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NFL Training Camp Day: Denver Broncos Day 18 news and notes

News and notes from day 18 of Denver Broncos Training Camp.

By Scotty Payne
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Day 18 of Denver Broncos Training Camp just wrapped up earlier today. Today we have a trio of defensive backs returning to practice, Von Miller doing Von Miller things, Ronnie Hillman and Bennie Fowler impressing, an update on Spencer Lanning, and more!

Bennie Fowler continues to look good:

Wide receiver Bennie Fowler has quietly been having a solid Training Camp and has caught the eyes of coaches and media.

Fowler is coming off a solid performance against the Seahawks. He hauled in 3 receptions for 67 yards, which included a 40+ yard reception from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian.

Coach Kubiak had some nice things to say about his young receiver.

"I think that you guys see it just like me. He's had a good camp. The strength of his camp has probably been the last two weeks. In the game, he played really well. He played well on special teams and you saw him practice today. It's interesting, young players see the light and say, 'I can do this. I can contribute.' It's fun to watch that light go on. Bennie is doing a good job right now and needs to keep coming, but is doing a very good job."

The 4th and 5th spots at wide receiver, and it's starting to look like Fowler might be getting one of them. His competition includes Andre Caldwell, Jordan Norwood, Solomon Patton, and Nathan Palmer.

Ronnie Hillman pushing Montee Ball for the number two job:

Running back Ronnie Hillman continued his strong summer today having another great practice.

Hillman is coming off a solid performance Friday night. It's clear he's pushing Montee Ball for that 1b/backup running back spot.

"Ronnie is another player that has had a good camp, so he's playing good." said Kubiak "Those things transfer. He's working hard for Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis on special teams, too. I see a hungry guy. I think that with he and Montee, it's a very competitive situation, and every time that C.J. gives them a few extra reps, they're taking advantage of it in my opinion."

The interesting note here was Hillman doing special teams. I couldn't find exactly what he was doing, but my best guess would be as a returner(either punt or kick). This will be something to keep an eye on for sure in the coming days/weeks.

Von Miller looking awesome:

Von Miller taught youngsters Ty Sambrailo, Max Garcia, and Matt Paradis a lesson during one on one drills today.

Von appears to be in the best shape of his life right now and it's showing on the field. His explosiveness, strength, and overall athleticism should have Broncos fans excited for his play in 2015.

Defensive Player of the Year and the sack record? They all could be Von Miller's by the year's end.

Spencer Lanning kicking off?:

The Broncos added punter Spencer Lanning on Friday, and today he practiced with the Broncos for the first time. According to onlookers, he looked pretty good kicking the ball off today.

If Lanning can prove he can kick the ball of and punt as good or better than Colquitt, he might be the guy who solves our kicking off problem. His history doesn't point to that, but hopefully he has improved.

Speaking of Special Teams, the Broncos unsurprisingly focused on that during today's practice. They had an awful showing during Friday's game, so hopefully they can improve on that.

Injury Report:

  • Cornerbacks Kayvon Webster, Chris Harris, and safety Omar Bolden returned to practice today. The Broncos held Harris out of team drills.
  • Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders(Hamstring) will be held out a few more practices. The Broncos are bringing him along slowly.
  • Offensive tackle Charles Sweeton was carted off the field with a dislocated finger.
  • Cornerback Tony Carter left practice with cramps/hamstring injury.
  • C.J. Anderson returned to practice after tweaking his ankle during Friday's game. He's fine.
  • Linebacker Lerentee McCray and defensive tackle Marvin Austin both continued to miss practice.

Tweets from practice:

Quotable:

Kubiak on the performance of the offensive line against Seattle:

"The first thing that impressed me with the first group was] Matt Paradis running the group. He has to be a quarterback and I know that he has been here a year, but let's remember that he's really a rookie in a lot of ways, too. I liked the way he ran the group. We played extremely hard, we made mistakes, but then we came back to make the next play. I just like our effort and I think that if Matt can hold the group together, we can continue to grow, which is going to be the key. I was a little disappointed in the second group. They played hard, but there are some guys in there that have played some football. Our communication was not really good with that group. We have got to bounce back and be better. I liked the way that the first group played. They'll stay together and we'll keep going."

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