NFL training camp 2015: Denver Broncos Day 1 practice report

Day 1 of Broncos training camp is in the books! Technically, it's not over until this afternoon's walkthrough practice, which is closed to fans, but the bulk of the action has concluded.

It was a clear, sunny day at the newly named UCHealth Training Center, with 4,025 fans in attendance.

Attendance and injury report

Rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman (torn ACL) was the only player that did not practice. Linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan were limited, spending some time on the field and time with the team's trainers. Defensive end Antonio Smith was also limited, as was receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Coach Gary Kubiak said after practice that Smith will be absent tomorrow to attend a funeral and that Thomas will do a little more every day. Kubiak also revealed that defensive end Malik Jackson left practice with a calf strain and offensive lineman Connor Rains left with a foot injury.

Offensive line report

Rookie Ty Sambrailo was at left tackle, Ben Garland was at guard, Gino Gradkowski was at center, Louis Vasquez was at guard, and Chris Clark was at right tackle. More on Sambrailo below.

Peyton Manning report

Manning was his usual self. His arm looked great and he performed well in team drills. There were a few moments of obvious miscommunication when Manning expected his receiver to do something else (Chris Harris notched an easy interception in light drills when Emmanuel Sanders cut a route inside and Manning threw a pass outside). Overall, Manning and the receivers appeared to mostly be on the same page, and they'll get better as camp goes on.

Stock up

It's early, but several players had nice showings on Day 1.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler looked calm and comfortable, at one point in practice extending a bootleg rollout before hitting a receiver down field for a completion. He protected the ball well, too, later tucking and running when the secondary locked down his receivers. Osweiler also completed a few tight passes, which was nice to see.

Linebacker Shaquil Barrett originally lined up across from DeMarcus Ware at outside linebacker (Von Miller later replaced him). Barrett played well in both time spent with the first- and second-team units. Defenders are not allowed to touch QBs in practice, but Barrett would have had at least two sacks (one on Zac Dysert and one on Trevor Siemian) in game situations. Barrett also set the edge well against the run.

Stock down

Sambrailo struggled.  During 7-on-7 drills, Ware easily beat the rookie tackle for what would have been a sack in a real game. Later, Sambrailo was pushed backward on a running play. During the team's light session toward the end of practice, he had a false start.

But it wasn't all negative for Sambrailo, as he blocked well on various occasions of both pass protection and running plays. A young offensive tackle struggling may sound alarming, but it was also Day 1. Sambrailo has time to improve.

I noticed that . . .

Tight end/fullback hybrids James Casey and Joe Don Duncan did some work with the running backs, offensive linemen, and tight ends. Both Casey and Duncan ran smooth routes and had good hands on Day 1, which was not surprising to see from the versatile tight ends.

Speaking of tight ends, Manning connected with Owen Daniels several times early in 7-on-7 drills. Daniels appeared to be the No. 1 tight end with Virgil Green the No. 2.

Receiver Cody Latimer beat Harris on a comeback route.

Running back Jeremy Stewart made some nice cuts in team drills and showed good speed. C.J. Anderson ran with the first team, and Montee Ball was worked in. Ronnie Hillman ran with the second team.

With Marshall and Trevathan limited, Steven Johnson and Todd Davis played at the inside linebacker positions.

Marvin Austin Jr., Sylvester Williams, and Derek Wolfe appeared to be the team's three main defensive linemen. Kubiak said on Thursday that the team will treat Wolfe as a Week 1 injury, allowing him to have a normal, productive camp. Update: I mistook Vance Walker for Austin during the early days of camp.

Kickers Brandon McManus and Connor Barth handled kickoff duties as undrafted rookie Karl Schmitz looked on. Schmitz was not given an opportunity to kickoff, but he appeared eager to get in. Both McManus and Barth converted on field goals in situational drills.

Quick Quote

"I liked the way we approached it today," Harris said of Kubiak's practice structure. The team removed their helmets for a 20-minute walkthrough session at the end of practice, something new to the team.

Check back later today for more quotes, photos, videos, and stories from Day 1.