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
Looks like Woody was right when he said no way Bannan would come back:
In a perfect world for the Broncos, who need help in the defensive front, they would have been able to bring defensive tackle Justin Bannan back. But free agency is an imperfect world and it’s clear Bannan will have too many suitors for the Broncos to get in the mix.
The Broncos made an initial swing at Bannan, who they released just before the lockout began, but it was just a one-year deal.
Bannan has several teams interested at the moment for far more than a one-year contract, with the Rams picking up the pace Thursday. The Rams have more salary cap room to work with and look ready to make a big push for the veteran.
And Fox sounds a little different talking to Klis about Orton than he did that other reporter earlier which quotes I already I posted:
One problem is the new CBA procedures don’t allow teams to restructure contracts until 4:01 p.m. MDT today. Orton has one year at roughly $8.829 million left on his contract. Perhaps when the transition contract period opens at 4:01, Orton trade talks will heat up.
Or maybe not.
“I can go back almost six months and my tune hasn’t changed — Kyle is under contract. He’s starting on the depth chart at No. 1,” said Broncos new head coach John Fox.
Asked specifically about Orton trade talks, Fox said: “Out of respect for the players and just the way we handle things, I’m not going to discuss internal discussions from the building publicly.”
Are we still posturing here Fox or are you truly satisfied to have Orton as your starter, that seems to be the million dollar question left now.
Which brings us back to this point:
Lowlight of the day
The team looked as if it had missed an entire offseason’s worth of workouts. There were some moments of sluggishness, which was to be expected, and the Broncos had to spend more practice time than they normally would just getting players to the right spots for specific drills.
There was also the matter of the team’s top two quarterbacks – Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. With a potential trade swirling around Orton, he still took the work with the starters, but the two interacted very little during the practice, offering a glimpse of why so many believe they could not co-exist in the same locker room.
Quote of the day:
“That’s not the sense I get. I’m out there competing and I like my chances if that’s my case.”
—Quarterback Kyle Orton about Tim Tebow being on track to be the team’s starter.
HAHAHAHA!
IF (HUGE IF) they fix the defense and the running game, I could deal with another Orton year…. YUCK! (Got my Tebow jersey ready). Even Delhomme can win in a Fox team with good defense and running game. HOWEVER, major needs in DT aren’t addressed yet so I am in a wait and see mode. That’s why I seldom post. Remember nothing is ever as BAD as it seems and never as GOOD as it seems.
GO BRONCOS!
Get some DTs!
Either way, Bronco life goes on, many good years, some great ones, some average ones, very few real bad ones, overall it has been a very happy 37 year ride for me, and nothing will ever change that not even McD could ruin it for me, LOL.
But he sure ruined the team, LMAO…
It looks like most everybody gave up on staying tuned here waiting for good news, can’t blame you guys. They are few and far between so far.
I dont think its Tebow thats got a issue with Orton … I think its Orton taking out his frustrations on Tebow. Cuz clearly never being good enough everywhere u go can get annoying. And all the love for the new kid while people don’t like u or about to get traded makes conversations awkward. I mean really … what do you say to your replacement, when u are still only half way through your career and not on the back end. Ortons gotta be salty and I aint mad at him. Tebow on the other hand is the new kid on the block and generally a nice, chipper guy. But they still can’t coexist, especially with Orton behind Tebow … just cant happen. TRB out…
That’s the spirit Bay. Hang in there, I know you are very disappointed with what we’ve done so far , but we’re not done! Have a microbrew and watch the show. We may not be great this year but I’m thinking we will be better than last year. Fox is a defensive genius and I figure we will be in the top 15 , that alone has to be worth a couple of wins. I go back a couple years when Nolan stopped in for a year, he did a heck of a job with average players. I expect the silver Fox to do at least as well. We should have a pass rush this year, that alone will make the games worth watching with “Batman and Robin, Legion of Doom” pass rush. Our players may be better than we think, maybe they just need a good coach.
Better go cook the wife dinner . She was jawing at me about my driving yesterday when I was behind a drunk or drugged driver and I told her to “shut up”, that her distracting me was going to get us in a wreck. She got out of the car a block from the house and walked home. Needless to say, I slept in the chair last night. LOL I better cook something good, I’m really in the doghouse. Every woman has a button you don’t want to push, my wife’s is “shut up”! LOL Go Broncos!
Funny stuff, good job on the picker upper too! I live with whatever we do, always have, always will, but I don’t always have to like it. We’ll see how this year moves along, if we win more than 5 games with Tebow starting I say we are going in the right direction, at this point it won’t take that many wins for me to hang on to hope for a better future, but more than 5 wins at this point is a very tall order, just look at the schedule, I know you did, and you know exactly what I’m talking about, I see four wins in there with two maybes, so that’s where 6 wins would totally satisfy me, kind of sad, really, but when you fall down all the way it takes a long time to get back up.
Last I heard the Orton deal might take until August 4th,that’s when trading ends I think!
But if they make us wait that long and cause us to miss out on a DT,we might as well keep Orton and make him ride the bench for the Helluvit!!
Miami goes out and spends money on injury proned Reggie Bush with his high dollar contract (when they have R Brown and R Williams)and can’t work out a contract with a QB they desperately need,no wonder they are bottom feeders!!!
Panther fans say Landri is best DL they have,that’s probably not saying much tho!
Looks like Rams are outta the race for Mebane,so it looks like it’s down to the Broncos or Seattle keeping him,he wants a huge contract,but being one of the best DTs in the NFL,he deserves it.C’mon EFX don’t blow this one,this is probably the last chance we get to get a good DT until next years draft!
The Orton debacle is the biggest bungle to date for the new powers to be. All the QB’s and trades have been done and what did we do? We asked too much and now we sit there letting Orton the Magician of Practice fool us into letting him take away precious practice time from Tebow…. WTH! JE?
I’m sorry but this is BS! Orton can’t get traded because he refuses to reneg his contract unless a team invests into him as the future and NO TEAM IS THAT DUMB! Orton holds all the cards in any potential trade because his enormous 8.9mil salary and he is shoving down our throat by being in practice and getting the first team reps.
An there Fox is saying Orton is the starter and I havent changed my tune. Sheesh, come on Fox, grow some friggin footballs and tell Elway to just dump the guy and git rid of his 8.9 and get a stinking DT in here FOR GOODNESS SAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:(
Is everyone insane!!! How many games of Orton curled up in fetal position do we need to see? Remember a Tiger doesn’t change it’s stripes, and Orton hates contact. Always has, always will. I would rather get Bradley Van Pelt in here than watch another season with that wimp. Do his offensive lineman like him? No, cause he ruins their stat’s. With Cutler here we were statisticly among the elite teams in sacks given up. With Orton here, it’s been a 180 turn around. The defenses understand that when Orton feels even a hint of a rush he ditches the ball. With the constant pressure I believe it hurts our running game as well cause Orton is even impacted by traditional run blitzes. If he feels an arm against his leg, he just curls up like an armadillo. It’s pathetic. So I hope and pray that Orton is traded for a cup of coffee, and this madness ends. Let me say this, if Orton starts our team will play uninspired pathetic football. This is the safest bet there is. If Orton is as great as the Hacks think, then we’ll get our picks. If he stays here it’s because he is a wimpy version of Jon Kitna, and no one wants or needs that. (what makes Kitna servicable is his toughness..) SO PLEASE JOHN ELWAY, SAVE US FROM THIS MADNESS.. SAVE US!!!!!!!!
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms with linebacker Von Miller, the second overall selection in the NFL draft.
Miller’s agent and the Broncos put the finishing touches on a four-year deal worth about $21 million in between workouts Thursday.
Football chief John Elway tweeted, “We have agreed to terms with our 1st round pick, LB Von Miller. Can’t wait to get him on the field.”
He could be ready to hit the field for Thursday night’s practice.
Miller is the highest draft pick in team history. The Texas A&M linebacker, who returned to school for his senior season after leading the nation with 17 sacks as a junior in 2009, was selected after Carolina chose Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 pick
AP
Especially like the “chip on the shoulder” passage
NFL Network reporter Michelle Beisner is at Broncos training camp in Englewood, Colo., and shares the following observations from Thursday’s practice…
1. Three’s a crowd. All three quarterbacks on Denver’s roster — Tim Tebow , Brady Quinn and, yes, Kyle Orton — were on the field for the morning session. And all three took reps on the field. It was a bit of an uncomfortable moment for Orton, who is the subject of heavy trade rumors , with the Dolphins the most likely destination.
2. Business as usual. There were questions about whether or not Orton would address the media, like the rest of his teammates, after the session. He did, but didn’t say anything revealing. I asked him how the situation was affecting him and if the trade rumors made things awkward with Tebow. His response? “This was not that strange. It’s the way the business of football can be. You can’t take it personal.” My takeaway? I got the feeling that he has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to prove that he will be a starting quarterback, and a successful one at that, no matter where he ends up.
3. Next domino to fall? With the news that the Kevin Kolb trade is done, most of the higher profile quarterbacks that were available have found a new home, including Donovan McNabb , Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Hasselbeck . Will Orton be next? “You’ll have to ask my agent,” he said.
rich eisin reporting that Von Miller’s deal is
4 years = 21 million
Surprised he won’t be cut. Yet?
http://m.nfl.com/news/09000d5d8210d6b4/bronco-focused-on-field-despite-looming-sex-assault-trial/
I don’t know – you guys are almost more than I can take … too many of you have stars in your eyes w/ Tebow vs. Orton … so your minds are made up and all you can do is bad mouth the veteran … you blame him for the sack stat when you should remember that McD changed the blocking scheme … how many times last year did the Broncos come out and go right down the field to score – then see the defense catch up to what they were doing and McD couldn’t adjust … in both cases it was Orton at the helm – so, which one is the real one … he’s not an elite QB, but for Fox’s scheme, might be a very good one … just give us a D and a running game, then make an evaluation … I like Orton – I like Tebow, too – but right now Tebow is a raw neophyte w/ potential, but a lot of question marks … you guys think all he needs is time under center – well, he does need that, but it’s no guarantee he’ll ever be as good as Orton, just flashier … he’s too good not to find a place for him, I’ll give you that … I’d like to see a way to play them both, at the same time … also – you keep belittling him, but then you want value in a trade … well, maybe not – most of you would just cut the string – not because he’s a poor QB, but because he’s not Tebow … there’s a good chance he’ll open on Monday night against the Raiders, so you’d better get used to it … as far as I’m concerned, if they do trade him, at least all the sniping will end …
Calm down prospector lol … no ones insane … all you have said, we know and have said … it has just come to a point where it is what it is. I’d rather suffer through another year of Orton and have the coaches in Miami suck some more and get fired than cut him and let them get him for free.
From what i hear its not a compensation problem, its a contract problem. So OC, can it still really be called EFX bungle. McDs nasty reach extends even after he is gone. All the lost contracts he gave out. Worst negotiator ever. Clearly learned nothing from Belichek. We are just unfortunate to have Orton have such a large contract but not only that but also to be trying to trade a QB lockout year. After the draft. Its tough to do. Kolb is gone because he has more hype than anything ive ever seen and he has a whack contract. Orton doesn’t exactly wanna compromise his 10 million not unless he gets a long term contract making at least 5-6 million. And this wouldnt be a problem if McDaniels hadn’t giving him that losty extension. It all comes back to McD. We might just have to cut him outright like the Titans and VY. TRB out…
ps: looks like Nnamdi and Revis might end up together since Texans got another CB. Great … with Nnamdi there, maybe people will finally see the fraud that Revis is. When theres are 2 good CBs … some is always gonna look bad no matter what. And Revis is good just not as good as he and people think he is IMO
I think it’s even more inept that we came out and announce that “Orton is on the trading block” on the very first day. Then what? Friggin Crickets Cherping….! Thats what…..
Orton is David Copperfield during practice. He makes the coaches say “ooh” and “aah” when theres no pads and no hitting. He even pulls footballs out of his helmet and rabbits out of his bumm and the coach says “yippi skippy”!
Well just go ahead and waste our potential 8.9million defensive tackle money and start Orton AGAIN and whitness how magic he is with defensive backs flying around in his face and when we are heading toward the next 4-12 season because we cant stop the run beacause we are paying too many QB’s, I will have put Fox in the slow boat to China with Josh……
wow…one practice and people are losing it!
Please don’t calm down prospector, really good post, same with OC, tell everyone how you feel and thank you to TRB and wiemin too, just different points of view and I appreciate that greatly.
As far as the description of Orton verses pressure by prospector I couldn’t of said it better myself.
Orton chokes under pressure when the game is on the line, chokes under D pressure, chokes on 3rd down, chokes on 4th down, chokes in the fourth quarters, chokes in the red zone, and probably chokes on many things we don’t even know about, haha.
What else do you guys want us to tell you about Orton, that he is good between the twenties, that he is good in practice, that he is good under no QB pressure, that he is good on early downs, that he is good in the first three quarters when the game is not on the line, that he is good when he is ahead by 20?
Yeah, he is good at many things, unfortunately none of what he is good at will ever amount to anything on a team like ours that is 4-12, the worse team in the league at stopping the run, one of the worse team in the league at running the footbal and I personally don’t have enough time in my life to wait for our team to have all the necessary strengths that Orton needs to succeed so they better ship him out however they chose and that’s my story, like it or not.
Ive said it before and ill say it again, ill rather suffer through a low record learning year for Tebow, than a mediocre Orton year. Tebow is a 1yr pro so its fine, Orton is a 7yr vet … we are going no where with him. If we want 8-8 seasons … then ortons the man … but we have been .500 for like the last 6 years and i am tired of mediocrity. And if Tebows not the guy, draft the possible guy next year … we are trying to get young and get a future. We are done decieving ourselves that we are not rebuilding … this is the time to set up for the future … not continue in mediocrity. Just saying. Im cool if Orton stays but I’d rather he didn’t. Just me tho. But I still believe a trade will be announced sometime today around midnight or in the early AM. TRB out..
has Irving signed?
Tell it like it is Broncos Country…it is what it is!!!!!!
and I Damn well don’t like it either!!!
ORTON-B-GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah all the Rookies are signed.
If Orton opens the season against the Raiders?
Get ready for BLACK SUNDAY II. The sequel…….. Pick-6 on first play of game…..
That Raider defense will eat Orton sandwiches for LUNCH on another sad Mile High day.
Or,,,,, We could put Tebow in and he could run for a TD while shedding defensive backs like Butter off of Hot Corn like he did in Oakland last year!!!!
thanks BFE
Ummmm…haha
I mean,,, BLACK MONDAY…… lol
My view of going Tebow over Orton may be a little different than most.
I think Tebow in his first year would struggle plenty with the end result being we might only win let’s say 4 or 5 games with him while with Orton we can probably win 5 or 6 games, most of them before Thanksgiving when he will get a case of noodle arm as usual.
So, why go Tebow then, because then we will know how he is progressing and whether we need to review the QB position in the 2012 draft, a draft loaded with good QB prospects.
Why not go Orton, because for whatever minimal gain we would get out of starting him this season it would not make any difference whatsoever about our chances of competing in this post season and we would learn absolutely nothing about our first round pick Tebow hence our hands would be tied come the 2012 draft as whether we should invest in a top QB or not.
It’s all about long term for me, like TRB says this is a rebuilding year and so will be next year I say, therefore we better start building this team from the ground up knowing exactly what we got for leader at QB. Going with Orton would be using the easy way out for Fox, putting maybe a couple more wins on his resume this season but achieving absolutely nothing for the long term health of this team.
Of all of this I am absolutely convinced, we must sacrifice short term gains for long term goals, there is no clearer concept in my head and if Fox takes the easy way out with Orton I will be mortified, honest, it’s just what it is, with where we have gotten ourselves to, the bottom of the league, only a strong vision and plan for the future that we must adhere to at all cost can give us a shot at getting out of this major slump for good.
I hope the Triumvirate has the wisdom necessary to undertake this great rebuilding process and however they go at it I wish them the best of luck, but it seems to me some ways of going at it are better than others and I happen to like mine, hopefully they do to, haha.
But I have it easy, all I addressed here is the QB situation, the good old Quarteback Quagmire, the Triumvirate has to deal with every single position like that so I still like my retirement and would not want to have half of their load on my shoulders, but they do make good money, and I don’t make any, so yeah, too much work for nothing, count me out! LOL.
You know what all the headlines are about Orton’s practice today, “Polished Orton”, look at the DP, that’s exactly what he is, a niecely polished piece of porcelain or something, when you think of it in football terms it sounds like a totally backhanded compliment, I bet Elway himself would of hated if anyone ever called him a polished QB, just a thought.
Your turn, I’m out.
Well bay you can polish a turd but it’s still a turd!
Thanks for the posts guys. I was venting. I just can’t stomach another year of Orton and his smirk. It will drive me crazy. It’s like Clevenland wasting all those years with Derek Anderson. I never liked Derek as a starter nor do I Orton. And if Orton starts and we go 8-8, then we are stuck with him another 2 years and the madness continues. Man I am very very scared.
From Miami Herald-Friday morning 6:40 a.m.
Miami Dolphins’ pursuit of QB Orton is at stalemate
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/29/2336011/dolphins-pursuit-of-qb-orton-is.html
News we DON’T want to read with morning cup of java.
Yea, I thought I posted the link. I saw that last night. Well all of them talk of Vince Young, who has already signed with Eagles. So both Broncos and Miami are stuck with each other … guess both teams will keep playing games. Sucks for them because they would need Orton in the building as soon as possible, he is a QB … he has stuff to learn. While if he ends up with us … he is already learning stuff. We also might just have to eat it, and trade him for nothing, which would suck, but time will tell. TRB out…
I agree with what most people are saying. So sick of Orton’s lack of mobility and his tendency to fail in the clutch. I was happy about the idea of getting a 2nd round pick for him (I think AZ screwed up by taking Kolb instead), but honestly I would rather the broncos just cut him and used that 8.9 mil more wisely to build for the future.
Besides, I got Tebow on my fantasy team. That’s not gonna work out to nicely if he isn’t starting, haha.
Reading all of these posts remind me of a few years ago when we had Shanahan as our head coach, all that was said was how he must go. He was washed up and we were never going to win with him. Along comes McDaniels. All I am saying is be careful what you wish for. Orton is not why we have been losing the past few years, at least not by himself! Far from it if you asked me! I would very much like to go into a year with 2 good quarterbacks because we all know what happens when injuries happen ( see runningback situation from last year) and who would you rather have if that happens? Orton/ Tebow? or Tebow/ Quinn?
genetic denim…
Hey this is a great post . Can I use a portion of it on my site ? I would obviously link back to your page so people could view the complete post if they wanted to. Thanks either way….
diete rapide…
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