The Broncos answered an age-old question Monday afternoon at their Dove Valley complex.
If a tree falls . . .
With high winds whipping around the Broncos during their team workout, a fully grown tree was toppled during the practice. The Broncos did hear it, but still kept to their appointed duties.
“I saw that,” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. “I was worried about our camera guy, that’s who I was worried about. . . . You saw how gusty it got. It was pretty severe.”
Gusts reached 60 mph while the Broncos were on the field and Gary McCune, the Broncos’ video operations manager, was atop a swaying scissors-lift during the practice. After the most severe gusts early in the workout, including the one that toppled the tree, McCune lowered the lift to roughly half its usual height, but remained in place behind the camera.
The Broncos also had video personnel at their usual stations on the roof of their building.
With the wind at his back, Broncos kicker Matt Prater launched a field-goal attempt more than 60 yards and the ball hit the side of a building well beyond the end zone. Broncos punters A.J. Trapasso and Britton Colquitt, with the wind, were pounding punts of 75 to 85 yards. One — from the 15-yard line — sailed more than 90 yards, out of the opposite end zone.
“Those are conditions you’re not going to see in the regular season, hopefully,” Prater said. “The one I hit was from 60, and it just kept going off the building.”
Quarterbacks and receivers struggled mightily throughout with passes curving severely as soon as the quarterbacks released them. The Broncos were more than halfway into a 7-on-7 period before completing their first pass in the drill when Brady Quinn connected with Daniel Graham.
“You focus on what you need to focus on, which is your job, whatever it is you’re asked to do on that play,” McDaniels said. “You have to block the wind out.”
No trade.
McDaniels had strong words for widespread speculation the Broncos will trade one of their four quarterbacks, such as current starter Kyle Orton.
“Zero,” McDaniels said. “There’s not been one quarterback on our roster that’s been discussed or would be discussed to this point in trade talks or anything else, for that matter. We’re going to let them compete and the best guy’s going to play. That’s it, that’s how we feel about every position. We’ll wait and see and let it play out.”
On Orton, McDaniels said, “right now he’s the best player, he’s with the first team, he knows the most. Does that mean that’s a guarantee for the season? No, and he knows that.”
Footnotes.
The Broncos allowed their defense to blitz during drills, causing some additional havoc to go with the windy conditions. “Offense always loses on this day,” McDaniels said. . . . Wide receiver Brandon Stokley and defensive lineman Justin Bannan did not practice. . . . The Broncos will practice today, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post
