I caught a fish on 20 years ago. They are fun to catch and pretty tasty, especially for breakfest fresh out of the pond. Have a great time, hope you have a fish story to tell when you get home.
Thanks royalbroncofan1. I am in sw Florida, and I do not have NFL Network on my cable so I guess I will just have to settle for whatever highlights I get on here and on espn. SUCKS!!
Thanks bro. AND GO ORANGE AND BLUE!!
poopie faced meth dealer
I think our D will be much improved because of Dennis Allen’s philosophy. He takes what he has and puts his players in positions on the field that showcases their talents best. It’s the same thing he did when he teamed with Greg Williams in New Orleans.
I know it’s just practice but man Tebow is throwing at least two picks per practice. I know that the D starts to jump routes and things but man what is the deal with Tebow?
Who will have the bigger year Derick Harvey or Robert Ayers???
I predict the Fox/Orton/Elway team results in a downturn of 30% ticket sales by week 6. In an economically strapped day and age, no one wants to spend the money it takes to go to the field so they can get bored out of their minds. Ho Hum wins Ho Hum loses, it won’t matter. Boring is Boring.