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2012 Broncos Training Camp Reports (1 Viewer)

Curious how Gerell Robinson looks and whether or not he will make the 53 man roster.

 
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I missed it today. Hope to catch a bunch here soon though (starting tomorrow, hopefully). I'll be interested to read your thoughts on what we see there!

 
Heard Schlereth (sp) on ESPN say he was just talking to his Bronxo insider and Peyton MannIng looked good completing a bomb to the new Wide Receiver. Was that you Cecil?

 
Thanks Cecil. You are a trooper and a great help to us in the fantasy Football community relating things to Broncos.

How does Demaryius Thomas look in his route running? Making any progress. :confused:

 
Denver Broncos Training Camp Report 2012

Day One, 7/26/2012

QUARTERBACKS

Peyton Manning – He continued the progress he showed in minicamps/OTAs today. Manning started the practice by showing some hand signals and explaining audibles to his other QBs. All three, Osweiler, Hanie, Weber, listen intently whenever Manning takes the time to show them something. He received a huge ovation once he stepped on the football field. Dove Valley had a record 4,371 attendance today and the sidelines were packed with orange jerseys. Manning was peppering passes to the sideline, showing good zip and velocity on his throws. He scrambled once at practice, and threw at least two passes away. If the play is not there then Manning’s not going to force it. However, the throwing windows don’t have to be that big for Manning to fit a pass into the right spot. WR Eric Decker would only get a small crease of daylight when CB Champ Bailey was covering him yet Manning could (and was willing to) fit the pass in. Manning threw deep a few times, hooking up on a couple of big TDs with WR Bubba Caldwell. Most throws were tight spirals and his arm didn’t show any sign of fatigue. Manning even threw across the field to WR Demaryius Thomas on an out route. That is arguably the second most difficult throw to make in the NFL (behind the 25-yard deep comeback). He showed great control on his passes, often putting the ball on the correct shoulder in stride.

Caleb Hanie – Hanie improved his performance today. In minicamp/OTAs he performed poorly, but made a few nice throws during the first training camp practice. He still has an ugly throwing motion but did a good job of getting passes out quickly. Hanie’s best throw was a corner pass to Jason Hill in the back of the end zone. He put touch on it in order to get the pass just over the outstretched hands of the Cornerback. He has decent athleticism but his accuracy struggled when he had to throw on the run.

Brock Osweiler – The rookie looks like a different player now, and an improved one from his time at Arizona State. His mechanics have changed, and he consistently keeps his elbow over his shoulder when he carries through. I liked his improved footwork and he looked good ‘crow hopping’ while waiting for receivers to hit their mark. Osweiler’s arm was showed off with some nice deep passes during the day. He especially looked for his former college teammate WR Gerrell Robinson when the play breaks down. He also hit a deep pass in the end zone with WR Greg Orton.

Adam Weber – Weber struggled most of today, but make a few nice passes towards the end of practice. It seemed like early on his nerves were getting the best of him. Most off his early passes were high and off the mark. He eventually calmed down, but still threw a late interception to LB Jerry Franklin. We’ll see if he can start playing better, but he’s not going to make the roster if he doesn’t improve his play.

RUNNING BACKS

Willis McGahee – The veteran back looked very comfortable out there today. He looked good between the tackles, showing good burst and acceleration. McGahee even made some nice grabs when used as a receiver out of the backfield. There were no pads today, so we didn’t get to see him run over anybody, but he looked like he wanted to a couple of times! Worked with the first team all day long, but he would rotate out when the team wanted Ball, Moreno, or Hillman in the play.

Ronnie Hillman – The team was coaching up Hillman a lot. Even when he wasn’t in the play, coach Studesville would be giving tips to the rookie runner. Hillman worked in with the first team but received the fewest amount of touches behind McGahee and Lance Ball. Clearly the rookie is going to have to earn his spot on the depth chart. He did a nice job of making a positive impression today. He cut more crisply than any other RB on the roster. Hop cutting is the name of the game with Hillman, but he’s DECISIVE and will explode out of his cut. He ran swiftly in the open field and drew some ‘oohs, aahs’ from the crowd today. One anxious Broncos fan even yelled ‘welcome Ronnie!’ when he entered the drills with the first team. Again, no pads today but it’s clear Hillman is intent as a between the tackles runner. He has the speed/burst to bounce runs outside and can be effective on the stretch play. Hillman toys with defenders and it’s fun to watch him at the second level. That make-you-miss ability was on display today and will really be highlighted when tackling is live.

Knowshon Moreno – Moreno got into the drills quickly today. He was cleared to resume football activities for training camp and the team didn’t waste any time seeing where he was at. Moreno seemed to be thinking about his knee, especially after he ran a drill. Most guys would run through and continue after the whistle. Moreno seemed to take it a little easier and didn’t push it after the play. Classic Moreno moment when he almost stumbled while trying to make a cut in drills. I didn’t see a ton of carries for Moreno, but his hands were on display as a receiver out of the backfield.

Lance Ball – Coaches have to love Lance Ball. He’s a lunch pail guy that was getting some carries with the first team, and also was used as a receiver out of the backfield. Ball’s versatility is likely to earn him a roster spot. Even though he’s a straight line guy he flashed a little wiggle in the open field today.

Mario Fannin – I didn’t see much from Fannin today. He was not working with the first unit, but did look swift when in the open field.

Jeremiah Johnson – He may not make the final roster but Johnson will make it difficult. Looks good in space, crisply cuts upfield, and can look in passes in stride. Johnson doesn’t fight the ball when making a catch and that helps him get the most out of a play when he turns to run.

Xavier Omon – Omon will look better when the shoulder pads are on. He’s an inside runner who makes his living between the tackles. He did have to do a cutting drill twice after overstepping the pad on the ground.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Demaryius Thomas – Thomas showed off his great size/speed combination today. He ran an across vs CB Tracy Porter where he stutter stepped halfway through. That created the separation he needed, Manning hit him, and then Thomas turned on the speed. Seeing mostly double teams, Thomas was able to outrun the Safety who originally had an angle on him. TD, Manning to Thomas, and the crowd went wild. Thomas showed good sideline awareness and body control on out routes. He did have one drop on the outside, then clapped his hands in frustration. Thomas knows how important he is to the passing game and doesn’t want to let Manning down.

Eric Decker – Decker made some tough catches today, mostly scooping in low catches where the ball would be complete or hit the ground. The crowd cheered when Decker went up against CB Champ Bailey in one-on-one coverage. Decker doesn’t get open like Thomas does, but Manning is more than willing to thread the needle to Decker. His hands and concentration will make him a trusted receiver for Manning. Not much after the catch with Decker today, we’ll see if that improves during camp.

Andre ‘Bubba’ Caldwell – Caldwell was the star of the day at the WR position. Showed good quickness and deep speed, hauling in two long TD passes from Manning. Caldwell hauled in a deep pass over the shoulder between two defenders. It’s great to see this early chemistry developing between Caldwell and Manning.

Matthew Willis – With the injury and release of Eric Page it’s opened up a spot for another WR to make the team. Willis is fighting for a spot with guys like Jason Hill, Greg Orton and Gerrell Robinson. He made a nice over the shoulder catch on the sideline, and did a nice job of snatching the ball out of the air.

Jason Hill – Hill’s speed was on display. He’s less elusive than others on the roster but can burn downfield in the blink of an eye. Had a nice grab in the corner of the end zone where he was able to get two feet down.

Greg Orton – Orton’s not the same player he was at Purdue. His body type is different (looks leaner) and he’s more than a one route guy. He still runs the comeback perfectly, but also is working well through the rest of the route tree. Made a few deep passes, and did a good job of high pointing passes. Caught a big play in the end zone where he came down with a defender draped all over him. He held the ball high in the air as he lay on his back in the end zone. The crowd went nuts after that play and Orton seemed to feed off of it. Very nice day for him, and if he keeps it up he could make the final roster.

Brandon Stokley – Did not practice today because he had the flu.

D’Andre Goodwin – Had a high snare early in practice. It was a pass from QB Adam Weber, but Goodwin skied up to catch it and was able to haul it in. Looks good on a slant route where he can use his run after the catch ability.

Gerell Robinson – Clearly the favorite target of rookie QB Brock Osweiler. Did a good job of catching passes away from his body, with arms extended fully. His size makes him a nice red zone target too.

Tyler Grisham – Did not make it into my notebook today.

Mark Dell – Wearing the number 15, and looking like Brandon Marshall a little bit on the practice field. Was consistently high pointing passes and did a good job looking the ball in. Dell also showed some wheels after the catch. After going on IR last year perhaps the Broncos will keep him on the Practice Squad in 2012.

TIGHT ENDS

Jacob Tamme – Chemistry and timing with Manning is not a problem. Most catches in stride and in a place where he can do the most with it after the catch. Rarely saw a dropped pass from him today.

Joel Dreesen – Had some cramps spring up around the midway point of practice. Trainers did some stretching with him and he was back at it. Dreesen did have some drops where he was too worried about run after the catch and did not secure the pass first.

Julius Thomas – Thomas was cleared for practice and back on the field today after missing minicamp and OTAs. He’d worked with Manning before (right after the HOF QB was signed), catching passes at Valor high school, and that helped the transition today. His body language was a little hot and cold. He would make a nice catch/run and have a bounce in his step afterwards. Then he’d be waiting…and waiting for his turn and you’d see hands on the hips, head down, almost like he was discouraged. Showed that Jimmy Graham like athleticism when running across the field, had a Hanie pass behind him, simply reached back in stride and grabbed with one hand. Thomas also dove low for a catch on the top of the grass blades, showcasing his amazing athleticism as well. Upside still there, just buried at TE3 right now.

Virgil Green – Had a nice tip/catch to himself and showed some good speed in the open field. Was able to haul in one of those high passes from Adam Weber.

Cornelius Ingram – Does the little things right. Sets up defenders nicely, still has some wheels even after multiple injuries.

Anthony Miller – Did not make my notebook today.

DEFFENSE

LB D.J. Williams was out there with the first-team, but stood by while Wesley Woodyard got most of the reps. Woodyard, Joe Mays, Von Miller were their first LB group.

LB Joe Mays continues to impress me in coverage. He didn’t show this ability last year and has clearly worked on being lighter/quicker in the open field.

CB Drayton Florence did a good job of harassing the WR/TE he covered today. Was knocking away passes and staying with WR Matthew Willis in stride.

DT Kevin Vickerson looks like he’s at least 320 pounds. He’s not soft either. Really packed on the muscle to hold up against the run. Showed violent striking hands in position drills today.

DT Ty Warren is a man among boys (again). This guy just needs to stay healthy. He tossed DE Malik Jackson to the ground and out of his way in position drills, drawing ‘OOOOHHHHSS!!!!’ from his teammates. He also skied (LOL) and swatted down a Manning pass over the middle.

FS Mike Adams is always around the ball. Picked off Manning today, and was generally in the right position on every play.

SS (yes, Strong Safety) Rahim Moore has his confidence back. Playing with more swagger this year, and it didn’t look like he was guessing where to be.

DT Mitch Unrein working with the first-team today next to Warren. Always cheering for a guy from Eaton.

 
thanks for the lengthy write-up, Cecil. I know it takes more time, but I love the non-twitter format.

This has been my favorite FBG thread for the past few years - love it.

 
Cec, thanks for detailed report! Caldwell will definitely be a guy to follow closely, and I'm hoping people are solely focused on Decker/Thomas.

 
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.

From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.

Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.

Thanks!

 
just got home from Broncos Training Camp, lightning moved the practice inside to the practice bubble (I even tried the Thunder Song from TED), got to hang out with the Sklar Brothers and talk fantasy football. :thumbup:

will exhale a bit and get to the report asap!

:banned:

meandsklarbros.jpg

 
Cecil I saw Steph (Fine Ya) Bell post this on her Twitter account.

Stephania Bell ‏@Stephania_ESPN

Chatted with Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas. Rated Achilles at 75% last year, now 100%. Dropped a few pounds too. Feels faster, more explosive

 
Great thread, Cecil. Appreciate all the great work you do.

I have a question about offensive formations. Are they running lots of two tight sets, or more three wide? I assume they're mostly going with one back, but occasionally subbing in Gronk when they want a FB look. Is that correct?

Thanks.

 
Denver Broncos Training Camp Report 2012

Day Two, 7/27/2012

QUARTERBACKS

Peyton Manning – Had to move inside to the practice bubble because of the lightning, and Manning put on a show. Any questions about his arm strength were squelched (again) when he overthrew Jason Hill on a ‘9’ route down the left sideline. He is able to get the defense to jump offsides with his commanding cadence, and did a nice job adjusting to what he saw pre-snap. Executed a picture perfect play action pass to Eric Decker. Pass sailed about 45-yards and split two defenders for the TD. Manning’s window was less than the size of a basketball hoop but he put it right in Decker’s hands, splitting Tracy Porter and Quinton Carter. Plenty of zip on his passes to Demaryius Thomas all over the field. Fantastic day from Manning, Thomas, and Decker.

Caleb Hanie – Okay, he went back to struggling today. Several of his passes were off the mark, sailing high, while some hit the dirt. Early in practice he was getting his head around quickly after the play fake and getting rid of the football. When they moved away from the play action game Hanie really struggled. He would too often hold onto the ball too long. When he did throw he forced ill-advised passes. He was almost picked off by David Bruton twice on passes that never should have been thrown. He was late on a hot read and CB Joshua Moore broke it up. Rookie LB Danny Trevathan picked off Hanie, on a late throw that was intended for Tyler Grisham.

Brock Osweiler – Wow, what a day from the rookie! Yes, he showed some rookie-like qualities as he scrambled twice in passing drills. I felt he was only reading one side of the field before taking off to run. He’s got to fix that, but will get the time to do so. Has a commanding bark, and is already showing WRs where to line up. Osweiler made a Cutler like laser throw to the sideline to Tyler Grisham. The pass darted right between the hands of Ramzee Robinson. It’s almost like Robinson felt he had the pick, but couldn’t close his hands fast enough to catch that rocket. Still throwing with an improved release. Did see Gerrell Robinson on a different page with Osweiler today. Osweiler read out, Robinson cut in and the pass sailed incomplete. As Robinson went back to his former college QB he pointed to his own chest indicating ‘my bad.’

Adam Weber – Struggled again today. Some of his throws almost hit the wall around the field inside the bubble. He was consistently late with his throws, and many throws were low.

RUNNING BACKS

Willis McGahee – Strong day for Willis again. He showed great acceleration as a runner, and had good burst after the catch. I liked the way he was cutting on the turf and did not waste any motion as a runner.

Ronnie Hillman – This was Hillman’s day. He put on a show as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. He explodes out of the cut, and is very decisive with the ball in his hands. Still toying with defenders in the open field. Showed a sick spin move on a screen pass where he accelerated to the corner, made a defender miss with a juke, sprinted upfield 10-yards then spun away from a defender. He showed plenty of speed to get to the corner, and the smallest crease of daylight inside and he would explode through the hole. As a receiver out of the backfield he catches the ball cleanly with thumbs together when the ball comes in over his chest, pinkies together when the ball comes in below his chest. He catches in stride and is able to turn upfield quickly.

Knowshon Moreno – Moreno seemed hesitant when running between the tackles, but showed well as a receiver out of the backfield. Strong hands may not be enough to earn playing time if McGahee and Hillman stay healthy and keep performing at a high level.

Lance Ball – Ball showed burst and acceleration he didn’t have last year. He’s always been a balanced between the tackles runner but really wowed with explosive speed. Doesn’t take long to get to top speed, and was running hard.

Mario Fannin – Fannin has a solid, but not overly impressive day. Still good as a receiving back, but was a little slow to the hole. He needs to be more decisive and trust his eyes if he’s going to be effective between the tackles. Fannin had one nice run at the end of practice where he stretched the play out, planted his foot, then turned on the speed. The guy can flat out scoot for a big man.

Jeremiah Johnson – Ball showed surprising speed, but Johnson (like Hillman) showed BLINDING speed. He is not wasting his opportunity to impress at training camp. He can accelerate in the opposite direction before the defense can adjust to his path. Johnson is also dangerous as a receiver because of his instant burst.

Xavier Omon – A very good day for Omon in the bubble. We all know he makes his living between the tackles, but today showed well when changing direction. Had one play that started inside, he immediately saw no hole available, kicked it outside from the 4 gap to the 8 gap (in one step), then turned on his deceptive speed. That’s not his forte, but he made a nice play that got his teammates fired up.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Demaryius Thomas – Strong day for Thomas. Rarely saw a pass hit the ground when he was the intended target. Showed good sideline awareness, body control, and the vertical leaping ability that could make him a top 10 WR in the NFL. Worked all the routes, drag, sideline, across, post, flag, hook. Had one hook route where he essentially boxed out Tracy Porter, high pointed the pass, then sluffed off the would be tackler and sped upfield. His speed is insane on field level.

Eric Decker – Decker with another great day. Again, caught everything thrown his way. Was scooping low passes, diving for long passes, and caught that beautiful 45+ yard TD pass from Manning. Showing great concentration as the ball went between two defenders. That play happened right in front of me and it was amazing to see the concentration from Decker as he didn’t blink while chaos was around him in the passing window. Tracy Porter was biting on his fakes, which allowed Decker to become more open than he usually is. Decker was also working out of multiple positions, and like Thomas, worked the entire route tree.

Andre ‘Bubba’ Caldwell – Bubba wasn’t the star of the day, and did have a couple of drops, but that doesn’t mean he had a bad day. He was working as a KR/PR and showed good quicks in the open field. Caldwell also was getting in and out of his breaks quickly. Where Decker was getting open against Porter, Caldwell was not. Porter likes to gamble and batted away two passes intended for Caldwell.

Matthew Willis – I would like to see Willis used more as a KR/PR. He had some nice catches today, and showed that blazing speed, body control, and clean route running ability.

Jason Hill – Hill could work as a return man with his speed and open field moves. When Hanie was throwing errant passes, one of the only players to come down with a pass was Hill. In fact, he had to sky over the middle just to catch one. It’s a dangerous play, but Hill showed no hesitation going after the ball.

Greg Orton – Orton was out there, but didn’t make any plays that made it into my notebook.

Brandon Stokley – Back on the field and feeling better after missing yesterday with the flu. Chemistry with Manning evident, has eyes in the back of his head and will turn on his break quickly, get his hands up, and the ball comes to him like it’s in a tractor beam. Will go for low passes and catch them. Stokley best used on short/quick routes, as his age and lack of speed show when he has to run past 10-yards.

D’Andre Goodwin – Ran a nice drag route where he snared the ball, turned upfield and broke off a nice juke move to freeze an oncoming defender. Nice job of turning on his routes, but too often Weber or Hanie were late with the pass.

Gerell Robinson – Made a few catches on out routes. Had the play described earlier where he ran the wrong route with Osweiler throwing him the ball.

Tyler Grisham – Was targeted quite a bit today. He plays like a younger Stokley, determined, quick, willing to sacrifice his body. I like the way he’ll snatch footballs out of the air, doesn’t let them get to his body. Nice quicks in a short area.

Mark Dell – Only one note on Dell today. Had a nice catch over the middle where he squared his shoulders to the line of scrimmage and came back to the ball.

TIGHT ENDS

Jacob Tamme – Working well on inside and outside routes. Like the way he’ll catch a pass in stride, secure it, and turn upfield in a smooth motion. Manning trusts him, and Tamme knows where to be.

Joel Dreesen – Had a drop where he was trying to turn and run before he had the ball secured. Mostly used underneath, but did show some wheels on crossing routes.

Julius Thomas – Seemed to get his leg/ankle/knee tweaked early in practice. Coach Fox didn’t comment on it afterwards so maybe it was nothing. The team might have decided to keep him out of most drills because they were inside on field turf which can be unforgiving on an injury.

Virgil Green – Up and down day. Fought the ball on an out route and ended up dropping the pass. Team came back with the same play the next down and Green caught it cleanly.

Cornelius Ingram – Did not make any notes.

Anthony Miller – Did not make any notes.

DEFFENSE

Champ Bailey didn’t practice today, likely due to the practice surface. He’s healthy and will be ready to go tomorrow.

Quinton Carter hurt his right hamstring slightly on the big play to Eric Decker. He walked off the field and coach Fox didn’t make it sound too serious after practice.

Danny Trevathan has a nose for the ball and baited Hanie into throwing a pick. He stayed away from Grisham, giving the illusion of being open, when the pass came in Trevathan turned on the jets, stepped in front of the pass, and picked it cleanly. He did that at Kentucky too. Nice to see his speed at field level.

Oh Nate Irving. Certainly athletic and could be a quality run stuffer, but he’s just getting outplayed by Joe Mays in both facets (run, pass defense) of the game. Saw a stretch play unfold to Mario Fannin, turned on the speed to get to the play, but ended up overrunning it out of bounds. I give him credit for the quick diagnosis, but he went in too wild eyed. He needs to control that speed better, and time his burst when scraping and flowing to the play.

 
Great thread, Cecil. Appreciate all the great work you do.I have a question about offensive formations. Are they running lots of two tight sets, or more three wide? I assume they're mostly going with one back, but occasionally subbing in Gronk when they want a FB look. Is that correct?Thanks.
We can't comment on specific formations. I will say that multiple formations have been used, but none have stood out as their 'base' formation. They're really mixing it up.
 
Cecil I saw Steph (Fine Ya) Bell post this on her Twitter account. Stephania Bell ‏@Stephania_ESPNChatted with Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas. Rated Achilles at 75% last year, now 100%. Dropped a few pounds too. Feels faster, more explosive
Agreed. Didn't see Stephania in the bubble, but I was solely focused on the practice field. Chatting it up with the Sklar brothers for about an hour too.
 
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.Thanks!
I predict Tamme gets 75+ catches in this offense. Dreesen will get 35, but could be a quality red zone target. There's a chance Tamme outproduces Decker or Thomas in terms of number of catches.
 
Thanks Cecil. You are a trooper and a great help to us in the fantasy Football community relating things to Broncos. How does Demaryius Thomas look in his route running? Making any progress. :confused:
DT ran the whole route tree today. It's a work in progress, but I like what I've seen so far.
 
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.Thanks!
I predict Tamme gets 75+ catches in this offense. Dreesen will get 35, but could be a quality red zone target. There's a chance Tamme outproduces Decker or Thomas in terms of number of catches.
Agreed. The projections I have seen for Tamme seem really low. I think his floor is top 10 TE this year with a top 6-7 ceiling.
 
'ponchsox said:
'Cecil Lammey said:
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.Thanks!
I predict Tamme gets 75+ catches in this offense. Dreesen will get 35, but could be a quality red zone target. There's a chance Tamme outproduces Decker or Thomas in terms of number of catches.
Agreed. The projections I have seen for Tamme seem really low. I think his floor is top 10 TE this year with a top 6-7 ceiling.
Bold calls, gentlemen.
 
'Cecil Lammey said:
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.Thanks!
I predict Tamme gets 75+ catches in this offense. Dreesen will get 35, but could be a quality red zone target. There's a chance Tamme outproduces Decker or Thomas in terms of number of catches.
Appreciate the reports, Cecil. Wish we could have something like this for every team.I would be curious to know what your reception breakdown would be for Thomas and Decker.
 
'Cecil Lammey said:
Cecil, this is an amazing report. Thanks for taking the time.From a FF perspective, it would be great to understand how the TE roles evolve as camp progresses.Tamme's ADP is TE 11 so he is obviously the presumptive number one in the FF community but Dreesen is obviously no slouch. Would love some comments on Tamme's reps vs. Dreesen (at some point) to help forecast their recpts a little better.Thanks!
I predict Tamme gets 75+ catches in this offense. Dreesen will get 35, but could be a quality red zone target. There's a chance Tamme outproduces Decker or Thomas in terms of number of catches.
Appreciate the reports, Cecil. Wish we could have something like this for every team.I would be curious to know what your reception breakdown would be for Thomas and Decker.
Somebody is getting 90 receptions, somebody is getting 85 receptions....today it was Decker's turn to be the featured guy.
 
Good stuff Cecil.....

Big problem for the Broncos the last several years is drilling it into the end zone from close range - any of these RB's looking like they can provide an answer?

 
Good stuff Cecil.....Big problem for the Broncos the last several years is drilling it into the end zone from close range - any of these RB's looking like they can provide an answer?
McGahee and Hillman are both willing and effective inside runners. Problem is the blocking. We'll see if they move Orlando Franklin to OG and Ryan Harris to RT. That could help them plow ahead in short yardage situations.
 
I was in studio this morning, they nixed broadcasting on the weekends from Dove Valley :sadbanana:

Big Mex approved day 3 report here: http://broncotalk.net/2012/07/39261/broncos-blog/denver-broncos-2012-training-camp-day-3-the-manning-to-decker-show/

will be out at Dove Valley tomorrow afternoon, back with the hotness on Sunday night! :thumbup:

sources told me Decker was dominant today. beating Champ in 1on1's.

Brock was looking like a rookie today, had some bad overthrows and picks.

Omar Bolden with at least 2 interceptions.

Rahim Moore with more reps with the 1s because of QCarter's hamstring injury.

Both Hillman and Jeremiah Johnson showed speed to the edge.

Willis McGahee had fresh legs in first day with pads on.

Osweiler threw TD pass to Jeremiah Johnson, mostly run after the catch. 10-yard slant + Johnson's speed = TD

 
Hey Cecil,

These aren't my normal haunts, but I decided to register just to say thanks for all the great Broncos info (TC, draft & other) you share on Twitter and here.

Thanks

Tned

 
Denver Broncos Training Camp Report 2012

Day Four, 7/29/2012

QUARTERBACKS

Peyton Manning – Another clinic by Manning, although Champ Bailey had a stronger performance today. Ran great play fakes, and was able to draw the defense offsides with his barking cadence many times. Throws a nice fade route in the back corner of the end zone and guys like Joel Dreesen, Eric Decker, Jacob Tamme, and Demaryius Thomas took advantage. The wind started gusting towards the end of practice and Manning was still zipping the ball around the field. Manning trusts his arm, and will throw into incredibly tight windows. However, he’s smart enough to know when to throw it away and did that a couple of times in red zone drills.

Caleb Hanie – Hanie had one or two decent plays but for the most part it was a bad performance. Saw something really bad from him when the play would break down and Hanie would essentially give up on the play. Time would be ticking, routes would be exhausted, and Hanie would just stop trying and put the ball down to his side. Tim Tebow held onto the ball about twice as long but at least he would scramble around and try to make SOMETHING happen. Very telling from Hanie. I say plan B at QB is Brock Osweiler. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hanie and Weber are cut at the end of training camp.

Brock Osweiler – I’ve been impressed with Osweiler so far during camp. Yes, he’s got a lot of work to do, but you can see the raw tools the Broncos fell in love with. Still showed plenty of zip, but would like to see him throw with a little more touch. He was firing rockets (that should have been touch passes) to the back corner of the end zone. Most of his passes that are off are too high. These nerves show up every now and again during camp. It’s something the Broncos will continue to work on. He did have a nice underneath pass to Mark Dell but threw it a little behind him and to the wrong shoulder. Just like at Arizona State, Osweiler needs to do a better job of throwing his receivers open.

Adam Weber – another bad day. Many passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Ran in a passing drill, and has trouble finding throwing lanes.

RUNNING BACKS

Willis McGahee – Another solid day for McGahee. Not awe inspiring, but ran tough and took what the defense gave him on every carry. Very little wasted motion from the veteran back.

Ronnie Hillman – Had the best run of the day today. He is not only looking for a cutback lane, he’s always wanting to make a big play with every carry. This is a positive and a negative. Sometimes he’d take a carry too wide on a stretch play waiting too long for a hole that doesn’t develop. Other times he’ll see a lane that very few can see, he’ll hop cut to the spot, run through an arm tackle, then turn on the speed. Had a big cutback run, ran through more than one tackle, kept his feet, then scored what would have been 50+yd TD. Crowd went wild, as Broncos country gets to watch their next great back. Unlike others, Hillman is very good within the box and can run through trash with ease.

Knowshon Moreno – Saw more from Moreno as a runner today, although he did get worked in a lot as a receiver. He even ran a small handful of drills with the WRs. Today was the first day it looked like Moreno wasn’t thinking about his knee. That’s a good sign that he’s getting used to the brace and mentally coming back from his injury.

Lance Ball – Made nice plays between the tackles. Did not show the same burst to the corner that he did on Friday. Pads are on and it’s clear he’s best served as an inside guy. Looks smooth as a receiver out of the backfield.

Mario Fannin – A better day from Fannin, but overall I still say he’s disappointing me so far. He showed good stop/start ability, and can get to top speed in a hurry if he’s got space. However, he doesn’t handle trash at the line of scrimmage well and struggles when running inside if there’s no clear cut hole. Great example of that today when Fannin made a nice spin behind the line of scrimmage but lost all momentum and was promptly swallowed up by the defense.

Jeremiah Johnson – had one of the sweetest runs of practice today. A real ankle breaker who left multiple defenders grasping at air. He bounces outside too often for my taste, but when it works he’s able to get huge yardage. He’s willing inside when he has to, but is always looking for that cutback lane.

Xavier Omon – X-Man is a bruiser between the tackles. Not enough juice in his legs to challenge the edge.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Demaryius Thomas – Started off practice strong today. Catching passes near the sideline showing good body control. Even went low to scoop a couple of low passes today. Caught a nice pass in the back of the end zone, over the shoulder, tracked the ball in and got two feet down.

Eric Decker – Decker once again showing great chemistry with Manning. So many catches snatched out of the air and was used on the entire route tree. Decker working underneath, outside, and deep today.

Andre ‘Bubba’ Caldwell – Caldwell was able to gain separation on Danny Trevathan and took a short catch all the way to the house. Had a pass intended for him swatted away late in practice. It was from Adam Weber, late, and behind Caldwell.

Matthew Willis – Personally I want to see more from Willis. The only note I have about him is a deep pass that was intended for Willis but was broken up by Joshua Moore.

Jason Hill – I like Hill’s speed and burst but didn’t see him targeted much today in team drills.

Greg Orton – The only note from Orton today was a good one. Fingertip catch in the back of the end zone, hauled in the grab and was able to get two feet down.

Brandon Stokley – Made a lot of underneath catches. Not much after the catch at this point in his career, but incredible concentration. Did turn upfield after a quick out and gained some positive yards after the catch.

D’Andre Goodwin – Nice out routes today.

Gerell Robinson – Did not make my notebook today.

Tyler Grisham – I give him an ‘A’ for effort. Just like Friday he made some tough catches, including one for a TD where he took a shot/shove at the pylon but scored anyway.

Mark Dell – Tried to make a few plays but had trouble adjusting to bad throws from Hanie, Weber, and Osweiler.

TIGHT ENDS

Jacob Tamme – High pointing passes, working good on outside, underneath routes and showed good concentration. Made a beautiful one-handed grab near the sideline where he was able to gather it in and get two feet down.

Joel Dreesen – Perhaps the best day of camp for Dreesen today. Showed good hands, good body control, and set up nice routes off play action. Was able to sneak into the end zone untouched off a Manning play fake.

Julius Thomas – he looks bigger and in drills shows good hands and smooth athleticism. However, in team work he’s getting little work. Unsure if the ankle is still bothering him. His body language seems poor, like he’s frustrated with his lack of targets/work.

Virgil Green – Green still fighting the ball. He stabs his hands at the football instead of cradle a pass that comes at him. Not impressed with him today.

Cornelius Ingram – Back in the notebook with some positive observations. Ingram did a nice job running under catches, also went high to snag some passes from Adam Weber.

DEFFENSE

Jeremy Beal showed violent hands when shedding blockers today.

Ty Warren just needs to stay healthy. Man alive he’s a mountain of a man with great functional strength and good first step explosion. Warren flat out abused JD Walton in the pit. It was so bad that charges could have been filed. Warren used a Reggie White like hump move to quickly toss Walton to the side.

Mitch Unrein also got the best of Walton, but not quite as devastating.

Danny Trevathan made multiple plays against the run where he was able to get penetration and stop the play. Speaking of penetration it seemed like Trevathan was also getting QB pressure from the edge. The rookie is very fast and has a good closing burst to the football.

Kevin Vickerson is having a very strong camp. He’s much bigger than he was last year, and it’s not slop, he’s built strong and is pushing guys around. Was able to push back Zane Beadles (like he was on roller skates) and won many battles in the pit. Vickerson also knocked down an Adam Weber pass at the line of scrimmage.

Jason Hunter made a nice play in the pit when he was able to get rookie Mike Remmers up on one leg before he blasted by him. Hunter knocked a Caleb Hanie pass straight up in the air, while it was floating Hanie just watched it careen to the ground. Could have heard the great Tom Jackson say KNOCK IT DOWN!!!1!

Wesley Woodyard struggled in coverage against Eric Decker….wait for it, wait for it……on a crossing route. Good to see that some things never change.

Champ Bailey seemed to get a little banged on a run play but stayed in practice and showed no ill effects. Just like I expected he bounced back today and didn’t let Decker get the best of him. He played strong against Demaryius Thomas too.

Chris Harris was working with the first-team nickel defense. The Broncos just changing things up here, I believe Drayton Florence will win that job by week one.

 
'Tned said:
Hey Cecil,These aren't my normal haunts, but I decided to register just to say thanks for all the great Broncos info (TC, draft & other) you share on Twitter and here.ThanksTned
:banned:thanks for stopping by TNed
 
Cecil,

Look forward to your camp reports every year and really appreciate the effort you put into it. :thumbup:

I don't know how much there is to glean from a couple days' of padded practice, but can you tell how the interior OL looks? That's been a bit of an offseason concern. Also, is it Woodyard and Trevathan running with the ones at Will? Any sign of Nate Irving at Mike or Will? I know you are focused on the offence & fantasy implications, but if you have any info on the above, it's greatly appreciated.

 
I'm wondering if they move Franklin to LG and put Harris at RT with Beadles playing RT on second team offense. Franklin isn't a great pass rusher, and with Peyton back there I doubt he will tolerate many "oh-crap" moments.

 
I'm wondering if they move Franklin to LG and put Harris at RT with Beadles playing RT on second team offense. Franklin isn't a great pass rusher, and with Peyton back there I doubt he will tolerate many "oh-crap" moments.
I like this idea. Harris was a solid, underrated RT for Denver, but injuries have really held him back the past couple years. I'm wondering if Beadles would make a decent swing tackle (leaving him as the top backup at RT), though. Franklin is probably best suited as a guard, imo and it seems to me that Beadles and Walton are a little in over their heads as starting interior OL.
 

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