Newly signed receiver Corey ”Philly” Brown is in concussion protocol after hitting his head in the weight room and when the Broncos put on shoulder pads for the first time Monday several players hobbled off.
”Football is played in pads Nick O'Leary Jersey , so to put the pads on and watch the guys bang a little bit is always fun,” coach Vance Joseph said. ”For the running game, and obviously stopping the run, the pads are critical.”
Left tackle Garett Bolles and inside linebacker Brandon Marshall were among the casualties Monday.
”Garett Bolles took a shot to the chin. He’s being evaluated for a head injury,” Joseph said, adding that Marshall ”had a minor wrist injury. He’s OK.”
Cornerback Marcos Rios sat out with a sore hip and tight end Jeff Heuerman sat out with a sore knee, which Joseph said was strictly precautionary.
The Broncos are also dealing with second-year wide receiver Carlos Henderson, who failed to report to training camp while dealing with what the team calls a family situation.
Although Joseph has said it’s up to Henderson whether his career will continue, several members of the organization are keeping in touch with their absent teammate.
”Lots of guys have called Carlos. (Wide Receivers) Coach Zach (Azzanni) has been calling him, I’ve been calling Carlos Walt Aikens Jersey , his teammates have been,” Joseph said. ”Obviously, he’s having some family issues he’s working through and it’s really his timeline.
”He can return any time he gets ready to return. It’s on him, but his guys are supporting him, the coaches are supporting him. So we’re looking forward to having him back.”
Henderson was a third-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech last year but he missed his rookie season with a hand injury. He missed much of the offseason program this year with a pulled hamstring and is a long-shot to even make the 53-man roster if he does return.
Joseph said he has no timeline for Henderson to get back.
”We’ve had some conversations about other things than football. He’s not ready for football right now, so we’re not talking about football a lot,” Joseph said. ”We’re doing a good job as a team of checking on him on a daily basis.”
Things should ratchet up overall Tuesday when the Broncos also wear their thigh pads.
”Any time we’re full pads, it’s like game day,” Joseph said. ”Every pad’s on, mouth guard Cordrea Tankersley Jersey , chin straps buckled, so it’ll look different as far as what they’re wearing, but the practice shouldn’t look that much different as far as the physical part of it.”
Nose tackle Domata Peko, for one, appreciated finally getting to do some hitting in the trenches Monday.
”That what it’s about, you know? We don’t play without shoulder pads, so when you get them on that’s when you really get to get real physical and do your job,” Peko said. ”Especially up front. In the trenches, you’ve got to have the pads on and feel that contact to see where you’re at and sharpen each other up.
”It was a good first day of shells today. They call it shells, and then full pads tomorrow LaDainian Tomlinson Jersey , but in the trenches, every time we put the pads on it’s pretty much full pads. It felt good today.”
The Broncos will also be in full pads Wednesday.
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Broncos coach Vance Joseph is going with experience this time, hiring Tom McMahon to replace Brock Olivo as his special teams coordinator.
Joseph gave Olivo his first shot at coaching special teams last season, but Dave Toub’s longtime assistant in Kansas City oversaw one of the worst special teams in the league and was among six assistants Joseph fired last week.
Rookie punt returner Isaiah McKenzie fumbled six times but kept his job for most of the season, a sore spot with several veterans who felt there was a sense of privilege among the members of the 2017 draft class.
Olivo’s units had trouble getting the right personnel onto the field, twice telegraphing trick plays because of it, and they were even whistled for delays on kickoffs .
Denver’s special teams gaffes led to 24 points by the Patriots in New England’s 41-16 win in Denver on Nov. 12 and Joseph drew criticism the next day for sticking with Olivo .
However, Olivo was one of six assistants fired after a hugely disappointing 5-11 season when Joseph said he needed to ”change the culture” on offense and special teams.
McMahon is a 26-year coaching veteran who has coached NFL special teams for the last 11 seasons, including the last five in Indianapolis, Kansas City in 2012 and St. Louis from 2009-11.
The Colts featured one of the league’s most consistently solid special teams units during McMahon’s five seasons in Indianapolis. He became available after the Colts fired head coach Chuck Pagano last week.
Joseph praised McMahon’s ”direct teaching style that emphasizes fundamentals Jerome Baker Jersey ,” noting he `has a proven track record developing young players on special teams that will bring leadership and energy to this important phase of our team.”
Joseph also promoted Chris Strausser to coach the offensive tackles and hired ex-Colts assistant Greg Williams to coach defensive backs and ex-Bears assistant Zach Azzanni to coach wide receivers.
Strausser, who was an assistant offensive line coach under Jeff Davidson last year, will coach the tackles with Sean Kugler coaching the guards and centers in a new setup along the O-line, which has been the Broncos’ bugaboo going back to Peyton Manning’s time in Denver.
Last year’s first-round draft pick, left tackle Garett Bolles, was among the league’s leaders in penalties and often allowed an early mistake to affect him and the team adversely the rest of the game.
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