One by one, Broncos players shuffle in on wobbly legs.
Summoning remaining ounces of energy that conditioning coach Rich Tuten hasn’t zapped, it’s all players can do to plop on a chair and face the media.
After what Tuten has put them through since the Broncos began their offseason program this month, some players have treated the informal press gatherings as a relaxing diversion.
Safety John Lynch indicated the team’s fade from a 7-2 start may have heightened the attention on cardiovascular exercise and muscle building.
Tuten already was long regarded as one of the pre-eminent strength and conditioning coaches in the NFL and has the Broncos’ historical fast starts as proof. But when a team falls from 7-2 to 9-7 in part because it couldn’t hang on to four second-half leads, there’s a tendency to demand one more wind sprint and a couple more bench-press reps.
“I think Tuten is the sort of person as strength coach to take it personal,” fullback Kyle Johnson said. “We all took part in the wins and losses, but Denver has had some trouble after 7-2 historically. Sometimes we have had some midseason slips. I wouldn’t always associate that directly with conditioning. We all play a part in it.”
The Broncos have been a fast-starting, poor-finishing team in four of the past five seasons. They started 5-1 only to finish the regular season 10-6 in 2004 and 2003. They were 6-2 in 2002, only to wind up 9-7.
That’s enough repeat data to replace coincidence with a trend. And the Broncos players are paying for it now, months before their season opener Sept. 9 at Buffalo.
“If there is one part of our program we’re trying to enhance, it’s that the things we are doing demand more speed,” Tuten said. “There are more full-speed drills to enhance a player’s potential.”
The players received a hint about the increased conditioning and weightlifting program through a memo Tuten issued in February.
“It’s not a personal vendetta or something like I’m taking it out on them because they didn’t make the playoffs,” Tuten said. “I just told them to watch them come in like they did last year from April 3 through July and then not to see them reach their goals was very disappointing to me. We all underachieved, and I want them to realize that there is not anybody in this league that is outworking us.”
Mentally preparing for a physical challenge, however, is no substitute for going through it. Newly acquired cornerback Dré Bly walked into Tuten’s office Thursday wondering if his dead legs could make it through today’s workout.
“Seven losses, that’s not normal around here and we have to get back to that elite level,” safety Hamza Abdullah said. “So one thing where we’re starting is in the weight room. Guys are really pushing themselves, setting the bar pretty high.”
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
