Bronco Players Working Hard, Amidst Lockout

Fitzgerald tweeted this image on Friday which shows himself, Kyle Orton, Orton's father and Eric Decker following a workout.

We are now 93 days into the NFL lockout that has prohibited players from using team facilities and from talking with coaches due to the ongoing labor dispute between the league owners and players.

Denver fans however can rest assured that Bronco players have been working hard preparing for a season, although a shortened one it may be.

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has organized several unofficial team workouts, which all three of Denver’s quarterbacks have attended (never together, however).  Meanwhile, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton has been working out in Minnesota with receiver Eric Decker and Arizona Cardinal’s receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Decker has been working with Fitzgerald for much of the offseason and has also thrown with quarterback Kyle Orton prior to their Minnesota-based workouts.  When quarterback Tim Tebow flew in some of his receivers to Jacksonville in late May however, receivers Eddie Royal (hip) and Demaryius Thomas (ankle) missed due to injuries while Decker was not able to make it due to “another commitment”.

After the jump, we have compiled a list of several Bronco players and what they’ve accomplished during the extended offseason.

• Rookie linebacker Von Miller has been spending a lot of time in College Station, Texas working out with former Texas A&M teammates and learning the in and outs of a 4-3 defense fromDat Nguyen, a former Dallas Cowboy linebacker and A&M’s current linebackers coach.

• Wide receiver Eddie Royal has been recovering from an offseason hip surgery and sounds like he is doing well.  On Thursday, Royal noted on his facebook page that he had just finished running routes in 102 degree weather.  He has also posted images of himself working out in the gym.

• Tebow, as is well-known, has been working out daily.  A recent image captured of himgolfing shows his biceps so large that the legitimacy of the picture has been called into question.  Photoshopped or not, the image doesn’t prove or disprove that Tebow is jacked.  Every Bronco fan knows he is.

• Offensive lineman Zane Beadles told me earlier in the year that he has tried to treat this offseason as he would any other.  “Even though this is clearly not a regular offseason I’m trying to approach it as it is a regular offseason,” Beadles said in March. “This thing could end at anytime and when it does I want to be ready so I am training on my own just like I would always prepare.”

Mays' growth is quite visible, as is seen in this screenshot courtesy of the Denver Post.

• Denver Tight End Dan Gronkowski has been working out with two of his brothers, Chris and Rob, who play for the Cowboys and Patriots respectively.

• Linebacker Joe Mays, who will be competing with rookie Nate Irving for the middle linebacker position, has put on 10 pounds of muscle through working out, but he plans to get back down to 245 for the season.

• Receivers Brandon Lloyd and Britt Davis have been putting in a lot of work, catching passes from all three of Denver’s quarterbacks, and have attended many of the team’s unofficial workouts at the South Suburban Sports Dome.

We assume (hope) all of Denver’s players have been working out and preparing for a season, although it’s impossible to know for sure.  We do know that may of them (including those listed above) have been putting in work, trying to gain an edge over their competition.