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Horse Tracks: All things Broncos OTAs


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By Scotty Payne
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Clady, Moore and Others return:

There was some familiar faces returning to the practice field Wednesday. All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady was back starting at LT,  and free safety Rahim Moore was back on the practice field and participating in everything

It's good to see Derek Wolfe back out there and looking healthy after a scary injury in 2013.

One name many Bronco fans have forgotten about is safety Quinton Carter. Carter has been dealing with nagging injuries the last two years, and has missed the last two seasons. Carter is a dark horse player to watch during OTA's and Training Camp.

Two key players for the Broncos defense are returning from ACL injuries suffered late in the 2013 season. Those players being Broncos starting Linebacker Von Miller, and starting Cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

It's good to hear that Miller is participating in individual drills in late May. The chances of Von being close to 100% by the start of the season are increasing. It's also good to hear that cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is recovering well from a partial ACL tear. Harris has said all offseason that he expects to be ready for the season opener against the Colts.

A First Look At Some New Faces In Orange and Blue!:

Today was our first look at DeMarcus Ware, T.J Ward, and Aqib Talib and others in a Broncos uniform.

DeMarcus looked like his usual dominant self today according to reports. Here's what Independent analyst Andrew Mason had to say about how Ware looked.

1. Defensive end DeMarcus Ware looked like he did in his prime years prior to the injuries he suffered in 2013. With his quadriceps and elbow healed, he consistently exploded off the edge and disrupted multiple pass plays -- and one potential run.

"(Peyton Manning) tried to do that bootleg play that he did on me when I played with the Cowboys -- it didn't work this time," Ware said with a laugh, referring to Manning's touchdown run in Week 5 of last season.

This is exciting to here. If the Broncos can get a healthy Ware and Von going we are going to see a dominant Denver Broncos in 2014.

Safety T.J Ward also made a good first impression today.

According to reports, Ward and Safety Rahim Moore already looked like a pretty good duo out there on the field. Here's what Andrew Mason had to say about the two.

2. In watching safeties Rahim Moore and T.J. Ward work together for the first time, their pre-snap communication stood out. The two had never lined up together with helmets on, but you wouldn't have known it; the two looked as though they had been working as a tandem for an entire season.

"There were some times where things didn't necessarily have to be said, we just kind of vibed off each other's movements on the field," Ward said. "I think we're just going to get better with time."

Moore showed no signs of lingering trouble from the compartment syndrome in his leg that ended his 2013 season in the first half of the Broncos' 10th game, and described himself as "faster and stronger" than he was last year.

These two will be a huge key to the Broncos success on defense in 2014.

It's nice to see Talib in Orange and Blue.

Peyton Manning had some interesting things to say about Talib today.

Take that Richard Sherman

Receiver Emmanuel Sanders turned some heads today as well.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is expected to replace former Denver Broncos receiver Eric Decker as the number two receiver in their offense. According to some this move a downgrade, but according to Cecil Lammey, some people "within the building" believe he's an upgrade.

What do you guys think? Is Sanders and upgrade over Decker?

Speaking of Sanders, apparently he looked fast today.

Count me as one of the people who are really excited to see Emmanuel Sanders in this Broncos offense. Sanders adds a speed element to this offense that was missing last season. Anytime he has the ball in his hands, he has a chance to take it to the house.

And we all know how Gase and Manning love screen passes!

Virgil Green an X-Factor On Offense?:

We all know how the Broncos are loaded with weapons on offense, but could the Broncos have another breakout season from a young tight end?

According to Andrew Mason's reports Green was Manning's most frequent target during today's OTA practices, and Green caught everything that came his way.

I have always been a big fan of Virgil Green, even before the Broncos selected him in the seventh round of the draft. Green blew up the combine in 2011(Watch Here). Green is an athletic freak who has already proven to be a solid run blocker for the Broncos.

I expect the Broncos to try to get him more involved in the offense. Green showed his versatility in the playoffs against the New England Patriots when he rushed for 8 yards and a first down(Watch Here).

John Elway has been saying all offseason that he wants to improve in the running game, and one way of doing that is being in two tight end sets. That would put Green on the field more often. With the defense being occupied by the run fake, and the other weapons I would expect Green to be a dangerous weapon in the play action game. I would also look for him to be a weapon inside the red zone.

Horse Tracks:

  • Take a look at some Day One photos from Broncos OTAs courtesy of the Denver Broncos official site.
  • The Broncos spoke to the media today. Listen to Quarterback Peyton Manning here, listen to Defensive End DeMarcus Ware here, listen to Free Safety Rahim Moore here, and listen to strong safety T.J Ward here.
  • Safety T.J Ward spoke about his incident, and how it was blown out of proportion.
  • NFL.com's Chris Wesseling wrote a story about how Broncos safety Rahim Moore just about lost his leg after last seasons knee injury.
  • ESPN's Jeff Legwold is reporting that the Denver Broncos are expected to have their 2014 Draft Picks signed by weeks end.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer has passed away at the age of 85.
  • Apparently the Kansas City Chiefs are willing to Franchice Tag starting Quarterback Alex Smith at years end. The two sides are in talks about a contract extension.
  • The media keeps making a big deal about Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel going out and having fun during the offseason. Manziel has stated that he's going to "Live his life to the fullest". Do you guys think the media making too much of a big deal about this?
  • Cecil Lammey breakdowns the most intriguing rookie storylines at the Broncos OTAs.

In This Stream

Denver Broncos OTAs: everything you need to know

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