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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.** – Head Coach Gary Kubiak has one goal in mind for the Broncos minicamp this week: get everyone on the same page.
But melding new coaches with fresh players and seasoned veterans is not necessarily easy.
So on the first day of minicamp Tuesday, the coaching staff sent a group of veterans off the field early to lift, leaving the team's youth the opportunity it needs to catch up.
"When we get to camp I want to feel like everyone's on the same page mentally and physically and they can go compete," said Kubiak. "And obviously that group of guys we sent in to lift about 45 minutes ago, obviously they're ahead. They've been doing it for a long time, so [we're] just trying to catch everybody up. They're doing a good job. They really are."
In order to get on the same page in a short period of time, more mentally and physically intense practices are on the agenda this week.
Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, a veteran leader on the defense, appreciates the efficiency of the shorter, concise practices.
"I think the mentality of it is starting fast, really just throwing the first punch," said Ware. "And that's what I think that mentality is. It's starting fast and being able to be efficient as much as possible and getting out of there.
"Minicamp, when you talk about duration of practice, yeah it's the lightest but I would say the most intense, getting the most done in the short period that you have. I'm still breathing hard right now from going from the practice field to working out to here."
The Broncos moved on to a new step in their offseason program on Tuesday, beginning their minicamp.
As the veterans take more rest during the week's minicamp, the Broncos rookies have had more opportunity to step up. On the first day of the minicamp, following the conclusion of practice, notable up-and-comers like quarterback Brock Osweiler remained on the field after most of the team had dispersed – ready for some extra reps.
"We're continuing this process with these young players on our football team," said Kubiak. "So what we're going to do during this camp is we're doing a lot of teaching, a lot of walk-throughs. We're doing some big time individual work, a lot of conditioning work and then we're leaving the young guys out here to do some team work."
