Andrew Mason's Day 3 Notebook: Strapping on the Pads

[SoCalBronco]

Day 3 Notebook: Strapping on the Pads
*** UPDATED 3:31 P.M. MDT ***

By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It was a Sunday morning, and based on the attire the Broncos donned for their fifth training camp practice, it looked almost like most Sundays between September and January.


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The Broncos donned full pads for the sunrise session at Dove Valley, eschewing the shorts they'd donned for practices on Friday and Saturday, and in a minor way, it felt as through it was the first day all over again.

"Sometimes -- for certain periods," linebacker Al Wilson said. "When we go live team, it kind of feels like the first day. Overall, man, it's still football, and we've still been out here three days."

[SoCalBronco]

The presence of pads and the full uniform really wasn't all that big a deal in Head Coach Mike Shanahan's eyes, as the team wore shoulder pads with shorts for practices on both Friday and Saturday afternoons.
"There's not a difference in full pads," Shanahan said. "When you get the shoulder pads on, it doesn't matter about the thigh pads or the knee pads. I only do that a couple times."

So, it begs the question -- why have the players dress in full uniform from head to toe? After all, virtually the only difference between the players' garb of Sunday morning versus a game day is the lack of names on the backs of their jerseys.

"(It is) so the guys really know the uniform code -- what we have to do on game day," Shanahan said. "But if they've got their shoulder pads on, everything is full speed. The only thing we don't do is tackle.

"When you don't tackle, you don't have to worry about anyone having a thigh bruise. That's one of the reasons why we don't go in full pads -- because we don't hit below the waist."

But the Broncos still hit. Shorts and shoulder pads of Friday and Saturday still saw some solid shots, such as one that John Lynch put on wide receiver Todd Devoe, and another where Jeremy LeSueur took on Maurice Clarett, but lost as the 233-pound rookie lowered his shoulder and powered through the tackling attempt.

Sunday's practice saw more of the same, including one play where LeSueur solidly wrapped up Quentin Griffin, and another where D.J. Williams flattened Clarett.

"You can hit, and we hit, but it's above the waist," Shanahan said. "What you try to do is try to form tackle. It's the only way you get good at tackling, but any time you go below the waist, people get hurt.

"It's full-speed tackling, but it wrapping the guy up and not bringing him to the ground," Shanahan added. "That's what (rookie defensive back Brandon) Browner did yesterday with a couple of shots. He had guys above the waist and actually knocked them down. (Safety) Nick Ferguson had a hit like that on (running back) Mike Anderson the day before. What we try to do is keep everybody up high, and if you do that, you eliminate injuries."

Wilson can live with those limitations for the practice sessions.

"I'm just out there trying to get my job done and make sure I'm in the right position," he said. "It's not about the big lick right now. It's all about making sure I'm doing the right thing."

SEWELL GONE: Josh Sewell is off the active roster.

The Broncos placed the second-year offensive lineman on the exempt/left squad list early Sunday morning, and subsequently signed center Ben Nowland to the roster and issued Nowland the No. 79 jersey that Sewell had worn since arriving in Denver as a sixth-round pick in 2004.

Sewell did not play for the Broncos in his rookie campaign last season; the 6-foot-2, 288-pounder spent the entire year on the practice squad. He was a part of the offseason workouts at Dove Valley as the team elected not to send him to NFL Europe.

[SoCalBronco]

Nowland is an NFL Europe exemption, as he just completed a season with the Frankfurt Galaxy. He also played for Frankfurt in 2004. He had just been waived by the Washington Redskins on July 28 after spending parts of the 2003 and 2004 seasons on their practice squad.

"He's been to camp, so he's in football shape," Shanahan said. "We'll get a chance to evaluate him as well."

Nowland had one inauspicious moment when the team began a possession-simulation drill at the end of practice, with the third-team offense facing the third-team defense for a drive beginning at the offense's 30-yard-line. Nowland and Bradlee Van Pelt couldn't excute the first snap of the drive, and the offense lost five yards. But there were no such problems on the exchange thereafter.

An ancillary result of Sewell's departure is more time for rookie Chris Myers, who worked with the second-team offensive line at center during team drills Sunday morning.

"It brings him up a slot. He gets more reps," Shanahan said. "We've got a lot of depth there."

IN AND OUT: With two practices during the day, Shanahan held cornerback Jeff Shoate and defensive linemen Ebenezer Ekuban, Luther Elliss and Courtney Brown out of the morning session. Brown, who'd been working on the first team at right defensive end, was replaced on the first unit Sunday morning by Marco Coleman.

TRAINER'S ROOM: No players were out of pads because of current injuries, although tight end Nate Jackson told reporters he "tweaked my foot area somehow" near the end of practice.

"Yeah, that's kind of par for the course," Jackson said. "I think I should be fine."

CAMP BYTES: Although the Broncos didn't use a game or play clock -- as they have done at later stages of training camp during past years -- the Broncos did simulate possessions for the first time on Sunday morning, giving the offense the football at its 30-yard-line in the series of plays that closed out the practice session.

First up was the first-team offense, and it successfully moved the football into field-goal range on the No. 2 defense before the drive was stopped to let other units get some work. Jake Plummer recovered from a sack on the first play of the drive to complete four of his next five passes for 38 yards, including a 9-yard pass on a third-and-4 to Rod Smith. Plummer's only incompletion actually hit Stephen Alexander in his hands, but the tight end could not hold onto the football.

Denver's first-team defense allowed the No. 2 offense to get a first down when Danny Kanell found Jerry Rice in front of Lenny Walls for 5 yards on a third-and-2. But the defense didn't allow the offense to cross midfield, as Wilson wrested control of the proceedings. The seventh-year linebacker first pushed Cecil Sapp in the back as he tried to catch the ball on a second-and-4, forcing an incompletion. One play later, Wilson blew up a pass play by sprinting into the backfield to tag Kanell for the sack.

[SoCalBronco]

Van Pelt ran the third-team offense against the No. 3 defense, and the offense went three-and-out with a fumbled snap, a 9-yard pass to Nate Jackson and a hurried incompletion ...

... Two days after Todd Devoe drew the fans' applause with a bobbling deep catch down the left sideline in one-on-one drills, he repeated the feet with another bobble-turned-reception -- this time up the right sideline -- during seven-on-seven work ...

... Walls was in the right place for an interception during seven-on-seven drills when a Plummer pass skipped off Darius Watts' hands and into those of the fourth-year cornerback. Watts later atoned with a leaping catch of a Van Pelt pass between LeSueur and Nick Ferguson ...

... Denver's offense opened team drills with a botched snap from Tom Nalen to Plummer; defensive tackle Michael Myers alertly recovered the loose football ...

... Plummer and Alexander collaborated on a big play in team drills, as the quarterback found the tight end one step beyond Ferguson in the open field for a reception ...

... Anton Palepoi proved solid against the run, particularly on one play where he and John Lynch combined to snuff out a Tatum Bell sweep to the right side in 11-on-11 work. One snap later, Palepoi destroyed a screen pass, breaking up a short Plummer-to-Quentin Griffin attempt ...

... Browner made an acrobatic deflection of a deep pass attempt from Matt Mauck to Ashley Lelie, forcing an incompletion up the left sideline.

WEATHER REPORT: A day after Denver International Airport recorded a high of 101 degrees (the official station at nearby Centennial Airport saw a high of 97), the Broncos practiced in relatively pleasant conditions Sunday morning, with the temperature rising from 75 to 81 degrees over the length of the two-hour session.

"This isn't bad at all," Shanahan said. "The humidity isn't very high, and probably the temperature's not that high. Any time you start to go in full pads, it's tough because you have to get in football shape. The weather is probably pretty good for us."

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The bobble -- if it gets me on TV, I might have to do it a few more times." -- Devoe, on his penchant for hair-raising deep receptions the past three days

RELATED LINKS:

[Kaylore]

That's a great report. That gives you a good feel for how things worked in terms of each play. AnthonyPacino said Jake took a step back in the evening practice, but you can see he played well when I was there. I don't think I've ever been there for a pick Plummer's thrown.

[Rock Chalk]

That's a great report. That gives you a good feel for how things worked in terms of each play. AnthonyPacino said Jake took a step back in the evening practice, but you can see he played well when I was there. I don't think I've ever been there for a pick Plummer's thrown.
Now THAT I like to hear.

[TotallyScrewed]

What's the reason for the story with Sewell??? I seem to be asking this over and again. Ps...Thanks SoCal!


Edit---Sorry didn't see the report on Sewell choosing dentistry.

[SoCalBronco]

What's the reason for the story with Sewell??? I seem to be asking this over and again. Ps...Thanks SoCal!

Apparently he just told the coaches yesterday afternoon that he has no desire to play football any longer and he is looking into enrolling into Dentistry school.

[TotallyScrewed]

Apparently he just told the coaches yesterday afternoon that he has no desire to play football any longer and he is looking into enrolling into Dentistry school.

Yeah, I just saw this report...also posted by SoCal. I'd rep you but "I must spread rep around". Thanks for the "official" stuff AND your take on it!

"The rest of you girls...Get out there and make those gents thirsty!!" ---Moulin Rouge

[16-JakE-16]

Apparently he just told the coaches yesterday afternoon that he has no desire to play football any longer and he is looking into enrolling into Dentistry school.
dentistry? I hope mauck doesn't follow him ugh!~

[Kaylore]

Now THAT I like to hear.
Well he's thrown some, but just none that I've seen. He'll throw more as the rust comes off.

[broncogary]

Well he's thrown some, but just none that I've seen. He'll throw more as the rust comes off.

Has he been working any on his left-handed throws? :gimme:

[Kaylore]

Has he been working any on his left-handed throws? :gimme:
Thankfully not. I'll keep my eyes peeled though. :thumbs: