Receivers have been getting some flak lately, as a position of Broncos concern.
Rod Smith is hurt. Brandon Marshall is hurt. Domenik Hixon suffered a slight shoulder separation in training camp practice Tuesday morning. And Brandon Stokley is far ahead of schedule in his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery in December.
Another way to look at the receiver situation, though, is the Broncos are in better shape than they were at this time last year.
Why? Javon Walker isn’t hurt.
For all he has been through during the offseason, Walker, the Broncos’ undisputed No. 1 receiver, is doing just fine. In fact, Walker has never been healthier since joining the Broncos in the spring of 2006. Remember, he started training camp last year by coming back from season-ending reconstructive knee surgery.
“I’m good. I feel great,” Walker said Tuesday in his first interview since last season. “I finally get to come in here and go full speed and not worry about rehabbing anything. Right now, it’s been boom-boom, full speed ahead. Which is probably a good thing because we have a lot of receivers down.”
Whatever emotions Walker carries from sitting alongside Darrent Williams as his teammate was fatally shot on New Year’s morning, they have not been apparent in training camp. A year ago, Walker was trying to learn a new offensive system and get in sync with a new quarterback while taking it slowly after a knee injury ended his 2005 season with Green Bay.
Despite his cautious beginning, Walker finished last season leading the Broncos with 69 catches for 1,084 yards. He also led the team with nine touchdowns, one coming on a 72-yard reverse at Pittsburgh.
More is expected from Walker this year, especially because there are times when he appears to be the last of the top receivers standing.
“Stokley’s one of the guys we can count on, but he’s still coming back and you have a lot of younger guys,” Walker said. “I’ve been kind of monitoring everybody to see how they’re all doing. But I feel good.”
