Denver Broncos Training Camp 2010: Five Broncos having a great camp

Training camp! Denver Broncos QB Brady Quinn and WR Matthew Willis line up for a drill as fans watch on Wednesday, August 3, 2010 (BroncoTalk.net)

It’s training camp — time to step up or shut up, as the football gods would say, and some Denver Broncos have insisted on the former.

The Broncos are one week in, and we’ve been able to watch and take notes on every practice the Broncos have held to date. Now, it’s only one week of practice — there’s a lot of football still to be played, so take this for what it’s worth — but here are five guys who have most surprised us with a number of great practices, and who have impressed us enough to raise our expectations for them in 2010.

(Check back later for the other end of the spectrum: five Broncos having a not-so-great camp.)

WR Matthew Willis

He’s easily been the surprise of training camp, coming up from the Broncos’ practice squad to start in Week 17 last year only to improve upon that statement this training camp. We’d be so bold as to say Willis has been making a strong argument for a starting spot this year. Yes, Matthew Willis. Starting spot.

Receiver Matthew Willis has been the big surprise of 2010 camp (BroncoTalk.net)

He has made the toughest catches in camp, time after time, and — perhaps more impressively — shown that he isn’t afraid to get in his defender’s face and go after an off ball, if only to bat it down and ensure his opponent doesn’t come up with the interception. Those plays all occur with a body adjustment he has to make in a fraction of a second. That’s the type of move you usually only see grisled veterans make. Which is appropriate: by the way Willis talks, he’s been soaking up everything his more experienced teammates have been telling him like a sponge, and his work ethic is second to none. It’s impossible not to like and root for this kid.

Rookie corner Perrish Cox put on a clinic in Champ's absence, and has been solid throughout camp (BroncoTalk.net)

CB Perrish Cox

The league’s best cornerback over the past decade, Champ Bailey, is sitting out practice, and you — a fifth round rookie — are tasked with filling in his shoes. How do you perform?

How does hauling in two interceptions and a number of pass breakups in team drills sound? That’s exactly what Perrish Cox did, and he’s rightly usurped more experienced corners for Champ’s vaunted backup left corner spot on the depth chart because of it. In addition to his coverage chops, Cox has been the smoothest and most dangerous returner of the Broncos’ bunch in special teams work, displaying a deceptive quickness in his cuts with little wasted motion.

Ryan McBean had a strong camp in 2009 as well; hopefully the defensive end can continue that production late into 2010 (BroncoTalk.net)

DE Ryan McBean

The Broncos paid defensive end Jarvis Green $4.5 million in 2010 alone to come and make a difference on their defensive line, but so far it’s been 2009 starter Ryan McBean taking the first-team reps. And for good reason — McBean has shown to be tough to contain in both his pass rush and run support. Some of these plays he’s been making on his own, tossing around opposing offensive linemen in one-on-one drills, but his tenacity is amplified in team drills, especially since big Jamal Williams has arrived to open things up for him. With Green, Williams and Justin Bannan in the rotation, and McBean looking better than ever, we expect a big year out of this defensive line.

Jarvis Moss is looking for redemption in 2010 (BroncoTalk.net)

OLB Jarvis Moss

It’s unfortunate Jarvis Moss suffered a broken bone in his left hand Thursday, because the outside linebacker was beginning to bear the fruits of his oft-discussed offseason labor. Coaches have praised Moss’ work all offseason, and one could easily discern a difference between his attitude and work ethic in 2010 from that of a year ago (you may recall Moss didn’t show up in training camp’s early days, reportedly contemplating retirement).

Moss has been the Broncos’ sack-happiest defender in practice throughout the week. He still needs work getting off his blocks: in particular, he’s still figuring out how to get under his blocker’s push when he’ll get out-leveraged, stood up, and taken out of plays. But if Moss can play with a club cast like reports have suggested, and if he comes back with the same motivation he had prior to the injury, there’s potential for a breakout year from the 2007 first round “bust.”

Another year in head coach Josh McDaniels' system has quarterback Kyle Orton looking better than ever (BroncoTalk.net)

QB Kyle Orton

The difference between Kyle Orton now and Kyle Orton a year ago isn’t all that dissimilar to the difference between he and backups Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow, and Kyle Orton has clearly and consistently shown to be the superior thrower in every practice to date. He has a better understanding of the nuances of Josh McDaniels‘ system, he’s quicker in his reads, and his arm (and it’s possible this is a product of these other improvements and only our perception) is stronger than ever. He has the best deep ball accuracy of the group (a product of his experience with the timing of these throws) and the best throwing motion in general, particularly in the speed of his delivery. His arm isn’t the strongest of the group, but it’s strong enough. He makes all of the throws. He isn’t the most mobile, but he’s getting the job done better than either of his counterparts, and better than he was this time last year.

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (BroncoTalk.net)

Honorable mention: Rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was struggling with catching the ball to start training camp, but came on strong (very strong) over the last few practices. He thrilled the crowd with a pair of touchdowns at INVESCO Field Saturday before limping to the locker room with a foot/ankle injury. Hopefully the prognosis will be good, because Thomas was just starting to show the type of potential for which the Broncos drafted him 22nd overall: playmaking not just in the distant future, but in 2010.

And if he can come back, it’ll likely be the best of he, Willis, and Brandon Lloyd (who’s also having a good camp) for that #2 WR spot. That sounds pretty good to us.

If you’ve been at training camp, who has impressed you? To everyone, who are you hoping breaks out in 2010? Dish it out in the comments.