The Broncos’ first mini-camp of the Josh McDaniels era wrapped up on Sunday, and it did nothing if not get the players and coaches even more excited for this year’s campaign.
“It was great,” McDaniels said. “You could see the energy that’s out here — the players are practicing hard, the coaches are coaching hard and everybody has the same goal in mind, which is to get better every day. We’re going to pay the price right now to try to win in September.”
Sunday’s practice was open to the media, so here are some quick hits from the session:
Coach McDaniels has certainly taken a hands-on approach for the first three practices. Not only has he rotated from position group to position group, he’s also gotten involved in some of the drills. He lined up as a defensive back to make sure the receivers were running crisp routes, and even tried to slap the ball away from running backs to stress ball control as they finished up a drill.
“He’s had some good offenses over the last few years in New England, and you don’t get that way by just sitting back in your chair and watching TV,” Chris Simms said. “I think he’s a pretty hands-on guy.”
Speaking of coaches being up-close-and-personal, Jabar Gaffney and Offensive Line Coach Rick Dennison got to know each other a little better Sunday morning. During 7-on-7 drills, Kyle Orton dropped back and launched a pass to Gaffney, who was streaking past his defender down the sideline. Players began to shout as Gaffney neared the offensive line position group, and the receiver made quite a catch over his shoulder before running right into the back of Dennison. The coach hopped right back up with a smile, and the offensive line applauded as Gaffney jogged back to the huddle, got a fist pound from Chad Jackson and a laugh and high five from Orton.
“I said ‘Great catch’ to Jabar and I’ll try not to do that again,” Orton said with a smile. “But it was a great play.”
Orton and Simms split the repetitions evenly throughout Sunday’s practice, and afterward the two were asked separately how to describe the process of learning McDaniels’ offensive system.
“Whatever you put into it is what you get out,” Orton said. “There are plenty of teams implementing new systems and plenty of quarterbacks that have to learn new systems, so it’s nothing overly challenging. Just come in and put the work in — it’s not rocket science.”
Simms agreed that it might not be rocket science, but he had another metaphor ready.
“It’s a new language,” he said. “Any time you’re learning a new language things are going to be hard, just trying to get everybody on the same page. There are some new routes for receivers that they haven’t run before, and there are routes that I haven’t thrown before, so it’s a matter of us all getting on the same page.”
The snow hasn’t melted from the team’s practice field, so once again they took to the “bubble,” an indoor field surrounded by a dome that looks like it’s made out of a Moon Bounce. But being forced indoors didn’t stop Matt Prater from practicing field goals. Lonie Paxton snapped the ball to Brett Kern, who held for Prater, and the kicker simply booted the ball against the side of the dome.
The quarterbacks were involved in an interesting drill during practice — fielding ground balls and tossing the baseball back toward the wall of the dome.
“Just trying to get quick feet, quick hands and get the ball out,” Orton explained.
Plenty of fans seem to be interested in how the linebacker corps is taking shape this offseason. Here’s one update — Wesley Woodyard said he’s been taking some repetitions at inside linebacker when the team runs a 3-4. He said it’s not much different from the role he played last season — “just flying around, making plays,” he said. It seems to be working out so far — during 7-on-7 drills he read a route the whole way, jumped it and returned an interception to the endzone, which resulted in plenty of shouting from the defensive sideline.
A few new faces took some snaps with the linebackers during 7-on-7 drills as well, including Elvis Dumervil and Tim Crowder.
“It was kind of shocking at first, but to see (Dumervil) drop out of there, him and Tim Crowder, to be able to drop back, they look like linebackers out there like they’ve been doing it for years,” Woodyard said. “So it’s been a pretty good fit for those guys.”
Now that this mini-camp is over, the team can look foward to the NFL Draft, which starts this Saturday.
“I think it’s always exciting when you get an opportunity to add good football players to your team, whether it be through free agency or the draft,” McDaniels said. “The draft offers a lot of good young players and we’re looking forward to the ones that are going to end up as Broncos here after seven or eight days.”
Click here for a photo gallery of Sunday’s practice.
BroncosTV also put together a feature on the final day of camp.
The team’s next mini-camp takes place the weekend after the draft — May 1 – 3.
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xxgracegunnerxx – Well said. Yes, the coaches know more than we do, and still there are draft busts every year. There is an art to this and it’s way more difficult than we realize.
lynch4prez – Love your optimism by the way, and many moves have been made in FA to fix the defense.
Drafting all D does not ensure you fix the defense either. If Sanchez goes on to have a great career and we didn’t get him, everyone will say McD was stupid. If his picks on D are a bust, which you never know, then he will catch heat for that. So many variables.
The Broncos brass have to do what is best for the team THIS year. I too was saying wait till next year and go after a QB, and they might, but not at the expense of winning now. If Sanchez gives us the best chance to do that then it will great to see him come here.
They must be serious about him to take him out to dinner and a game, not to mention McD had a migraine after mini camp? That’s the stress, and maybe it’s because he didn’t like what he saw in Orton or Simms.
Saturday will be fun! Go Broncos!
McD must prove only to his boss, and just as it was when Shanny got the job it was a matter of time to establish and develop the new system. Then a couple of years later it showed the results. This time is the same. You can’t stop in no time a car going at full speed in a direction, and instantly get it going in a different direction at full speed. A process is that, a PROCESS. It may give results faster or later (or yes, even not at all), but it needs time to complete to see what happens. And it’s not only one season, for sure.
So, asking for McD’s head just for not dratfing a QB for a fan to jump in joy, no matter if the success is achieved by a TEAM, not just ONE PLAYER… is absurd. He doesn’t have to replenish anything, as he wasn’t the one who at the end chose not to be in Denver.
Anyway, I agree that more QBs in the mix could be interesting, competing for the starting job would help all of them. But it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Still, puzzled about this saturday! Anyone that comes, surely will do great in this new era.
Go Broncooos!
Anybody know why they are called Offensive Tackles?
They don’t tackle anybody, they block. They don’t line up on Defensive Tackles, (appropriate name by the way) they line up on the Defensive Ends.
Tackles? All these years a huge fan of the sport and it never dawned on me before that calling them Tackles really doesn’t make any sense?! lol
Somebody help me out here.
For those of you worried about The Broncos trading Scheffler or Graham Here is a link to a related story.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9490416/Sources:-Chiefs-agree-to-deal-Gonzalez-to-Falcons
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
royalbroncofan1 how many games did Cutler and this Bennet win? From what I hear from my Bears fans friends the WR in Chicago drop alot of passes. I hear we have a shot at Curry.Good bye Gonzalez?!
I just read that myself Monodono!
I think the Falcons got the better end of the stick on that deal for sure! That definatly puts a need for TE for the Chiefs now! They may be looking for a trade down with someone like us who has a million picks this year so that they can acquire another 2nd rounder or something.
Perhaps we could nail two huge defensive players with the number 3 and 18 pick!!! Just my thoughts…
The reason it fell threw is because now they want j.p. Lossman from the Bills!
If we get J.P Lossman I hope its for a LOW and I mean LOW DRAFT PICK!
MY bad they now are saying if they don’t get a QB they will sign him. I think he’s a free agent if I’m not wrong!
If I’m not mistaken Greatness007, Lossman is an unrestricted free agent. Giving up a draft pick is not required. He would be our 3rd stringer or possibly even practice squad.
Yeah you right! I read my e-mail wrong. thats why I made the correction!
BULLCRAP…McD needs to prove himself to US FANS!!!! Last time i checked half my closet and direct TV and NFL ticket stubbs are what pays for the new paint job on his wall. Don’t give me that crap that he doesn’t owe us anything!!! The fans make the NFL
Are you guys all smokin bongs or did you forget this dude hasn’t even won an NFL game yet as a coach. Please GRACEGUNNER…McD is on the HOTSEAT so bad he can’t even feel his butt anymore. lol He said he wants to win NOW..thats what he sold Dawkins and Bowlen on…we were never supposed to be in a giant rebuilding phase. We have plenty of talent (we’re not Detroit)..and now we don’t know if we have a QB that can play at a high level.
..I’ve said it before, I’m not completely bashing the guy…I think he will turn out to be a good and hopefully a great head coach for us BUT the truth is that he is using his learning curves on our team. Jay Cutler should still be our QB. (I’m not going to revisit that whole thing) but he’s not and now we need to focus on the D (yes i agree) but also in solidifying a solid QB replacement.
Maybe Simms or Ortin will fill the role but maybe not. Yes i agree McD knows how to evaluate a QB better than me so we’ll see if he’s sold on them two come Sat.
Ortin has a high win percentage because he played on a team with a conservative run oriented offense and a good defense BUT the bears couldn’t get the job done and got embarrassed in the SB so they went and grabbed a real QB. ouch
What happens when Mcd says this week we need to sling the rock and score a lot of points to win. Oh oh, no T Brady or Cassel (or Cutler) who can put up 400 yrds and throw 4 TD’s and attempt 50 passes. What happens when we fall behind in a game by 3 scores? ..you think Ortin is gonna let it rip? I don’t man…I’m not to thrilled about it. Hope I’m wrong.
WHITEBRONCO, McD the leader of the team!! Everything flows uphill. The results are the ONLY things that matter. ..And the result is Cutler is a Bear now when he was our probowl franchise QB and now we need one. Shannahan didn’t run Elway out of town or have an issue with mistrust with players. It’s part of the fruit of inexperience in leadership but we all go through our hard knocks.
I’m rootin for McD (i know its hard to believe) but i am. I have no choice, I’m a Bronco fan. Truthfully, I don’t think he’s sold on our QB’s either so we’ll see what happens. ..Just please Lord don’t bring Losmann in (maybe as 3rd string). He was horrible in Buffalo
I told you all they wanted Sanchez! Everyone who know me personally AT Broncos.com and Broncos Country told me I should loose my Internship with Espn Scouts Inc.. Who has the last laugh now? WE(as in the Broncos) want to move up with either Jacksonville or KC. The 12th and maybe a 3rd or 4th round pick will be the bargining chip. No apologize needed Mc Shay did it for ya’ll! NO WHO THE MAN CONNECTED IS! ON another note did anyone see The Homecomming of John Elway? Man brong back memories! Oh yeah it was on ESPN. lol
NY_Broncosman Shanny did have mistrust issues with Jake Plummer and Javon Walker! To me it dont mean much but i was there.Also Clinton Portis and Shannon Sharpe thats why he left the first time. It all happens sometime its all on how the players handle it and Cutler handle it bad! Mc Daniels dont Run the team Pat Bowlen does any thing that happens has to go through him. Just the fact that Mc Daniels answered the phone and someone asked him if he’s interested in Cassel and you want a trade? Pat bowlen is calling you to work this out because he’s the boss and he wants to keep you and you dont answer? man this is getting old and I see ya’ll are never gonna get over it just like Culter!
12=B.J. RAJI, TYSON JACKSON, ROBERT AYERS,
18=BRIAN CUSHING, Rey Maualuga, Everette Brown