Here we are, back at Dove Valley for the start of another training camp. The fields are green and pristine, the sun made for a hot Denver day, and players and coaches seemed excited to finally trot back out onto the field and get to work.
The first day is always exciting — this one just seems to have a little extra oomph, with what was such a drama-filled offseason swirling around the NFL.
With no minicamps or OTAs, a handful of players are meeting each other for the first time, so there were a lot of hugs and handshakes during the stretch period early in practice.
Without further adieu, let’s get to the first practice blog of the season.
ROLL CALL
Brian Dawkins didn’t participate in practice this morning, though he had on his jersey, a Broncos bucket hat and long pants as he stuck with his fellow defensive backs throughout practice. Occasionally he dropped back on his own on the sideline, simulating the reps his teammates were taking. The other starting safety from last season, Renaldo Hill, wasn’t at practice. Head Coach John Fox said after the session that Hill was absent due to dehydration.
Demaryius Thomas walked onto the field late in the session, posting up on the sideline as he watched his teammates run through practice. He posted on Twitter this morning that it’s “time to get work in…mentally.“
LINE ‘EM UP
Kyle Orton led the first team offense throughout practice behind an offensive line of Ryan Clady, Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton, Chris Kuper and rookie Orlando Franklin. Knowshon Moreno took the majority of first-unit running back reps, and the wide receivers were a usually mixture of Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Eric Decker and Matt Willis. At tight end, Richard Quinn and Julius Thomas split the majority of the reps.
On defense, the defensive line had Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil as the ends and Kevin Vickerson and Louis Leonard in the middle. Joe Mays was the middle linebacker, while D.J. Williams and rookie Mike Mohamed were on the outside. In the secondary, Andre’ Goodman and Champ Bailey served as the corners with Darcel McBath and Kyle McCarthy at safety.
GETTING THE CROWD INVOLVED
A fairly large crowd lined the far sideline at Dove Valley, and it was a loud bunch early in the session. As soon as players began making their way onto the field, the fans cheered. When Tim Tebow took his first snap and handed the ball off to Lance Ball, the fans cheered. When Orton completed the first pass of camp, the fans cheered. Safe to say there’s a lot of excitement with the start of the season inching closer.
PLAYMAKERS
Though the new CBA dictates that players can’t wear pads for the first two days of training camp practice, there was still plenty of action in 7-on-7 and team drills.
QUICK HITS
The team will be back on the field this afternoon from 5:50 to 7:35 p.m. for another session open to the public.
Look for video and audio from post-practice interviews and a top story from the morning session shortly, so stay tuned to DenverBroncos.com.
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Training Camp
Yovi…
I am with you man! I mean we’d probably only be getting a 5th-6th rounder now anyways and that isn’t really all that much. Release him, free up the money, and sign Mebane!! That way FA will have been pretty good instead of a total waste of time and a bust!
Mark my words, we are going to miss out on Mebane and have to sign some old 33-35 year old DT’s to come in here. This is exactly what McD did that we all hated. We will probably also have to give them big money to come here because most of them are at teams that are very competetive right now!! This is by far the greatest plan I’ve seen out of all the teams so far…
I’d rather cut Orton than watch him play for another year,just me!
McD planted quite a few land mines while he was here didn’t he?
Few things to remember,
Miami traded for reggie bush, another possible cap room casualty, they could have waited for him to get cut and pick him up. i dont think thats thier game … i hope not.
Klis just said that compensation is not the issue, the issue is the contract which can be restructured after 6pm est today i believe.
If Miami really wants orton which from what i heard he is on their number 1 wish list … they will no risk him getting cut. They may not be high on the waiver list and may lose him … too risky.
This is how im looking at things for now. Cautiously optimistically as baylin would put it. TRB out…
Get Orton out of here please. For those who always bash Brady Quinn sounds like he had some outstanding plays today.
Bones, ive heared from multiple sources that Brady Quinn overthrew almost every pass
well quinn threw 1 int thats all i know … but it was bubbled off the wide recievers hands. Either way .. 1 practice doesn’t say much. for tebow for orton for quinn.
All I know is it’s all over the news that Miami is playing Chicken with the Broncos for Orton,sounds like they are trying to play hard ball to me,I would trade him to another team for pennies before I gave him to Miami!
Wash and Cincy need a QB!!!
AdamSchefter: Broncos reach deal with Von Miller!!!!
yayyyyyyyy! finally something excited and to be happy about today!!
I think Miami doesn’t want to give up a high draft pick and pay Orton his $9 million. I think they’d rather give up a later round instead. I think that Orton wants to reconstruct for a long term deal but Miami dosn’t want to just quite yet because they want to see what they got in Orton. I think there are a few things that both sides are trying to work out. If Miami wants Orton they’ll probably try and work out a deal. If not…..well….
I think I’ll knock myself out until 6:00 tomorrow so I don’t have to put myself thru this stupid stuff!
I got enough shine to do it too,lol.
Orton wants a long term deal for at least 6 million a year,so Miami will have to be committed to making Orton their franchise QB to put up that kinda money,do they want him that bad??? if so it’ll be something like………………5 years 30 million.
Glad to see Von signed! Well done Broncos’ brass
Maybe having Orton show his stuff in camp will help his trade value. It bums me out to read that Tebow is not even close to giving Orton a run for his position.
Heck the Titans signed Hasselbeck to 3 years 21 million,I guess if he’s worth that then Orton is worth 5 years 30 million!
Man QBs are in very high demand this year,we’ve seen some God awful #s on contracts for mediocre QBs the past few days!
Miller signed? SWEET!!!!!!!!!
WHAT WAS THE FIGURES,DO YOU KNOW?
I say let the QB’s play and may the best one start. Brady Quinn my practice good but he is horrible in games.
no numbers yet, but yes miller did sign!
So is Orton!!!!
Well our front 7 would be set if we could get a DT!!!
So what do you think of this defensive line: Dumerville, Mebane, Bannon, Ayers
Miller, Haggan, Williams as the LB crew. I think that would be a really good front 7
I think Doom-Mebane-Vickerson-Ayers sounds great!!!
Miller-Mays/Irving-DJ will be the LB core.
Champ-Dawk-Moore-Goody will be the base secondary,I would guess
BFE, I like your grouping also. Looks like they get Mebane and their front 7 problems might ber fixed
We’ve agreed to terms with Von!!!!
Terms with Moore too, both will be there this afternoon!!!!
from what I see, if we get Mebane and group the players together properly, our D may not be that bad afterall
doesnt that just leave Carter unsigned?
Depends on if we have signed nate irving.
Bannon wont be coming back. hated how he was cut. wants to be a raven again.
Right now its looking like Marcus thomas, Muir, landri or the long shot and favorite Mebane.
TRB out…
I just hope VY doesnt go to Oakland … that would be a nightmare. He aint bad, he got the talent … he is just immature … but talent wise if he is on the raiders … with his running ability … we will have an issue … not unless redskins sign him. Redskins cannot truly fully believe in Rex Grossman can they? Shanny can handle a troubled QB
rahim moore just signed!!!
well, if Mebane hasnt signed with the Seahawks yet, Im thinking they must not be offerring him what he wants Hopefully, tomorrow we can impress him enough to come solidify our DL. He would be a great addition. He and Vickerson plugging up the middle and Ayers and Doom coming from the outside would free up our LBs to make plays. Then our secondary wouldnt be under so much pressure. I think it would improve our D immensely
how sweet would it be if the could get Mebane and Jenkins?
Here’s what we gotta do
At 4pm we begin to rework Orton’s contract to help trade or lighten cap if need be, we add 2 more years plus lots of performance incentives, so over 3 years it equals $20 Mil total, ($6-7 Mil/yr over the 3 years if all incentives are met). This helps our ability to trade, or if he stays knocks another 2 mil off the cap. People are taking cuts and he wont play in miami for his 8.9mil.
If hes still here hes the starter BUT HERES THE KICKER at some point in the season a team or two is either going to lose a QB to injury or give up on their present one. Those teams will know the Broncos hold a viable, proven extra QB in our stable that we could be persuaded to part with, = KA-CHINGGG! (only if we’re out of the playoff race) We get what we want in our 2012 draft pick which wouldnt help us this season anyway, kyles stock goes up, Tim gets more development (and still 1/2 the games. not to bad if kyle stays
AS long as we can open up cap other ways (we were 4-12 last year tells me alot of the players on our roster dont have game) we need an elite player DT over a couple mediocre de’s, S’s, LB’s… if we’re not willing to hurt some peoples feelings we aint gonna win, so if your not gonna cut enough people to pay for a elite DT money he cant refuse, then bye orton cause thats what we need
At this point i dont care if he stays or goes, i just want to make a splash in the free agent pool!! Lets go!!
We haven’t completed three days yet and have signed most if not all our rookies, signed 17 undrafted free agent rookies, made a trade, probably have numerous offers working, negotiating to make a deal on Orton that frees up cap space which then opens up opportunities, yet some people think management is not doing anything. Someone was even calling for X’s head already. I can only imagine the behind the scenes things taking place. Have some patience. This team cannot be totally rebuilt in one year anyway. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and in the end it is what it is.
Everybody needs to kick back. Remember, Denver is in excellent position,#2, for the cuts that will come with players being cut/waivered.
Miami was waiting for the Kolb deal and now they know that it will cost a conditional #3 + a DL player, or a 2nd. IMO Plus the FA market really just opened.
Wow, patriots making some bold moves today. Ochocinco and Haynesworth… like they needed to get any more loaded. Yikes
Ochocinco traded to Patriots
Dang, watch out for the Pats this season.
Screw the over hyped pats!
ochocinco is a patriot now … things just keep getting interesting … first they get haynes worth … then ochocinco. Belichek is an intersting fellow
Belichek is not one to give away picks usually. Very on Belichek … but then agian he is giving them crap picks … tough negotiator that guy. TRB out
More deals! Chicago Tribune reporting that Bears traded TE Greg Olsen for a player to be named later and a draft pick.
Cutlers only real target … but then again … Martz doesnt really use TE’s.
Derek Landri, a blue collar-type defensive tackle who started 16 games for Carolina and coach John Fox last season, will be visiting the Broncos and coach John Fox on Friday.
The way this free-agent period is playing out, it’s difficult to believe Landri would visit Denver without having the parameters of a deal in place, but as we learned with the Kyle Orton non-trade to Miami, nothing is done until its done.
And Cutler’s best buddy, that’s not going to help his psyche, which is already inexistant.
Nothing new here but at least he is coming in for a visit:
Free agent tight end Daniel Fells is scheduled to visit the Broncos’ Dove Valley complex Friday. Fells is a massive 272-pounder who played plenty in St. Louis’ two tight end sets last season.
The Broncos two draft picks at the position — Virgil Green and Julius Thomas — are both considered more receivers than blockers. And John Fox is clearly looking for a more physical player at the position.
Fells had 41 catches last season including two against the Broncos in the Rams Nov. 28 win at Invesco Field at Mile High. The Rams have also made an offer as have the Titans.