Training Camp Update

The Broncos have completed their first week of training camp, and there are a few key dates coming up in the next week. On Saturday, the Broncos will conduct a scrimmage at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (How ridiculous is that?) that is open to the public. Next, a week from Thursday the Broncos will head to Chicago to take on Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and the Bears in their first preseason game. As training camp continues to unfold, let's take a look at how the first week went down at Dove Valley, and let's examine the buzz around Broncos camp.


1) The first topic when you talk about Broncos training camp is Peyton Manning. It was pretty surreal to watch Manning trot out onto the field last week on the first day of practice for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos drew over 4,000 fans for that first day, and they gave him a pretty nice ovation when he came out. I was watching the coverage on NFL Network, and it was pretty cool to see it all go down live. I kept seeing John Elway on the sidelines watching practice, and I kept thinking about how cool it is to have witnessed Elway's career as a player now mesh with Peyton Manning's career. Anyway, the reports have been solid about Manning's performance in camp. From what I have seen and read, Peyton is throwing the ball well, and he looks good in all drills. There is still a lot to be determined on Manning, and we will find out more once the preseason starts, but the early returns are in, and Manning seems to be on the right track for 2012. One thing that is so refreshing for me is that the daily updates are so enjoyable to follow. You read about how efficient Manning looks, and how he is in total command of the offense. It is such a far cry from last year's training camp when I would hang on every completion or incompletion that Tim Tebow made on a daily basis.

2) One of my other favorite storylines involves the fight for the backup QB job. People have really commented on how Brock Osweiler looks really good in practice. Osweiler could be sneaky good in a few years, and if he progresses according to plan, then he is the first guy up when Peyton retires. Reports have said that he has been so impressive that he might have the inside track on the backup job over Caleb Hanie. That is fine with me because if anything happens to Manning this year, then you might as well get Osweiler up and playing. Did you see Hanie fill in for the injured Jay Cutler last year in Chicago?

3) Ronnie Hillman is going to make an impact this year for the Broncos. As long as he stays healthy, Hillman is going to be a major factor in this offense. People have been raving about Hillman's speed, and you can just see that he is going to get a chance to make some plays starting in Week 1.

4) One of the biggest positional battles in camp was revolving around the defensive tackle position. One name that got lost in the mix in the offseason was Mitch Unrein. Unrein was a spot player last year on the defensive line, but reports are coming back that he is having a good camp. Justin Bannan injured his calf early on, and Unrein has been getting some reps with the first team. It would be a great story if Unrein stepped up for this defense, but the jury is still out, and let's see what happens once the preseason games commence.

5) Here is the one guy that might make a major impact from this year's draft class: Danny Trevathan. I love the name, and he might be a player. Although he is a bit undersized, Trevathan is getting some time with the first defense, and he is also seeing a lot of time in the nickel defense as well. The way the NFL is played nowadays, most defenses are in their nickel defense, so Trevathan might be on the field a lot more than we originally thought. He is definitely someone to watch as the preseason games get going.

6) There are two storylines emerging in the secondary from the first week of camp. The first one involves Rahim Moore. The top rated safety in last year's draft was a bust in year one. Moore looked lost, and he couldn't tackle a soul. The one bright spot for him was his ability to perform backflips for the fans in the endzone after the Broncos defeated the Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Game. Moore has gotten some rave reviews from teammates thus far in camp, and he looks like he is going to lock down the other safety spot alongside Mike Adams. The other storyline in camp involves Chris Harris. The undrafted free agent out of Kansas became a valuable member of the secondary last year with his solid play in nickel packages. With the additions of Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence, many thought that Harris could see his playing time diminished. Harris has looked really good so far in camp, and that is a great sign for Broncos fans. You can have too many playmakers in your secondary in today's NFL, and  if Harris continues his stellar play, it will only help the Broncos defense improve even more in 2012.