McDaniels in no hurry to name No. 1 QB
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/13/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Give Chris Simms credit for maintaining his sense of humor in the midst of a very real quarterback competition.
Asked after the conclusion of the first mandatory minicamp practice how he thinks he's faring in the battle with Kyle Orton, Simms joked that coach Josh McDaniels had named him the starter.
"I'm not supposed to tell you," Simms said Friday, before quickly getting serious. "We have no control over that. I just come out here and try to be my best and let the coaches make the decisions from there."
In reality, McDaniels seems in no rush to name a leader in the quest to replace Jay Cutler.
Orton and Simms each took repetitions with the first-team offense Friday, though it was Orton who took the first snaps in 11-on-11 drills.
"I haven't worried about it. I figure if I get better every day and improve, I'll be the guy when it comes time to play," Orton said.
Coaches have installed "just about everything," leaving McDaniels hopeful that the worst practices might be behind them.
"We're kind of at the tip of iceberg, so everything else, hopefully, will get better, and we'll streamline it to training camp these next two days here," McDaniels said. "I couldn't ask any more from two guys in terms of what they're putting in off the field and in the meeting room. They're working very hard and competing with each other, so I think they're making each other better, and that's making the Broncos better."
New beat.
McDaniels and Co. debuted yet another change — a noisy one — at Friday's practice.
Speakers blared hip-hop, rock and pop music periodically throughout the two- hour session, especially during full-team drills. The music — unheard of in the Mike Shanahan era — was intended to simulate crowd noise. The playlist included a mix of genres and eras, including "Beat It" by Michael Jackson, "Live Your Life" by T.I. and Rhianna, Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and two songs by Bruce Springsteen.
McDaniels said playing music was common practice in New England, where he was the Patriots' offensive coordinator.
"Once you start playing, it's noise, and they treat it just like crowd noise," McDaniels said. "I think they got excited, while they were stretching, because they knew it would be some different types of music. But no, it was good."
New-look linebackers.
Converted defensive end Tim Crowder and rookie Robert Ayers were the outside linebackers with the first-team base defense throughout Friday's practice.
That left Elvis Dumervil and Darrell Reid playing on the second unit.
"It's really not a first-team, second-team or whatever, it's just putting guys up and seeing who they fit with the best," Crowder said. "We'll see when the pads come on. This is sandlot football right now. When the pads come on, that's when the real football starts, and that's when the depth chart and all that stuff will figure itself out."
Footnotes.
Starting right guard Chris Kuper was excused from practice Friday to get married. "He might be nervous, but he's not holding out," McDaniels joked. . . . Running back Ryan Torain participated in the full practice wearing a brace on his left knee and an orange jersey. Torain, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL last November, participated in individual drills. . . . Linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Boss Bailey and wide receiver David Grimes were held out of practice because of injuries. . . . The team signed center Blake Schlueter, selected in the seventh round (225th overall) from TCU.
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