Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders enters his ninth NFL season with a new position coach, and at least initially, the transition to working with Zach Azzanni proved challenging.
“We butted heads at the beginning,” Sanders told reporters during organized team activities in June. “He always tells me, ‘You can get better, you know that, right?’”
Fast forward toThursday, the final practice of Denver’s training camp at UCHealth Training Center, and Sanders explained how their relationship has evolved since.
“Now itap like — thatap my guy. You don’t understand. Itap crazy,” Sanders said. “He’s been getting me so much better. Yesterday he gave me a pointer on how I’m catching the football and I used it today and I just felt so much more explosive.”
Sanders praised their level of communication, adding that Azzanni will regularly text him things like, “Hey, itap a pleasure coaching with you.” Sanders dealt with inconsistency at quarterback and an ankle injury last fall, and then watched his production drop drastically. 2016: 79 catches for 1,032 yards. 2017: 47 catches for 555 yards. Sanders’ confidence in a resurgence this season was evidentThursday. He smiled through every question about the offense — especially when asked about Azzanni.
A good sign for the future of Denver’s passing attack.
“We always talk about trying to win a championship,” Sanders said. “I hope we get to win a championship together.”
— , The Denver Post
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