Denver Native (Carol)
05-03-2009, 07:59 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9045
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- On one of the nicest days at Dove Valley in months, the Broncos wrapped up their second mini-camp under Head Coach Josh McDaniels.
After practicing indoors to give the players a break from the cold yesterday, it was nice to be back outdoors, and McDaniels said he's happy with where the team stands at the conclusion of Sunday's session.
"We got better in a lot of ways," he said at the end of the three-day camp. "Still got a long way to go, a lot of improvement to make and a lot of evaluating to do, but it was a good start. I think our team knows how we want to practice and how we want to work. We've got the rookies in there, so we're at 88 (players) now. Eighty-eight competitive guys."
Twenty-seven of those 88 guys are rookies, as McDaniels alluded, so this camp was as much about acclimating them to the NFL as anything.
McDaniels has said in the past that he expects mistakes out of his rookies in the early goings, but the key is to only make each mistake once. Plenty of time throughout Sunday's practice, the head coach would blow the play dead and shout, 'Run it again!'
"That's what these practices are for, to get these kinks out and hopefully get to training camp and not have to iron them all out in August," he said.
The team's two first-round picks, Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers, both said they made their fair share of mistakes, but as the weekend progressed they began feeling more and more comfortable.
The key, Moreno said, is to stay in your playbook at home after practice, and essentially take this opportunity and run with it.
"You're playing with vets, you're playing with grown men out there and everyone knows what they're doing," Moreno said. "You've just kind of got to sit back and learn, then get in there and make your play."
Ayers has his own set of challenges -- he has been practicing standing up a little more than he did in college, but also playing some snaps with his hand in the dirt.
"Right now they're just trying to get me used to learning linebacker, trying to teach me the schemes and stuff," Ayers said. "But I'm working with (Defensive Line) Coach (Wayne) Nunnely, too, trying to learn defensive line stuff. So it's kind of getting a double dose."
Essentially learning two positions makes it even tougher for the rookie.
"Yeah, but that's what I'm here for -- I'm here to do tough things and be a good player," Ayers said. "That's part of being in the NFL."
It's clearly a learning process for every player learning the new system, and Moreno said there have been times where it's obvious he's a rookie.
"I'm basically just running around with my head cut off, so to speak," he laughed. "But I'm having fun with it."
The goal between now and training camp, McDaniels said, is to get the rookies ready to compete for starting jobs when July rolls around. It's a long process, but one that the players and coaches all look forward to.
"From the system, the playbook, how we practice, how we meet, how they carry themselves around the veteran players -- everything's new to them, which is to be expected," McDaniels said. "That's how it is. Some of them did some good things out here, most of them did some bad things out here that we have an opportunity for the next two months to fix, and that's what we're going to try to do."
NUMBERS GAME
All of the team's rookies received their numbers before Friday's practice, and the team's first-round picks have two of the more talked-about digits on their jerseys.
Ayers will don No. 56, familiar to many Broncos fans because of fellow former Tennessee Volunteer Al Wilson.
The defensive rookie admitted there weren't many other numbers to choose from, but he is excited about the prospect of wearing the number of one of the most sucessful UT football players in school history.
"To Al's credit he was a great player here, and for the coaches to even let me have this number means a lot to me," Ayers said.
Moreno's No. 27 jersey was most recently worn by slain Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, and the rookie running back certainly understands the significance of the number and the player.
"I talked to the Williams family, actually I got the opportunity to meet his mom in Dallas when I was training, and that was a great experience," he explained. "We have a close relationship so I got her blessing and her OK with everything. I'm just honored to do this. I understand that Darrent did a bunch of things in the community, so I definitely want to do that."
"It's a privilege to wear it and honor it both on and off the field."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- On one of the nicest days at Dove Valley in months, the Broncos wrapped up their second mini-camp under Head Coach Josh McDaniels.
After practicing indoors to give the players a break from the cold yesterday, it was nice to be back outdoors, and McDaniels said he's happy with where the team stands at the conclusion of Sunday's session.
"We got better in a lot of ways," he said at the end of the three-day camp. "Still got a long way to go, a lot of improvement to make and a lot of evaluating to do, but it was a good start. I think our team knows how we want to practice and how we want to work. We've got the rookies in there, so we're at 88 (players) now. Eighty-eight competitive guys."
Twenty-seven of those 88 guys are rookies, as McDaniels alluded, so this camp was as much about acclimating them to the NFL as anything.
McDaniels has said in the past that he expects mistakes out of his rookies in the early goings, but the key is to only make each mistake once. Plenty of time throughout Sunday's practice, the head coach would blow the play dead and shout, 'Run it again!'
"That's what these practices are for, to get these kinks out and hopefully get to training camp and not have to iron them all out in August," he said.
The team's two first-round picks, Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers, both said they made their fair share of mistakes, but as the weekend progressed they began feeling more and more comfortable.
The key, Moreno said, is to stay in your playbook at home after practice, and essentially take this opportunity and run with it.
"You're playing with vets, you're playing with grown men out there and everyone knows what they're doing," Moreno said. "You've just kind of got to sit back and learn, then get in there and make your play."
Ayers has his own set of challenges -- he has been practicing standing up a little more than he did in college, but also playing some snaps with his hand in the dirt.
"Right now they're just trying to get me used to learning linebacker, trying to teach me the schemes and stuff," Ayers said. "But I'm working with (Defensive Line) Coach (Wayne) Nunnely, too, trying to learn defensive line stuff. So it's kind of getting a double dose."
Essentially learning two positions makes it even tougher for the rookie.
"Yeah, but that's what I'm here for -- I'm here to do tough things and be a good player," Ayers said. "That's part of being in the NFL."
It's clearly a learning process for every player learning the new system, and Moreno said there have been times where it's obvious he's a rookie.
"I'm basically just running around with my head cut off, so to speak," he laughed. "But I'm having fun with it."
The goal between now and training camp, McDaniels said, is to get the rookies ready to compete for starting jobs when July rolls around. It's a long process, but one that the players and coaches all look forward to.
"From the system, the playbook, how we practice, how we meet, how they carry themselves around the veteran players -- everything's new to them, which is to be expected," McDaniels said. "That's how it is. Some of them did some good things out here, most of them did some bad things out here that we have an opportunity for the next two months to fix, and that's what we're going to try to do."
NUMBERS GAME
All of the team's rookies received their numbers before Friday's practice, and the team's first-round picks have two of the more talked-about digits on their jerseys.
Ayers will don No. 56, familiar to many Broncos fans because of fellow former Tennessee Volunteer Al Wilson.
The defensive rookie admitted there weren't many other numbers to choose from, but he is excited about the prospect of wearing the number of one of the most sucessful UT football players in school history.
"To Al's credit he was a great player here, and for the coaches to even let me have this number means a lot to me," Ayers said.
Moreno's No. 27 jersey was most recently worn by slain Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, and the rookie running back certainly understands the significance of the number and the player.
"I talked to the Williams family, actually I got the opportunity to meet his mom in Dallas when I was training, and that was a great experience," he explained. "We have a close relationship so I got her blessing and her OK with everything. I'm just honored to do this. I understand that Darrent did a bunch of things in the community, so I definitely want to do that."
"It's a privilege to wear it and honor it both on and off the field."