Ten Thoughts on the Broncos' Latest Minicamp

The Broncos recently concluded their minicamp, and while there is still some uncertainty surrounding this team, a lot of positive came from it. 

The first mandatory offseason camp of the offseason has been surrounded with a lot of hype given the huge turnover this team has seen the last two years.  Without guys like Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, those who follow and cover the Broncos are seeing a completely new brand of football, especially now that the roster is almost entirely made up of players who fit the criteria required by the Broncos front office.

This camp concluded not really answering anybody's uncertainty, but it brought about a few new perspectives and some interesting developments. 

Follow me for my thoughts on the Broncos' first mandatory minicamp of the 2010 offseason...

This is by far the most exciting news to come from camp.  Well, maybe not "by far", but it's pretty darn close.  Dumervil led the NFL in sacks in 2009 as we all know, and he has shown nothing but class this offseason.  He is due for a contract extension, and if he doesn't receive one by the time the regular season starts, I'll be quite surprised. 

I say he "bucks the trend" because restricted free agents all around the NFL are seemingly having trouble doing what Dumervil did.  He showed--in my opinion--a great faith gesture in not only his agent but the Broncos front office to get a long-term deal done.  It's not often the NFL's sack champion is willing to sign a one-year contract for just over three million dollars, and not many players in general are willing to do it in the midst of a potential lockout in 2011.

Dumervil has shown me something this offseason simply by showing up to all of these practices, and he obviously wants to be a Bronco long term.  Git 'er done, fellas.

2.  Jarvis Moss finding a way?

I love this kind of stuff.  Regardless of whether or not you even care about the guy anymore, it's encouraging to read the words "Jarvis Moss working with first team defense" after all he has been through with this team.  Two injury plagued seasons, struggling to make the roster, rumored retirement--this guy's three years in Denver have been nothing short of disappointing.

It's refreshing to see some positive news coming from Jarvis' camp.  He has reportedly been whipping his butt into shape this offseason, is attending three times as many meetings and OTA's as he has in his entire career, and the hard work has paid off.  Though Moss is a slender 6'7" 245 pounds, I really hope the guy makes some strides when the pads get strapped on.

After all, some have been talking of how the depth at OLB on this team is questionable, and a healthy, focused, and determined Jarvis Moss would be just what the doctor ordered.  He didn't suddenly become a bad football player, he's just never been able to put it all together. 

Regardless of your optimism or pessimism, this news is encouraging. 

3.  The Wide Receiver Corps is as Balanced as I've Seen it in a While

No Brandon Marshall?  No problem.

Andrew Mason indicated that first round pick Demaryius Thomas showed "great" work on running routes, and while it's still very early, the reports indicate that Thomas is a beast.

And this one has speed. 

Walter Football's analysis that Thomas is a receiver who "can't run routes or catch" is astounding to me.  The guy had over 1,200 yards receiving on a team that passed the ball maybe 80 times last season.  Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but nothing more than that.  Thomas has breakaway speed, huge hands, is a deep threat, and he is smart.  This guy will be a stud for a while in the league.

Matthew Willis continually made headlines on the Denver Broncos Blog daily reports.  He is also a factor on special teams, so when you are projecting rosters, it might be wise to reserve a spot for Matthew Willis. 

Kenny McKinley had positive reports.  Eddie Royal had positive reports, and apparently is the new and improved Wes Welker.  Jabar Gaffney could be a "breakout" player according to nearly every magazine I have read.  Brandon Lloyd is making more and more circus catches.  Eric Decker is nearly ready to get on the field. 

Like it was discussed on Max Denver, the receivers are very balanced and that will be tough for opposing teams to plan for.  Andrew Mason compared our group's style to that of the New Orleans Saints.  I am excited for this to develop.

4.  People Picking of Passes

Perrish "Doctor" Cox--and yes, I am now giving him the nickname Dr.--was repeatedly mentioned as making plays for the defense and picking off passes.  Alphonso Smith reportedly had an interception every day.  Word is, he just caught another one. 

The list goes on, but one thing that McD and company set out to do when they arrived in Denver was upgrade and continually add quality depth to our defensive backfield.  He has done just that.  We have what I believe to be the NFL's best mix of veterans and young guys, and essentially the best secondary in the league. 

I think with the new and improved defensive line, this group only becomes stronger. 

5.  Robert Ayers in and out of the Kennel

For a while, nothing could touch Robert Ayers.  He was on the good graces of everyone on the coaching staff and in the media.  The positive press was flowing like the salmon of Capastrano.

And then all of a sudden he was gone, and Josh McDaniels wouldn't discuss it. 

Then he was back, and everything was peaches and cream.  Whatever the case, it's good to know that Kevin Alexander (no offense, dude) will no longer be taking first team reps.  I know that McDaniels' motto is "the best player will play," and if Alexander winds up playing, I'll defer to his knowledge, but if that happens we could be in some serious trouble.

Ayers is a guy I loathed entering the 2009 draft.  I didn't like the idea of a project player converting from end to linebacker, and I didn't like the idea that he was a one year wonder.  I also didn't like that he had work ethic problems, and I personally thought he played his senior season for a big paycheck.

Ayers' first season is being called a disappointment, but he wasn't on the field enough for me or anyone else to make that assumption, and to my knowledge, he wasn't held away from action last year due to lack of talent. 

His playing time progressed as the year progressed, and as he became more comfortable.  Now, Ayers' coverage skills have improved and he is ready for the big dance.  A lot has been said about the Broncos' 2009 draft class being horriffic, but it's far too early to make that judgement. 

6.  Knowshon ain't no Shonn, but he might be better

Shonn Greene has taken the NFL by storm--without doing anything (except once donning the black and gold of Iowa).  Greene had a nice post-season for the New York Jets, and all of a sudden he is being rumored as a Fantasy must-have. 

I'm buying, but there's another second year back that I might just take before Greene, and that's Knowshon Moreno.  Word out of camp is that Moreno is catching the ball better than he has before, he's more comfortable in the offense, he's hitting the hole harder (yes, I know--that's what she said), and those were all things we could tell hindered him in 2009.

Moreno isn't the fastest back, but he's powerful, smart, and a very high effort player with superb versatility.  Some are predicting a 1,300 yard season with double digit scores.  Not considering his receiving numbers could be quite nice.

7.  Tight Ends dropping balls?

There seems to be a sudden craze surrounding our tight end position, in particular a concern with them catching passes.  This is possibly something to read into, but I'm going to make my judgement when I see it at training camp.  Daniel Graham has had some previous problems with his hands in Denver, Richard Quinn caught 12 balls in college, but both Riar Geer and Marquez Branson were pass receiving machines in college.

This could potentially be something to watch, but at least we know the blocking will be fantastic.

8.  I heart the offensive line

There is uncertainty here, to be sure.  Ryan Clady is--at least reportedly--a couple of months from full recovery.  Based on  the time of the injury and recovery time predicted by a surgeon I play basketball with, Clady should be able to work out by the mid-late portions of August.  Even if he's not ready for the start of the season, I think the Broncos will have him by sometime early this season.

I'm no doctor, nor do I claim to know more than them, I am simply just passing along information I've been given. 

Ryan Harris made a return to the practice field, which is encouraging.  His toe injury could flare up, but let's hope that he takes it nice and easy and the medical staff doesn't let him push anything he's not ready for. 

I really like the Zane Beadles pick.  I know he's missed some blocks, but crap happens, and he's new to the game.  He was dominant in college, and he will be a good left guard in the pros. 

Oh, by the way, we signed right guard Chris Kuper to a five year extension and paid him some nice coin.  Kuper struggled last year, but the front office and coaching staff have incredible faith in him. 

J.D. Walton all but locked up the starting center position, which is good.  Reports were that he was making calls already and familiar with everything centers have to do. 

9.  The Quarterbacks

Need I say more?

Apparently, Kyle Orton has been not only a class act throughout this whole quarterback ordeal, he has really stepped up his game.  Perhaps that could be because he has a nice new crew of receivers to distribute the ball to.  Whatever it is, this is an exciting development.

Brady Quinn apparently has a rocket launcher for an arm, but he has a little trouble controlling it.  I still think he was a fine pickup this offseason.

Tebow's leadership, enthusiasm, work ethic, and arm strength have been nothing short of fantastic.  He made a nice throw at the end of a two minute drill into triple coverage, which is good stuff.  He's still having trouble reverting to his old mechanics, but that will come with repetition and time.  I love that he is spending time after practice, after weight lifting to throw a hundred passes (give or take) with "Hands" and Ben McDaniels. 

10.  Colquitt wins punter job

To be honest, I thought this is what should have been last offseason.  I thought Colquitt outplayed Brett Kern, and the punter position was extremely out of sorts last year. 

Sometimes the punting position is overlooked on a football team, but Colquitt's efforts should not.  If he can be an effective punter this season, the Broncos will be far better off.  The game of chess that is football is won in THREE phases of the game, and special teams are absolutely critical. 

Colquitt will have a chance to better a part of a Denver team that was absolutely abysmal in 2009.

Bonus:  We're that much closer to training camp

That's pretty self explanatory.