Here are some of the Quotes from Day 1 of Broncos Training Camp --
JIM BATES, ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/DEFENSE --
On the start of training camp -
"It seems like it's been a long time coming. When you go through the OTA's, mini-camp, and then have the vacation as a coach you get used to that vacation and it's been great to be back here a week and just get reorganized for the camp. We'll arrange it so the players come in this afternoon."
More on training camp --
"It's a little shorter camp than we've had before, but we feel good with where we're at with the OTA's, mini-camps, and we're going to be working against Dallas twice a day for two days so we're going to get plenty of work done and the biggest project that we'll have as far as defensive staff, all staff in fact, is making decisions. We're looking forward to making decisions, see who's going to rise to the top and make this football team."
On getting ahead during mini camp --
"I feel real good about it. I feel positive in the fact with what the coaches were able to accomplish with their individual positions, the total concept, team concept of being accommodating at the position. We're as far ahead as I've ever been at this time with a new team. So we feel very comfortable going into camp."
On the size of the defensive line --
"I feel real good about it. Size has always been important for the inside-tackle position, and we've increased the size so we can play with more strength up front, let our linebackers run. We're comfortable with our defensive end and secondary, and going into camp we're very optimistic with what we have to work with."
On the rookies progress --
"It's always important. We should see steady progress. We have a lot of patience. We've been around rookies before. We've already made progress in mini-camps and we're looking forward to seeing where they're at, and where they'll be when we start the season."
On his feeling of each position --
"Yes, I feel very confident in all the positions right now. It's one of the positives that we have going into camp, that we have a lot of competition... fighting for positions and spots."
On standout guys --
"Well, it's wide open. There are a lot of positions that are wide open on this football team. Curome Cox has looked good. Quentin Harris, Cargile, Abdullah, I mean we've got some guys to look at that have done a great job on special teams and have improved on the practice field so I'll be anxious just to see how that competition unfolds."
On Domonique Foxworth --
"Foxworth is very versatile and has a lot of speed and of course he's our starting nickel going into camp and is one of the finest nickels that I've ever been around as far as my coaching career in the National Football League. We will give him the opportunity to get some practice at the safety position."
On the linebacker position --
"Well it is wide open. The SAM position on defense is as wide open as any. We're going to try as many as five guys, and watch it unfold. We're going to alternate MIKES and SAMS. We're going to alternate WILLS and SAMS and find out what's going to be the best combination for us and it's going to be a wide open competition as we start camp."
On Champ Bailey --
"He could get more balls thrown his way. With the number of passes coming Champ's way, he'll get more opportunities, the more opportunities he's going to have to make the interception. Dre' is (Bly) going to get a lot more balls than he's ever seen thrown his direction, so it's going to be interesting to see how teams are going to attack us with two really good corners."
On the cornerback position --
"We did well. I think it's still a learning process, learning to get all the communication down with the safeties and just get adjusted but he got his hands on the ball a lot, and that's been one of the traits for him over the years. He can play the ball. He's got extremely long arms. He gets the ball up and has made a lot of interceptions over his career, and when you have those big play ability corners and you can create turnovers, it really helps your chances of winning a football title."
More on the linebackers --
"They'll be moved in and out especially these first two weeks, into the San Francisco game. There will be a lot of rotation going on until somebody says, `This position is mine', until we see a lot of separation. It's going to take two, three weeks, it might take four weeks. We would like to have named a starting linebacker going into that Cleveland preseason game, and it may happen sooner than that."
On Nate Webster --
"Yes, he will be, and he had a couple days in the camps where we got him out there at SAM."
On D.J. Williams --
"Of all the young linebackers, and of course I've had some great MIKE linebackers through the years, we've been very fortunate. He looks very comfortable. He has taken control, and he has a patience about him that we really appreciate. He's done a lot of extra studying to be as good as he can be at that position. You can't tell in shorts, but just watching him and how he handles himself, how he plays with leverage; how he understands the scheme we couldn't be more elated."
On his training camp hours --
"All the coaches will be spending a lot of hours. I'm an early person so I may leave a little earlier at night, of course we don't get through with out meetings until 9:30, then we have a staff meeting, but we'll be spending 16-18 hours here on a daily basis. It'll be between 4 and 4:30."
More on training camp
"When you go into camp it's just like starting the season. It's a lot of repeat. That's the one good thing about having the OTA's, having mini-camps. It's repetition. 85% of the playbook is in. The players are hearing it for the second, third, fourth time, and it's a lot of repetition, but there's a lot of organization going into it, but there's a lot of film study. We've got to study and know what every player as far as what he did on a daily basis in his practice. So that takes a lot of film dealing by all the coaches and determining who's making progress so we can adjust the order on an everyday basis."
On the competition training camp brings --
"Well during camp we'll be working three teams on a consistent basis, especially early in the camp. We'll be working them in and when the individual player get the opportunity because he's going to be watched every single play he makes, every individual period he goes through will be a total evaluation ongoing."
On veterans practicing once a day --
"We'll have a few of those guys...Ebenezer (Ekuban) but they'll be getting conditioned. Sam Adams is the same. He'll be getting conditioning with Rich Tuten and his staff. John Lynch, Champ Bailey, Nick Ferguson coming off the injury. So we do have a number of guys that will be getting one practice a day."
On contact hitting during training camp --
"Well we will have some hitting. We will be in shorts and shells a lot to protect the players, but when we put the pads on is when we want to see a full rehearsal, to see where we're at, and we've got to take advantage of those pad days especially the physical part and the running game and in the pass rush with the pads on."