Last year, Mike Bell was the darling of training camp. He rose from the ranks of the undrafted to the first team in the first week and a half of training camp — and did so in the warm embrace of his hometown, in the colors of the team for which he grew up cheering. He didn’t end up starting through his rookie year, but he nevertheless led the club in rushing touchdowns. His first year, was, by all measures, a rousing success.

Yet the offseason saw the tenor of his position change, with Travis Henry signed from the Tennessee Titans and Cecil Sapp moved from fullback.

Throughout camp, Bell has lined up third in the tailback line behind Henry and Sapp, yet he remains unworried.

“When we came back, that’s how it was,” Bell said. “No ifs, ands or buts about it. You’ve got to trust the coach’s decision, and the only thing you can do is just play.

“Cecil’s a good back. They put him there because they think he can get the job done. But I don’t worry about that; the only thing I can worry about is to try to get better.”

His coach thinks he’s doing just that.

“Mike is running better than he was a year ago,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “He is a making better decisions, and he is a little bit more under control. He is using his instincts. Sometimes, Mike gets a little bit too excited and slips while trying to make a cut. Things like that usually come with confidence.”

While the first few days haven’t been to Bell’s liking, he knows how quickly matters can change, having seen that in 2006.

“Like Coach (Shanahan) said, ‘There’s nothing set in stone,’” Bell said. “I’m not too concerned about the depth chart. I’m just going out there and working hard every day. I’m not really worried about my circumstance right now.”

NOTES FROM THE MORNING:

ATTENDANCE REPORT: Ian Gold and Domenik Hixon returned to practice after sitting out Tuesday with back spasms and a first-degree shoulder separation, respectively. Hixon’s return proved particularly impressive. “When guys get hurt, it really hurts their chances of making the team,” Shanahan said. “For a guy like Domenik to come in after a first-degree shoulder separation is pretty impressive. He worked through it, and that is what you are hoping a guy is going to do.” … A hamstring injury kept wide receiver Marquay McDaniel sidelined … Kenard Lang and Chad Mustard also sat out the session … Glenn Martinez hit the sidelines late in practice after appearing to strain a leg muscle while sprinting downfield on a route.

POINTS OF EMPHASIS: The team worked for part of one of the practice periods on last-minute field-goal scenarios — specifically running a play, getting the offense off the field and the field-goal team onto it in 25 seconds with the clock churning … More two-minute drill work took place midway through the practice. The second-team offense went backwards on its drive against the No. 1 defense, finding itself in fourth-and-20 without gaining a first down before bowing out after a completion that didn’t come close to the necessary yardage. The first-team offense fared better although its drive was unsuccessful; it drove to the defense’s 38-yard-line before bowing out on downs after a Jay Cutler pass to Hixon — who was in double coverage — was swatted away by cornerback Kevin House.

WHO’S WHERE? Nate Webster worked with the first team at strongside linebacker … Jimmy Kennedy saw some time with the first-team defensive line, working alongside Gerard Warren and ends John Engelberger and Ebenezer Ekuban … Ekuban continued to handle first-team dime-package duties at tackle, joined by Warren and ends Jarvis Moss and Elvis Dumervil … The second-team dime package included ends Kenny Peterson and Tim Crowder, tackles Amon Gordon and Marcus Thomas and linebacker D.D. Lewis.

STANDOUT PLAYS: Javon Walker made two deep receptions during seven-on-seven action. Cutler nearly found Walker on a deep pass during team drills after Walker used a double move to freeze Karl Paymah, but Hamza Abdullah caught up to Walker while the ball was in flight, and had a chance for an interception, but dropped it … Webster knocked Bell off his feet early in practice, sending the crowd into a frenzy … Andre Hall drew cheers by taking a dump-off pass from Preston Parsons and scooting from left to right across the field while barely being touched … Cutler fooled the entire defense on a bootleg in team drills, using the open space to connect with a wide-open Cecil Sapp up the right side of the field … Curome Cox, Gerard Warren and Quentin Harris both barely missed interceptions in team drills, but Champ Bailey came through with a pick, jumping on a pass to Brian Clark and taking it all the way.

ONE ON ONES: A case of the bobbles plagued some wide receivers, as the cornerbacks generally got the better of things in their practice-time duels Wednesday morning … Domenik Hixon had a football hit his chest and skip away with Domonique Foxworth in the area, but recovered with some nice grabs on his routes that followed, including a deep pass up the left sideline past Kevin House… David Terrell managed to hang on to a pass on a crossing route even though Bill Alford gamely attempted to strip the football loose, but could not catch a pass across the middle when he had two steps on his defender following a nice fake. “You worked too hard to do that, David,” counseled wide receivers coach Jeremy Bates. Terrell caught the next ball thrown his way … Alford intercepted a pass … Glenn Martinez used some contact to separate from Bly and catch a pass near the left sideline … David Kircus couldn’t quite haul in a pass up the left sideline, but did beat Bly for a reception after using contact to gain separation.

RANDOM TIDBITS: Jim Bates continues to exhort his defense. “Last two periods — let’s not be cakewalking!” he exclaimed as the Broncos went back into team work following a seven-on-seven period … Jason Elam hit the right upright twice during his field-goal attempts from 40 yards and beyond … Through seven practice sessions, camp attendance is up 37.1 percent over last year, with 8,756 fans taking in training camp so far this year … Nate Jackson’s blue practice shorts momentarily dropped after he lunged and tumbled for a pass that was too high … D.J. Williams called Darrell Hackney to the front of the calisthentics line to lead the breakdown, but the first-year quarterback received lukewarm applause and a smattering of boos for singing “Just a Friend.” C’mon, guys … how can you boo a guy doing Biz Markie? Not that I could do any better — I’d probably start doing William Shatner-style spoken word renditions of 80s songs. (Shatner = Canada’s greatest living actor.)

Snapshot time:









More coming later this afternoon … until then, vaya con Dios.

Tags: Training Camp

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