Just Another Day At Broncos Training Camp

It was a hot one at training camp this morning. I had beads of sweat on my arms 45 minutes into practice, and I wasn’t even wearing pads. I can only imagine how miserable the Broncos felt. During this 4th day of camp, I could tell that two-a-days have started to wear some out. There wasn’t as much enthusiasm as say the first day, which is to be expected, but the leaders of this team have got to stay on top of keeping everybody (especially the rookies) fired up. Brandon Marshall didn’t participate in this morning’s practice, nor did Brian Dawkins, Jarvis Moss, Correll Buckhalter or Brandon Stokley. I have a feeling McDaniels is resting some of his vets, and will probably allow them to practice just once per day.

The team usually begins practice by working on some individual skills even before team warm-ups. QB’s will take snaps and work on their drop backs while special teams will line up and work on blocking during punts. Then after practice is over, people work on individuals skills again. This is something that Mike Shanahan didn’t really plan on too much in practice. It’s good to see McD honoring the fundamentals of the game.

After individual skills, the team will do plyometrics and then stretch. Dove Valley blasts music from its sound speakers during this period. I was told that today, Peyton Hillis (an Arkansas boy) picked all the music. His country selection irked some of his teammates like Jabar Gaffney and Kyle Orton who were giving Hillis (#22) a hard time in the stretching line. Here’s a short clip:

Speaking of Hillis, the guy impresses me every time I see him play. Like I’ve said before, he’s going to hurt some defenses (mentally and physically). Here’s another brief video of a Hillis designed play:

Comparing this year’s practices to last year’s practices, I can tell you that guys are more focused. They have to be if they want to learn McD’s complicated system. Practices always run over the scheduled ending time, and they are hard hitting and very physical. Today, the backfield lined up to go one-on-one with the linebackers. While it looks like the linebackers got worked in this clip, you have to remember that they weren’t allowed to tackle in this drill. Despite that fact, Nick Greisen had to be carried off the field in a cart. It looked like a knee injury to me.

Some other notable observations from this morning’s practice:

– Brett Kern was punting the ball much better today.

– There were two guys on special teams that the coaches were constantly talking to. Josh Barrett and Matt Willis. Willis actually had a very nice play punching the ball out of the endzone on a punt.

– Tony Scheffler lined up wide left as a receiver in one offensive play. One thing is certain: We are going to have a very exciting offense that will keep opposing defenses on their heels.

– Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers need to sign NOW! They’re missing too much.

– A helicopter (local news?) circled the practice field today, and more than one fan mentioned Bill Belichick’s name. Ouch!

If you live in the area, try to get out to training camp. It’s very fan friendly, and you will get to see some things that the media may miss. Get to know your team better!