The Denver Broncos opened up training camp with record attendance and a lot of excitement (Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE).

At the first day of training camp on Thursday, there was a discernible energy floating around Dove Valley.  Perhaps it was the record 4,372 fans who endured the July heat to get their first glance of offseason acquisition bombshell Peyton Manning.  Perhaps it was the reciprocal show of enthusiasm from the players – at one point new Bronco Andre Caldwell badly beat bubble player Tony Carter during one-on-one passing drill and proceeded to linger in the endzone, hamming up the first unofficial touchdown of the season.  Perhaps the magic of last year has renewed fans’ passion for their Denver Broncos.  Whatever the reason, football is back and the Denver Broncos are ready to defend their AFC West title.

In case you weren’t able to make it to the team facility to get your fix, here are a couple of quick notes from the first day of Training Camp 2012:

Tempo: Despite the heat, that aforementioned energy led to a great tempo during practice.  Players were moving so seamlessly in and out of drills that the session ended six minutes early.  Coach John Fox mentioned that practices are based on a preset to-do list, not necessarily an end time.

Quarterbacks: Manning was just as advertised.  He was fast-paced and he was accurate.  It is, of course, way too early to judge his overall health and rust factor, but today was an excellent foundation.  Many of today’s passes were short to intermediate, so it’s tough to tell who of Caleb Hannie, Brock Osweiler, and Adam Weber will challenge for the backup role.

Injuries: Receiver Brandon Stokley did not attend practice with flu-like symptoms.  Knowshon Moreno and Chris Kuper are the two most notables coming off substantial injuries; both practiced on a limited based, but their mere presence this early in the season is an encouraging sign.

Weakside Linebacker: D.J. Williams is the kind of player you want on your football team.  He been the team leader in tackles since 2009 and a former defensive captain.  There is no doubt that the Broncos’ defense is better with him on the field.  The only variable is whether his antics will preclude him from being there.  Williams will serve a six-game suspension to start the season for the use of performance enhancing substances.  Fox wasted no time in prepping Jack Del Rio‘s defense for this upheaval and put Wesley Woodyard on the first-team defense.  Williams wasn’t really even involved with the second-team defense, often getting his conditioning work in by mimicking plays.

Return Game: With Eric Page‘s torn ACL resulting in him being waived from the team, Tracy Porter, Drayton Florence, Syd’Quan Thompson, and Eric Decker took repetitions returning punts.  Don’t be surprised to see one of the litany of cornerbacks on the Broncos’ roster stick around specifically to handle returns.

Here are a couple pictures from today’s practice:

Quarterbacks Caleb Hanie (16), Adam Weber (2), Peyon Manning (18), and Brock Osweiler prepare for a drill. prepare for drills.

Peyton Manning scrambles in a quarterback drill.

Demaryius Thomas finishes up a route.

Greg Orton lays out for a sensational touchdown catch.

Friday’s practice is open to the public and will run from 2:20-5:00pm at Dove Valley.

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Denver Broncos cornerbacks Syd'Quan Thompson and Joshua Moore are part of a very deep secondary for the Broncos (Ron Chenoy - US PRESSWIRE)

It’s easy to forget how incredibly dichotomous the Denver Broncos were in 2011.  At times they looked (and probably were) simply unbeatable.  Other times the team was left exposed, giving up big play after big play.  Pinning the inconsistencies on the quarterback situation is the simple explanation, of course.  A peek at the roster, however, reveals the problem was in the depth chart.

Last year the Broncos were shredded when the defense lined up in the nickle formation.  When emotional leader Brian Dawkins was out with injury, the safeties struggled to make critical tackles.  At one point early during the season, the team was so depleted at wide receiver that Tim Tebow ran routes on a handful of plays.  Fullback?  Just have a tight end fill in.  Tight ends?  Didn’t really utilize them anyway.

2012 is shaping up quite differently and fans can look at cornerback for a model of what the Broncos are trying to do.  Champ Bailey, Tracy Porter, Drayton Florence, Chris Harris, Syd’Quan Thompson, and Omar Bolden are all players who could make substantial impact on any team.  The Broncos’ only real problem is going to be deciding which of these players sees the field…minus Bailey, obviously.

The running backs benefited greatly from the option offense last year, but one flaw was that when Willis McGahee was dinged up, there wasn’t really a proven alternate.  Lance Ball did a decent job as a sidekick when Knowshon Moreno tore his ACL.  Both will return this year looking to compete, likely as the third down back.  Jeremiah Johnson and Mario Fannin (who could be a very pleasant surprise after spending last year on injured reserve) also return with the addition of third-round pick Ronnie Hillman.

Ask anyone what the Broncos’ Achillies’ heel has been over the past few years and almost universally the answer is, “defensive tackle.”  When the Broncos can’t dominate at the line of scrimmage, opposing teams run wild and their quarterbacks have easy looks to receivers.  No doubt that the revolving door at defensive coordinator hasn’t helped, but the presence of a players’ coach in Jack Del Rio should help matters.  So should the return of injured veterans Ty Warren and Kevin Vickerson, along with the second tour of duty for Justin Bannan.  They’ll be joined by second-round draft pick Derek Wolfe who is expected to have the kind of motor and presence that the Broncos have struggled to find from an interior lineman.  Barring an injury, this squad could be the one to erase the recent history of defensive tackles in Denver.

Of course, Peyton Manning was the Crown Jewel of the free agent signings this offseason.  Along the way, the Broncos have also been able to develop a depth chart that shows improvement to the previously mentioned positions as well as to the offensive line, tight ends, and receiving corps.

Perhaps this is the new NFL trend: build a depth chart that is virtually bottomless, draft well, grab a few stars along the way, and win tough games.  It worked out well for the 2011 New York Giants.  The Broncos will look to model that formula in 2012.

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had plenty to do with the new rules for 2012 with his thrilling overtime catch during the 2011 Wild Card Playoffs (Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE).

Each year the NFL Competition Committee meets to evaluate and propose changes to the game.  From year to year these changes can range from the sensible (the addition of the 2-point conversion in 1994) to the downright absurd (using a prop for an endzone celebration is delightfully egotistical, highly entertaining, and generally hilarious – not a punishable offense).

For the upcoming 2012 season, two new rules were just added to the books:

Injured reserve: teams can now allow one injured player each season to return to practice after six weeks, and be added to their roster after eight.  With the value of a single roster spot never higher and the continued effort to monitor player safety, this allows teams to balance substantial injuries with the weight of pricey contracts and the needs of the depth chart.

For the Denver Broncos, this rule certainly would have been a welcomed amendment for the past two seasons.  In 2010, Elvis Dumervil tore a pectoral muscle in training camp and in 2011, freshly inked veteran Ty Warren suffered torn triceps also in training camp.  Both injuries needed months to heal, but Dumervil and Warren would have likely been available for December games.

The new rule will allow teams the flexibility to make tough injured reserve calls knowing that a player might still contribute in the case of training camp injuries or if the prognosis is better than expected.

Trade deadline: If you’re a baseball fan, you already know that July 31 is one of the most exciting days of the summer.  Teams will be involved in transactions ranging from picking up a front of the rotation starter to conducting an all-out firesale.  For football fans, there is a lot to cheer about.  Typically the trade deadline hasn’t been one of those things.

Previously the deadline was at Week 6, or the baseball equivalent to June 8, which is way too early to know about playoff run needs.  The move to mid-season to allow for player trades will motivate buyers to buy and sellers to sell, which will only increase excitement for the fanbase of those teams.  Imagine for a moment the football equivalent of the deadline deals for CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixiera, and Cliff Lee.  Yep.  This is a great move on the part of the NFL.

One rule ratified won’t take effect until 2013, but should have an interesting effect on the speed of the game. The committee voted to make the unpopular knee and thigh pads mandatory for all players.  Pads, especially for “performance players” have gotten smaller and smaller, and in the case of knee and thigh pads largely non-existent.  A look back to just 25 years ago shows wide receivers in monstrous shoulder pads looking like they’re moving in slow motion in comparison to today’s game.  It makes sense: minimize the shoulder pads, ditch anything foamy from the waist down, and it’s no wonder that the game has sped up to the level it has.

Other rule changes for 2012 include:

Overtime: The playoff format becomes the standard with each team getting a possession barring a touchdown on the first drive.  Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas say, “you’re welcome,” whilst Donovan McNabb rejoices.

Instant replay: The booth can now initiate a review on plays involving a turnover in the same way it can on scoring plays.

Illegal kicking: Teams will now lose a down for illegally kicking a ball in play in addition to the 10-yard penalty.  We see you, Mat McBriar.

12-men-on-the-field: Changes from a live-ball foul to a dead-ball foul.  This is a reaction to Super Bowl XLVI when the Giants had an extra defender on the field while the Patriots were driving late in the fourth quarter.

Crack-back block: Anyone subject to a crack-back block is now added to the list of “defenseless players.”

Uniforms: Nameplates can now include generational suffixes such as “Jr.” and “III.”  Robert Griffin III rejoices.

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