Minicamp Underway
The final Broncos camp until training camp got underway on Friday under overcast skies and cooler temperatures. As the session wore on, more and more playmakers entered the fray in an action-packed practice.
LINEUP
The rest of the defensive lineup featured Justin Bannan, Jamal Williams and Ryan McBean on the line and Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill at safety.
Larsen and Royal Ruled Out
At his Friday afternoon press conference, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said Spencer Larsen (hamstring) and Eddie Royal (neck/head) have been ruled out of Sunday’s Week 16 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Larsen and Royal’s absences, a host of other players will get some additional chances. McDaniels said Peyton Hillis will serve as the team’s primary fullback, while several other receivers could be called on to fill Royal’s void.
One of those individuals is rookie Kenny McKinley, who’s made an early dent in the kicking game. The South Carolina product has appeared in six games this season, with six kickoff returns for 136 yards and three punt returns for 37 yards.
Broncos Finish Strong in Fan Voting
Fan voting for the 2010 Pro Bowl came to a close on Monday night, and four Broncos ranked in the top five at their respective positions on the final fan ballot.
Leading the way was Champ Bailey, who finished tops amongst AFC cornerbacks with 443,018 votes. The next highest cornerback, Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, had 287,135 votes to his name.
Meanwhile, Bailey’s secondary counterpart, Brian Dawkins (215,199 votes), finished second among AFC strong safeties, only trailing Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu in that category. Rounding things out for the defense was Elvis Dumervil, who ranked in second behind Pittsburgh’s James Harrison at outside linebacker with 273,543 fan votes.
As for special teams, Eddie Royal (117,313 votes) ranked in third amongst kick returners, only behind Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs and San Diego’s Darren Sproles.
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Pro Bowl Voting Update No. 2
With just three weeks of fan voting remaining, the Broncos currently have four players in the top five at their respective positions for the AFC squad at the 2010 Pro Bowl.
Of those four players, one is tops at his position, two are in second and one is in third.
Champ Bailey remains the highest vote-getter among cornerbacks in the AFC. His teammate in the secondary, Brian Dawkins, is No. 2 at the strong safety position behind Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu. Elvis Dumervil is second at outside linebacker behind a Steelers player, as well — James Harrison. Eddie Royal rounds out the current list of Broncos in contention for the Pro Bowl, currently third at kick returner behind San Diego’s Darren Sproles and Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs.
The last time the NFL sent out a Pro Bowl voting update, Ryan Clady, Matt Prater and D.J. Williams were fifth at their respective positions. They are not listed this time around — so that simply means Broncos fans should use the next few weeks to continue to vote in their favorite players. Remember, there is no limit to the number of times fans can submit a ballot.
Balloting for the 2010 Pro Bowl will conclude on Monday, December 21 following the conclusion of Monday Night Football. The teams will be announced at 2 p.m. MST Tuesday, Dec. 29 on a special NFL Total Access 2010 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Pro Bowl Voting Update
Yesterday we told you Champ Bailey is the only Bronco leading his position group in Pro Bowl voting for the AFC squad.
Well now we know that six more Broncos are in the top five in their position group.
As you know, Bailey is the No. 1 cornerback. Brian Dawkins is the No. 2 strong safety, behind Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu, and Elvis Dumervil is the No. 2 outside linebacker, behind Pittsburgh’s James Harrison.
Eddie Royal is the No. 3 kick returner, behind San Diego’s Darren Sproles and Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs.
Ryan Clady is the No. 5 tackle, behind Miami’s Jake Long, New England’s Matt Light, Pittsburgh’s Max Starks and Indianapolis’ Ryan Diem. D.J. Williams is the No. 5 inside linebacker, behind Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, Pittsburgh’s James Farrior, New York’s Bart Scott, and New England’s Jerod Mayo. And Matt Prater is the No. 5 kicker, behind Indianapolis’ Adam Vinatieri, New England’s Stephen Gostkowski, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Reed and San Diego’s Nate Kaeding.
Royal’s Special Night Earns Special Honor
A pair of special teams touchdowns against San Diego has granted Eddie Royal his first career special teams honor.
Royal will be named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the Broncos learned on Tuesday, for his Week 6 performance in a 34-23 victory over the Chargers. His 235 total return yards set a franchise record.
The majority of those 235 yards came via that pair of blistering runs on the Chargers’ coverage teams. Royal became the second Bronco and 11th player in NFL history to record a kickoff return for a touchdown (93 yds. in first quarter) and a punt return for a touchdown (71 yds. in second quarter) in the same game. He is the sixth player to accomplish that feat since the 1970 NFL merger.
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Stepping Back In Time
They had seen pictures. They had heard a variety of different reviews.
On Friday, the Broncos got a first look at themselves in their 1960 retro uniforms.
Head Coach Josh McDaniels had the players practice in the new colors, getting them accustomed to the threads before Sunday’s Legacy Game against the Patriots. The full ensemble included the yellow jerseys, vertically striped yellow and brown socks, brown pants a brown helmet with numbers instead of a logo.
Ronald Fields was one of the first Broncos to try on the new look and his reactions were mixed.
“I don’t even know what to think anymore,” Fields laughed. “I thought our colors were blue, man. What’s up with this brown?”
Looking at the vertically striped socks, Matt Prater said the uniforms would add something fun to Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
“They’re pretty flashy,” Prater said of the socks. “I feel like a bumble bee in them but it’s different and it shouldn’t affect the game too much. You just play the game the same way and look a little different this time.”
Day 3: A.M. Blog
The Broncos were back with the early sun, completing the first half of their second two-a-day stint of training camp. Here are some quick hits from the morning session.
ROLL CALL: Carted off the field during Saturday’s practice, Nic Clemons missed the session.
“Nic probably won’t be out here for the next couple of days, but nothing serious, and hopefully he’ll be back here soon,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said.
Royal on ESPN First TakeEddie Royal appeared on ESPN First Take this morning, and the second-year wideout spoke about his enthusiasm for the 2009 campaign.
Royal talked with host Jay Crawford about Head Coach Josh McDaniels’ offensive system, how the club jelled through organized team activities and how he hopes to connect with Broncos Country this year. Enjoy the video.
A ‘Dangerous’ GameIt has been well advertised that the Broncos have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills are the team to beat, and at 6-8, losers of three-in-a-row, some people might think Sunday is a foregone conclusion.
But Brandon Marshall says not so fast. Just because the Bills are eliminated from the playoffs doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to come into INVESCO and get a win.
“If a team is not in the playoffs, they want to take somebody home with them,” Marshall said. “It is not easy. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, you are going up against a team that is 6-8,’ but those teams are the ones you don’t want to see at the end of the season when you need a win. They are dangerous.”
But at the same time, Denver has won four of its last six, and with the No. 2 offense in the league, not many people want to see the Broncos come the end of the year, either.
“We are dangerous on the offensive side of the ball and we play with confidence,” Marshall said. “If we limit our mistakes against Buffalo, we can be dangerous on Sunday.”