ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --The first full offseason after a rookie campaign is an important one for any player.
For a quarterback tagged as the heir apparent behind Peyton Manning, it's all the more crucial.
That's why Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase has been so happy with what he's seen from Brock Osweiler entering his second season in the NFL.
"I can see him taking another step as far as his command of the offense -- him being able to communicate with guys as far as, 'Hey, this is what I need from you here,'" Gase said. "You can see him kind of working that way already on the field. When you're a young guy, there are a lot of things going on, and he's eliminated, 'Well, is this guy supposed to be lined up here? Is this guy motioning?' He's not doing that anymore. It's quicker for him. If somebody screwed up this year, he can fix it, and I think he's taken a big step this year so far in Phase Two (of the club's offseason conditioning program)."
Gase said Osweiler continued to make strides throughout last season, approaching every game as if he was the starter.
Earlier this offseason, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said he has been "thrilled" with Osweiler's progress.
"He's going to be so much better with a year under his belt," Elway said.
Developing all three of the team's young quarterbacks -- Osweiler and rookies Zac Dysert and Ryan Katz -- is important, Gase said, because they need to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
Part of that process will be working closely with new Quarterbacks Coach Greg Knapp, who has served as an offensive coordinator for 10 of the past 12 seasons and is entering his 19th overall year of coaching in the NFL.
"That was the great thing about hiring Coach Knapp: his track record of developing young quarterbacks is outstanding," Gase said.
As for Osweiler in particular, his teammates have already noticed a difference in the second-year signal caller.
"He's doing well," tight end Jacob Tamme said. "First year to second year is a big deal for a guy like him. I think he's a lot more comfortable in the system probably than he was a year ago. Just kind of that natural progression of a young quarterback. He's working hard and he's doing a really good job."
