Day 2 full of energy and fun… Can’t wait to see the results this season!!
— Cody Latimer (@CodyLatimer14)
Second-year receiver Cody Latimer has been champing at the bit for more time on the field and more targets from Peyton Manning. The 2014 second-round pick played eight games last season but was targeted only four times and had two receptions that averaged out to 11.5 yards apiece.
So he found his reps elsewhere.
Latimer joined Manning and some of his Broncos teammates at the quarterback’s annual Duke workouts in early April. He absorbed the advice of veterans, including Emmanuel Sanders, throughout mini camp and organized team activities. And for the better part of the offseason, Latimer has been tabbed the Broncos’ Player to Watch in 2015.
“Starting from Duke to here, OTAs — we never got to run with the ones,” Latimer said. “It’s been good. Time has been good. Like I said, there’s always stuff we can work on. We’re trying to get better every day.”
Although Latimer said he’s striving for day-to-day improvements and is grateful for the reps with Manning and the first unit, those around him have seen potential for more.
With No. 1 receiver Demaryius Thomas absent from the team’s offseason workouts because of contract negotiations, Sanders took the time to help bring up Latimer and some of the Broncos’ younger wideouts. The Broncos may only be three days into camp, but Sanders has seen many more days of Latimer at work.
His assessment?
“You want to talk about a guy who’s a physical tool just like Demaryius Thomas? I feel like coming in with the rookie class of Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Mike Evans and all those guys, he feels like he’s kind of overlooked,” Sanders said. “I’m big on Cody. He’s strong, he’s fast and I think that’s he’s going to come in and he’s going to have a big year for us. I’m looking forward to him just taking off and showing everybody, ‘Hey, look at (No.) 14 over here from the Denver Broncos.'”
