The moves are fine, the vision satisfactory and the spirit is certainly willing, but what Broncos special-teams coach Mike Priefer would really like from his returners is proper handling of the ball.
And he said whoever he picks for those jobs will be the ones who take care of the football the best.
“The No. 1 thing for a punt returner, a kickoff returner, is to give the ball back to the offense,” Priefer said. “(Get) the best field position we can give them, but give the ball back to the offense. Never, ever turn the ball over.”
The Broncos fumbled away one kickoff last weekend in Seattle — by rookie wide receiver Kenny McKinley — and bobbled two others (Mc- Kinley and rookie Alphonso Smith). So tonight, when the Broncos face the Bears, running back Peyton Hillis figures to get a try in the kickoff return game. Priefer said the final decisions are going to be based on safety as much as talent.
“If you can’t take care of the ball, you won’t be the returner,” Priefer said. “It’s that simple. We have guys with the skills, but we need them to have ball security as well or somebody else will do it.”
Wide receiver Eddie Royal figures to do some work, most likely on punt returns, in the regular season, but Priefer revealed last week that Broncos coach Josh McDaniels told him in January that Royal would not have as many returns as he did last season.
Royal returned 14 punts and 23 kickoffs last season.
Healthy outlook.
Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley said all players should remember training camp and preseason practices are when you “get yourself better,” and that on game day in the preseason, you simply hope good fortune will smile on you.
“You never want to get hurt in the preseason,” Stokley said. “That’s like my worst nightmare, to get hurt in a game that doesn’t count in the regular season. If I get hurt in a regular-season game, I can live with that. I know I’m laying it all on the line in a game that matters in our division.”
No contact.
There was a time when it was former Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler trying to keep Brandon Marshall focused on football — it was Cutler who called out Marshall after the receiver was injured in what Marshall said was roughhousing with family members — and Cutler would often call Marshall to go over day-to-day things.
But during Marshall’s latest travails, Cutler said the two have exchanged only text messages and have not spoken.
“I keep in touch with a lot of those guys to make sure and see how he’s doing, but we haven’t gotten into any in-depth conversations about his situation,” Cutler said.
Marshall’s current suspension for the remainder of the preseason means he will not be at Invesco Field at Mile High for the game.
Stay.
McDaniels offered a little insight into the Broncos’ current thought process on Marshall’s near future with the team. Asked if the intention of the suspension was to make clear he wanted Marshall to play for the Broncos this season, McDaniels said: “That’s true. Yep, that’s true.”
Footnotes.
Defensive lineman Marcus Thomas (shoulder), running back Knowshon Moreno (knee), running back LaMont Jordan (leg), cornerback Tony Carter (ankle), defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith (undisclosed injury) and quarterback Chris Simms (ankle) are not expected to play against the Bears. . . . The Broncos will have to get their roster to 75 players by Tuesday. They currently have 80 players. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by Saturday.
Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post
