We’ve gone through the darkness and now there is light.
Football season is here!
Next Thursday, the Denver Broncos will begin their 2016 training camp. Two weeks later, they’ll face off against the Chicago Bears in the first preseason game of the year. And a month after that, the Carolina Panthers will come into town to kick off the NFL season.
Can you feel it? Are you excited?
It’s been nearly six months since Von Miller strip-sacked Cam Newton and raised the Lombardi Trophy. Now, the repeat campaign is set to get underway, and Broncos Country hasn’t been this rowdy since 1998. But what should we be looking for?
Here are five players every Broncos fan needs to be watching closely as training camp begins next week:
DeMarcus Ware
There’s only one defensive player on this list, and that’s because we pretty much know everything there is to know about the Denver defense. Even with the new faces, this group is going to be good, real good.
DeMarcus Ware, though, is a bit of a mystery.
While his talent is undeniable, his health is a major question mark. Even John Elway went so far as to say that Ware’s back is “always a concern.” And his age isn’t alleviating any of that.
While we shouldn’t expect Ware to be much of a participant during the preseason, if he’s missing a significant amount of time during training camp — he missed essentially all of OTAs — there will be reason for concern.
Keep an eye out.
Devontae Booker
The best part of training camp and preseason is seeing rookies play for the first time. So get used to seeing them on this list.
In Booker’s case, there’s reason for excitement. Not only was he a highly touted prospect, whom many thought should have gone a lot earlier in the draft, but he has a legitimate shot to play significant snaps in his rookie season. If he can outshine Ronnie Hillman in the preseason, don’t be surprised if he earns the No. 2 role behind C.J. Anderson.
This kid has a lot of skill, and the Broncos are hoping he can showcase it out of the gate. And so is he. As he said himself, he’s here to “take someone’s job.”
Jeff Heuerman
When looking at the Broncos’ offensive weapons, the one glaring hole seems to be the tight end position. Julius Thomas is long gone, Owen Daniels is too and Virgil Green never has amounted to much of a receiving threat.
Is Garrett Graham, another Kubiak retread from Houston, the guy? Maybe, but he’s no more than just another guy; he’s not anchoring a Gary Kubiak offense.
But what about Jeff Heuerman? John Elway drafted this guy to be their tight end of the future, a guy who can affect the game as a pass catcher. Could he be the Broncos secret weapon?
Maybe! That’s why it’s going to be so fun to watch!
If Heuerman can provide any kind of spark, it could go a long way towards making the quarterback’s job easier, whomever that is.
Jordan Taylor
If you’re not excited to see what Jordan Taylor can do this preseason, then you apparently don’t take the word of Peyton Manning very seriously.
Remember, Manning was so fond of “Sunshine’s” abilities that he bought him a suit for the Super Bowl. A suit! And if Peyton Manning, a guy who expects nothing less than perfection, is going to praise Taylor to the degree that he did, I’ve got to believe he’s the real deal.
And it’s not as if we haven’t seen glimpses.
In limited action last preseason, Taylor made some flash plays, hauling in receptions he had no business catching.
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have the top two spots on lockdown, and Jordan Norwood is pretty safe as the Broncos’ slot receiver, but that fourth spot is wide open. As the guy coming off the practice squad, Taylor will have to really impress to surpass Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer, but don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what he does.
Paxton Lynch
Well, duh.
There’s nothing more exciting than a first-round quarterback. Even if Lynch ends up as the second- or third-string option, every single one of his passes will be dissected to the Nth degree.
And if he actually comes out of the gates firing, maybe we’ll get a legitimate quarterback competition, and that’s about as fun as it gets.
Either way, this is the start of a new era, and you’re not going to want to miss it.