Our series of interviews during the recently-completed organized team activities continues. This time, we bring you a conversation that new defensive back Tracy Porter (TP) had with the Broncos’ flagship radio station, 850 KOA in Denver.

850 KOA: During the offseason, there has been some conversation about the Broncos’ struggles against spread offenses last year. The Broncos set about to specifically add some defensive backs and you and Drayton Florence were at the top of that list. How do you see the secondary coming together?

TP: We’re definitely starting to gel. We have a lot of experience back there with Champ, Drayton and myself. We have Chris Harris who was here last year, a number of guys on that back end. We’re starting to develop that chemistry. We had quite a few good practices. We got our hands on passes; we knocked balls down; we intercepted multiple balls. That can only be big for us during the upcoming season.

850 KOA: Peyton might not like to hear that you guys intercepted a number of passes.

TP: (chuckling) I don’t know any quarterback that wants to hear the fact they’ve been intercepted a few times but that just goes to the fact that we (DBs) really hone in on our craft. We want to push this team to get better as much as we can. By causing havoc on our offense, that’s only going to make those guys get better. We push each other back and forth.

850 KOA: When a guy has the chance to sit down and decide where he is going to go play, what struck you about the Broncos and how did the whole free agent process work?

TP: First and foremost, every guy wants to take care of his family but aside from that, just being put in a position where you feel like you can be successful. Every player knows what situation to put himself in to become successful. Coming here, I had an opportunity to play. I had an opportunity to learn from one of, if not the best, corners in the game in Champ (Bailey). Being under his wing, his mentoring me, that was another thing that drew me to come here to Denver. Aside from that, the defense was one or two plays away from winning games and getting to the championship. (They needed) a piece here and a piece there to get those guys there (to the championship). We have a quarterback in Peyton and that speaks for itself what he is going to do for the offense. The few pieces that we put together on defense with what they’ve already had with Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller make it better for a secondary guy.

850 KOA: New Orleans is as low as you can get in terms of elevation. Denver is as high as you can go, at least in the NFL. What kind of adjustment was it for you physically when you first got here?

TP: It was a bit of an adjustment basically coming from ground zero to mile high air. That’s a big difference. I felt like I was 350 pounds the first couple times I ran. I’m slowly becoming adjusted to the climate, adjusted to the altitude and I can only continue to adjust. You can run back and forth as much as you want but you won’t get that real test until you’re out there in pads and you’re doing football movements.

850 KOA: Realistically, how good do you expect this defense to be or is it too early to tell?

TP: I don’t think it’s too early at all. The way they finished last year, the way they played, you can only continue to go up. We got the necessary pieces. Guys are flying around. Though it’s just OTAs, I think it’s a great start and a great level to determine where we’ll be. We’re getting our hands on the ball. We’re intercepting passes. This is against the (first-team) offense. Things are definitely looking bright for us. We just have to continue to build on where we’re at in OTAs and mini-camp.

How much improvement do you expect out of the Broncos’ defense this year?

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Mike

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