A quick rundown of happenings at Broncos training camp Monday:
Highlight: Solomon Patton, a waiver claim for the Broncos, has made the most of his snaps during camp. The second-year receiver drew the biggest applause Monday with a deep, back-shoulder catch just inside the right sideline.
Patton, a candidate for punt and kickoff returns as well, has hauled in a number of big catches during team drills, raising his value to the team.
Patton played seven games with the Tampa Bay Bucs last season, gaining 112 yards on 10 punt returns and 416 yards on 18 kickoffs.
Lowlight: Cody Latimer has been among the must-see young players throughout the offseason and in the early part of camp, and he is expected to see more time in an offense that better fits his size and skills.
But the second-year receiver struggled and his frustration showed Monday, the first day the team wore full pads. Latimer dropped one pass, then bobbled another after getting knocked to the ground by a defender.
WATCH:
Position battle: Although coach Gary Kubiak broke organized team activities with an idea of how the offensive line would look entering camp, he left the door open for changes. So far a few changes can be seen. Ryan Harris has received the bulk of first-team snaps over Chris Clark at right tackle for the third consecutive day. But perhaps the more interesting development is the progress of the guards.
Max Garcia, from Florida who played multiple positions along the line, has raised the level of competition, impressing with his technique and ability to quickly adapt to the new system.
“Max showed up to me today,” Kubiak said. “We ran a lot of gap schemes in our teaching, and he really showed up as a player.”
QB watch: As Peyton Manning took a rest day — just as Kubiak promised — Brock Osweiler ran with many of the first-teamers to get in his repetitions. The backup quarterback is entering the final season on his contract and will need training camp and preseason to prove his value. Osweiler generated a chorus of “Oohs” from the crowd with a roll-out, play-action pass to tight end James Casey.
“We just wanted to see him run the team,” Kubiak said of Osweiler. “And he did. It’s a growing process for him, but I think he’s coming along really well.”
