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Denver Native (Carol)
05-17-2010, 12:49 PM
http://twitter.com/PostBroncos - posting sequence - oldest to newest

Today is the first open day of OTAs. We'll keep you posted here and on our blog at denverpost.com.

Elvis Dumervil is on the field in uniform for the start of OTA. Team is warming up and stretching

Notable players absent: DJ Williams, Jamal Williams

Among the players we know are out bc of injury: Harris, Hochstein, Reid, DThomas, Decker, Clady

Tebow 4th in line for QB reps. Just ran first play: handoff to RB Bruce Hall. Thrilling stuff.

Eddie Royal taking first reps on kick return. Others: K McKinley, A Smith

Orton, Quinn, Brandstater w WRs. Tebow working w RBs.

jhildebrand
05-17-2010, 12:54 PM
McKinley is already running? Didn't he tear his knee up pretty bad late last season?

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 12:56 PM
Tebow 4th in line for QB reps. Just ran first play: handoff to RB Bruce Hall. Thrilling stuff.

I wonder if this means Tim ran his play or was it the first play of OTA's?

Denver Native (Carol)
05-17-2010, 01:00 PM
I wonder if this means Tim ran his play or was it the first play of OTA's?

He was working with the running backs - the other 3 QBs were working with the wide receivers. His first play was a handoff.

Denver Native (Carol)
05-17-2010, 01:03 PM
oldest first

Renaldo Hill w first INT of the day, off Brandstater.

Tebow and Knowshon playing catch. Nice to see Gator and a Bulldog making nice.

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 01:11 PM
oldest first

Renaldo Hill w first INT of the day, off Brandstater.

Tebow and Knowshon playing catch. Nice to see Gator and a Bulldog making nice.

They're only making nice until their respective schools meet next season. ;)

slim
05-17-2010, 01:11 PM
When I first read "working with the RBs", I thought it meant "working as a RB". I hope that is not the case.

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 01:14 PM
When I first read "working with the RBs", I thought it meant "working as a RB". I hope that is not the case.

According Carol Tim was working on handing the ball off to the backs.

BroncoWave
05-17-2010, 01:16 PM
Here are Andrew Mason's tweets from camp today:

Up first for QBs: Orton, followed by Quinn, Brandstater, Tebow.

Weird seeing someone other than Bobby Turner running) drills at a Broncos practice

Tebow working at goal line w/ RBs, throwing outs to the pylon, while other QBs work w / WRs.

Brady Quinn's arm strength is obviously fine; tossed it 65 yards, but too far, to McKinley.

Royal blows past Bailey on 1st play of 7 on 7; Orton's pass is overthrown, however.

Quinn can fling it. He's tossing bombs and has no trouble getting it 60-plus. But he overshot 3 WRs deep. Quinn was 1-for-4 in 7-on-7.

Tebow against a veteran D for first time, in 7 on 7...complete, short checkdown, left flat to Quinn.

Tebow 3 of 3 in first drill against a defense; had a couple of checkdowns. Brandstater 1-of-4 w/ a pick (R.Hill).

slim
05-17-2010, 01:16 PM
According Carol Tim was working on handing the ball off to the backs.

Well, that's good. His handoff motion does need some work.

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 01:24 PM
Well, that's good. His handoff motion does need some work.

It's an important aspect to the game.:beer:

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 01:28 PM
Royal blows past Bailey on 1st play of 7 on 7; Orton's pass is overthrown, however.

Was that pass 74 yards down field with a 100 mph wind in his face. :D

Italianmobstr7
05-17-2010, 02:12 PM
According Carol Tim was working on handing the ball off to the backs.


When I first read "working with the RBs", I thought it meant "working as a RB". I hope that is not the case.

He was working with the Rb's by handing off and throwing short, check down routes to them.

Italianmobstr7
05-17-2010, 02:18 PM
Frank Schwab

fs3142 Just running plays at this point - but Tebow is in and he hands off beautifully!

fs3142 Tebow spent about 5 minutes throwing flare routes to running backs. I don't know what else to add to that. But good to see him throw

fs3142 Alphonso Smith working in the nickel. Good sign for him, albeit early

fs3142 Starting line today, from left to right: Polumbus, S Olsen, Fry, Kuper, Beadles.

fs3142 Post-practice sprints. Tebow first offensive player to finish each one

fs3142 McD says there is more emphasis on throwing deep and spreading the field, and using more two-back sets. Mentioned TE Branson as FB behin ...

fs3142 ... Behind Larsen. Branson worked some in the backfield today.

fs3142 McD says DJ and Jamal Williams were excused today, hopefully will be here soon

fs3142 McD says the team is "working" with Elvis' agent on a long-term deal. Sounds optimistic it will happen

fs3142 On the WRs, McD says D Thomas is probably closer than Decker to practicing, but won't press either to return prematurely

Josina Anderson
JosinaAnderson Mcd says Tebow stood up in front of everybody today and told everyone he is a rookie like everybody else.

JosinaAnderson Elvis Dumervil told me his talks w/ the Broncos are in the "beginning stages."

JosinaAnderson Mcd sys he is working w/ Elvis Dumervil's agent. McD says nothing is imminent, wd like 2c Elvis a Bronco 4 a long time.

JosinaAnderson Orton says his 1st meeting with Tebow was good. Sys he is a nice guy. Says Tebow offered to grab books for t/ unit.

Lindsay Jones
PostBroncos Kyle Orton very professional in his post-practice media scrum. Just met Tebow today for the first time.

BroncoWave
05-17-2010, 02:21 PM
More from Andrew Mason:

Tebow is the Roger Federer of post-practice sprints. Five sprints across the field and back; he won them all (among the offensive players).

Dumervil said he signed a waiver before he came out to practice: "At the end of the day, I'm still a Bronco," he said

"Hey Tim, how are you doing? My name's Kyle." ... Orton, on his first exchange w/ Tebow. Orton says Tebow "goes about it the right way."

Tebow said he spent the last two weeks doing plenty of playbook study, so, "I'm not a novice," he said

Brady Quinn says he'll help Tebow, even though he is competition. "I'm not some vindictive jerk like that. I try to bring guys along."

McDaniels speaking of 2 back sets w/ Larsen at FB but says, "We're still going to be spread out."

Brady Quinn was the last player off the field

"We're very excited about the work ethic on this team," but as McD adds, "Activity and achievement are two different things."

McD says Demaryius is closer to practicing than Decker, but he "won't push it."

D1g1tal j1m
05-17-2010, 03:22 PM
More from Andrew Mason:

Dumervil said he signed a waiver before he came out to practice: "At the end of the day, I'm still a Bronco," he said

"Hey Tim, how are you doing? My name's Kyle." ... Orton, on his first exchange w/ Tebow. Orton says Tebow "goes about it the right way."

Tebow said he spent the last two weeks doing plenty of playbook study, so, "I'm not a novice," he said

Brady Quinn says he'll help Tebow, even though he is competition. "I'm not some vindictive jerk like that. I try to bring guys along."


This is why you get guys with great character on your team. Even with competition, they are willing to work hard and work together with their teammates/competition.

Buff
05-17-2010, 03:46 PM
I know it's early and a lot will change before the regular season, but this is frightening...


fs3142 Starting line today, from left to right: Polumbus, S Olsen, Fry, Kuper, Beadles.

topscribe
05-17-2010, 03:50 PM
I know it's early and a lot will change before the regular season, but this is frightening...

Happy birthday, Buff. And for your gift, we give you Chicago's line. :lol:

-----

silkamilkamonico
05-17-2010, 03:50 PM
I know it's early and a lot will change before the regular season, but this is frightening...

I don't even think "frightening" is an accurate enough term to describe that.

I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that.

nevcraw
05-17-2010, 04:08 PM
How was Tebow's Bubble screen?

topscribe
05-17-2010, 04:09 PM
How was Tebow's Bubble screen?

:lol:

-----

dogfish
05-17-2010, 04:20 PM
JosinaAnderson Orton says his 1st meeting with Tebow was good. Sys he is a nice guy. Says Tebow offered to grab boobs for t/ unit.

:shocked:



Brady Quinn says he'll help Tebow, even though he is competition. "I'm not some vindictive jerk like that. I try to bring guys along."

there's only one thing tebow needs from you, brady-- **** of his way. . . .

Denver Native (Carol)
05-17-2010, 07:35 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8182ad2a&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Elvis Dumervil put his coveted signature on a piece of paper. Not a contract extension that will pay him like a Powerball winner. Not his tender worth $3.168 million.

Instead, Dumervil signed a waiver allowing him to participate in the Denver Broncos' passing camp this week.

"I didn't have to, but at the end of the day, I'm going to be a Bronco in 2010, and I wanted to come out and support the organization and teammates and get acclimated with the new guys," Dumervil said following the two-hour workout Monday. "We have a couple tweaks terminology-wise as far as defense, so I don't want to fall behind mentally."

The Broncos' star pass rusher led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2009 after switching from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he hadn't worked out with the team this offseason.

Dumervil, a restricted free agent, skipped the Broncos' offseason conditioning program while working out on his own in Miami, but he kept in touch with new defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale.

Dumervil said he has faith that his agent, Gary Wichard, and the Broncos will agree on a long-term deal.

"I think both parties want to get something done," Dumervil said.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels shared that sentiment.

"Yes. We are working with Gary right now," McDaniels said. "Nothing imminent, but we're working together on the thing to try to make sure he's a Bronco for a long time, and he deserves it."

Dumervil said he wasn't overly concerned that he hadn't signed a new deal yet as veterans and rookies took the field together Monday for the first time.

"I've always played this game without the big contracts or the long-term extensions," he said. "So, I'll continue to do so."

Just not for long, he hopes.

Among those skipping this camp are offensive linemen Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris and Russ Hochstein, all of whom are coming off surgeries. Also, veteran journeyman guard Matt McChesney is mulling retirement after suffering an ankle injury in a freak golf cart accident last month.

Monday marked the first time that all four Broncos quarterbacks shared the field.

Incumbent Kyle Orton was followed by newcomer Brady Quinn, first-round draft pick Tim Tebow and second-year pro Tom Brandstater in taking snaps, although McDaniels cautioned not to read too much into that order.

While the others were taking their reps, Tebow, who's trying to modify his footwork and throwing mechanics, stood about 25 yards away, mimicking their dropbacks and throws.

"Well, I'm just trying to every time a play's called get a rep in my head, and even if I can't fully do it with the team, I'm still trying to learn and get better even on the side," Tebow said.

Tebow has drawn enormous attention since McDaniels made him a first-round pick last month. Already, Tebow has the top-selling jersey in the NFL, and he's under the media microscope much like John Elway was as a Broncos rookie quarterback in 1983.

Only now, Tebow's every move isn't just chronicled by reporters and photographers but also videographers, bloggers and Tweeters.

Tebow said he exchanged some texts with Elway, who didn't offer any advice on dealing with the attention.

"He just was very complimentary and wanted to welcome me and very supportive, and that meant a lot," Tebow said.

As for his performance Monday, Tebow said: "I think I went out there and played hard, and I think I've got a long way to go, and I'm just going to try to get better every day."

This was also the first day with the full squad for Quinn, who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns two months ago.

"I think it went pretty well," said Quinn, who overthrew his receivers on several long passes. "Obviously, we can always do better."

Orton has a big head start, having been here a year.

"It's night and day from the first day I stepped on the field in OTAs last year," Orton said. "I feel great. And it's just nice to go through 'Day 1 install' and you really have no questions about it."

TXBRONC
05-17-2010, 07:39 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8182ad2a&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Elvis Dumervil put his coveted signature on a piece of paper. Not a contract extension that will pay him like a Powerball winner. Not his tender worth $3.168 million.

Instead, Dumervil signed a waiver allowing him to participate in the Denver Broncos' passing camp this week.

"I didn't have to, but at the end of the day, I'm going to be a Bronco in 2010, and I wanted to come out and support the organization and teammates and get acclimated with the new guys," Dumervil said following the two-hour workout Monday. "We have a couple tweaks terminology-wise as far as defense, so I don't want to fall behind mentally."

The Broncos' star pass rusher led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2009 after switching from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he hadn't worked out with the team this offseason.

Dumervil, a restricted free agent, skipped the Broncos' offseason conditioning program while working out on his own in Miami, but he kept in touch with new defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale.

Dumervil said he has faith that his agent, Gary Wichard, and the Broncos will agree on a long-term deal.

"I think both parties want to get something done," Dumervil said.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels shared that sentiment.

"Yes. We are working with Gary right now," McDaniels said. "Nothing imminent, but we're working together on the thing to try to make sure he's a Bronco for a long time, and he deserves it."

Dumervil said he wasn't overly concerned that he hadn't signed a new deal yet as veterans and rookies took the field together Monday for the first time.

"I've always played this game without the big contracts or the long-term extensions," he said. "So, I'll continue to do so."

Just not for long, he hopes.

Among those skipping this camp are offensive linemen Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris and Russ Hochstein, all of whom are coming off surgeries. Also, veteran journeyman guard Matt McChesney is mulling retirement after suffering an ankle injury in a freak golf cart accident last month.

Monday marked the first time that all four Broncos quarterbacks shared the field.

Incumbent Kyle Orton was followed by newcomer Brady Quinn, first-round draft pick Tim Tebow and second-year pro Tom Brandstater in taking snaps, although McDaniels cautioned not to read too much into that order.

While the others were taking their reps, Tebow, who's trying to modify his footwork and throwing mechanics, stood about 25 yards away, mimicking their dropbacks and throws.

"Well, I'm just trying to every time a play's called get a rep in my head, and even if I can't fully do it with the team, I'm still trying to learn and get better even on the side," Tebow said.

Tebow has drawn enormous attention since McDaniels made him a first-round pick last month. Already, Tebow has the top-selling jersey in the NFL, and he's under the media microscope much like John Elway was as a Broncos rookie quarterback in 1983.

Only now, Tebow's every move isn't just chronicled by reporters and photographers but also videographers, bloggers and Tweeters.

Tebow said he exchanged some texts with Elway, who didn't offer any advice on dealing with the attention.

"He just was very complimentary and wanted to welcome me and very supportive, and that meant a lot," Tebow said.

As for his performance Monday, Tebow said: "I think I went out there and played hard, and I think I've got a long way to go, and I'm just going to try to get better every day."

This was also the first day with the full squad for Quinn, who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns two months ago.

"I think it went pretty well," said Quinn, who overthrew his receivers on several long passes. "Obviously, we can always do better."

Orton has a big head start, having been here a year.

"It's night and day from the first day I stepped on the field in OTAs last year," Orton said. "I feel great. And it's just nice to go through 'Day 1 install' and you really have no questions about it."

It sounds like he has leverage and it sounds like he consummate pro we have always known him to be.

gobroncsnv
05-17-2010, 11:10 PM
Dang, starting to sound like football season is coming... liking this... thanks all for putting this one together. Mass high 5!

Elevation inc
05-18-2010, 03:16 AM
sounds great, love the stuff about 2 back sets, and spreading the field, and having our Qb's go deep early...count on branson having a bigger role this year as the third TE and BAck-up FB...its clear we will do everything possible to be better on offense.....regardless of the naysayers....i hope all our players really just want it this year. It would be nice to finally have a team where everyone just wants to work for a SB......

Bosco
05-18-2010, 03:45 AM
there's only one thing tebow needs from you, brady-- **** of his way. . . .

So I take it you won't be happy in the (very possible) event that Quinn becomes QBoTF?

Denver Native (Carol)
05-18-2010, 10:57 AM
http://gazettebroncos.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/17/more-two-back-sets-this-year-and-other-practice-notes/2607/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

It's May, and Josh McDaniels is not inclined to give opponents much information, so take this for what it's worth: McDaniels said he plans to use a fullback more in 2010. In practice, starting fullback Spencer Larsen was in on a lot of plays. The Broncos don't have many fullbacks, so tight end Marquez Branson lined up in the backfield as a lead blocker when Larsen was out.

"In the running game we’re going to use a little bit more two-back sets," McDaniels said. "You saw Larsen and Branson back there taking most of those reps at the fullback spot. We’re still going to be spread out and do some of the things that we’ve done before and we go through an evaluation every spring and come up with some new things. We watch some other teams that have been successful doing other things and we’ve liked some things and feel like we’ve got some personnel that can do some of them."

-- Rookie receivers Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, both recovering from foot injuries, were present at the beginning of practice but didn't participate. McDaniels said he won't rush them.

"If they come back at the end for minicamp, we’re not going to jump in there and injure them before training camp but if one or both of them can, and we feel good about it, then they’ll be out there as soon as possible," McDaniels said.

-- Again, file this under "It's May," but McDaniels said there will be more emphasis in stretching the field in the passing game this season. And, in fact, there were plenty of deep throws in practice.

"We want to make an emphasis on that early in the spring and those are always the most difficult to hit when you haven’t really worked on them in terms of timing and all that," McDaniels said.

-- At center Dustin Fry got most of the work with the first unit, with rookie J.D. Walton coming in after him. The center picture won't be totally clear until Russ Hochstein is ready to return from a knee injury. Tyler Polumbus and rookie Zane Beadles were with the starting offense at left and right tackle, replacing Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. Seth Olsen and Chris Kuper were the guards.

- Alphonso Smith lined up as the third cornerback in the nickel defense. That's a good show of support by the coaching staff, which didn't always show that kind of faith in Smith during a rocky rookie season.

- D.J. Williams and Jamal Williams were excused from practice. Wesley Woodyard replaced Williams in the base defense, and Williams was replaced by Ronald Fields.

- Baraka Atkins got a lot of playing time at linebacker, with Elvis Dumervil taking limited reps (the unsigned restricted free agent practiced after signing a waiver). Atkins is next in line at outside linebacker because Darrell Reid is still recovering after knee surgery.

Denver Native (Carol)
05-18-2010, 11:11 AM
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/passing-camp-under-way/

The Broncos got back to work on Monday, hitting the practice field as a team for the first time in 2010. Players and coaches were energized as the 70-degree weather was perfect to kick off Organized Team Activities.

“I don’t think you could ask for a better day,” Brady Quinn said.

ALL EYES ON THE QBs

Much of the media attention on Monday was focused on — not surprisingly — Quinn and his fellow quarterbacks, including first-round pick Tim Tebow.

The crowd of cameras looked just a big as the first day of rookie camp, most pointed toward Tebow as he ran through drills. As the other quarterbacks participated in the drill, Tebow stood to the side with a football in his hand, going through the motions of dropping back as if he were the one under center.

At one point during practice, the rookie was sent to work with the running backs, throwing passes in the end zone as the backs worked on their route-running.

OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE

For the majority of practice, the offense worked on one field while the defense practiced on the other. But when the horn blew for 7-on-7 drills, the defense tried to use a little intimidation as the group ran to meet the offense.

Shouts of “It’s time!” and “Get ready, we’re coming!” rang out on the field.

Maybe the tactic worked, as the defense made a few plays to start the session. When Quinn stepped in under center, he dropped back and fired a pass for Daniel Graham — but Darcel McBath dove in to break up the pass, much to the delight of his defensive teammates.

Quinn got a little revenge a few plays later, finding space in the defense and dropping in a pass to Brandon Stokley. The connection drew praise from quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels.

The defense backs were active in the drill. Renaldo Hill snared a deep interception on a pass from Tom Brandstater, and Perrish Cox nearly had a pick in his hands toward the end of the drill but the ball fell to the ground. He still picked it up and ran with it, as defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale reminded him to “scoop!” — the defense always goes after a loose ball, regardless of if the play would have been blown dead in a game.

One of the most interesting scenes of the day came in 7-on-7 as well, when a pass intended for Eddie Royal was tipped by Nate Jones. Royal still had a beat on it and looked to haul in the catch on his way to the ground. At the same time, David Bruton ran in and got his hands on the ball as well. Both players wrestled for possession on the ground until the whistle blew and teammates broke up the play. In the end, it was Royal who came up with the ball.

QUICK HITS
# It looks like Royal is going with a dark visor look for 2010. At least, he did for the first half of practice today. On one play, Royal ditched the helmet all together — and still hauled in the pass.
# Royal, Cox, Alphonso Smith and Matt Willis split the duties at kick returner for a special teams drill.
# After a false start during a drill, Zane Beadles ran a lap around the practice fields.
# Spencer Larsen, donning a white practice jersey that designates an offensive player, spent the entire session working as a fullback.

Check out pictures from the session below. We will post a photo gallery with more pictures this afternoon, as well as top story from the day and several videos from Broncos TV, including practice highlights, an interview with Elvis Dumervil, Head Coach Josh McDaniels’ press conference and a package about the day’s events.

-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com

Denver Native (Carol)
05-18-2010, 04:50 PM
http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/05/17/broncos-rookie-hazing-will-start-soon-enough/

DOVE VALLEY — It isn’t always easy to get Kyle Orton to crack a smile during an interview, especially a crowded one, like was the case after the first practice of the Broncos’ three-day passing camp on Monday morning.

That is until the topic of rookie hazing came up.

No, Orton wasn’t making proclamations of taping Tim Tebow the flag pole or making Tebow chug a gallon of milk (though, I bet if anyone could do it, it would be Tebow), but just the thought of having a first-round draft pick hauling around Orton’s gear all summer did make Orton smile.

“Oh, that hasn’t started yet, but it most certainly will,” Orton said. “The higher you get picked, the more hazing there is.”

Orton said his initial meeting with Tebow today was pretty basic. Quick introductions, and that was it. Tebow also introduced himself to the full squad during the group meeting.

But perhaps the biggest thing Tebow did to start winning over his new teammates, especially Orton, Brady Quinn and Tom Brandstater, was to offer to fetch the playbooks and carry the helmets.

“He knows the deal,” Orton said.

GGMoogly
05-19-2010, 12:40 PM
I LOVE the off-season. :whoo: SUPERBOWL BABY!!! :elefant:

Denver Native (Carol)
05-20-2010, 05:24 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15127662?source=rss

The Broncos' first organized team activity this week was quite active for quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs.

But for the players who line up in the trenches on both offense and defense, this passing camp was more time for instruction and learning the playbook. The Broncos have yet to run any 11-on-11 drills, and there was no hitting allowed this weeek because players are wearing only jerseys and helments.

"You really don't know much until you put the pads on. This time of year it is hard to get a feel of things," defensive lineman Justin Bannan said. "When you get to training camp and put the pads on and everything starts going for real, then you get a feel for things."

BroncoWave
05-24-2010, 12:32 PM
Another OTA starting today. Here are Andrew Mason's tweets so far:

"Tortuous breeze playing havoc w/ punts. Have to play in it; might as well practice in it."

"No way Trapasso could hit the roof of Cowboys Stadium if he had to deal w/ breezes like this...Crosswind blowing from his left to right."

"JD Walton working w/ the first team at center early in practice."

BroncoWave
05-24-2010, 01:01 PM
More from Mason:

"Quinn w / a nice, tight spiral on a slant to McKinley, unaffected by the wind."

"Tebow's adventures in the breeze: deep out w/ wind that sailed out of bounds; medium cross into wind that kept spiral, was on target."

"Steve O'Neal's punting record would be in jeopardy if there were a game today. Punters w/ wind killing it"

"Quinn, Brandstater each w/ INTs in 7 on 7 period. Not much control over where the ball is going. Even a tree has been knocked down by wind."

"Tebow completed his only attempt in the 7 on 7, short to Lloyd. Brandstater INTed (Tony Carter) on his lone toss"

"Orton 2-for-7 in the windstorm. Quinn 2-for-5 w/ an INT (Bruton)."

SOCALORADO.
05-24-2010, 01:05 PM
No suprise that Waltons starting at Center.
Jeez, right now he's a rookie and he still has the most experience!
Tony Carter. Damn, this kid just wont go away! I like it!
Can never,EVER have enough depth at CB.

dogfish
05-24-2010, 01:33 PM
"JD Walton working w/ the first team at center early in practice."


and that's that. . . barring injury, he should be there for the next ten or twelve years. . .

GEM
05-24-2010, 01:42 PM
more from mason:

"quinn w / a nice, tight spiral on a slant to mckinley, unaffected by the wind."

"tebow's adventures in the breeze: Deep out w/ wind that sailed out of bounds; medium cross into wind that kept spiral, was on target."

"steve o'neal's punting record would be in jeopardy if there were a game today. Punters w/ wind killing it"

"quinn, brandstater each w/ ints in 7 on 7 period. Not much control over where the ball is going. Even a tree has been knocked down by wind."

"tebow completed his only attempt in the 7 on 7, short to lloyd. Brandstater inted (tony carter) on his lone toss"

"orton 2-for-7 in the windstorm. Quinn 2-for-5 w/ an int (bruton)."

o-u-c-h

dogfish
05-24-2010, 01:44 PM
o-u-c-h

have you been outside lately?


anyone with an arm short of elway's is pretty much ****ed today. . . .

BroncoWave
05-24-2010, 01:46 PM
Mason:

"Nutty day out here closed w/ Prater attempting FGs w/ stiff crosswind. He was 3 of 6 through narrow, Arena-style uprights."

"Matthew Willis winning offensive windsprints today. Tebow in second."

underrated29
05-24-2010, 01:51 PM
have you been outside lately?


anyone with an arm short of elway's is pretty much ****ed today. . . .




For real!

I saw the wind blow a dog over today.

SOCALORADO.
05-24-2010, 01:54 PM
Mason:

"Nutty day out here closed w/ Prater attempting FGs w/ stiff crosswind. He was 3 of 6 through narrow, Arena-style uprights."

"Matthew Willis winning offensive windsprints today. Tebow in second, he doesnt want to win at everything, so coach told him to ease up on everyone else"
fixed :laugh:

dogfish
05-24-2010, 01:57 PM
For real!

I saw the wind blow a dog over today.

i stopped home for lunch, and a few minutes ago it sounded like my balcony was about to blow off the side of my building. . . :laugh:

BroncoWave
05-24-2010, 02:05 PM
Wow, this is from Linsdey Jones, I'd like to have seen this:

"Highlight of practice: Watching punters kick w the wind. 100 yard punts. A huge tree just fell over."

Northman
05-24-2010, 02:24 PM
i stopped home for lunch, and a few minutes ago it sounded like my balcony was about to blow off the side of my building. . . :laugh:

That wasnt wind, that was Tebow blowing a kiss to his girlfriend.

Italianmobstr7
05-24-2010, 02:35 PM
MaxBroncos-Bailey on Tebow: "He has a great arm ... he just looks good throwing the ball." Said he hated Tebow in college (UGA-UF rivalry)

MaxBroncos- Bailey on Alphonso Smith: "He's grown a lot; he had some bumps along the way but we all do ... he's stepped it up quite a bit."

Italianmobstr7
05-24-2010, 02:39 PM
twitter.com/maxbroncos


McDaniels: "zero" thought of QB trade: "There's not been one quarterback on our roster that has been or will be discussed in trade talks."
11 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Says he's splitting up reps for kicking game; e.g. trying to focus on increasing communication between guys on same side of the snapper.
12 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McDaniels says team focus "is on being aggressive" in all areas, e.g. "blocking kicks in kicking game, pressuring more on defense." #Broncos
14 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on Moreno: "He knows what to do; he's one of the smarter backs I've had this young." Says he's 1 of guys who "gets offense group going."
16 minutes ago via TweetDeck

More McD on Ayers: "He's one of our top players in our offseason program."
17 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on Robert Ayers: "I've definitely noticed a difference...Robert has taken a very professional approach."
17 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD talking about using blitz today for first time this year; says offense "always loses" on first day blitzes are shown.
19 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on Jamal Williams: "Never had a handshake like that." Williams said 30 min. ago that he is completely healthy.
20 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD: "Hope we have lot of guys that end up being our No. 1 receiver during the year: TE that catches 10 balls, WRs that can do that any wk."
21 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on Eddie Royal: "He was able to go in and out of certain things today, which was good for us."
22 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD says Ryan Harris "will hopefully be out here pretty soon."
23 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on potentially carrying 7 WRs: "Depends on their contributions in the kicking game...I've been on teams where we did carry seven."
24 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on WR receptions being more balanced: "I probably see that...hopefully that's what we'll be when we get everybody out there."
24 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD talking about Eddie Royal seeing some slot time today. Royal was a frequent target of passes during today's 7-on-7 periods.
25 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on WR corps: "We have a lot of depth...We'll see what Eric & Demaryius can do; they're both doing well in learning in the classroom."
26 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD: "There are certain things we can't do well in the wind (throwing, kicking), but everything else, you can."
27 minutes ago via TweetDeck

McD on the wind: "I've coached in games like that; you try to throw all your passes to (one) sideline. It gets you focusing on your job."
28 minutes ago via TweetDeck


Bailey on end of '09: "I can't remember the last time we had a winning season. That's eating away at me."
31 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Bailey on Jamal Williams: "Boy, he used to give Tom Nalen hell up front. I know what he can do."
32 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Bailey on Orton: "He's a great professional ... Until somebody unseats him, he's the one."
32 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Bailey on the DL: "It feels good to have some vets up there ... I know they're going to be reliable."
33 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Bailey on Alphonso Smith: "He's grown a lot; he had some bumps along the way but we all do ... he's stepped it up quite a bit."
34 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Bailey on Tebow: "He has a great arm ... he just looks good throwing the ball." Said he hated Tebow in college (UGA-UF rivalry)
34 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Champ Bailey on the windy conditions: "It's great for the defense. ... They (the offense) can't do anything."
35 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Northman
05-24-2010, 02:47 PM
twitter.com/maxbroncos (http://twitter.com/maxbroncos)


McDaniels: "zero" thought of QB trade: "There's not been one quarterback on our roster that has been or will be discussed in trade talks."


Uh oh, sorry Kyle. :lol:

dogfish
05-24-2010, 03:25 PM
McD on Eddie Royal: "He was able to go in and out of certain things today, which was good for us."
22 minutes ago via TweetDeck

that's great, but shouldn't he be focused on practice? he can bang cheerleaders on his own time. . . .

BroncoWave
05-24-2010, 03:27 PM
that's great, but shouldn't he be focused on practice? he can bang cheerleaders on his own time. . . .

:lol: I had a very similar though when I read that!

Eddie's too badass to need practice. It's always on his own time!

Denver Native (Carol)
05-24-2010, 03:32 PM
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/passing-camp-meets-windy-conditions/

Anytime a tree falls down in the middle of practice, it’s safe to say the conditions weren’t exactly favorable.

As Denver experienced gusts of wind from 45 to 70 miles per hour, the Broncos felt the consequences on the football field during Monday’s passing camp practice.

THE GOOD
# The wind made the team’s punters look like Hall of Famers. Britton Colquitt and A.J. Trapasso boomed kicks out of their own end zone — with the wind at their backs — that approached the opposite end zone and occasionally bounced out of the back of it.
# Matt Prater certainly got a look at some of the worst conditions he could face come gameday. The team dragged out uprights skinnier than the normal posts — think Arena League size — and Prater essentially aimed 10 yards to the right of the posts only to see the ball swoop back left and through the uprights before continuing to sail.

“Hopefully we won’t have a game like this, but at least we got some experience if we do,” Prater said, predicting that he could have made an 80-yard field goal with the wind. “They were sailing pretty good today.”

To that point, Prater kicked several of his attempts through the uprights and all the way over the top of the Dove Valley building.

THE BAD
# It’s hard to judge anything the offense did during 7-on-7 drills Monday. While the drill was taking place, a tumble weed rolled across the field, followed quickly by a napkin and a grocery bag — not to mention the tree that fell on the side of one of the fields. Brian Dawkins started to chase down a piece of paper he lost, and Andre’ Goodman took off after it as well before Dawkins told him to let it go. It quickly flew into the players’ parking lot, before later being tracked down by an equipment manager.
# Kyle Orton started off 7-on-7s with three straight incompletions. To give you a taste of the conditions, a short pass to the right intended for Lance Ball out of the backfield flew out of bounds once the wind caught it.
# Still, with such unfavorable conditions, Eddie Royal said he was impressed with what the quarterbacks were able to do.

“They actually did a good job of throwing in the wind, so I’ve got to give them credit today,” he said.

THE FUNNY
# Royal himself struggled with the gusts from time to time.

“I was lining up and the wind was blowing me (offsides),” he laughed. “So if it would’ve been a game I would’ve had a few false start penalties.”
# Jamal Williams said it was snowing when he first came to Denver to join the Broncos, so he wasn’t too shocked by the strong winds on Monday.

“Little bit of dirt, bugs flying in my mouth, but it’s good,” he smiled.
# Robert Ayers, for one, joked that he tried to use Williams to shield the wind.

“I was trying to find someone to hide behind, but I didn’t have too much luck,” he laughed.

POSITIONING

There’s no such thing as a depth chart during OTAs, but when the team lined up for 11 on 11 drills, the offense consisted of Tyler Polumbus, Seth Olsen, J.D. Walton, Chris Kuper and Zane Beadles (from left to right) along the offensive line, Spencer Larsen at fullback, Knowshon Moreno at running back, Kyle Orton at quarterback, Daniel Graham at tight end and Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd at receiver.

On defense, Le Kevin Smith, Jamal Williams and Jarvis Green were on the line with Robert Ayers, Mario Haggan, D.J. Williams and Baraka Atkins behind them at linebacker. Champ Bailey, Goodman, Dawkins and Renaldo Hill were in the secondary.

QUICK HITS
# In a special teams drill, two gunners sprinted downfield to try to pin a returner near the goal line. Players rotated through the drill, and college free agent safety Kyle McCarthy stood out during his repetition. He forced a fumble that he picked up and ran into the end zone, drawing praise from defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale.
# During an offense-only drill, Tim Tebow stood in at quarterback and barked out a call, but offensive coordinator Mike McCoy stopped the play before it began to point something out to the rookie.
# Marquez Branson continued to get involved in the offense, taking a few snaps at fullback but mostly participating as a pass-catching tight end. During 7-on-7s, he made one of the only catches of the afternoon despite the wind, leaping over a linebacker to haul in a catch. It even drew “ooohs” from some of the media since so many other passes had fallen incomplete.
# Tony Carter made his presence known, looking in a Tom Brandstater pass for an interception that he returned for a touchdown, much to the delight of his teammates on defense. David Bruton met him in the end zone for a leaping celebration.
# A ball Orton tried to loft downfield for Royal caught the wind and flew directly into the waiting arms of Darcel McBath for an interception. He turned and ran back upfield while the offense ran to stop him, including Tim Tebow, who wasn’t even in on the play.

Pictures to come along with more from Broncos TV and a top story this afternoon.

-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com

BroncoWave
05-27-2010, 12:42 PM
Some more notes from Andrew Mason today:

"In the installation period, Tebow was up third among QBs and Brandstater fourth. Take that as you will"

"Earlier in practice, stripping ball was emphasized; LBs spent a period wresting loose the football from each other."

"No wind with which to contend today, so Prater is easily clobbering his kickoffs out of the end zone."

"First-team OL unchanged from Monday: From left to right: Polumbus, S.Olsen, Walton (R), Kuper, Beadles (R)"

SOCALORADO.
05-27-2010, 01:39 PM
Some more notes from Andrew Mason today:

"In the installation period, Tebow was up third among QBs and Brandstater fourth. Take that as you will"

"Earlier in practice, stripping ball was emphasized; LBs spent a period wresting loose the football from each other."

"No wind with which to contend today, so Prater is easily clobbering his kickoffs out of the end zone."

"First-team OL unchanged from Monday: From left to right: Polumbus, S.Olsen, Walton (R), Kuper, Beadles (R)"

Now if they can just get this to
Clady, Kuper, Walton (R), Beadles (R), Harris

underrated29
05-27-2010, 01:50 PM
Some more notes from Andrew Mason today:

"In the installation period, Tebow was up third among QBs and Brandstater fourth. Take that as you will"

"Earlier in practice, stripping ball was emphasized; LBs spent a period wresting loose the football from each other."

"No wind with which to contend today, so Prater is easily clobbering his kickoffs out of the end zone."

"First-team OL unchanged from Monday: From left to right: Polumbus, S.Olsen, Walton (R), Kuper, Beadles (R)"

Now if they can just get this to
Clady, Kuper, Walton (R), Beadles (R), Harris



I like"
Clady, olsen (r), walton (r), kupes, harris

Better imo.

silkamilkamonico
05-27-2010, 02:12 PM
Kuper needs to stay on the right side of the lineup, and the LG is going to be a throw away position almost between Beadles/Olsen IMO. I think we will be solid everywhere else and hope that Walton continues to improve.

BigBroncLove
05-27-2010, 02:16 PM
Kuper needs to stay on the right side of the lineup, and the LG is going to be a throw away position almost between Beadles/Olsen IMO. I think we will be solid everywhere else and hope that Walton continues to improve.

I agree on the Beadles/Olsen comp for LG. I just wish he could get in there now and start competing because I am worried about his feet and step out at the Tackle position.

I don't know how soon he'll get in there though, because when Harris comes back I think Harris will slot into the LT position with Beadles/Polumbus at RT. I was not a big fan of Polumbus last year, but the coaching staff seems confident so Beadles might not sit in that comp at all. Still even with my worries about Beadles I prefer there to be more comp at the RT position then the LG.

lgenf
05-27-2010, 03:34 PM
NFL Live just had a closing comment that Tebow is now listed as the Third QB on the depth chart, so it seems that the earlier post today was pretty accurate and you can take it the way it looked

silkamilkamonico
05-27-2010, 04:03 PM
I agree on the Beadles/Olsen comp for LG. I just wish he could get in there now and start competing because I am worried about his feet and step out at the Tackle position.

I don't know how soon he'll get in there though, because when Harris comes back I think Harris will slot into the LT position with Beadles/Polumbus at RT. I was not a big fan of Polumbus last year, but the coaching staff seems confident so Beadles might not sit in that comp at all. Still even with my worries about Beadles I prefer there to be more comp at the RT position then the LG.

F.

I keep forgetting Clady is out for the time being.

I'm starting to think this isn't going to be a very good season at all, and will be more of a year of rebuilding, despit ethe easier schedule than last year. If our oline isn't solid by season's start, our offense will struggle tremendously, and if that happens out of the gate I see it getting worse as the year goes on.

Denver Native (Carol)
05-28-2010, 01:21 PM
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/passing-camp-energized/

Thursday marked one of the most energized practices of OTAs so far. In 80-degree weather, the offense and defense squared off for much of the session, and in the end the offense seemed to claim victory.

PASSING ORDER

In drills today, Orton was the first quarterback to take reps, followed by Quinn, Tim Tebow and Tom Brandstater.

It was the first time — during an open practice — that Tebow has taken reps before Brandstater.

Then again, McDaniels has said the order means little in the grand scheme of things.

“We told everyone, ‘Everyone is going to get reps and everybody is going to get rolling in there,’” the head coach said on the first day of OTAs. “The order, I don’t think matters. It doesn’t matter to me and right now I don’t think it should matter to anyone.”

FIELD CHATTER

The session was not only one of the most active in terms of plays pitting the offense against the defense, but also in terms of the activity on the field.

Players seemed to be fired up on Thursday, and the talk between one another and from the coaches backed up the point.
# It all started with the first play of 7-on-7s, when Orton let loose a pass that immediately wanted back — because it sailed directly into the chest of D.J. Williams.

The linebacker snared the interception and sprinted into the end zone, quickly followed by every single defensive player. The defense formed a huddle to celebrate before the drill continued.

“It’s tough to throw play-action passes when you don’t run the ball very much in passing camp,” Orton smiled.

# Quinn’s first pass of 7-on-7s brought both the offense and defense to life. He fired the ball downfield toward Daniel Graham, and it looked like Brian Dawkins would be there for the pick. Instead, the ball went through the safety’s hands and Graham barreled into the end zone for a touchdown.

“Keep kicking their butt, DG!” Jabar Gaffney shouted as Dawkins dropped for 10 pushups.
# Quinn’s second pass of the same session was tipped in the air, and Darcel McBath had one hand on the ball before it fell to the ground.

“You gotta have that!” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale yelled.
# When the team focused on 7-on-7 in the red zone, Orton found Gaffney and Marquez Branson on consecutive throws. On his third attempt, however, he bought time and lofted a ball to Eddie Royal, who had beaten the defense toward the corner of the end zone.

The throw missed, however, and fell incomplete. Orton ripped off his chin strap in disgust, and motioned toward Royal. “Good route, Eddie,” he said. “My fault, man.”
# Later in the drill, Orton fired a pass to Gaffney in the back of the end zone, who leapt for the reception before getting both feet down in-bounds for the touchdown.

The defense argued that he was out, but you can take a look at the photographic evidence yourself. (on link)

‘HE’S HAVING A DAY!’

Thursday’s practice at times turned into the Brandon Lloyd show.

In the first batch of 7-on-7 plays, Quinn found a wide-open Lloyd deep down the sideline, and the receiver sprinted into the end zone before throwing the ball in the air.

Shortly thereafter, Orton found the receiver just past Nate Jones and floated the ball into his arms for another score.

Lloyd kept the fireworks going, hauling in a few one-handed passes, including another from Orton that drew instructions for Perrish Cox from coaches, reminding him to stay outside and use Mario Haggan’s help to cut off routes to the inside. Quick side note: Cox redeemed himself later in the practice when he leaped to intercept Tebow in the end zone.

When Quinn found Lloyd for yet another touchdown later in 7-on-7s, Branson shouted, “He’s having a day!” as Lloyd spiked the ball.

The defense noticed the receiver’s hot streak, as well, so when Andre’ Goodman broke up a pass intended for Lloyd in the end zone — which the receiver nearly caught after the tip — Renaldo Hill gave a few “Oh yeeeeeeah”s and Dawkins ran up to the play, clapping.

#

“Brandon has had a great camp,” said Orton, who also played alongside Lloyd in Chicago. “This is my third year with Brandon, so we’ve got some good timing and a good rapport built up. He’s a guy who didn’t get a big chance last year, but when he did, those three games that he came in he played really well for us. Hopefully he’ll just continue to improve on that.”

DRILLS

The team broke into several interesting drills on Thursday.
# First, defensive backs and wide receivers went one-on-one in what amounted to a tackling drill without contact. The ball-carrier would run toward the defensive back, who demonstrated that he would have made the tackle.

The same drill was run with linebackers matching up against running backs and tight ends.
# All four quarterbacks worked on a drill that involved throwing the ball to Gaffney, Royal and Lloyd in the red zone. Two of the receivers would run routes in the end zone, and the quarterback threw to either player. Royal elected to haul in the passes without gloves on — they were hanging from his facemask.
# When the team broke into special teams, Britton Colquitt acted as a holder on one end of the field, while A.J. Trapasso was the holder on the other.

One group was comprised of linemen, who practiced leaping at the line of scrimmage to block a field goal. The other group had smaller players, who practiced sprinting around the side of the line and diving to block a kick before landing on a giant blue pad.

It looked to be part of what McDaniels said the team is doing to change the way special teams practices.

“We’re kind of splitting it up and working in segments,” McDaniels said. “We’re trying to do that as much as we can. We’ll see if it benefits us, we think that it has already but we’re going to continue doing it throughout the spring.”

ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE

At the end of every practice, the offense and defense run sprints under the instruction of strength and conditioning coach Rich Tuten.

But on Thursday, McDaniels gave them an out. Pick a player to field one punt — “No second chances!” the head coach reminded them — for the right to skip the sprints.

Branson stepped up first for the offense and easily fielded the punt, drawing cheers from his teammates. Mario Haggan was the chosen defender, and he safely hauled in the kick, as well, much to the delight of the defense.

So the team gathered around McDaniels for a quick huddle before breaking for the weekend.

More photos from practice below. (on link)

-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com

BroncoWave
06-04-2010, 06:05 PM
Article from Andrew Mason today:

http://maxdenver.com/blog1/2010/06/04/ota-notes-busy-day-for-two-qbs/


OTA Notes: Busy Day for Two QBs
By Andrew Mason



Tim Tebow's work Friday was typical of a rookie: filled with peaks and valleys. (PHOTO: MAXDENVER.COM)
Part of the reason Tom Brandstater was waived was because there weren’t enough repetitions left for him after the other three quarterbacks took their turns. The ups and downs of Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow on Friday showed that the extra work will probably serve them well.

Friday’s “opportunity day” witnessed more team and seven-on-seven work for Tebow and Quinn than any other open practice session, as Kyle Orton joined a plethora of other veterans who were not on the list to practice.

“It is for the rookies and younger players and some of the players, maybe because of the situation they find themselves on the roster without us being able to give them the amount of reps we would like to give them to evaluate them as players at different positions,” coach Josh McDaniels said. “We told them yesterday that this is the group that we would like to see out there tomorrow and the other guys we told them, it’s a workout day.”

That meant plenty of work for Quinn and Tebow — but plenty of work without the team’s primary receivers. Wide receivers Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal were among those who did not take part. Four other veteran targets were also absent: running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter and tight ends Daniel Graham and Marquez Branson.

The result was a rougher-than-usual day for the two quarterbacks. Quinn completed 17 of 28 tosses against defenses but was intercepted twice, while Tebow was 9-of-25 with an interception. At one point, Tebow groaned in frustration after misfiring on a short crossing pass to Patrick Honeycutt; the pass sailed low and behind the rookie receiver.

“I threw a crossing route real low and should’ve had that one back,” Tebow said.

“I’ve still got to get more consistent with some of (my reads) … Your accuracy comes when you know where to go and when to go to.”

McDaniels believes that will come with time; for now, struggles in reading defenses are inevitable.

“Right now, until you understand exactly what’s going on on every play, until you have your head and eyes in the right place on every snap as a quarterback, playing in our system or any other system at this level, it’s hard to consistently look the right way,” McDaniels said. “I think that’s fair to say for every player at any position. (Tebow) is no different. There’s certainly a bunch of good plays and then there’s some other ones where we’ve got to work hard to get him right.”

BUT MOST PROMISING FOR TEBOW was his consistency and arm strength on passes to the sideline, which was a trouble spot during Senior Bowl week. Tebow was at his best Friday when he was working the sidelines, which he used to get back on track after a 1-for-6 start in team and seven-on-seven work. He followed that shaky opening with completions on two of his next three passes near the sideline to Matthew Willis and Kenny McKinley. The Willis throw was particularly promising; Tebow fired a bullet to a spot outside the defense where only Willis could catch it.

“We were able to hit some comebacks and do some good things there,” Tebow said.

With passes like that, McDaniels pronounced Tebow’s arm strength as “fine” at his post-practice press conference Friday.

“No issues,” McDaniels said. “None at all in terms of his arm strength, velocity, anything like that. Nothing.”

And while there are inevitable peaks and valleys, McDaniels sees that in the big picture, Tebow’s progress is promising.

“He’s ahead (of schedule). I think that’s very fair to say that,” McDaniels said.

“OPPORTUNITY DAY”<> meant not only the chance for younger players to get more repetitions, but for veterans to take snaps at new ones, such as Nate Jones working at safety after splitting first-team work at nickelback with Alphonso Smith.

There were some guys playing different spots that we want to be able to give an opportunity to compete and be evaluated at,” McDaniels said.

Jones joined Darcel McBath as first-unit safeties, while Smith and rookie Perrish Cox were the cornerbacks. The rest of Friday’s No. 1 defense included outside linebackers Robert Ayers and Jarvis Moss, inside ‘backers Wesley Woodyard and Akin Ayodele, defensive ends Ryan McBean and Marcus Thomas and nose tackle Ronald Fields. Fields has been working as the No. 1 nose tackle when Jamal Williams has not been practicing. Baraka Atkins also saw some first-team work at outside linebacker, while Cassius Vaughn also had a few first-team repetitions at nickelback with Smith and Jones lining up elsewhere.

ALPHONSO SMITH seemed to be everywhere on Friday, intercepting a Tebow pass during the first period and breaking up two other passes in a day that was his best of the four open OTAs to date. Smith played confidently Friday, later saying he was “leaps and bounds” ahead of where he was last year.

“I’m just glad I’m not a rookie anymore,” Smith said. “Technically I still am, but I feel a lot better and more comfortable out here as a professional player.

“I just wasn’t good enough (in 2009). That’s the bottom line. I wasn’t good enough mentally, physically, in a lot of phases. That’s why I’m out here, trying to work hard. I’m still trying to get there.”

THE BRONCOS DID NOT EMERGE UNSCATHED FRIDAY, as linebacker Braxton Kelley came up limping and favoring his right leg after a collision with D’Anthony Batiste during a kickoff drill early in the session.

“It’s obviously a non-contact thing, and an accidental situation where we have bags out there actually to hold. I don’t have any update yet,” McDaniels said. “Certainly hope it’s nothing serious, but it’s a fluke incident and we try to talk to them all the time about just taking care of each other. I don’t think the two that actually ran into each other (Batiste and Kelley) even saw each other. That can happen, obviously. We certainly don’t want it to, but hopefully he’ll be fine.”

ALSO WORTH NOTING:

Both of Brady Quinn’s interceptions came early in the session; he didn’t throw any in his final 22 passes.
Wide receiver Dicky Lyons changed numbers, donning jersey number 13 after wearing No. 1 the previous few weeks.
The Broncos added fullback Kyle Eckel to the roster on Friday; he donned jersey number 39 and went to work behind Spencer Larsen. Tight end Marquez Branson, who has spelled Larsen at fullback from time to time throughout OTAs, was not on hand for Friday’s session.
With Matt Prater not on hand, A.J. Trapasso handled kickoffs.
Eddie Royal wasn’t at practice, so Kenny McKinley was up first on kickoff returns, followed by Perrish Cox, Alphonso Smith and Syd’Quan Thompson.