ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --Cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Champ Bailey agree that the secondary is fully equipped to help the team reach its lofty goals in 2012.
"The way we're getting our hands on the ball and the way we're flying around," Porter said. "It just speaks volumes about us on the back end, the front guys putting pressure on the quarterback and the competitiveness that we have both offensively and defensively."
Porter expressed that the most important element to build on in the secondary is cohesion.
"We just want to continue to get that camaraderie together as we continue to push forward through training camp, through the preseason, the regular season, the postseason," Porter said. "The more camaraderie you have, that allows you to play faster, that allows you to know what guys on the side of you and where you need to be on the field. That's what's going to take us into the playoffs."
Entering his 14th year in the NFL, Bailey might feel even better than Porter does about the state of the secondary.
"This is the most depth I've seen at corner on any roster I've been on," Bailey said. "So I feel good about where we are."
AN INTERESTING ONLOOKER
The Indianapolis Colts Offensive Coordinator from 1998 to 2010 was in attendance at Dove Valley the last two days.
Tom Moore, who coached quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts offense for more than a decade, watched practice and offered his insight.
"He's got great wisdom and he knows Peyton probably as well as anybody," Head Coach John Fox said. "He's just been around the game so long so he's been a great help to really everybody—offense, defense and special teams.
Fox called Moore a "very close personal friend" and a "very wise, very good football coach."
"All the coaches made (the players) aware that Tom was here," Fox continued. "I wasn't keeping track of everybody who walked up to him, but if they're smart, they'll try to go grab a little piece of wisdom."
HUNTER SAYS TEAM STRESSING ACCOUNTABILITYDefensive end Jason Hunter named a few NFL teams – the 49ers, the Giants, the Ravens, the Patriots – who other than recent winning seasons, share a common attribute.
"All those teams that have great leadership, whether it's on the offensive or defensive side," Hunter said. "Those teams usually do well because those guys are all in. They buy into what's going on. And it shows when they play. … Those guys hold their guys accountable."
Hunter believes the Broncos have that specific ingredient that's so crucial in the recipe of a winning season. He stressed accountability as a direct result of having great veteran leadership.
"I feel like the veterans will hold us accountable and expect a certain level of play from us and how we should conduct ourselves," Hunter said. "That's just going to translate to us playing on the field on Sundays."
A 14th-year veteran and 11-time Pro Bowler is the prospective leader of not only the offense, in Peyton Manning, but also the defense, in Champ Bailey. Hunter said the governance of two future Hall-of-Famers on each side of the ball is what he loves most about the team.
"Champ, Peyton, those guys are pros," Hunter said. "They come out, work hard every day, they do the right things, they conduct themselves in a very professional manner. You can definitely learn a lot from those guys. The energy that those guys bring to the game and to our team is definitely going to be helpful. That's the thing I love about this team. We have a lot of veterans, good veterans that care. They're not going to sit back and see something wrong and not say something."
