This was about as much athleticism as the Broncos would display on Tuesday morning, as Head Coach Mike Shanahan called his team together after pre-practice stretching, said a few words and then dismissed them for the day.
“We stretched well,” he said.
Most players couldn’t leave the field quickly enough, sprinting as though there was a loose football sitting in the end zone, waiting for someone to claim it for a touchdown.
“Everybody was amped up,” running back Travis Henry said. “I thought he was going to talk about the wind because it was really windy yesterday and we kind of lost focus in some areas. It was a surprise.
“He gave us a bone, and we’re going to take care of our responsibility, enjoy this time off and come back in July (for minicamp).”
So there’s not much in the way of notes from the day. Wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Glenn Martinez, Rod Smith and Brandon Stokley were all out of uniform, continuing their rehabilitation. Today, it was Martinez’s turn to be tethered to the goalpost for some conditioning work; on Wednesday, it was Brandon Marshall who went through that session after practice concluded.
And just as Shanahan shook up the schedule by calling off practice, some players threw a curveball to onlookers by switching jersey numbers:
A slew of other Broncos changed jerseys a group that included including safety/linebacker Steve Cargile (from No. 38 to No. 97), linebacker Ian Gold (from No. 52 to No. 91), linebacker D.J. Williams (from No. 55 to No. 60) and defensive tackle Demetrin Veal (from No. 97 to No. 38), among others.
And here’s a few more photos from the short session:
It felt like the last day of school here at Dove Valley, and in a way, it is, although the players will continue in offseason conditioning for the next few weeks. For the coaches, the end of OTAs commences their longest respite of the year. And for your humble blogger, the close of this practice means vacation is in sight … but still a few days away. I’ve got plenty of stories to write and Broncos TV pieces to edit over the next few days, so we can keep bringing you something new each weekday, even while I’m away.
Back with more over the next few days … until then, vaya con dios.
(Oh, by the way … my long-lasting respect to anyone who in the comments section can identify which cartoon character said “unfettered hurly-burly” and under what circumstance he or she said it.)
The sun has gone to bed, and the teams are beginning to trickle through the tunnels at the south end of the stadium for pre-game warmups.
Quincy Morgan has a vague idea what the Browns might try and do on offense. But that understanding doesn’t come from his three seasons with the Browns; rather, it originates with the 2004 season in Dallas, where current Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon was in his second year on Bill Parcells’ staff.
We won’t know until Sunday night whether Quincy Morgan will handle kickoff returns; Head Coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday that the answer to that question would be revealed after kickoff against New Orleans.