Adam Gotsis earning rave reviews so far in practice

The word out of OTAs so far is that Adam Gotsis is beginning to realize the potential that the coaches and front office saw in him when they took him in the second round of last year’s draft.

After a slow rookie season in which he was recovering from an ACL injury, Gotsis’ was told by Denver Broncos defensive line coach, Bill Kollar, that he needed to get bigger and stronger; so he did just that.

“I told him, ‘Dude, this next offseason is the most important time of your life,’ ” Kollar said. “‘It’s going to tell if you’re going to be able to play in the NFL or not. You’ve got to get bigger, stronger and faster.’ He was just outmatched last year. ‘If you come in and have the same strength you had last year, you’re in bad shape. I know you’re coming off the torn ACL, so it’s tough, but dude, that’s just tough (stuff). You’ve got to show up and play now or you’ll find yourself out of the league.’”

Gotsis responded to Kollar’s challenge by putting on nearly 20 pounds and his extra off-season work is already being noticed by the coaches.

“Physically, he is definitely a new player,” Head Coach Vance Joseph said of Gotsis. “He’s 300 pounds, probably 13% body fat, which is amazing. He is explosive and athletic. Now he has to get reps and play more. He’s a second-round pick for a reason. That’s what I saw on tape in college, this guy who we’re seeing now. I’m excited about him. He’s finally healthy and you can tell.”

“Last year when he was playing, he really wasn’t himself,” Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Woods said. “When you look at him now, he looks like an action figure.”

Andrew Mason called out Gotsis last week in his practice notes saying he had been batting passes at the line, and over the last few days, reports of Gotsis’ dominance in practice have continued.

DE Adam Gotsis personally wreaked havoc on the No. 2 offense during its move-the-ball two-minute drill period. The offense failed to advance the ball, going four downs and out, and Gotsis directly contributed to a pair of the incompletions, deflecting one pass at the line of scrimmage and generating pressure that forced another hurried throw.

This sort of playmaking has defined Gotsis' work in recent OTAs, allowing him to earn more opportunities -- and even praise from the most demanding (and important) observer: Defensive Line Coach Bill Kollar.

Teammate Derek Wolfe has taken notice as well.

“He’s doing great. I’m really proud of him. He’s really turned it around. Last year, Kollar was on him every day, all day. He’s actually getting a ‘good job’ out of him. It’s good to see him doing well.”

We’ll dig more into his starting opportunities in the upcoming roster review, but it is exciting to hear good things so far from last year’s second round pick. Gotsis’ improvement could very well be the thing that pushes this defense back over the edge of being elite.