Why Ty Sambrailo Has Everything to Prove in Denver Broncos Training Camp

The Denver Broncos kick off training camp at Dove Valley Friday afternoon, and there’s much to be learned during the next few weeks. During the rigors of training camp, the team will be forged into the unit that is hopefully going to make a push for the Super Bowl in 2015.

Many things are different from last year to this year. The team has undergone major upheaval on the roster—and in the coaching staff—this offseason. Some changes happened because the Broncos couldn’t afford to keep high-priced free agents. Some changes happened because injuries have already been a major factor for the team this offseason.

The biggest injury this offseason was that of Ryan Clady. He went down during OTAs earlier this year, and the Broncos were sent scrambling to find a new starting left tackle.

They didn’t have to look very far to peg rookie Ty Sambrailo as that guy.

The Broncos acquired Sambrailo in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft, and it was initially thought he could compete for the starting right tackle as a rookie. That all changed after the Clady injury. Now, Sambrailo has much more pressure on him as the starter at left tackle entering training camp.

Sambrailo has everything to prove in Broncos training camp. In this article, we’ll examine what the future could hold for the rookie in 2015.

Zone Blocking

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Sambrailo played mostly left tackle during his time at Colorado State, and he played in a zone-blocking system. He understands the responsibility of protecting the passer, and Sambrailo already knows the footwork required in this scheme.

The rookie acknowledged the fact that he has an easier transition because of the familiarity with the scheme.

“Yeah, this is a very similar scheme to what I ran in college, as well, so the transition's been pretty smooth. [There are] a lot of the same schemes, just different verbiage.” Sambrailo exclaimed, “It's been a pretty easy, quick transition mentally.”

The verbiage is probably the most difficult thing for him to get used to.

“It's just making sure when I hear something, I think of it in Denver Broncos terms and not CSU [Colorado State University] Rams terms," he said. "It's just getting that transition down quickly, and I think I've been able to do that through OTAs.”

Sambrailo is ahead of the curve because of his experience in college. This will help him as he prepares to prove himself in training camp as the Broncos starter at left tackle.

Level of Competition

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One of the knocks on Sambrailo coming out of college was the lack of quality competition he faced in the Mountain West Conference. The best pass-rushers don’t play in that conference, so Sambrailo was never truly tested by elite defenders. The Rams played one real powerhouse over the last two seasons (Alabama, 2013), and Sambrailo did a good job in that game.

The rookie needs to prove that he can handle himself against elite-level defenders. Good thing he’ll get a trial by fire in training camp.

Sambrailo is going to face tough competition every day from two of the best pass-rushers in the game. Linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware should give Sambrailo everything he can handle in practice. The young left tackle has learned a lot from the pass-rushing duo.

“I think both are obviously great players and they're great teachers as well. They've helped me kind of correct some mistakes and kind of go through their thought process on why they do what they do, when they key stuff or they see areas and try to take advantage—just stuff I can work on like that.” Sambrailo summarized, “It helps to talk to a couple good guys like that.”

We should have a pretty good idea of where Sambrailo’s skill set is at by the end of training camp. Sambrailo won’t see better pass-rushers in his rookie season than Miller and Ware, and the training against them in August should help immensely all year long.

The Responsibility

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Playing left tackle in the NFL might be one of the most difficult positions to excel at in all of sports. That position is made even more difficult when the quarterback you must protect is 39-year-old Peyton Manning.

The Super Bowl hopes for this team rely on Manning’s health. As we saw last season, when Manning gets banged up, the team doesn’t play as well.

Manning has been supportive of his rookie blindside protector this offseason.

“He's been good and a good guy to talk to. Obviously, you don't want to upset him at all," Sambrailo said. "I’m just trying to do everything right all the time and he's been good kind of helping me, asking me on protections what I was doing and what I was looking at, stuff like that.”

One thing that helps Sambrailo immensely is the fact that Manning gets rid of the ball so quickly. Even in a new offense, Manning will still make quick decisions with the football and find his targets before the pass rush gets to him.

Last year, Manning had the lowest time before pass (2.22 seconds) and time in the pocket (2.13 seconds) of every starting quarterback in the NFL. That’s not going to change all of a sudden just because Manning is playing in a new offense.

Summary

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Things have been accelerated for Sambrailo this season, but at least he’s had most of offseason workouts to get ready for the challenges presented by playing left tackle in the pros.

Head coach Gary Kubiak has praised Sambrailo for his work this offseason.

“If anything, with [T] Ryan [Clady] getting injured and it happening so early, I think it has been beneficial to Ty because when he gets through with next week he’s almost been through a training camp other than hitting,” he said.

Kubiak continued, “Mentally—those types of things—he’s practically been through a training camp. So, it won’t be his first rodeo come August. But, we’ve been very impressed with how he’s worked and we know we’re asking a lot of him and it’s our job as coaches to make sure that we keep him taking the right steps, keep him comfortable.”

Sambrailo seems to have a good mindset as he enters training camp.

“I'm just taking this whole thing one day at a time. I don't think I can look ahead right now and say, 'This is going to be the best season anyone's ever seen,’ or anything like that. I'm just going to kind of take it one step at a time.” Sambrailo emphasized, “I always try to be the greatest I can be, and I'm going to go out and do that.”

The Broncos are in a Super Bowl window so long as Manning is upright and healthy. Sambrailo will be one of the players charged with keeping him well-protected during the 2015 season.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.