ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Broncos running back J.J. Arrington hasn’t felt this fresh and this fast in quite some time.
With his surgically repaired right knee on the mend, Arrington is flying around the field again.
“It’s coming together,” Arrington said Thursday after a workout for rookies and players coming off injuries. “It gets better every day.”
That knee sidelined Arrington for an entire season, costing him a healthy contract, too.
He signed a four-year, $10 million deal with Denver before the 2009 season, but was released two months later when he failed a physical due to that balky right knee.
Watching games from his couch as he recuperated was a difficult proposition.
But he made the most of the down time, paying close attention to the tailbacks around the league. He was hoping to pick up pointers, maybe some move he could incorporate into his own game.
Any particular tailback he studied?
“All the backs are good,” Arrington diplomatically said, grinning.
The 27-year-old Arrington signed a deal with Denver in March and will add depth to the Broncos backfield, competing with Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter for carries.
If Arrington stays healthy, he could to play a prominent role as a third-down specialist, a role similar to the one he had in Arizona when the Cardinals were the NFC champs in 2008.
“It’s good to be out here and get some extra work in before camp starts,” Arrington said.
The ultimate test, though, will come with contact.
“I think that he’s just got to get in there, he’s probably got to get tackled, get taken to the ground. He’s got to get his legs taken out from him and get up and feel like, ‘OK, that wasn’t so bad. I can go back and do it again,'” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. “I think it’s a little bit of a situation where I think the more he’s out there, the hopefully more comfortable he’ll feel.”
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FLYING OR FOOTBALL?: Broncos rookie defensive lineman and Air Force lieutenant Ben Garland hasn’t grounded his flying career just yet.
Garland earned a slot into a pilot’s training program at Laughlin Air Force Base and is still giving that some consideration even as he goes through training camp.
His window of opportunity is quickly shrinking, though. A decision to fly or play football must be made soon.
“Really, really soon,” Garland said.
Garland is currently taking a 60-day leave to practice with the Broncos. Should he choose to pursue a career as a pilot, chances are his football career may be derailed. By accepting his pilot’s slot, his five-year Air Force commitment could turn into a decade.
Another option may be this: The team can place Garland on the reserve/military list, allowing him to serve his commitment through working down the road at the Academy in the finance department.
Garland has the option of applying for early release after two years of active duty, serving the rest of his time through the reserves.
“We are certainly very respectful of that and the obligation that he has,” McDaniels said. “I think the guys are extremely fond of him and proud to be associated with a player who has a greater good in mind. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
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FEELING HIS AGE: Lining up next to the rookies has definitely made Russ Hochstein feel like an old offensive guard.
“I was looking around today and said, ‘Man, I’m the oldest guy out here!'” laughed the 32-year-old Hochstein. “You do think about it every once in a while, but it’s a state of mind and I feel young. I’m having a blast.”
Hochstein tore a knee ligament late last season, but said the knee is progressing well.
“I’m now healed and so I’m happy,” said Hochstein, who started eight games at left guard last season, one at tight end and another at right guard.
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CLOSE TO HOME: Rookie tight end Riar Geer couldn’t have drawn up a better situation than trying to latch on with the Broncos.
After all, he played high school football in Fruita, Colo., and had a standout career down the road at the University of Colorado.
“I mean, I grew up in Colorado,” Geer said.
It’s just about every Colorado kid’s dream, playing for the Broncos someday.
There’s not much time to enjoy the ride, however.
“There’s a lot of plays. You have to know multiple positions,” said Geer, who had 87 catches for 974 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Buffaloes. “If you don’t do it right, then you are not going to be on the field. It’s just a lot of pressure.”
He’s tuning out the pressure, though.
“I am just trying to do everything that I possibly can to make sure that I don’t get cut,” he said. “I’ll do whatever the coaches ask me to do. That definitely puts a lot of pressure on me, but I am definitely up to it.”
