Training Camp Report – Day 3

Our thoughts and prayers to BroncoTalk writer Jonathan Douglas’ friends and members of the community. The tragedy has put everyone in an understandably somber mood, and there’s just no appropriate transition from something so horrible to something as truly fickle as football.

Here are notes from yesterday’s practices…

The verdict is in… OT Ryan Harris isn’t cutting it at right tackle. Click on the picture and you’ll see what I mean… it only confirms several reports I’ve read of Harris struggling against the #1’s on defense. He was matched up against DE John Engelberger often, including in this picture, and Engelberger got the better of him time after time. Knowing that Engelberger has never been well known for his pass rushing skills (sorry ‘Berger), it’s apparent that Harris will need more time before he can perform at this level. Whether that’s later in the season or beyond remains to be seen, but at least the Broncos received good news today that could help fill the right tackle spot.

Montrae Holland finally returned to the practice field, but only during the afternoon session “jog through,” and only with the #2’s. I’m hoping this means he’s gotten his act together and is taking this job seriously. Showing up twenty pounds overweight is simply unacceptable; I’m glad the Broncos ran him through the woodwork and he now has a chance to re-earn his spot. Expect Chris Kuper, broken hand and all, to slide over to right tackle in the next few days as Holland catches up to speed.

Finally, Tight End Chad Mustard was placed on the PUP list.

Quotes from Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Selvin Young, who had some remarkable runs today, after the jump.

HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On the tempo of the morning practice
“We had some good enthusiasm. For the third day in a row, we’ve gone with pads in the morning and have gotten a lot of work in. This afternoon, we have about an hour and 15 minutes of ‘jog throughs’ offensively and defensively with 10 minutes of special teams. I’ve been pleased with the effort; It’s been good.”

On DT Kenny Peterson
“I don’t know [if he has been] up and down. At the end of the OTA days, Kenny earned a chance to be our starter. We have a lot of competition. We will evaluate this day-by-day, and he is doing a good job.”

On Defensive Coordinator Bob Slowik
“He has been a [defensive] coordinator. He was a defensive coordinator last year; Jim Bates called the defenses. We have gone back to some of the things we have done in the past. I’ve known Bob for well over 20 years. He’s a heck of a coach—one of the most knowledgeable people that I’ve been around. He has done a heck of a job. His players are well-prepared, they know what they are doing and hopefully they keep on getting better.”

On DE Ebenezer Ekuban’s health
“At the end of OTAs he looked a little sluggish. You could tell that there was soreness in the leg area. Since he’s been back, he has looked much better. His legs are back and he is improving every day, so that is a good sign.”

On whether RB Selvin Young is ready to be a starting running back
“Selvin was our starting ruining back for the majority of last season. After [RB] Travis [Henry] got hurt after the fourth game, Selvin was our main guy. He averaged over five yards a carry. He’s about 215 pounds [and in] great shape. There is a big learning curve from your rookie season to your second season, and hopefully he can take advantage of it. Obviously he has a lot more confidence going into his second year, he’s had a good offseason and hopefully it pays dividends for him.”

On WR Brandon Marshall
“He just has to get back into football shape. Anytime you miss all of those OTA days and the majority of the offseason program, it takes some time to get back in football shape. He hasn’t skipped a beat, he’s making plays left and right and he is just going to keep getting better and better as his body gets back into football shape.”

BRONCOS RUNNING BACK SELVIN YOUNG

On how he is feeling
“I am feeling pretty good, really good actually. I’m healthy. My recovery time is great right now. One of my main focuses is my body, breathing and just being able to last.”

On being challenged for the starting job
“My focus is always in front of me. If a guy got passed me, I am probably going to be on the bench. I have to look at everything in front of me, and the time is now. I have to believe in what is happening right now and right now I am getting the opportunity to go out and lead the football team to some victories.”

On his mindset this year compared to last
“Mindset can never change. One thing you can’t do is get complacent. When your mindset changes from what got you there, you start to decline. [That] is what I have been seeing throughout the course of my life. My biggest fear is to get complacent, and I just hope that I would never leave the mind frame that I had coming in as an undrafted guy. Nobody picked me and nobody thought I could play football. I get a chance to stand here today and believe in myself the same way I did when I played my first game here. My mindset can never change.”

On what he needs to improve on
“I am hoping to improve on my hands and catching the ball out of the backfield and [make] a lot more longer runs. I will be able to see, once we get some game tempo up under us, to see how those areas have improved compared to last season, but I feel like I have put the work in this offseason. I was really diligent about paying attention to the details, and I hope it is going to show once the season starts. I’ve been catching balls, playing with the football, sleeping with the football and just going back to the things I was doing as a little kid. It sounds funny, cliché or whatever, but I kind of put all of my eggs into it. This is what I want and what I believe in, and this is what I want to do.”

On developing confidence
“Last season was really important. Just to get in and set your mind to something. Setting your mind to something and accomplishing it after putting so much work into it is a great feeling. To be able to go start over and put more on myself and demand more goals and to be able to accomplish that this season would be a plus for me. Hopefully it will help me grow and become a complete NFL back.”

On the velocity of Jay Cutler’s passes
“Coach made a comment about trying to catch his 90 mph fast ball. It looks good. He is kicking that leg up and launching it right now. He is going to have a great season. He is a great quarterback and a great leader. He is talking to more and communicating. He seems happy right now, which is one of the best things, and I am happy for him. I don’t get to see it (the football) as much as his receivers, but at five yards away I can tell a little bit more of a difference. It’s coming at me a little bit faster, but that is how you want it. It is going to get there a little faster and he can squeeze it into some tighter spots. Some of those brick hard balls, I saw one today, get in and nobody else in the NFL can make that throw besides (Brett) Favre. He is a great guy, and he is working hard. He is going to succeed in this league.”

On running backs chemistry
“It starts with (Running Backs Coach) Bobby Turner. He is a coach that is going to coach every single player regardless of whether you are the first pick making $20 million or $30 million or if you were the last pick making 200,000. He is going to coach every guy the same way, so no one feels like one guy is getting more attention than another. It doesn’t trickle down to say that this is the coach’s favorite. He tells you right to your face that he wants the best out of you and you need to come out here and compete every day because you job could be gone. It good for me to keep my mindset and my hunger the way it is.”

On breaking a long run during the morning practice session
“It felt good. That is one of the things I have been working on, being able to make more moves down field instead of my legs dying. I had young legs last year, but hopefully I will be able to make some more moves down field and still separate some defenders.”

On his motivation
“There is no such thing as new motivation. It’s the same as when you were a little kid. You are playing out in the street or out in the yard and your parents tell you to play in the grass and don’t tackle on the street. My mindset has been the same. I love this sport, and I feel like I have my mindset in the right direction. I feel like I am accomplishing things. Coaches are believing in me and people who have been established in the NFL are looking at me and giving me opportunities. I feel like I am doing something right with my mindset and my approach to the game. Hopefully I can just role with and be the person I want to be and the person they expect to have on the football field.”

On his speed
“I feel good, my legs and my recovery. I feel like that speed is going to come when your body can recover. Every time I take off and I am going 40 yards and my legs are dying, you won’t be as fast throughout the game. Your speed is going to decline. I was working on a lot of speed and a lot of burning, just feeling the burn in my legs and fighting through it. Hopefully it is going to show in the fourth quarter.”

On his goals for the 2008 season
“I’m not the type of person that stays on one side of the fence my whole life and sees what everybody else sees and tries to accomplish what everyone else tries to accomplish. I’m the guy who wants to get on the other side of the fence and accomplish what other people never reach for. If I can get on the other side of the fence and accomplish my goals then it will be a great feeling for me.”