Denver
Broncos

Broncos Team Report

Updated: May 25, 2012 04:21 EST

Broncos fans near and far saw the pictures and watched the video of Peyton Manning holding up a No. 18 Broncos jersey at his introductory press conference in March and could scarcely believe their eyes. They tuned in a month later when he spoke to the media on the first day of organized workouts, witnessed him in Broncos gear for the first time and began embracing the reality of a four-time MVP quarterbacking their team.

But on May 21, they saw him wearing a jersey and throwing passes at his first organized team activity as a Bronco -- and first with any team since 2010. Even though the workouts were closed to all but the team and credentialed media, the Denver area throbbed with a buzz.

"The excitement level's at an all-time high," said wide receiver Eric Decker.

Even longtime Broncos were taken aback by the sight of Manning -- and the pace he set for his new offensive teammates.

"Well, this was definitely one of the most intense first days of OTAs I've had in a while," said cornerback Champ Bailey. "I mean, it felt good. I love seeing those guys running as hard as they have. I know they're going to be ready to go."

Manning appeared ready, directing his new teammates and barking out instructions as though he'd been in Denver, rather than Indianapolis, for the last 14 years. When the Broncos went into team and seven-on-seven work, he completed an array of short- to medium-range passes.

"He's getting better every day -- and I think he's pretty good right now. But he'll continue to get better," coach John Fox said.

"This was one step," Manning added. "There's kind of different phases. Training camp will be your next step, putting on shoulder pads and then preseason, regular season. So, I'm kind of taking it one step at a time, but I was excited for this day to get here."

But it was still only one day, and not a rigorous test of his surgically-repaired neck. Manning won't face anything approximating a full-speed pass rush until training camp and the preseason, and his teammates have been instructed to not touch the quarterback in the blue practice jersey.

"When No. 18's out there, you'd better stay the hell away from him," said defensive tackle Justin Bannan, "We're going to work on our pass-rush techniques, but at the same time be smart out there."

The start of OTAs also commenced a full-scale scrum among the wide receivers to become a primary target of Manning. Decker got a head start by working out with Manning at a local high-school field beginning in March, but by the time team-sanctioned workouts began, Demaryius Thomas, Andre Caldwell, Jason Hill, Matt Willis and Brandon Stokley had joined them. Of that group, only Stokley has worked with Manning before.

"As a receiver what you want to do is become dependable and reliable, and that's just by making plays on the field, obviously running the right routes, doing some extra study and just getting on the same page," Decker said. "That's kind of our focus: that when we step on the field, there's no thinking; everyone's reacting. We understand his checks, his calls and what he wants to do."

But Stokley counsels his fellow receives to not make too much effort to curry Manning's favor.

"You don't tell him you're open," Stokley said. "You just keep doing the right things and he'll figure it out."

--No area of the Broncos' defense has aborted more change than the secondary, where the release of cornerback Andre' Goodman and retirement of strong safety Brian Dawkins has forced change upon the unit.

Three of the Broncos' projected top five defensive backs are newcomers -- free safety Mike Adams and cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence. As a result, their primary task during organized team activities is to develop cohesion.

From early indications, they're progressing well -- particularly as they work to get in sync with cornerback Champ Bailey.

"I don't have to say much to Champ or as far as communication, sometimes we give a nod and he already knows what's coming," Adams said.

The same is true for Porter.

"I get to look at Tracy (Porter) now and give him a nod and he knows he can jump a route and I can play over top. I won't have to make a hand signal," Adams said.

Adams was signed from the Cleveland Browns in March largely because he could fill Brian Dawkins' role of setting up the back line of the defense. When Dawkins was sidelined late in 2011 with a pinched nerve, the defense struggled to get lined up.

"(Adams) is sharp, he knows his stuff and that's really what you want from your safeties, to know their stuff and to come out there and kind of get you lined up right," Bailey said.

--Some Broncos want to gain weight. Others want to lose it.

Defensive end Elvis Dumervil said he has dropped 10 pounds from his playing weight last year, returning to the 250-pound frame he maintained before tearing his pectoral muscle during training camp in 2010.

"I thought I gained too much weight in a short period of time," Dumervil said. "I just wanted to get back to what I'm used to. I feel good at 250 and my strength is there; my conditioning is there."

Dumervil sought additional help in dropping the weight, hiring a full-time chef and nutritionist to guide and prepare his meals. Natural, unprocessed foods were emphasized, Dumervil added.

"It's just to take care of myself and get me premium fuel for this body," he said.

Linebacker Von Miller has the opposite quandary: he wants to add weight. After closing his rookie season at 236 to 238 pounds, by his estimation, Miller said he's up to 244 pounds and wants to be at 252 by Week 1.

"I wish (Dumervil) had given me those 10 pounds that he lost," Miller said.

--During a rookie season in which Rahim Moore went from early-season starter to the last safety off the bench by the divisional playoffs, it seemed as though the Broncos had lost confidence in the second-round pick, who was the first safety selected in last year's draft.

Now, they're trying to rebuild it.

Before organized team activities, coach John Fox told a conference call of 6,000 Broncos season-ticket holders that Moore remained prominent in their plans.

"He's a guy that we have not lost faith in by any means," Fox said. "He's actually had a good offseason. He gained some strength and weight."

A week later, Mike Adams -- who is expected to man the free safety slot that Moore held early last year -- singled Moore out for praise after the Broncos' second OTA on May 22.

"Rahim Moore had a great day," he said.

Adams is competitive enough to want to keep the first-team gig for which he signed as an unrestricted free agent in March, but he'd prefer it not come easy.

"I told him, 'Don't make it easier for me. Don't make it easier for Quinton (Carter). Don't make it easy for anybody,"? Adams said. "Make it hard for the coaches to make a decision on who's going to start and who's going to play when September comes."

Extensive playing time might not be on Moore's docket if Adams and Carter remain healthy. But after a scattershot 2011 that saw tentative play and over-aggression -- but rarely a happy medium -- Moore might have taken the first steps to regain his footing.

--The reason behind the Broncos' straight-up trade of cornerback Cassius Vaughn for fullback Chris Gronkowski was simple: they had too many cornerbacks and not enough fullbacks.

Before Vaughn suffered a season-ending ankle injury at San Diego in Week 12 last year, he had already lost his claim on the nickel back slot to then-rookie Chris Harris. In the months following the injury, the Broncos signed Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence in free agency and drafted Arizona State's Omar Bolden in the fourth round -- and subsequently declared that he had a first- or second-round value after rookie minicamp.

With those circumstances, and Syd'Quan Thompson's return from a torn Achilles tendon, Vaughn's chances of making the final roster appeared dim, barring a spate of injuries. The same cannot be said of Gronkowski, who is one of two fullbacks on the roster -- joining Austin Sylvester -- and with 21 games on his resume is the only Broncos fullback ever to play a regular-season snap.

"He's a Gronkowski. They're a good crew," said wide receiver Eric Decker, who got to know tight end Dan Gronkowski when they played together for the Broncos in 2010.

Coincidentally, both of the Broncos' Gronkowski pickups involved a young cornerback. Dan Gronkowski arrived in a September 2010 trade that sent cornerback Alphonso Smith to Detroit.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Obviously I know my wife is worried. I can't predict the future. Here's what I do know: I know this all comes at a price. Yeah, you make a good living, you do it early in life, your window's this big. Do I know how I'm going to feel when I'm 55 years old? Probably not too good. I just think there's pros and cons to everything in life and you've got to weigh it, but it's hard for me to sit here now. I can't predict the future. Maybe when I'm 60, I'll go, 'I shouldn't have played all those years,' but I don't know." -- Defensive tackle Justin Bannan, talking about the health risks in football. Bannan rejoined the Broncos in April and is set to begin his 11th season.

MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: PK Matt Prater (tendered at $2.654 million).

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--LS David Binn signed for the divisional playoff loss to New England after a family emergency kept Lonie Paxton from making the trip. The 40-year-old Binn had been out of football since being released by the Chargers on Aug. 30 of last year. Paxton will return, so Binn won't be back.

--G/C Russ Hochstein started both of Denver's playoff games after right guard Chris Kuper suffered a fractured leg in Week 17. He's been the Broncos' steadiest backup offensive lineman the last three years, but the Broncos opted to cultivate younger interior backups such as fourth-round pick Philip Blake, returning free agent Manny Ramirez and ex-Panther C.J. Davis, who was issued Hochstein's former jersey number (71).

--DT Marcus Thomas was a more natural fit in John Fox's 4-3 defense than the 3-4 alignment used under Josh McDaniels from 2009-10, but went without a sack for the fourth time in five career seasons. He tested the market, and has publicly spoken of a desire to return to the Broncos. That possibility appears faint now, as his jersey number (79) was passed on to 2011 draft pick Jeremy Beal.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED

--DT Derek Wolfe (2/36): $5.2M/4 yrs, $3.2M guaranteed.

--CB Omar Bolden (4/101): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--DE Malik Jackson (5/137): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

--LB Danny Trevathan (6/188): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--RB Lance Ball: ERFA; $540,000/1 yr.

--T Chris Clark: ERFA; $540,000/1 yr.

--P Britton Colquitt: ERFA; $540,000/1 yr.

--DE Jason Hunter: UFA; terms unknown.

--LB Joe Mays: UFA; $12M/3 yrs.

--C/G Manny Ramirez: UFA; terms unknown.

--WR Matt Willis: RFA tendered at $1.26M with no compensation); temrs unknown.

--LB Wesley Woodyard: UFA; $4M/2 yrs.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--S Mike Adams: UFA Browns; $4M/2 yrs.

--DT Justin Bannan: FA Rams; terms unknown.

--WR Andre Caldwell: UFA Bengals; $1.8M/2 yrs.

--OG C.J. Davis: FA; terms unknown.

--TE Joel Dreessen: UFA Texans; $8.5M/3 yrs.

--CB Drayton Florence: FA Bills; $4.5M/2 yrs.

--FB Chris Gronkowski (trade Colts).

--QB Caleb Hanie: UFA Bears; $1.25M/1 yr.

--WR Jason Hill: FA; terms unknown.

--QB Peyton Manning: FA Colts $96M/5 yrs, $18M guaranteed.

--CB Tracy Porter: UFA Saints; $4M/1 yr.

--WR Brandon Stokley: FA; terms unknown.

--TE Jacob Tamme: UFA Colts; $9M/3 yrs, $3.5M guaranteed.

PLAYERS LOST

--DT Brodrick Bunkley: UFA Saints; $25M/5 yrs, $9 Million guaranteed.

--S Brian Dawkins: UFA; retired.

--TE Daniel Fells: UFA Patriots; $5.25M/3 yrs, $2M guaranteed.

--CB Andre' Goodman (released).

--LB Mario Haggan: UFA Rams; $890,000/1 yr, $65,000 SB.

--DE Derrick Harvey: UFA Bengals; terms unknown.

--LB Brian Iwuh (retired).

--DE Jeremy Jarmon (released).

--FB Spencer Larsen: UFA Patriots; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

--DL Ryan McBean: RFA tender of $1.26M with fourth-round pick as compensation withdrawn/Ravens; terms unknown.

--QB Brady Quinn: UFA Chiefs; $1.5M/1 yr.

--TE Dante Rosario: UFA Chargers; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--WR Eddie Royal: UFA Chargers; $13.5M/3 yrs, $6M guaranteed.

--QB Tim Tebow (traded Jets).

--CB cassius Vaughn (traded Colts).

--CB Jonathan Wilhite: UFA Bears; 1 yr, terms unknown.