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NFL training camp 2015: Denver Broncos Day 3 practice report

Quarterbacks did not have their best showings on Day 3 of Broncos training camp. That and more below.

By Jon Heath
(Jon Heath-Mile High Report)

Note: I apologize for this report coming so late today. My laptop broke this afternoon and that has slowed me down. Thankfully, my sister Krystal is in Denver with me, so I will be able to use her computer.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler has good days and bad days. Today was not his best day.

The Broncos returned to the practice field in front of 3,786 fans who showed up despite the blazing heat. It was worth it (especially for these two young fans), because Sunday was action-packed.

Full practice report below.

Sunday news report

The team tried out University of Kansas receiver Nigel King (6-3, 210 pounds), but chose not to sign him. The team also announced that they have signed offensive tackle Charles Sweeton and designated tackle Connor Rains as waived/injured.

Attendance and injury report

Rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman (ACL), receiver Kyle Williams (Achilles), offensive tackle Connor Rains (foot), and tight end Marcel Jensen (soreness) did not practice.

Defensive end Antonio Smith was back on the field after missing Saturday's practice for a funeral. Defensive end Malik Jackson (calf) was in pads, but spent most of his time with the trainers. Running back Jeremy Stewart (hamstring) also spent time with the trainers, as did Smith.

Linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan were limited. Receiver Demaryius Thomas was also limited.

Quarterbacks report

Even Peyton Manning makes mistakes. During 7-on-7 drills, Manning was intercepted on a short pass by safety T.J. Ward, who ran it all the way back to the end zone. Manning went on to miss on a few throws throughout practice, most of which were presumably caused by miscommunication with his receivers.

Osweiler made a few nice throws today, but he was also intercepted by Curtis Marsh during 11-on-11 drills and later intercepted by linebacker Lamin Barrow. Marsh did not make MHR's pre-camp 53-man roster projection. Making plays in practice will only help his chances. Brock will get a chance to redeem himself tomorrow when he takes reps with the first-team offense.

Zac Dysert made better decisions than he did Saturday, and Trevor Siemian showed off a powerful arm. Both quarterbacks have shown some inconsistency, but Siemian is a good candidate to land on the team's practice squad.

Offensive line report

For the second consecutive day, Ryan Harris worked at right tackle. Coach Gary Kubiak has said that players will be moved around throughout camp, but Harris seems to be the front-runner right now. On the left side, rookie Ty Sambrailo showed signs of promise. He held off rookie linebacker  Danny Mason well in one-on-one drills, blocked DeMarcus Ware well in running players, and held off Von Miller's pass rush in team drills. Chris Clark had a false start in team drills, but did not catch my attention at any other times during practice.

Guard Ben Garland did not stand out in team sessions, but he struggled in one-on-one drills. He was driven backward twice before improving a third time around, holding off a rusher.  Fellow guard Louis Vasquez was impressive again, dominating one-on-one drills.

Center Gino Gradkowski did not catch my attention, but Matt Paradis played well with the second team. Rookie Dillon Day had a forgettable moment when he snapped a ball over Siemian's head, bringing back memories of, well, you know.

Second-year tackle Michael Schofield held up very well against Shane Ray's pass rush in one-on-one drills, and he blocked well with the second-team offense during 11-on-11 sessions. Rookie guard Andre Davis also blocked well in one-on-one drills.

Stock up

Stewart is a sleeper to watch for. He's made great cuts over the first three days of camp and has good speed. Ronnie Hillman has also shown good speed, but Stewart is threatening his roster spot.

Montee Ball, meanwhile, is pushing C.J. Anderson for the starting spot. It's still clearly Anderson's job, but Ball has been powerful during drills and team sessions. He's been running hard.

Rookie receiver Jordan Taylor looked good for a second consecutive day, at one point in practice catching an over-the-shoulder pass with two defenders all over him. If he can play well on special team's, he appears to a practice squad lock at worst, and a fifth receiver at best.

Stock down

Kicker Brandon McManus missed a 51-yard field goal wide left before converting a 48-yarder. Then he missed a 37-yard attempt before converting one from the same distance. Denver does not want to carry a specialist just for kickoffs, so going 1-2 from a distance close to the PAT mark will not help McManus's stock.

Punter Karl Schmitz takes at least two punts to warm up. He was rough on his first two attempts yesterday and struggled again today on his early attempts. But he booted his punts 50-plus yards on his final attempts. He'll need to become much more consistent if he's going to push Britton Colquitt for the job, who consistently punted around 50 yards Sunday.

Ray has not exactly been turning heads. The team's young offensive linemen have held up well against his pass rush, and he hasn't been very disruptive against the run. It's still early, but Ray is nowhere near pushing Ware or Miller for a starting position.

I noticed that . . .

We know that Emmanuel Sanders has blazing speed, so he's not really a candidate for the stock up section. If he was a youngster, though, everybody would be talking about him. He burned Aqib Talib for a deep touchdown pass from Manning today and he consistently gets open on crossing routes.

Todd Davis and Steven Johnson were the inside linebackers during team drills again today with Marshall and Trevathan still recovering.

Defensive end Kenny Anunike looked really good against the run today, and Darius Kilgo has quietly had a good camp early on.

Tight end Virgil Green may be known for his blocking, but he displayed great hands today. Expect Owen Daniels to be the team's receiving tight end this season, but Green could be the team's key tight end for years to come.

Rookie cornerback Lorenzo Doss jumped in front of a Dysert pass to Bennie Fowler during an 11-on-11 session, but the ball bounced off of him and into Fowler's hands, who turned and ran downfield. Fowler made up for it by breaking up Dysert's next attempt.

For the third consecutive day, the team removed their helmets for the last 20 minutes of practice for a walkthrough session. After practice, many players talked and played with their families and children on the field.

Manning walked over to talk to Daniels's family and took pictures with them.

Quick quote

"Off the field, we're really good friends. No bad blood between us," Anderson said of his competition with Ball at running back.

Check back later today for more photos, videos, and stories from Day 3.

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