Denver Broncos: What We've Learned Through Week 1 of Training Camp
The Denver Broncos have been in training camp for one week at UC Health Training Center. It’s still early, but things are starting to take shape for the 2015 version of the Broncos.
Players are on the rise, and players are getting hurt or seeing their stock fall in this short period of time. The Broncos are working diligently to determine which 53 players will make the final roster.
Head coach Gary Kubiak likes what he’s seen on the practice field.
“We made some big plays on offense today and we made big plays on defense. I think toward the end of practice, defensively we really picked it up. Hopefully it's going back and forth all the time. I like the fact we're making some big plays off the run game on the offensive side of the ball now. It's starting to look the same. We work well.” Kubiak concluded, “I thought we got some good things done.”
Here’s what we’ve learned through one week of training camp.
Peyton Manning and Gary Kubiak Mesh Well
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A big question entering training camp was about the melding of two different styles. Gary Kubiak is known for running a more conservative offense, which asks his quarterback to operate primarily from under center. Peyton Manning is known for slinging the rock all over the field and attacking defenses from the shotgun formation. So how would these two work together with such varying styles?
So far in training camp, the pair are showing they can work well together.
Manning has been working from under center more than he has in years. The veteran quarterback still has one of the best play-fakes in the league, and he can dupe the defense into biting on the run before turning to throw.
Many passes have been thrown underneath to crossing receivers like Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders or Owen Daniels.
Thomas knows he’ll be featured as one of Manning’s favorite targets. He said:
“He's smiling. I feel like he's good. I don't know with the arm strength because I know I haven't caught a lot. I don't know if you all are going to believe what I say, but I think it's a little more zip on it. I don't know how he can do that. He's an older guy—one of the oldest guys on the team—but I feel like every year around this time, there's almost more zip on his ball. You can notice it. He threw a couple posts today, probably 50, 60 yards, and I'm like, 'Whoa.' It's making me excited.”
On Thursday, Manning came out firing deep passes all over the field. He was throwing accurately at long distances, and his passes seemed to take the defense by surprise.
There should be no questions now about how Kubiak and Manning will work together. It looks like it will be a fantastic combination.
Anderson Clearly in the Lead
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The Broncos have to find the best starter at running back. C.J. Anderson entered training camp as the starter, but there was a question about how strong his hold would be on the top spot. Montee Ball is healthy and determined to get his job back, and some believed this competition would be close.
Right now, Anderson is clearly in the lead. He’s getting most of the work with the first-team offense, and Anderson is showcasing his talent in the zone-blocking system. He’s also looking great as a receiver out of the backfield, and he could be the best pass-blocking back the team has on the roster.
Anderson feels good about this system.
“I'm super comfortable. We're going to do what we do best, whether that's running the ball or putting the ball in the air. [We] just continue to keep repping, keep repping, keep repping and keep repping because of muscle memory.” Anderson joked, “You could probably put a blindfold on and make the right cut.”
Ball is still going to push Anderson, but he’s not as close to the starting job as some would have thought he’d be.
Jordan Norwood Is Back
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After it looked like he was going to make the team a year ago, Jordan Norwood went down with a knee injury that ended his season. The veteran receiver spent 2014 on injured reserve and waited for his chance to get back on the field and prove himself.
Knee injuries aren’t quite as devastating as they used to be, and Norwood is proving that he’s near full strength.
He’s back in action with the Broncos, and Norwood isn’t wasting any time. Norwood is making difficult catches on the field as a receiver. He’ll go all out to make the catch, and this includes leaping high to snare a pass or scooping low to the ground to secure the ball.
In addition to his ability as a receiver, Norwood is arguably the team’s best return man. He quickly gets to top speed after fielding the kick, and Norwood has agility in the open field where he can make defenders miss.
Norwood just wants to contribute in any way possible.
"I would love to be a part of the team, no matter what it takes. Whether it's punt returns or kickoff returns, I would love to do it."
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The Offensive Line Needs Work
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The offensive line is a work in progress. Four of the five offensive linemen on the team in the starting lineup will be different from the unit that ended the 2014 season.
We could see a starting lineup that features two rookies on the offensive line. That same lineup will be responsible for protecting Peyton Manning and creasing defenders to create cutback lanes.
Kubiak knows the line is going to feature some young and inexperienced players.
“We're going to be young. We know that, but we're going to play our best five. Believe me, those two [Max Garcia, Matt Paradis] guys are in the mix to be our best five. They're playing well, so we'll see.” Kubiak repeated, “We'll see how it pans out.”
On Thursday, Garcia received the first-team reps at left guard, while Paradis was also in for the first-team reps at center.
Garcia has good strength and lateral agility. He has an initial punch that can jar an opponent, and his hand placement is consistent for a rookie. Garcia is also bright and can identify line stunts before they happen.
Paradis has good functional strength, and he does a good job on combination blocks. He’s athletic enough to reach the second level of the defense quickly, and Paradis is good at helping his teammate on either side of him.
The Broncos are in a Super Bowl window, and the play of the offensive line will help determine how far they go in 2015.
Linebacker Talent Is Not an Issue
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The Broncos have an incredibly talented group of linebackers. On the outside, superstars like Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware will be asked to get after the quarterback. On the inside, emerging players like Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall will do a lot of the dirty work.
Trevathan is coming back from two knee injuries that cost him most of the 2014 season. Marshall is recovering from offseason foot surgery to repair an injury that cost him a couple of games last year. Both of these linebackers will see action funneled their way often in the Wade Phillips 3-4 defense.
Marshall was back in team drills for the first time on Thursday. He’s excited about the new scheme under Phillips.
“He's more simplistic than [Raiders head coach Jack] Del Rio. He's all about getting after it. My linebacker coach [Reggie Herring] is way different than last year [Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith]. As you guys know, he's a yeller. He is out there yelling all the time. It's different, but they're just trying to bring out the best in us and I think that they'll do that.”
Behind Marshall and Trevathan, the Broncos have a player to keep an eye on in Todd Davis.
During the first week of Broncos camp, Davis has been doing a good job in coverage. He can diagnose the play quickly and does a good job of closing on the ball-carrier quickly.
Behind those five 'backers, there's still talented players like Steven Johnson, Lamin Barrow, Corey Nelson, Shaq Barrett and Lerentee McCray.
This team has no problem with linebacker depth.
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.
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