Denver Broncos Training Camp – 7/31 PM Practice Report

Denver Broncos training camp… News and notes from the club’s second practice. (UPDATED)

As a rookie training camp attendee, I can’t compare these practices to the workouts of old, but I’ve been told over and over again how different things are in Dove Valley. Practices are more physical (see my twitter update about Chris Kuper). They last longer (I’m told, under Shanahan, they were often cut short. Today’s afternoon practice started early and ended late). And the coaches showed no mercy (finishing the session with three sets of sprints after over two hours of physical football).

I love it.

The practice started with the special teams unit running kickoff drills. Eddie Royal and Alphonso Smith took reps returning here, along with Kenny McKinley and Matthew Willis. At one point, the ball got completely eaten up by the strong winds; Royal sprinted forward several yards and made a dramatic last-second catch. Royal was just getting started; he had a stellar day.

Brandon Marshall sat out the afternoon, held out for what the PR guys simply said was a “coach’s decision,” along with the first-rounders and PUP-listers.

Offense

Kyle Orton separated himself from the pack a bit this afternoon, as Chris Simms and Tom Brandstater were both inconsistent. Simms was especially up-and-down; he probably threw camp’s best ball so far, a deep completion to Royal, but he also had several throws bounce uncomfortably short of the intended target. Orton is accurate if not overwhelming.

Royal had several decent-length completions. He looked great in return work and you could even see him coaching some of the rookie receivers a bit. The rookie McKinley also looked good today, at one point just toasting the entire defense, getting well behind safeties D.J. Johnson and David Bruton.

The running backs didn’t get a ton of work this afternoon, but Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan looked good. Peyton Hillis stood out today, especially in passing situations. He was even lined up wide at some points in practce. He’s a weapon, and Coach knows it.

The offensive line looked good overall. From where I’m standing, it’s nearly impossible to get a good look at the individuals on the o-line during team drills. The fans get a much better view. Tyler Polumbus had to do his “walk of shame” mid-practice, running laps around the field closest to the fans. Poor Polumbus.

Defense

Seeing DL Rulon Davis peeing on the side of Broncos HQ because he couldn’t make the extra 10 yards to the locker room is a hilarious, unforgettable sight.

I mentioned earlier that Alphonso Smith had an outstanding morning practice and stood out. This afternoon, he stood out again, but for all the wrong reasons. Whether it was getting buuuurned by the likes of Nate Swift (along with just about everybody else), Smith also dropped at least two sure-fire interceptions, one of which bounced right off his hands and into the hands of one Eddie Royal. Royal turned the short ricocheting bullet into 10 yards. Both the near-picks that I saw looked to be in the mold of poor quarterback decision rather than a good play by the corner.

Tim Crowder lined up at both DE and OLB, and I think he looks the part at linebacker a bit better. He’s a physical specimen alright. At one point I saw Crowder line up at DE and get eaten alive by the o-line. Two plays later he was lined at OLB; he found space in the o-line and burst into the offense’s backfield for what would have been a tackle for loss. It was one of the few big plays I saw from the defense.

I didn’t see anything spectacular from Jarvis Moss, who just played OLB again. But the third-year player impressed me because he didn’t quit. I saw him give real solid effort the full two hours of practice. At one point he got swallowed up by Clady; he kept his feet moving, his arms chopping, and although it took much too long to do anything of merit in a real game situation, he finally got past Clady, before Orton had released the ball yet. Later I saw Moss leap high in the air in an attempt to bat down a pass at the line of scrimmage. Keep it up, Jarvis.

Andre Goodman had some good plays; I like him so far. Between the starting ILB’s, D.J. Williams and Andra Davis, Williams is faster and more athletic and gets to the ball more. Mario Haggan looks good in space. Again though, except for Crowder’s bursting into the backfield (and that wasn’t spectacular by any means), no one in the front seven is making a play.

Speaking of getting to the ball, Josh Barrett was, all day. Nice bounce-back practice for the 2007 draftee.

The D-line drills are hard to grade, but I’ll say that Ronald Fields looks a bit stronger and tougher than Carlton Powell at this point. Powell has him in the size department.

On Saturday there is only practice, starting at 2:30pm MDT. Fellow BT writer Josh Temple will be joining me for the fun in the sun. If anyone was there and has something to add, by all means please do so!