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Denver Broncos' plans to turn potential at into production

Jeff Legwold The Denver Post July 27, 2013

It's a statistical line that measures football pain, perseverance and potential. It reads one reception, 5 yards, one tackle and 22 months. That is the road Julius Thomas has traveled into Broncos training camp.

"I don't think anyone was looking forward to training camp more than I was — that's a safe statement right there," Thomas said Friday after practice. "I caught as many bad breaks as you can catch for a while there, at least from a football perspective. But that's how life goes. You ride your highs and you've got to find a way to get through and ride your lows.

"And now I'm here doing whatever I can to do the work, to be ready for the opportunities that come my way. I lost a year and a half, two years. It's time to catch up."

Thomas has had enormous potential from the moment the Broncos selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft after one season of playing at Portland State. Thomas had played four seasons for the school's basketball team — he set a school record for games played (121) and led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances — before deciding to try football.

Thomas then flashed that football potential as an all- selection with 29 receptions. He flashed that potential again during the Broncos' offseason workouts in the spring of 2011 and into training camp that summer.

The Broncos saw possibilities in a 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end who could leave linebackers in his wake and overpower safeties. But then there was the catch, on Sept. 8, 2011, when Thomas was tackled by Bengals linebacker Manny Lawson.

"That's a long time ago," said Broncos Champ Bailey. "In this league that's just a long time, but we've all seen that talent, what he can bring to the table. Now it's just a matter of staying on the field to give yourself a chance to make those plays in games."

Thomas suffered a right ankle injury on his lone career reception and struggled through the rest of the 2011 season. After working out with in March 2012, Thomas decided to have surgery to repair the injury. That led to a missed offseason program, only four games played in the 2012 season and 13 games, including the Broncos' playoff loss to the Ravens, as a game-day inactive. That brings Thomas to this training camp.

"Losing about a year and a half in my development to get to this point, that's tough," Thomas said. "It takes a certain level of confidence and repetition to go out there and feel comfortable with what you're doing.

"Then you get hurt and you lose that confidence of playing the game, you have to relearn everything. I feel like it's just time for me to go out there and do it, stay healthy. I know my assignments, I know what my responsibilities are."

With first-year offensive coordinator calling the plays and veteran Wes Welker added to the roster, the Broncos figure to use plenty of three- wideout formations this season. How much the team's tight ends find their way into the passing game remains to be seen. Last season, the Broncos used a three-wide receiver formation almost exclusively down the stretch. A two-tight end formation was next in terms of frequency.

Last season, Joel Dreessen led the way at tight end with 853 snaps on offense in the regular season. His playing time increased late in the year. He played at least 59 snaps in each of the last five regular-season games and 70 in the postseason loss to the Ravens.

Tight end Jacob Tamme played 528 snaps overall. He had 29, 11, 27 and 34 in the last four games of the regular season and 20 snaps in the playoff game. Questions remain about how and when Thomas would fit into the Broncos' offense.

"The one positive out of all this was I had a chance to learn football," Thomas said. "It's been two years of being able to watch the game, learning how to do things and to practice against our starters on defense," Thomas said. "You may not have played a game, but every single day you went against the starters on a defense that was one of the best in the league. That prepared me just like I think the other things that happened have prepared me.

"Now it's just about going out there and doing it."

Broncos' Sylvester Williams joins first full practice on second team

Caitlin Swieca The Denver Post July 26, 2013

After the signing of first-round pick Sylvester Williams on Thursday, the Broncos had all 86 players on their training-camp roster present for their second training- camp practice on Friday.

The rookie defensive tackle spent time on the sidelines talking with coach John Fox at the beginning of practice before taking repetitions with the second team.

The offense appeared to shake off some of the rust that was evident in its first practice, with Peyton Manning connecting on early passes to tight ends Joel Dreessen and Julius Thomas and wide receiver Eric Decker.

Running back took all of the repetitions with the first team in the early going. and worked primarily with backup quarterback .

Linebacker continued to work with the first unit despite being in the process of appealing a four-game suspension.

Williams, the No. 28 pick in this year's draft from North Carolina, signed a four- year, $7.6 million contract after the first practice of the season Thursday. He participated in a team walk-through Thursday night before his first full practice Friday.

"I hope that I just impress my teammates and my coaches," Williams said Thursday night. "In the weight room and on the field, I just want to impress the people who brought me here. The people who believed in me enough to draft me in the first round."

Williams is expected to begin practice with the second team, but compete for a starting job and playing time on passing downs

Broncos running backs must keep up with Peyton Manning

Jeff Legwold The Denver Post July 27, 2013

When the Broncos make the call on how they divvy up the carries at , there will be more in the equation than lugging the rock. Study habits could be every bit as important as yards after contact.

"We're pushing all of them as hard as we can because everything flows through the quarterback," said Broncos running backs coach . "You can't slow Peyton (Manning) down, and our position is like every position, we've got to find a guy who can keep up with the quarterback. The bottom line is, if you can't keep up with what Peyton is doing, then you can't be in there with him. Our guys know that."

Making the right adjustments on presnap audibles and making the right choices in pass protection will be rewarded with playing time. What happens when the backs don't have the ball will determine who gets to carry it.

"They know everything is live, every drill, and that the more you can do, the more you can be in there," Studesville said. "We can't have a situation where the quarterback is limited by something somebody else can't do. We're going to find the people — you're not really going to catch him — but we want the people who can get close to going his speed and those are the guys who will play."

Ronnie Hillman and rookie Montee Ball have worked as the top two backs in the offense, with Knowshon Moreno at the No. 3 spot and Jacob Hester in a do-it-all role, including fullback in some two-back sets.

Crank it up. The Broncos will not turn back the clock to the full-bore, padded practices of training camps in decades gone by, but they will put on the full gear for the first time in this training camp in Saturday morning's practice.

"I think it's a good rule that we've got in place now with the league that the first two days are without pads," coach John Fox said. "But I think everybody in that building will be excited about being in pads for the first time since January."

Fox has consistently said the evaluation of the team's linemen, on both sides of the ball, isn't complete until the padded practices.

"That's when there is no hiding," linebacker Wesley Woodyard said. "So it's going to be exciting." Years of service. The Broncos announced Friday morning that vice president of corporate communications Jim Saccomano will retire after the upcoming season. It will complete his 36th year with the team, a span that includes 853 games with 421 Broncos victories in that total, including two victories.

Saccomano will work as a Broncos consultant next season, but no longer will have an office at the team's practice complex.

Footnotes. Rookie tight end Lucas Reed missed Friday's practice because of a right hamstring injury. ... It's only two days into training camp, but Fox said second-year quarterback Brock Osweiler has gotten slightly more work than he did in last year's camp when Manning was still working his way through the Broncos' playbook. ... Woodyard intercepted Manning on a tipped ball in team drills.

Von Miller unstoppable in practice; Broncos to work in pads Saturday

Notes from training camp at Dove Valley on Friday, July 26

Mike Klis The Denver Post July 26, 2013

• Highlight: With Von Miller under a critical microscope for an alleged violation of the NFL drug policy, the practice field has become his sanctuary. During an 11-on- 11 controlled scrimmage Friday, Miller was lined up opposite right tackle .

It wasn't fair.

Miller was simply too quick, too fast, too athletic.

"It's not fair to any tackle you put against him," said Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson. "That guy is special."

Miller is appealing his four-game suspension, with the hearing expected by mid- August. Until then, Miller is demonstrating to the Broncos what they could be missing.

• Lowlight: On one play, prominent players on both sides of the ball looked bad. During a 7-on-7 passing drill, Broncos cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was beat on a double move by receiver . Peyton Manning's downfield pass was perfectly thrown. And Thomas dropped it.

Despite the mishap, Rodgers-Cromartie and Thomas are both expected to make the team.

• QB watch: Veteran training-camp observers might see rookie quarterback drop back wearing his No. 2 jersey and flash back to Adam Weber, who wore the number in the previous two Broncos camps and preseasons. There is a marked difference in style, though.

Weber was a playmaker, not afraid to throw any pass. But while he did open eyes, he was also prone to . Dysert is more cautious. As many rookies will, he hangs on to the ball a tad too long as he wants to make sure the receiver is open.

• Position battle: There is competition for starting spots. And there is competition for roster spots. The guys competing for roster spots? "They bring it every day," said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey.

At no position was the competition more fierce Friday than among the group battling for the No. 4 and 5 receiver spots. Fifth-round rookie had a nice day Thursday. On Friday, Andre "Bubba" Caldwell and Greg Orton took turns making terrific catches.

Undrafted rookie Lamaar Thomas has also been one of Dysert's favorite targets with the No. 3 offense.

• Next up: The best practice of every training camp is typically the one that will be held Saturday morning at Dove Valley. The players will put the pads on for the first time this year and pop each other.

The morning session from 8:50 a.m. to 11:30 is open to the public. Admission and parking are free. The Broncos will have a walkthrough at 6 p.m. that is closed to the public.

Source: Von Miller suspension wasn't triggered by positive drug test for Broncos linebacker

Mike Klis The Denver Post July 26, 2013

Von Miller did not test positive for performance-enhancing drugs or recreational drugs this year to trigger his NFL-imposed four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy, an NFL source said Friday.

There are numerous ways for a player to fail the policy. Missing a test or counseling session is a violation. Repeatedly showing up late for tests and behavioral issues also are considered compliance violations of the NFL's intervention program.

Miller was placed in the league's substance-abuse program after he tested positive for marijuana during his rookie year in 2011.

Miller, who is appealing his suspension, said Wednesday that smoking marijuana is not a part of his life, but he declined to talk about the case citing confidentiality.

Miller was the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 2012 after he recorded 11½ sacks and he bettered that in his second season of 2012 with 18½ sacks.

This message was posted on Miller's Twitter account Monday afternoon: "Seeing reports abt 4 game susp. I know I did nothing wrong. I'm sure this'll be resolved fairly. Disapp. Broncos have 2 open camp like this."

If Miller loses his appeal, he likely would be replaced at starting strongside linebacker by Shaun Phillips. The former San Diego Charger signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Broncos in late April.

Denver Broncos team up with tech startup Wayin on social hub web page

Andy Vuong The Denver Post July 26, 2013

The Denver Broncos on Friday launched a social hub, a web page where fans can view the latest social media and user-generated content about the team.

Denver-based Wayin created the customizable platform for the Broncos, turning the team’s web site into a one-stop shop for highlights, stats, tweets and photos, in real-time.

With the site launching during training camp, fans are encouraged to participate by using the hashtag #Broncoscamp on Twitter. Some of that content may be fed into the Broncos Hub, which can be found at http://www.denverbroncos.com/social.

Other teams, including the and the St. Louis Rams, have created similar sites with Wayin, which is chaired by Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy.

“The Wayin hub allows the Broncos to better understand what resonates with fans, whether it’s scores and stats or individual player updates,” said Wayin CEO Elaine Wood in a statement.

Mac Freeman, senior vice president of business development for the Broncos, said the team wanted to create an engaging experience that gives fans minute-by- minute updates.

“Our fans are extremely tuned into social media, making tools like Twitter more important than ever before,” Freeman said.

Jim Saccomano to retire as Broncos VP of corporate communications after '13

The Denver Post July 26, 2013

Broncos VP of corporate communications Jim Saccomano will retire after the 2013 season — his 36th year with Denver — the NFL team announced Friday.

The longest-tenured, professional-sports administrator in Colorado history, "Sacco" will transition into a consulting role after adding onto his impressive totals of 853 Broncos games watched in person and 421 wins as a team employee.

Saccomano also has worked 26 Super Bowls during his career — 21 with the NFL's public-relations staff and five more with the Broncos.

Farewell tour for Sacco

Mike Klis DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

There is . There is Jim Saccomano. There is Mike Shanahan. There is Pat Bowlen.

In that order. Think of the Broncos and to many members of the Denver and national sports media, you think of those four people first. In that order. And we were all greeted by Sacco long before we got an audience with Elway.

The Broncos announced “Sacco” will be retiring after the 2013 season. I like that. He gets to pull a Mariano Rivera and have a year worth of goodbyes.

Sacco loves the Yanks. But no one has ever talked up the Broncos as Sacco did during his 36 years with the club, mostly as what is now usually entitled director of media relations. According to the press release, Sacco is the longest-tenured pro sports administrator in Colorado history. I’d hope so. I graduated from high school in 1977. You know how many jobs I’ve had since 1977?

“Sacco” will transition into a consulting role. He watched 853 Broncos games in person and 421 wins as a team employee. No word on how many press releases he’s written or authorized. He also has worked 26 Super Bowls during his career — 21 with the NFL’s public relations staff and five more with the Broncos.

May we all one day bow out like Sacco. And Mariano Rivera. What the Broncos should make of the Von Miller marijuana allegations

The Denver Post July 26, 2013

In the Thursday night edition of The Press Box, our nightly Denver sports talk show, radio host Peter Burns, Denver Post sports writer Benjamin Hochman and radio personality Oren Lomena, debate whether Von Miller’s possible four-game suspension for allegedly violating the NFL’s drug policy will be seriously detrimental to the Broncos early in the season as they look toward the Super Bowl. They also talk about whether Miller’s practice time with the first team signifies a double standard not afforded other players — like DJ Williams — because of his - level talents at linebacker. And if Miller — who told the media that marijuana was not a part of his life — isn’t telling the truth, what does that mean to the organization and for Broncos fans? And at the 13:00 mark, the hosts talk about Miller’s repeated use of the word “confidentiality” in speaking with the media.

Rookie drafted to replace Elvis Dumervil but might also spell Von Miller

Arnie Stapleton Associated Press July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos drafted Quanterus Smith to replace Elvis Dumervil, yet he just might spend his first month as a pro helping to fill the big cleats of All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller, who is facing a possible four-game suspension.

Smith embraces one notion and cringes at the other.

“I’m willing to do anything to help the team and I’m going to step up and do my best,” he said. “Yeah, I feel I can replace Dumervil because he left and that spot is open. But as far as replacing Von — I don’t know, there’s no replacing Von — but I would like to just play on the other side of him.”

Miller is lining up at his strongside linebacker position during training camp but if the NFL denies his appeal and makes him sit out all of September for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, the Broncos have a range of options to fill the void.

There’s Shaun Phillips, the 10-year veteran the Broncos signed during draft weekend as a potential replacement for Dumervil, who teamed with Miller to account for 29½ of Denver’s league-leading 52 sacks last season. The Broncos also could move or Stewart Bradley from middle linebacker to Miller’s spot, considered the fulcrum of a Jack Del Rio-coached defense, with Phillips replacing Robert Ayers on third down at right defensive end.

Or they could just send in Smith, the intriguing rookie from Western Kentucky.

The Broncos lost Dumervil this offseason when there was a mix-up with the fax machine that kept the team from receiving his signed contract in time. That made him a free agent, and he bolted to Baltimore.

After flirting with several other high-priced free agents, the Broncos settled on Phillips, a relative bargain at $1 million for one season, and Smith, whom they grabbed in the fifth round of the draft.

Smith was leading the nation with 12½ sacks last fall when he tore a ligament in his left knee that sent his spirits plummeting just two months after his monster game against Alabama had sent his draft stock soaring. He missed most of the Broncos’ offseason workouts but is fully recovered from his torn ACL and flashed his skills when training camp opened this week, displaying burst, brawn and, most significantly, an inside move that most rookies don’t develop until they get beat down enough by tackles thwarting their outside speed rushes.

“I was impressed,” coach John Fox said.

Smith first appeared on NFL radar screens last September when he sacked Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron three times, beating an offensive line that included two first-round draft picks in D.J. Fluker and and a fourth- rounder.

After tearing up his knee two months later, Smith couldn’t attend the NFL combine or any of the all-star games, but those three sacks in Tuscaloosa were enough to show off his versatility and promise.

He displayed outside speed on the first one, blowing by Fluker on third-and-long. Then, he beat a double-team of Warmack and tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. Finally, he disengaged from Kouandjio to run down McCarron.

“If you want to be a good pass rusher you can’t keep hitting the tackle with the same speed ,” Smith said. “He’s going to kick out wide, so you’ve got to keep him off-balance, so that’s why I go inside and it feels kind of natural to me going inside.”

Smith of Loganville, Ga., said he didn’t have the grades to go to an SEC school, and he didn’t want to go the junior college route, so he went to Western Kentucky and his eyes got wide when he saw Alabama on the schedule last year.

“I always knew that I can play with whomever. I feel like I always had the talent,” Smith said.

This trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium, though, that was his one shot to show everybody else — pro scouts in particular — that he could play with the big boys.

He sure did.

Then came Louisiana-Lafayette two months later and the play where he spun past the tackle, got pushed from behind and went down in pain.

Torn ACL. Season over.

“I mean, I was just hoping I was going to be drafted at that point,” Smith said. “I was just hoping to get my chance.” The Broncos gave him that shot and circumstances being what they are, they won’t have to wait around long to see if they made the right call.

Notes: Peyton Manning looked less rusty and a lot more comfortable at Friday’s practice. The pass that drew the biggest applause went to a young fan he invited onto the field between drills. ... Jim Saccomano, vice president of corporate communications for the Broncos, announced his retirement following this season, his 36th with the club. He is the longest tenured pro sports administrator is Colorado history.

Eight in the Box: AFC West camp battles

Bill Williamson ESPN.com July 26, 2013

One key positional battle for each AFC West team as training camps get underway:

Denver: Running back, Montee Ball vs. Ronnie Hillman: Hillman is starting training camp as the No. 1 running back. But he will be hard-pressed to keep the job. The plan is for Ball, a second-round pick from Wisconsin, to quickly get ready to take over as the No. 1 back. Denver spent a lot of time grooming him in the offseason, but Ball will have to show he can handle the job in training camp. And he'll need to handle every aspect of being a starting tailback, including picking up blocking schemes. But that goes for Hillman, too. He played some last season and played well in the playoffs. But he is considered more of a change-of-pace guy. So while Hillman gets first crack, I think we will see Ball emerge and Hillman as a backup.Knowshon Moreno will be in the mix early as well, but Denver is going to focus on the youngsters.

Kansas City: Tight end, Tony Moeaki vs. Travis Kelce: The Chiefs’ top tight end this season might be free-agent pickup Anthony Fasano. But the second tight end will get a lot work. Moeaki has a lot of ability, but he has had trouble staying healthy. Kelce is a third-round pick. The new regime really likes him, and he has a chance to get a ton of playing time early. So this will be a solid camp battle. If Moeaki stays healthy, I can see him holding off Kelce, at least, for the short term.

Oakland: Receiver/returner Josh Cribbs vs. Jacoby Ford: I’m not sure this will be an either/or scenario. I think the Raiders would be fine with keeping both players if possible. But Oakland does have several young, intriguing receivers. If the Raiders feel there are some receivers (such as undrafted free agent Conner Vernon) they can’t keep off the 53-man roster, Oakland might only have room for Cribbs or Ford. Not both. Ford has had trouble staying healthy. When healthy, he is a dynamic return man and is better than Cribbs as a receiver. Cribbs is still strong as a returner but is also coming off an injury. It could come down to who is the healthier of the two.

San Diego: Top receivers. The Chargers’ receiving group looks promising, but it is currently difficult to project exactly what the rotation will be. It could shake out in training camp. The top four receivers will likely be Danario Alexander, Vincent Brown, Malcom Floyd and rookie . I think we will see Brown and Alexander as the top receivers once the season starts. Floyd has been a starter, but he might be best as a No. 3 or No. 4 working as a deep threat. Allen will play, but only if he's ready. Alexander was terrific in the second half of last season after he was signed off the street. If he can show he wasn’t a flash in the pan, he could be dynamic. Brown is the key. He looks like he can be a top-notch possession receiver. He showed promise as a rookie but missed all of last season with an ankle injury. Now he's healthy and ready to go. He could be the most productive receiver on this unit.

King: Montee Ball will start over Ronnie Hillman

Dave Richard CBSSports.com July 26, 2013

The Broncos have had only a couple of training camp practices but it's clear in Sports Illustrated's Peter King's mind who the top running back will be.

King tweeted Friday that he believes rookie Montee Ball is better than second-year back Ronnie Hillman and that he will "eventually" win the starting job with the Broncos.

Hillman took the majority of first-team reps in training camp practice No. 1 for the Broncos but the competition is just beginning.

Ryan Braun, Von Miller Suspensions Exemplify Double-Standard of PED Use in MLB and NFL

Dave Radcliffe Yahoo! Sports July 26, 2013

COMMENTARY | This might be news to a lot of you, but there were actually two professional athletes who were suspended for drug use July 22.

Word spread on Monday that linebacker Von Miller of the NFL's Denver Broncos was facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, and that MLB's Ryan Braun was suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season after failing to comply to the league's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Braun took an incredible amount of heat for his suspension. Deservedly so, as he had denied use of performance-enhancing drugs since back when he successfully appealed a suspension for a positive test in early 2012. He was also considered to be one of the bright young stars and top players in the game -- one of the faces of the new "clean era." His punishment was longer than the standard 50 games for a first offense, but people called for a stricter punishment -- even a lifetime ban from the sport. Still, Braun will miss 65 games, roughly 40 percent of the season.

Meanwhile, Miller will appeal his suspension, just as Braun did back in late 2011. And just like Braun's suspension, the confidentiality was breached -- as only once the appeal process has concluded should the public be made aware of a positive test. At 24 years old, he's one of the bright young stars in the game. He claims to have done nothing wrong, and, for all we know, he didn't; Braun said the same thing. Miller finished second in defensive MVP voting last season, and Braun finished second in MVP voting in 2012. Should Miller fail in his appeal, he will miss 25 percent of the 2013 season.

But does anyone really care?

Several uncanny similarities between these two players have already been unveiled, but have you heard one iota of public backlash regarding Miller? There's no doubt that he deserves the process to play out (innocent until proven guilty, they say), and who knows if Miller tested positive for PEDs? According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Miller tested positive for amphetamines and marijuana back in 2011. But he's just so much fun to watch out there. Besides, everyone uses something in the NFL, so what's the difference?

Wait a minute. Isn't the NFL considered to be one of the most dangerous sports in the world? Commissioner Roger Goodell has continued to do just about everything in his power to make football a safer game to play, like making it illegal to launch yourself at a receiver, hit the quarterback low or high, or execute a peel-back block.

And then there's the way concussions are viewed today, thanks to lawsuits galore after we started finding out about their potential long-term effects. Players are getting bigger, faster and stronger as the years go by, and that's partly just a natural progression. But use of drugs and other banned substances sure doesn't help the matter.

Just last season, a report surfaced that Ray Lewis used deer antler spray to recover from a torn triceps, and then went on to help his team win the Super Bowl. Even though the ban has since been lifted on the substance, the fact of the matter was that almost no one was questioning how Lewis was able to somehow return in 10 weeks from an injury that usually takes six months to recover from.

The NFL doesn't release information regarding what exactly its players tested positive for, so they are free to create any excuse they want. Adderall, a drug used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD, seems to be the popular choice, because that can't possibly help you perform better in sports, right?

Late last December, that's was the exact reasoning behind Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman's suspension. According to Sherman, half the league takes Adderall. But he managed to score a rare victory against the NFL, successfully appealing a four-game suspension. His argument? That there were errors with the chain of custody of his urine sample.

That sure sounds familiar.

So Sherman participated in the playoffs and not a second thought was given. These days, Sherman is considered to be one of the top corners in the league. By the way, five Seahawks have been suspended since 2011 for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy.

There are more examples out there, but the bottom line is that performance enhancers are essentially accepted in football while players are crucified for such use in baseball. The punishment isn't as harsh and while the train of thought that "everybody is doing it" has pertained to both sports, it apparently doesn't keep baseball players' names out of the mud as football players are allowed to go on their merry way.

Meanwhile, Ryan Braun is perhaps the most hated figure in Major League Baseball, if not all of sports. A lot of that has to do with his continuous lies and the fact that he once tested positive before. That's totally fair and warranted, and this isn't an apology tour for Braun. What he did was wrong on so many levels. But the backlash for his PED use is also immense, just as it was after we uncovered "the steroid era" in baseball. Whether or not Von Miller winds up missing four games to begin the 2013 NFL season, it's not going to matter. But it probably should. He said he did nothing wrong, that he didn't feel as though he let his teammates down. But if -- and it remains a big "if" -- he fails to successfully appeal his suspension, that's exactly what he did.

Oh well. Everyone's doing something.

In Denver, an Unknown Steps to the Front

With Von Miller facing a potential suspension, fifth-round rookie Quanterus Smith is unexpectedly in the Broncos’ spotlight

Peter King Sports Illustrated July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — You come to the first day of Broncos training camp, alongside a patch of tall evergreens and the Rockies looming in the distance, with grand expectations. So many stories, so much excitement. Fans were lined up outside the parking lot starting at midnight (having been turned away at 10 p.m. Wednesday by stunned security guards) for the 8:50 a.m. Mountain Time practice on Thursday. The region’s revved.

Peyton Manning wasn’t sharp in his first practice of the summer, but he’s going to be in fine form in year 2 here, heaving downfield to the speedy Demaryius Thomas. And then there’s Wes Welker, ’s longtime slot receiver now in the slot for Manning, looking strange with a horse rather than a Patriot on his helmet. There’s hunky wideout Eric Decker. Four or five teen girls screamed at one point, “We love you, Decker!” To which a couple of linebackers sing-songed, “Oh, we love you Decker!” Shaun Phillips and Quentin Jammer and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, trying to revive their careers, patrolled a new defense for the first day. And No. 38 … remember him, Badger fans? Montee Ball, the 2011 Heisman candidate, circled out of the backfield and caught a nice screen from Manning. He’s going to have a good shot to contribute to the offense from day one.

So why were so many eyes Thursday on the fifth-round pick from Western Kentucky with the unique name and big left knee brace?

Quanterus Smith, selected in the April draft 16 slots after a fullback from Harvard, is suddenly in the eye of a very significant storm. The news this week that the best pass-rusher on the team by far, Von Miller, could be subject to a four-game suspension at the start of the season—with the Broncos opening against Super Bowl-winning and in succession—makes the Super Bowl express much less assured here.

It’s unlikely Miller will beat what The Denver Post claims is a looming suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, though there are growing suspicions there could be extenuating circumstances to Miller’s proposed ban. Neither he nor the Broncos were talking about it on Thursday. But losing Miller would be a blow to Denver’s hopes of getting off to a fast start. The Broncos are already missing the No. 2 pass-rush threat from a 2012 playoff team, Elvis Dumervil, who left for Baltimore in a messy free-agency spat. No team got more pressure in ’12 from its top two pass rushers than the Broncos got from Miller and Dumervil, and beating good offensive teams like Baltimore and the Giants will be tough without them.

Phillips should help some, but the former Charger linebacker is coming off a low- impact season. Robert Ayers and , likely defensive-end starters, are good players but not classic rush ends. So the rush will have to come from somewhere. The Broncos are being careful not to put too much pressure on Smith, a 6-5, 255-pound rookie eight months past torn-ACL surgery, but he showed enough flashes in his first NFL camp practice on Thursday to let the Broncos know if they have to plug him in the first month of the season, he’ll at least be physically ready.

The Smith story is a strange one. He burst onto the national scene last season when Western Kentucky traveled to play the best team in the country, Alabama, on Sept. 8. Smith got three sacks against the Tide, the first coming directly over the man who would be the 11th pick in the 2013 draft (by San Diego), tackle D.J. Fluker. Actually, the first sack came on a speed rush around Fluker. The second came on a power move, when Smith powered through guard Chance Warmack and Alabama tackle Cyrun Kouandjio and flattened quarterback A.J. McCarron. A speed move—lots of rushers can be one-trick ponies and get a few sacks. But the ability to use power, particularly against a guard like Warmack, seen by many as the best this year’s the draft, is impressive.

And it’s that second one, the power/changeup move, that made some scouts fall in love with Smith. He was on his way to first-round contention, leading the nation in sacks with 12.5, when his left knee caved in against Louisiana in November. He tore his ACL, and Dr. James Andrews operated late that month. Now it was a race to draft day.

“When we studied him,” said Broncos coach John Fox, “we saw a first-round talent. That’s the kind of flyer you take on draft day, using a fifth-round pick on a kid who has rare talent and you just hope he can make it back from the injury. So far, I really like what I see—but we haven’t had the pads on yet. It’s still very much a wait-and-see deal.”

On one snap in one-on-one defensive-line rush drills Thursday, Smith powered off the ball and put significant pressure on his left leg using a power-rush into the tackle. He showed no hesitancy. That’s what Broncos coaches were looking for on day one—Smith being unafraid to use a power move with all the torque on his braced knee.

“I’m pretty sure I should be ready to go when the games start,” Smith said after lunch on Thursday. “I felt good today. My knee wasn’t locking, or hurting. I’m lucky it feels this good not that long after surgery. I’m lucky I got Dr. Andrews to do the surgery. I’m pretty sure this was nothing he hasn’t seen before.”

It’s possible—though Fox said no lineup decisions are close to being made—that if Smith play wells in camp and the preseason games he could open as the weakside rusher in Denver’s nickel unit. “I know this: The way we play defense, we can manufacture pressure,” said Fox. “We’ll figure a way to get pressure.”

Amazing that the 18th defensive end picked last April might be the man Fox and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio need to bring the heat in the playoff rematch against Baltimore to start the season.

“I just go out and play,” said Smith, a quiet kid just trying to fit into his NFL surroundings. “The Von thing, I don’t worry about it.”

He may have to soon. All of Denver may have to.

Broncos confident Von Miller's suspension will be lifted

Lindsay H. Jones USA TODAY Sports July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos have never lacked for confidence in Von Miller on the field, and that confidence has not wavered now that the star linebacker is participating in training camp under the threat of a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy.

Miller has filed an appeal with the NFL to get the suspension lifted, and though such wins are rare, those close to Miller believe he will eventually be cleared. A person with knowledge of Miller's situation told USA TODAY Sports that the suspension was not the result of a failed drug test.

"He didn't test positive for anything," the person said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because drug test results are to remain confidential. The NFL does not announce suspensions until after the appeal process is over.

The person also confirmed a report from The Denver Post that Miller had tested positive for marijuana in 2011, Miller's rookie season, a result that landed Miller in the league's drug offender program. That program has several phases, and includes random, unannounced drug tests.

According to the NFL's drug policy, passed by the league and players' union in 2010, players in the second phase of the program also can be suspended for failing to comply with the terms of the policy.

That could include a player missing a drug test or providing a diluted urine sample.

Miller, who finished second in defensive MVP voting last season and has 30 sacks in his two seasons, did not speak to reporters Friday. On Wednesday, when he reported to Dove Valley, he declined to offer any specifics about his case. He said that when his situation is resolved he would speak candidly about what happened, but for now is standing behind his Twitter statement that he "did nothing wrong."

That is the same message he has relayed personally to his Broncos teammates. Some have asked for specifics about Miller's case, but most are just choosing to believe him when Miller says he will be cleared. "I just believe that what he says is right, and what believes is going to happen. I have his back 100 percent, no matter what happens. He seems quite faithful that he's going to be it, and we're quite faithful he's going to beat it," said linebacker Wesley Woodyard, a team captain who occupies the locker adjacent to Miller. "There must be something to [his confidence]. We don't know what it is, but we believe in his confidence."

Miller on Wednesday, in his most revealing quote of his short press conference, said he has matured since he joined the Broncos as the No. 2 pick in 2011.

"The guy I was two, three, four years ago is not the guy I am," Miller said.

Yet Miller remains one of the most unique personalities in the league. He has an outlandish fashion sense, from choice of bright-colored pants and designer shoes, to his massive collection of eye glasses. A poultry science major at Texas A&M, Miller has started raising chickens on his property in Dallas, and considers himself an amateur filmmaker after documenting much of NFL experience.

"There is only one Von Miller. He's different than the average person, and that's why he's Von Miller," said cornerback Chris Harris, who was part of Miller's rookie class in 2011. "That's why people love to watch him play, why they love to watch him dance on the field. He's a totally different character."

Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said Friday that while Miller remains "silly," he has accepted a role as a defensive leader, and understands just how much his teammates count on him.

Vickerson, who considers himself the veteran leader on the defensive line, said he has spoken at length with Miller this week, but is choosing to keep those conversations private. What Vickerson would share, like Woodyard, is his confidence that Miller would be on the field with him on Sept. 5 when the Broncos open the regular season against Baltimore.

"No doubt," Vickerson said. "There will be due justice. We have to watch and see how it plays out. Right now, he's not suspended, and he'll be with us the first game."

Broncos training camp — Friday

Paul Klee Colorado Springs Gazette July 26, 2013

Another packed house at Dove Valley for Day Two of Broncos training camp. One conversation among fans, decked in predominantly orange, is worth repeating.

Security guard: “Sir, you’re not allowed to film practice. It’s against league policy.”

Broncos fan, lowering his iPhone: “But Belichick and Josh McDaniels said we could.”

Here’s the morning wrap-up:

Play of the day: Midway through the practice, which lasted roughly two hours, Peyton Manning and backup QB Brock Osweiler took turns launching deep throws to receivers. At Manning’s request, one security guard stepped into the crowd and pulled forward a little kid. He was probably 10, 11 years old.

Manning said something to the kid, who prompty ran a crossing route. Incomplete. The second pass was a completion… and the kid broke into a dance. Manning applauded. The crowd dug it. The kid definitely dug it.

Newsworthy: I’ve been asked a few times about John Elway — in regards to his presence during workouts. Here’s an example. Today, Elway stood behind the quarterbacks during 7-on-7 drills. The great quarterback of old, Elway, didn’t interact with Peyton Manning, the great quarterback of now, during practice, but Elway did have the occasional conversation with coach John Fox. It’s clear Elway and Fox have a friendly working relationship.

The untrained eye saw: Um, Julius Thomas. Don’t know the name? We all will soon. After today’s practice, I’m writing about the big tight end for Sunday’s edition of The Gazette. Thomas is the former college basketball player, who, after a series of injuries and surgeries, has been unable to play a significant role in the Broncos offense. I expect that’s about to change.

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to be healthy again,” Thomas told me after the practice, in which he made several fan-pleasing (and Peyton-pleasing) receptions.

Overall: I don’t know that a great deal can be gleaned from training camp. Who’s healthy. Who’s running with the starters. Who arrived at camp out of shape. Those things, I suppose. But you know when a unit — offense or defense — is clicking. Perhaps because its first day wasn’t as crisp, the Broncos offense was on point today. At least, as on point as an offense can be on Day Two of training camp.

The defense got the upperhand on Thursday. But the offense seemed to be smoother, and certainly with a quicker pace, today.

Eric Decker and Wes Welker were the two receiving standouts. Demaryius Thomas got his, but also dropped a sure touchdown from Manning.

Next: Camp runs 8:50-11 a.m. on Friday. It’s the first day of pads for the Broncos.

“You love contact as a defensive player,” safety David Bruton said today. “You like to hit people.”

In Defense of Big Dreams

Colorado native Mitch Unrein finally got the chance to be a Bronco.

Lindsey B. Koehler 5280 Magazine August 2013

You know the type: They’re the “big uglies,” the human tanks, the kind of men who can carry three bills but make it look like two and a quarter. Guys with bear-paw hands and square heads and arms the size of grown men’s thighs. On any given Sunday, the indentations of their belly buttons show through jerseys that look as if they’re two sizes too small. These are men whose names you don’t know but whose physiques give them away. They are linemen. Offensive, defensive—it doesn’t matter. They’re the muscle, the labor, the ignored-by-fans-but-loved-by-coaches supersized humans who don’t get their jockstraps in a twist about the fact that glory rarely comes to those who do not play a skill position.

It would be easy to think physical makeup—genetics that engineer outrageous height, weight, speed, and strength—is the most critical factor in determining who will play the line in the . And maybe it is. A guy might be the most intuitive defensive tackle who ever stood the line of scrimmage, but if he’s not 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds and can’t run a 4.8 in the 40, he’s not NFL material. So, yeah, DNA matters.

But there’s something else. Lost in the mix of haughty wideouts sporting gold grillz and pretty-boy quarterbacks with supermodel girlfriends is the honest-to-goodness truth that playing in the NFL is a job. A go-to-meetings, show-up-on-time, study- the-playbook, understand-the-competition job. Players who don’t treat it that way, who rely on their prototypical NFL builds or freak-of-nature athletic talents, aren’t going to be employed for very long.

In short, work ethic is nearly as important as genetics. At least, that’s what Mitch Unrein says as he looks out over Grasmere Lake in Washington Park. His 6-foot-4- inch, 305-pound frame makes the green bench he’s sitting on look as if it had been made for a child. His sheer size would be intimidating if the 26-year-old, third-year defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos weren’t so soft-spoken, if he didn’t laugh so easily, if his hazel eyes didn’t give away his earnestness. His pale skin begins to turn pink under the piercing sun, but he hasn’t noticed. He’s too busy talking: about college ball and the pro game. About his hometown of Eaton. About being a second- generation Coloradan. About the industrious parents who taught him the importance of hard work. Football players are notoriously ineloquent, but Unrein has an easy cadence. In 30 minutes, not one sports cliché has slipped past his lips.

What he does disclose is refreshingly candid: “I guess I’m what they call a lunch- pail guy,” he says with a shrug. “I’m tough and competitive, but mostly I show up to work, I work hard, I’m consistent, and I get it done without too much complaint.” He says this in a tone that suggests he’s simultaneously proud of and frustrated by the blue-collar moniker.

By all accounts, Unrein had a solid sophomore season in 2012 with two starts, 20 tackles, and at least two highlight-reel-worthy plays. But playing behind Justin Bannan and Kevin Vickerson, two of the better defensive tackles in the league, Unrein only saw 280 snaps (most NFL teams average 60 to 65 offensive plays a game). It was enough to show great potential but may have been insufficient to earn him a starting job in 2013. Not that he’s complaining. Unrein is incredibly self- aware: He knows he’s of average athletic talent compared to other NFL players, he’s a bit undersized, and there are few people he could beat in a footrace. He has to put in more hours at the gym than the next guy—maybe even more than newly drafted rookie tackle Sylvester Williams—and, even then, he still may not be first on the depth chart. Unrein is used to that, at ease with being disregarded and underestimated. It’s happened time and again—and not just in the league. Until now, he’s been OK with it because, well, it’s always worked out for him in the end. But with a one-year, $555,000 contract with the Broncos set to expire at the end of this season, Unrein would be being dishonest if he said he didn’t want to give the organization he rooted for as a child every reason to keep him.

Life is different growing up in a house only accessible by dirt road. Long stretches of mud-caked gravel denote a degree of isolation, of self-sufficiency, of a lack of need for creature comforts. Dirt roads separate those who don’t mind being able to see into their neighbor’s kitchen window from those who feel claustrophobic without acres of rolling farmland for a backyard. Mike and Kay Unrein fall into the latter group.

The modest red brick ranch house hugs one corner of three acres of undulating land the Unreins purchased in 1990, when they escaped the too-crowded neighborhood where they had lived in downtown Eaton, population 4,467. Their fondness for wide-open spaces comes honestly. Mike was born and raised by a construction worker dad and a homemaker mom in the Eastern Plains town of Sterling. He had seven siblings. Kay was born in Burlington and reared in Stratton, 150 miles east of Denver. She also was one of eight kids.

So it’s hardly surprising that after meeting in a bar in Sterling and marrying five years later, in 1977, the Unreins remained on the Plains (first in Sterling and then in Eaton) and had six kids: Nicole, Natalie, Michael, Marty, Mark, and finally Mitch, the baby of the family, who as a youngster liked to dress up as either John Elway or a cowboy every day and was somehow saddled with the nickname Pig. “I really don’t remember how it started,” Mark says. “I just know we kept calling him Pig mostly because he hated it so much.”

That’s the way the Unrein house was. No one got a free pass on anything. Don’t like your nickname? Too bad. Got roughed up playing football in the front yard? Shake it off. Not thrilled about having to slaughter a chicken? Suck it up. It wasn’t an unloving home—quite the opposite—and the Unrein kids never wanted for much, but there was precious little coddling. And that was by design. Mike and Kay wanted their kids to be self-reliant, to understand no one owed them anything, and to know they shouldn’t depend on anyone but themselves. Above all, their kids would know the meaning of hard work.

Mike and Kay didn’t just preach; they taught by example. Right out of high school, Mike went to work roughnecking on oil rigs in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, working nearly every week, often for six or seven days straight. He would labor 24 hours a day, sometimes in 50-below temps. Even when the kids were young, the schedule remained the same. Mike didn’t have a choice: The money was good. He had to go where the work was.

That meant Kay took care of the kids by herself much of the time. It was a job no less grueling than being on the rig, but Kay—who was gentle and kind but could still drop the hammer on her ornery boys if necessary—didn’t mind the responsibility. She handled the laundry, the cooking, the shopping, trips to the doctor, visits to the dentist, haircuts, school plays, homework, PTA meetings, birthday parties, sleepovers, boyfriends, girlfriends, and, especially, sports practices. Mike and Kay never pushed athletics on their kids; in fact, they were never allowed to play on expensive and time-consuming traveling or club teams, although they could have. The Unrein kids were all gifted—and extremely competitive—athletes. The girls were swimmers. The boys were wrestlers and football players. None of them would have admitted it back then—Mark will only begrudgingly acknowledge it now—but as Mitch progressed through high school, it became obvious to everyone that he was not only the most adept competitor in his family, but he was also one of the most capable athletes among his peers.

Capable, yes…but impressive? The football coaches at University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University, where Mitch had dreamed of playing on a scholarship, weren’t convinced. Perhaps they were unenthused by his play at linebacker, or maybe they thought he was too small at 215 pounds. More likely they simply overlooked him because he played for a tiny rural high school. Whatever the reason, the youngest Unrein got his first unsavory taste of being unwanted as a high school senior when the state’s two big-time programs failed to offer him a place to play. It was disheartening not just because Mitch loved the game of football, but also because, like his sisters and brothers before him, Mitch was responsible for putting himself through college. A scholarship would’ve meant carrying a significantly lighter debt load after graduating with a criminal justice degree.

Mitch’s sister had swam and two of his brothers had played football at the University of Northern Colorado on small scholarships. Mitch could have followed suit; coaches at UNC were begging him to play there. But he felt he owed it to himself to at least try to play at a Division I school. When the University of Wyoming nudged him to accept preferred walk-on status, a designation that meant he’d play but wouldn’t receive any financial aid, he took it. Just weeks after arriving in Laramie to play for head coach Joe Glenn, the program realized what it had in Unrein and promised to scrounge up scholarship money for the Colorado kid’s red- shirt freshman season.

Unrein played brilliantly—mostly at defensive end—for a subpar Wyoming program that went 22-27 during his tenure. As his father Mike says: “Mitch became very familiar with the agony of defeat—and it wore on him a bit.” His senior year, however, was less of a downer. Although Unrein’s tackles total was significantly lower than in his junior and sophomore seasons—probably because of a nagging injury Unrein didn’t disclose to anyone but his defensive line coach—the Cowboys earned a trip to the New Mexico Bowl, where Unrein was named defensive MVP in a 35-28 double-overtime win. It was an unexpected exclamation point on a college career that wasn’t often flashy or victorious, but that was successful enough to make Unrein believe he might have a shot at playing on Sundays.

Of course, less than two percent of NCAA football players go on to the NFL. For a guy who was underrecruited out of high school and played defensive line in a midmajor college conference, the percentages were probably even worse. But people were talking about him. There was chatter around the sports agent water cooler that there was a sleeper in Wyoming—a kid who loved the game, who could flip the switch on game day, who was a relentless worker, and who had a remarkable capacity for enduring pain.

Unrein didn’t talk with his family much about his aspirations to play pro ball, but he discussed them at length with his Wyoming teammate and roommate Danny Dutmer, a one-time NFL hopeful himself. “Mitch was a humble guy,” Dutmer says, “but he wanted it. I knew he wouldn’t just give it up.” Unrein did want it—but he also knew what he didn’t want: to end up in the oil business like all three of his brothers had after college. And he really didn’t want to end up busting his ass on an oil rig—a job his then 60-year-old father couldn’t seem to shake. “Mitch came with me out to the rig one year over his spring break,” Mike Unrein says, chuckling at the memory. “I remember him saying he needed to practice harder so that he wouldn’t have to roughneck.”

Working a rig became a more realistic possibility, however, when Unrein went unselected in the 2010 NFL draft. Although he had interviewed with teams such as the New York Giants and the leading up to the draft and taken dozens of calls from seemingly interested organizations during the latter rounds, Unrein found himself a rookie free agent on April 25, 2010. Unrein’s agent, Sunwest Sports’ Frank Bauer, told his young client not to worry, that being a free agent was not a catastrophe. Big names like John Randle, Kurt Warner, Arian Foster, Tony Siragusa, James Harrison, Tony Romo, Victor Cruz—all those guys were at one time undrafted rooks. Days later, it looked like Bauer had been right. On May 7, Unrein became a Houston Texan with a $7,500 signing bonus. But the contract was short- lived: Unrein didn’t make the 53-man roster or the eight-man . By mid-August, he was living back at his parents’ house in Eaton.

Mike and Kay say they would’ve given him a week or two to lie on the coach and wallow, but within days their 23-year-old son had gotten a job—cleaning residential sewer lines—that would pay the bills but still allow him enough time for training, which his agent told him was critically important. Unrein also began assisting his old high school football coach, Kevin Ross, with Eaton’s 2010 squad. It was a productive and feel-good way to pass the time until Bauer could find an NFL team that needed a practice-squad guy, something the agent was certain would happen at some point that fall. Unrein was less confident: He had begun to entertain the idea that the dream was over. He was disappointed but pragmatic. Football was the career he had always wanted, but he knew he could find another line of work.

On the morning of October 19, 2010, Unrein was getting ready to hit the gym when his cell phone rang. He missed the call. When he had time to listen to the message a few minutes later, he realized how critical the call had been. The message was from Bauer: The Denver Broncos wanted Unrein in the Mile High City for a physical in just under two hours. He packed an overnight bag, called his sister, Natalie, who was living in Denver at the time, and pointed his old Pontiac Grand Prix south on I- 25. Less than 24 hours later, Unrein had gone from cleaning sewers and volunteer coaching high school kids to being a practice-squad signee, donning number 96, and lining up against guys like , , Knowshon Moreno, Chris Kuper, J.D. Walton, and Zane Beadles at Dove Valley. The kid who grew up in Colorado and pretended to be ol’ No. 7 had lived up to his own expectations. He was a Denver Bronco.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Rudy, you have an idea of what it’s like to be on a football practice squad. You also probably know that, unlike the Hollywood version, it’s a punishing existence that rarely, if ever, ends with a Rudy Ruettiger–style, carry-him-off-the field celebration. For Mitch Unrein, however, it was the chance he’d coveted. In the second half of the Broncos’ 2010 campaign, Unrein played the line, endured brutal hits, and got back up in the name of getting Kyle Orton and the rest of the active roster guys ready for opposing defenses. Practice squad players go to every organized team activity (OTA), watch all of the film, run all of the special teams reps, and participate in all of the lifting sessions, but their pay is considerably lower (in 2010, the minimum pay was $5,200 per week), they don’t accrue credited seasons that count toward retirement, and they aren’t allowed to play in games. Still, there are upsides: As a rookie, time on the practice squad allowed Unrein to learn the defensive tackle position, fine-tune his technique, and begin catching up with the accelerated speed of the pro game.

Practice squad players don’t experience the pressure of Sundays—but they deal with a different kind of stress. These men are playing to win a livelihood. Their sole goal is to make the following year’s 53-man active roster, and they know they’re being evaluated every day. The game of football takes an obvious physical toll, but the uncertainty of the career path can exact an emotional toll that’s equally taxing. Fortunately for Unrein, the improvement and consistency he displayed as a practice squad signee and during OTAs and summer camp before the 2011 season compelled head coach John Fox and company to put him on the active roster for a team that would ultimately go into the second round of the playoffs with Tim Tebow under center. Unrein played in 14 games and made eight tackles during the 2011 season, but he rarely saw more than 10 plays per game. Still, he was improving. And after having experienced the sensation of running out of the tunnel at Sports Authority Field at Mile High dressed in home orange, Unrein was determined to increase his on-field presence. So when the defensive staff asked Unrein to put on 15 pounds of lean mass in the offseason, he did exactly that.

The added bulk worked. Going into the 2012 season, his second full year on the active roster, Unrein felt stronger and more capable—and it showed. Defensive line coach regularly rotated him in on the defensive line in the first weeks of the season. And other coaches—offensive coaches—began to take notice of Unrein’s abilities as well.

It started out simply enough: The O-line coaches wanted number 96 to line up for an extra push on goal-line plays. Maybe give Peyton Manning some extra space and help Willis McGahee find the end zone. Plus, coach Rodgers, who says he’s pretty sure Unrein would go in at wide receiver if someone asked him to, didn’t mind his tackle playing both ways. He knew it was important to Unrein to contribute to the team—and that’s difficult for any coach to refuse. But then tight ends coach asked a question the young defensive tackle wasn’t expecting: “Can you catch, kid?”

“I just said, ‘Yes,’ ” Unrein says. “But, really, I had no idea if I could catch.” His hands didn’t fail him when the team rehearsed what became known as the Cowboy Package, in which Unrein lined up as a fullback and slipped through the unsuspecting defense to catch a short-yardage pass. “I made sure to catch everything Peyton threw at me in practice,” he says. “Then I’d take more throws from Brock Osweiler and Caleb Hanie after that.”

It was never really clear to Unrein whether head coach John Fox would call the play in an actual game—until there was 8:56 left in the first quarter of the December 2, 2012, contest against the . “They called the play,” Unrein says, “and I just kinda looked around like, Really? The one where I go out and catch the ball?” No one had time to answer his quizzical look. Unrein says the play happened so quickly he didn’t have time to get nervous before the ball was snapped.

The Fox Sports announcers immediately noticed Unrein had lined up as “an extra lineman for blocking” for first and goal from the one-yard line. The Bucs’ defensive end and linebacker also clearly thought Unrein had been brought in as a fullback to block for a running play. The two defenders bit hard on the run, allowing the 305- pound fullback to bounce off the DE, rumble out to the left, and find the front corner of the end zone at Sports Authority Field. An uncharacteristic duck of a spiral from quarterback Peyton Manning hit Unrein in the hands, and after taking four or five baby steps to make sure he was inbounds, the kid from Eaton spiked the ball. Joel Dreessen, Zane Beadles, , and joined Unrein in the end zone as did Manning, who gave the second-year player a high five and a helmet bump before handing him the ball and telling him “nice job.” In a moment that big men everywhere celebrated—and envied—Unrein captured a bit of the glory that so often escapes the hard-working boys in the trenches: He became the first defensive lineman in the history of the Denver Broncos to catch a touchdown pass. “I kinda wish I’d done a little dance,” Unrein says, laughing at the thought of it. “I was so excited I didn’t know what to do. It’s probably just good I didn’t embarrass myself.”

The AFC divisional playoff game on January 12, 2013, hadn’t gone exactly to plan. Despite the fact that more than 76,000 fans had withstood temperatures cold enough to freeze a beer, and despite the fact that late in the fourth quarter Denver appeared ready to send Ray Lewis into retirement, the Broncos let the fairy-tale season slip away. The air in the blue-and-orange-clad locker room after the final seconds ticked away in the 38-35 double-overtime loss was heavy with tension. The muted sounds of men showering and dressing, mostly without talking, were punctuated by sporadic outbursts of anger. Unrein was heartbroken by the loss— not because he had played poorly (he hadn’t) or because he didn’t know what it was like to lose (he certainly did), but because he had never before been part of a team with such chemistry and talent. He had truly believed they were going to the Super Bowl. When he finished dressing, he walked out into the hallway in the belly of the stadium. His sister and brother were there waiting for him, ready to console him with a hug—and a trip to La Loma, a Mexican restaurant near Sports Authority Field Unrein likes to visit after games.

Before they left the stadium area though, they made a stop at the family tailgate. Most players don’t visit the parking lot on Sundays, but Unrein makes his way there before and after most home games. Why? Because at every game held in Denver, including those played in subzero weather, number 96 has a huge contingent of tailgaters. With seven aunts and uncles from both sides of his family—and all of their spouses and kids and their kids’ kids—as well as his five siblings and their families, the parking lot cookout is a well-attended affair. In fact, Unrein has so much family in Colorado—he estimates the number could be in the hundreds stretching from Brighton to the Kansas line—that his jersey is one of the few, if not the only, nonstarters’ jerseys being sold in the Broncos team store at Sports Authority Field.

Although his jersey hangs next to Peyton Manning’s, he shares the field with Pro Bowl defenders like Champ Bailey and Von Miller, and Broncos defensive line coach Jay Rodgers says he would trust Unrein’s play in any situation, Unrein is mostly still in awe of his position. He sometimes can’t help but smile when John Elway sits down with him to have breakfast at Dove Valley and asks about Unrein’s girlfriend of more than two years, Corey Cogdell, an Olympic bronze medal–winning trapshooter who trains in Colorado Springs. Unrein has to pinch himself when he looks at the Tampa Bay game ball, signed by Manning, which sits atop his trophy case in the condo he rents in Englewood.

That’s probably because Unrein still just thinks of himself as a guy from Eaton. He still has dinner with his old high school football coach Kevin Ross. He likes to play golf but says he isn’t very good so he usually just plays at a little par 3 near his condo. He took his first-ever extended vacation during this past off-season, but he doesn’t like missing too many days of training. He sends gently used cleats and gloves from his teammates to Eaton High School’s football team, and last year he secured some old gym equipment the Broncos were going to donate for the school’s weight room. He does signings and appearances and shows up on a few local billboards for the Weld County Garage, a dealership in Greeley that gave him a new GMC pickup to drive in return—otherwise, Unrein says, he’d just be driving the old Pontiac he got right before leaving for college. The humility Unrein projects is just who he was raised to be: an easygoing kid from a blue-collar family who never took anything for granted. But it would be a mistake to think Unrein doesn’t aspire to break free of that anonymous lunch-pail-player label someday. Not to change his workmanlike ways or to be someone he wasn’t taught to be, but to see that work pay off with a multiyear contract.

With the first of four preseason games on August 8 and 16 regular season games stretching out ahead of him, Unrein wants to live up to the team’s expectations. He knows he’ll need to produce in a big way—with consistency on the run, proficiency against the pass, and 30 or so tackles with a sack or two—to do that. If he doesn’t, Unrein understands his days with Denver—who would have to sign him to a multiyear contract or pay him more than $2 million for one year as a fourth-year player—could be numbered. Unrein says he would rather be here in Denver, live near his family, and play as a Bronco forever. It would hurt, he says, if that couldn’t happen. But if his contract runs out and Denver can’t keep him, Unrein will simply go where the work is. “It may not be in Denver,” he says. “But if I can make a living in this job—if you can even call it a job—I’ll go wherever I need to go to do that.”

Kraft on Welker: 'I sorely miss him'

Corey Bourassa Providence Journal July 26, 2013

Speaking with former Patriots fullback Heath Evans on the NFL Network's "Inside Training Camp Live" on Friday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft opened up about how much he already misses wide receiver Wes Welker, who signed with the Denver Broncos in the offseason.

Here's what Kraft had to say when asked about Welker's departure.

"We're going to let the season speak for itself. Wes, I sorely miss him and I think Denver is lucky to have him. I actually heard him do an interview - I don't know if it was on NFL Network or where - but he was comparing Peyton [Manning] and [Tom Brady] to Michelangelo and Picasso. I didn't know he was such an art historian, but he and his lovely wife Anna, they always surprised me with their love of culture and the world. Wes was one of the special guys coming through here...All of us medium-height guys could relate to him. Actually I was at my grandson Harry's 7- on-7 and a young man came up to me from the opposite team and he said, 'Thanks for having Wes Welker here, that's giving me my chance to play in college.' He was about 5'5, 5'6."

Mike Pereira sees NFL following NCAA’s lead on ejections

Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com July 26, 2013

In college football this year, players who target an opponent with a blow to the head will face an automatic ejection. The former head of NFL officiating thinks that will soon be the case in pro football as well.

Pereira was asked by the Big Ten Network if he sees the NFL adopting the college rule, and he said, “Sure, if this is successful.”

Pereira went on to say that he thinks the NFL is being forced to change if it wants the game of football to survive at all.

“The NFL has the same issues as college,” Pereira said. “This isn’t all about college football. The rules are about parents who don’t want to put their kids in Pop Warner football because they are scared of all coverage about concussions. So young kids are being turned away from the game. Those on the college and pro level have a responsibility to make the game safer on all levels. I have news for you: if the game dries up on the Pop Warner level, it will on every other level, too. There is no college or NFL football. It’s a trickle-up effect.”

Pereira added that rules regarding player safety, and especially blows to the head, are officiated differently than other rules in one key respect: With a penalty like a false start or holding, officials are told to err on the side of letting the players play. But the new emphasis on player safety has officials being instructed to err on the side of calling a penalty if they think there might have been an illegal blow to the head.

“It’s contrary to any other concept of officiating,” Pereira said. “We always told people to not throw the flag unless they are 110 percent sure. But in this area, over the past decade, it’s become OK to err on the side of safety. They throw the flag on impact; they throw when they think it’s close because the book tells them to do that. And the rules committee tells them to do that. They are charged with trying to protect players. They didn’t make the rules. They don’t mind doing this.”

In 2007, when Pereira was running the officiating department, the NFL instructed officials to eject players for flagrant hits to the head, but NFL officials very, very rarely do so. The new college rule, however, is expected to result in scores of players getting ejected this season. And that soon may be the case in the NFL.

Report: Von Miller suspension not for a positive drug test

Michael David Smith ProFootballTalk.com July 26, 2013

Broncos linebacker Von Miller is in the process of appealing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, but according to a new report, Miller did not fail a drug test.

“He didn’t test positive for anything,” an unnamed person with knowledge of the situation told USA Today.

We’ll likely never know all the details of Miller’s case, just like we never know all the details of most NFL suspensions for violations of the substance-abuse policy, because the league’s confidentiality rules keep that information quiet. The very fact that we’re talking about this before Miller’s appeal has been heard shows that someone violated the confidentiality rules by leaking the news that he’s facing a suspension, but when these leaks come out, they usually don’t tell the full story.

But if it’s true that Miller didn’t fail a drug test, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll win his appeal. It’s possible to violate the policy without testing positive by, for instance, refusing to take a test or submitting a diluted urine sample.

So while the news that Miller did not test positive might seem to back up his claim that he did nothing wrong, it still remains to be seen whether Miller can win his appeal and be on the field in Week One.

Sacco, A True Friend Andrew Mason shares his thoughts on the man he knows as "Sacco."

Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- First things first: unless you're a fresh-minted college kid interviewing for an internship or a 20-something hire walking the halls on your first day in the office, you don't call the Broncos' long-time communications guru "Mr. Saccomano." And not often will you even say his first name.

It's just "Sacco." You utter those two syllables in NFL communications and Colorado media circles, and no further explanation is needed. That's when you know you're talking about a man who long since crossed the line that divides diligent professional succeeding at his job to being an icon of his field.

Jim Saccomano has been listed in 36 consecutive Broncos media guides in various titles revolving around public relations and communications, all the way up to his current role as vice president. In the photos that accompanied his professional handle, his hair grayed, his glasses shrunk, his prominence ascended. Coaches, players, owners and staff came and went. Saccomano remained, enduring through changes that would have swept others aside.

But does that accurately convey that the man I've known for much of my working life? Not even close. The guy I know and and am privileged to call a friend is "Sacco."

"Sacco" is the guy who, along with his wife JoAnn, opens his home on Thanksgiving dinner to a recent transplant who didn't have any family within 600 miles of Denver and had planned to spend the holiday eating the kind of holiday meal that could be prepared by and for one person: sliced turkey from the deli counter with sweet potatoes from a dented can. Instead, a spread of food and good cheer awaited in abundance -- because if you were invited to a Saccomano gathering, you were taken in as one of the flock, at least for one day.

"Sacco" is the guy who lives and dies with the New York Yankees every day, to the point where he makes you re-think the outsider's stereotype of the Yankee fan: entitled, privileged, spoiled by success, miles less than humble. "Sacco" is none of these things. I measure my fandom of the Atlanta Braves through Sacco's devotion to his Yankees, and even after 30-plus years of watching major and minor league Braves hurl themselves about the diamond, I know I have a long way to go.

"Sacco" is the guy who bounds through the door as I'm writing a story to tell me about the latest baseball stadium he's visited and the next one on his list. He's one of the few people I've met who understands why I would look at the schedules of minor-league teams within a two-hour radius of my former home, find one that I could get to in time for the first pitch, and immediately leave the office for a 90- minute drive to a $6 seat down the first-base line to watch 45 players destined for anonymity and five who just might someday be big-leaguers.

"Sacco" is the guy who knows that a uniform for a team is more than just high- tech, moisture-wicking fabrics and space-age plastic headgear; it's the symbol of its identity, and helps carve out the definition of its place in the game, short- and long- term. This is the kind of person every NFL organization needs: a fierce guardian of its legacy and history, to keep the memories of the past as vibrant as the happenings of the present, because no matter how many snaps, games and seasons pass, every last one of them has meaning in creating the legacy of this team that its fans adore.

"Sacco" is the guy who, on the rare occasions he's not at the stadium, buzzes my phone to exult or vent over whatever he just witnessed over the television. I'd have to leave my perch in the press box to listen to him, and I might miss a play or two. It's worth it to share insight with someone who knows the feeling of sitting in the stands at Bears Stadium watching a fledgling Broncos team that seemed destined for a one-way ticket out of town before the community stepped forward.

"Sacco" is the guy who tells me about his grandchildren and still retains the enthusiasm of those kids four decades younger who pass through every year, calling him "Mr. Saccomano." He's a friend, a mentor, and along with my own father, represents the kind of man I want to be when I grow up. I'm lucky to know him, and I can't wait for the next fascinating conversation about whatever arcane sports topic crosses our minds.

Saccomano to Retire After 36 Seasons Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Saccomano has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2013 season.

Gray Caldwell DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- He's watched 853 Broncos games in person. He's seen 421 wins -- including preseason -- as a Denver Broncos employee.

He's won countless awards, from the first-ever Pete Rozelle Award -- given annually to the NFL's outstanding public relations staff -- to the Charlie Callahan Award for Public Relations and most recently a lifetime achievement award from the Order Sons of Italy in America Colorado Foundation.

And after 36 NFL seasons, Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Saccomano is retiring.

“It’s just time," Saccomano said, sitting in his office. "It feels absolutely right."

Saccomano, the longest tenured pro sports administrator in Colorado history, will work one final season in his current role before officially retiring at the end of the year.

From there, he'll transition into a new role as a consultant, which was offered to him by Broncos President Joe Ellis.

"I don't think he'll ever leave being part of our family," Ellis said.

Saccomano said he's grateful that the Broncos have given him an opportunity to continue blogging for DenverBroncos.com, tweeting, making television appearances, emceeing various events and consulting "as long as I want to."

"I can have the best of both worlds -- have great family time with great travel time but yet still have an area to work in and be able to have an association and an affiliation. In some ways I say I’m able to do all the most fun parts."

Saccomano, who graduated with honors from Metro State in 1970 and earned his master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado in 1977, has authored four books -- two editions each of Game of My Life: Denver Broncos and the more recently published Denver Broncos: The Complete Illustrated History.

In his tenure with the Broncos, he spent three decades directly supervising all team public relations efforts. He worked his way up to a senior director title, followed by the position of vice president of public relations before he assumed his current role. "I think it's three things," Ellis said of the reasons for Saccomano's longevity. "It's hard work -- no one worked harder than Jimmy -- honesty -- he was without fail honest -- and integrity. Those three traits are what put him above so many others in his field and made him a great Bronco for 36 years."

Under Saccomano's watch, Denver has had one of the NFL’s highest number of players to receive honors from press associations, including several who have been named as national award winners. He directed an unequaled volume of national and international exposure for the team, which made more than 300 national TV appearances in his career.

He has chaired the NFL’s media relations and international committees and has served on the league’s postseason, radio-television and special projects committees. In addition to working five Broncos Super Bowls, he worked for the National Football League’s public relations staff at 21 additional Super Bowls, and for 14 of those games was designated by the league as a staff co-captain.

Among Saccomano's other contributions to the game are the statistics he helped pioneer -- red-zone, field-position and fourth-quarter-comeback stats.

But his accomplishments aside, he said the relationships he has formed throughout his career are the most important to him.

"There’s a small band of really tight relationships -- with the Broncos but also many, many within the NFL," he said. "The people are huge. They are my second family."

At the club's annual employee service awards prior to the 2012 season, when Saccomano was presented with a plaque to commemorate his 35 years with the team, he recalled when Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos once said he was "living the dream."

"I think that is so, so true," Saccomano said in his speech. "In my case, I'm a Denver native. My dad was a farmer. Where I grew up, the fields were dirt, the roads were dirt. The imagination was something else. You thought you might do something, but it seemed absurd to say you could. Just ludicrous to say I want to work in pro sports some day. How do you begin to do that? Well, a lot of things happen, and you make things come to be sometimes."

Denver had always been his favorite team, and he recalled crying while watching the Broncos losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960. He's been a fan since day one.

Saccomano said that when his Broncos career began in 1978, he just hoped to get his foot in the door and continue to take steps from there. "Seriously, my family, my faith, the Denver Broncos and the New York Yankees," Saccomano said of his priorities. "And you say how does the list look? It’s like the symbol for infinity – it just goes around and around. To work for the Broncos for all this time, it is surreal."

He estimates that in 39 years of working in professional sports -- he worked three years with the Denver Bears, a minor league baseball team, prior to joining the Broncos -- he has crammed in 72 years worth of 40-hour work weeks.

So the first person he wanted to thank for allowing him such a long career is his wife.

"Fortunately, my wife, JoAnn, her understanding is so key," Saccomano said. "She said, ‘I’ve always felt I’d rather have him work long hours and be gone and then walk in the door and be happy than be doing something where he’s home a lot but he’s miserable about what he’s doing.’"

Now he's ready to be around his family a lot more often. He and JoAnn have two children, Jennifer and Jeffrey, and two grandchildren.

"An enormous factor is having grandchildren, whom I wish to share things with," he said of his grandson Lucas and granddaughter Rhea. "I’ve missed a lot of stuff. And I’m not missing it this time around."

Saccomano, a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Army, grew up where "everything was dirt but the dreams."

He achieved his.

"The game is an elixir," he said, "and it’s been a privilege to be a part of it."

Broncos Poised to ‘Rise Up to Expectations’

While the outside expectations for the Broncos in 2013 are undeniably high, Broncos players say that their own expectations for the season are just as high.

Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The months of anticipation for the season, the offseason acquisitions and the bitter taste of an unfinished campaign that abruptly came to an end last January – all of it created the perfect formula to send outside expectations for the 2013 Broncos into the stratosphere.

Although the expectations that have been set for the Broncos by outside sources are undeniably lofty, Broncos players noted that their own expectations are just as ambitious.

And, according to players, it’s the determination to meet those expectations that can help drive the Broncos to reach new heights.

“I think we put the pressure on ourselves,” wide receiver Eric Decker said after Friday's training camp practice. “We know expectations are set high outside of this building, but they are also set high here. What we have to do to maximize our opportunities and the talent that we have is to play our best football from day one.”

Talent and maximizing opportunities helped the Broncos tie for an NFL-best 13-3 record in the 2012 regular season, but Decker quickly pointed out that the team needs to get even better in order to accomplish its ultimate goals.

“We have to get better at the little things,” Decker said. “Last year we didn’t start off games as fast as we wanted to and we didn’t finish games the way we wanted to. Those are two things that we are stressing. It’s all about situational football and we want to get better.”

Getting better means raising expectations even higher – and it means accepting the challenges that come with following up a 2012 season that ended just two victories away from the Super Bowl.

“Everybody in the building understands what we did and knows what we got in this building, so expectations are high and we accept all the challenges. We can’t run from them,” Vickerson said on Friday, jokingly adding that the Broncos will finish 0- 16 if they run from their expectations. Tight end Joel Dreessen noted that he is embracing the outside expectations that have been set for the team.

“We’re going to rise up to those expectations is our goal. It’s good that people view us that way because we certainly expect that of ourselves, too,” Dreessen said on Thursday. “We know we have a lot of work in front of us to achieve that goal.”

Still, expectations alone are not enough to win football games, as safety was quick to point out.

“We still have 16 games to play. As you all saw last year, anything can happen,” Adams said. “Not one of you guys here picked Baltimore to win the Super Bowl. At the end of the day, we still have to line up and play the game.”

Ultimately, any successes that the Broncos achieve in 2013 will have to be earned on the field – something Vickerson stressed on Friday. But, as Vickerson also pointed out, it all begins with accepting the challenge and working hard to achieve it.

“You just can’t talk about winning and having a Super Bowl or going to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to put work in and you’ve just got to work,” Vickerson said. “Everybody knows what we have over here with the offense and Peyton (Manning) and our defense so we’re not the hunted any more, we have the target. We take it and I think everybody in the room, in the building, is accepting this challenge.”

Broncos Ready to Put the Pads On

Saturday will be the first day of training camp that the Broncos will wear their pads.

Brandon Moree DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Training camp might have started at Dove Valley on Thursday, but the real action – the hitting -- starts Saturday morning. Day three of camp means the Broncos will throw on their pads for the first time in the 2013 season.

“The thing is, it was January since we’ve been in pads,” Head Coach John Fox said. “We’ve spent a lot of the offseason—OTAs, minicamp, all that fun stuff—in underwear. I think it’s a good rule that we’ve got in place now with the league where the first two days are without pads.

“I think it’s good for the protection of the players and letting them ease back into it. But I think everybody in that building will be excited about being in pads for the first time since January.”

Strong safety Mike Adams, entering his 10th year in the league, admitted having been around for nearly a decade he can “do without” the pads sometimes, but it’s always something to look forward to.

Putting on the pads has the ability to turn up the preseason intensity.

“That’s why we play,” Adams said. “That’s when the competition really starts. That’s where it’s going.”

Linebacker Wesley Woodyard added that the first day in pads is one of the favorites for defensive players. He said that on Saturday there will be "no hiding."

Safety David Bruton said that emotions can get heated once players start hitting each other and skirmishes can arise out of sheer competitiveness – but those are good things.

“It’s always like that, especially on the first day of pads,” Bruton said. “So as a defensive player we look forward to it.”

The defensive players aren’t the only ones that are looking forward to getting into full football gear.

The players on both sides of the can start to shift their focus from drills and form to power and getting back to working at full speed. “You’ll see some physicality,” wide receiver Eric Decker. ”I think guys are hungry to put the pads on. Front line, it’s sometimes hard to go full speed when you don’t have pads on, so for those guys they’ll get some good technique work in.”

Regardless of where each player lines up on the field, Saturday will lend a better idea of where they are in their preparation for the season as the practice scenario starts to emulate game scenarios a little bit more.

And the intensity levels aside, the players are excited to get into their pads.

“I’m excited because that’s what football is about,” Decker said. “Getting head-to- head with the defense and having those physical battles.

“So we’ll see what we've got tomorrow.”

Five Thoughts From Training Camp Day 2 Andrew Mason shares his takeaways from Friday's training camp practice.

Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Less than 24 hours remained before the Broncos donned full pads, but on Friday, some Broncos still appeared a bit antsy to get past the preliminaries in shorts and shells and get to true football.

But after a ragged Thursday practice, Friday's work was crisper, as the Broncos appeared to shake off the rust that plagued an inconsistent performance during the training-camp opener.

"I think we’re just getting back into that football mentality," Woodyard said. "Being away from the game for five weeks, it takes you a day or two to get back into it. And those are the right steps we need to take.

"Tomorrow is going to be full-speed ahead. It’s going to be crazy tomorrow. But it’s good that we stepped it up today."

How crazy depends on whether the intensity results in anything extracurricular. The closest thing to it without pads on Friday was when Greg Orton and Tony Carter grappled for the football after Orton appeared to come down with a long pass from Brock Osweiler. There was no harm -- just dogged, battle-to-the-end intensity that coaches want to see.

"There's probably going to be a few fights, because it's always like that on the first day of pads," safety David Bruton said. "As a defensive player, you look forward to it."

If the contact bubbles over into actual shoving in the coming days, that's no problem -- as long as it doesn't lead to long-term injury.

"We're a competitive bunch. You're not in this league to let people walk by or anything," Bruton said. "It can be offense vs. defense getting into a fight, defensive players getting into a fight with defensive players, offensive players getting into a fight with offensive players. It's just the way of the game."

Added defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson: "It's always healthy. Brothers fight, but we love each other."

1. Some of the most difficult cuts will come from a group of pass catchers that looks deep and talented. Tight end Julius Thomas continues to make too many plays to ignore. His Friday was punctuated by grabbing a Peyton Manning pass near the right sideline, one step ahead of safety David Bruton and linebacker . I look forward to watching him in full pads this weekend and seeing how he handles heavier contact at the line of scrimmage.

Rookie wide receiver Tavarres King had another solid day. beat deep up the left sideline for a perfectly placed bomb from Brock Osweiler, who continues to improve at leading his receivers, setting them up for long grabs in stride. Greg Orton also made his presence known, at one point catching three consecutive passes. He punctuated his day with the afore-mentioned catch at Carter's expense.

The presence of Trindon Holliday makes the competition at wide receiver all the more fierce. Holliday is a good bet to make the final 53-man roster because his massive contributions on returns justify it. But he dropped a pair of catchable passes Friday on consecutive snaps, which won't help his chances of contributing beyond special teams.

Holliday's return proficiency is so far above the mean that he's an essential part of the Broncos' equation. The last two years, the league touchdown rates are one per 131.9 kickoffs and one per 60.7 punts; Holliday's averages (including playoffs) are one touchdown every 12.0 kickoffs and one every 26.0 punts. But if Holliday can't prove that he can help in the passing game, the Broncos might be faced with a difficult choice: either have to jettison a more consistent wide receiver or carry one less player at another position.

These are the sorts of difficult roster decisions that teams with above-average depth face. It's the NFL's answer to "#firstworldproblems" on Twitter.

2. Quarterbacks aren't to be touched during live-action drills, a condition underscored by the blue jerseys that Peyton Manning and his understudies wear. But what about when the quarterbacks initiate contact -- as happened when Manning stopped Woodyard after an ?

"You know, that's a good question," Woodyard said, smiling. "I should have run him over."

Woodyard said he told Manning, "Watch out. He considered giving the quarterback a juke, but thought better of it -- "But I didn't want to embarrass him," he said. It was all with a smile, and all in good fun.

"It was actually a good open-field tackle. A lot better than I thought it was going to be."

3. While Woodyard nabbed the interception during that snap in a seven-on-seven period, safety David Bruton deserved the bulk of the credit. Bruton timed his contact with running back Montee Ball perfectly, sending the football skyward after their collision.

Bruton was beaten on the next play by Julius Thomas, but overall his play has been solid, continuing the momentum he established during organized team activities. This is a different Bruton than the one who started at the end of the 2011 season and in the 2012 playoffs; he's in better position, doesn't over-pursue and makes good use of his unique size-speed blend.

"I feel like I haven't missed a beat -- aside from the first period yesterday, knocking off some of that rust," Bruton said, citing backpedal and cutting issues early in that first practice.

Bruton is the heaviest (217 pounds) and the tallest (6-foot-2) safety on the roster, which brings with it some adaptations that he's emphasized recently, helping bolster what is now a legitimate bid to earn a full-time starting slot.

"I've always had the mindset in my notes to keep the hips low, because I'm a 6- foot-2 guy," Bruton said. "hat's the biggest thing that's helped me a lot. I continuously put that work in, and it's paid dividends."

4. The scant mention of linemen the last two days is not out of ignorance, but of the difficulty of truly gauging progress without pads, particularly at the interior spots. That changes Saturday morning. But so far, there's some promise.

Defensive line: Quanterus Smith's burst off the edge, Robert Ayers' ability to stand his ground at the point of attack against the run, a stunt by Malik Jackson that nearly ended in a sack before Osweiler. There was a bit more pressure on the quarterbacks Friday, which forced a handful of throwaways. There were fewer interceptions as the quarterbacks made fewer unforced errors.

Offensive line: Louis Vasquez looks comfortable, as though he's been playing on the Broncos' offensive line for years. Chris Clark has been steady filling in for Ryan Clady, who is limited as he completes his recovery from shoulder surgery. Vasquez and right tackle Orlando Franklin helped spring Montee Ball for his nicest run of the day off right tackle.

5. During most drills so far, Brock Osweiler and the second team receive as many snaps as Peyton Manning and the first unit. Fox acknowledged this, and cited new quarterbacks coach as a reason why Osweiler and third-teamer Zac Dysert have each received substantial shares of the snaps.

"Greg Knapp is an excellent teacher. He’s done it with famed guys like Steve Young, and he’s done it with young guys ( and T.J. Yates) like he did in Houston," Fox said. "You’re just trying to get everybody on your squad better, and that’s what good coaches do.” But Manning is and will remain the leader -- and he showed how far his leadership stretches midway through practice, when he provided the most heartwarming moment of camp by throwing passes to a young fan in a Von Miller jersey. After the boy couldn't reel in the first pass, he easily caught the second one approximately 27 yards across the field, to the delight of spectators.

Maybe it's the relatively new father in me talking, but that's been the apex of the first two days.

Training Camp 2013: Day 2 Quick Hits Quick hits from day two of Broncos training camp, including a diving catch from Greg Orton and Peyton Manning throwing passes to a youngster from the crowd.

Mike Morris DenverBroncos.com July 26, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- On a sun-splashed Friday at Broncos headquarters, many of Peyton Manning's passes found their familiar targets.

And one of his passes also found a brand-new receiver.

While Manning linked up with regulars like Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Julius Thomas, the Broncos quarterback also threw a deep spiral to a youngster from the crowd, who made a once-in-a-lifetime memory by catching the pass from the future Hall of Famer.

It was all part of the action on the second day of Broncos training camp, which saw diving catches, tipped interceptions and more.

ROLL CALL

J.D. Walton and Chris Kuper remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and rookie tight end Lucas Reed was held out of practice on Friday due to a right hamstring injury. All other eligible players were on the field, including defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, who signed his rookie contract yesterday. Left tackle Ryan Clady was limited.

PLAYMAKERS

• Wide receiver Greg Orton's orange and blue cleats were among the most colorful on the field, but they weren't as colorful as his performance on Friday. Orton hauled in a number of passes from Brock Osweiler, including a diving reception in team drills that drew a large ovation from the crowd. Orton also had a nice catch in traffic during seven-on-sevens and, towards the end of practice, leaped up and pulled in an Osweiler pass over Tony Carter, who had tight coverage.

• Manning targeted tight end Julius Thomas several times, with Thomas making some nice plays throughout the morning, including one catch in double coverage.

• In addition to his arm strength, Osweiler showcased his mobility Friday morning, stepping up in the pocket under pressure and taking off for a nice scramble during team drills. • Defensive linemen Derek Wolfe and Mitch Unrein were both active in the trenches, as both players bursted though the line and stopped ball-carriers in the backfield on multiple occasions.

• Second-year safety Duke Ihenacho had a diving interception after jumping Osweiler's pass that was intended for tight end Virgil Green.

• Another highlight of the day came when running back Knowshon Moreno leapt up into the air to snare a pass from Osweiler on the sideline, then juked a defender and broke into the open field.

• In seven-on-sevens, safety David Bruton tipped a Manning pass that was intercepted by Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard acted like he was going to juke past Manning and keep running, but the quarterback jokingly wrapped him up and looked to force a .

• Running back Ronnie Hillman snared a pass from Manning in heavy traffic, making a difficult catch.

• Manning's rapport with Wes Welker from day one of training camp carried over into Friday, as Welker made a pair of downfield catches and was active over the middle.

QUICK HITS

• The deep ball that Manning lobbed to the youngster from the crowd drew one of the largest ovations of the day.

• The tip drill came into play for the defensive backs, as one Bronco defender would set the football into the air like a volleyball while the other defensive back . On one occasion, at least seven players tipped the ball before it was caught.

• The Broncos defenders also practiced diving onto the ground and recovering .

• Matt Prater practiced kicking balls through a skinnier set of uprights.

• One of the more interesting drills involved Quarterbacks Coach Greg Knapp running at Broncos quarterbacks with his hands raised to simulate an oncoming pass-rusher.

• Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard fired up the crowd before seven-on-sevens, and the crowd responded with the first "defense" chant of training camp.

• Miller played catch with one of the ball boys in between drills.