Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
If you are a Denver Broncos fan living within driving distance of Denver International Airport, and are so inclined, you may want to go hang out there for a few hours on Sunday afternoon. Chances are you might see a player or two returning to Denver from wherever they spent the offseason. Why are they returning?
Believe it or not, the long quest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy begins on Monday as the players report for “voluntary workouts.” The word voluntary is in quotes because technically they are, but if you want to play come September, then you had better be at Dove Valley in April, May and June.
The first two weeks of the workouts consist of conditioning and weights with the strength and conditioning staff. Coaches are not allowed to be involved in those sessions. Quarterbacks can throw to receivers as long as those receivers are uncovered. It’s a mortal lock that Peyton Manning will insist that all of his receivers follow him to the practice field.
Following the first two weeks, the coaches can return and receivers can be covered by defensive backs as long as there is no bump and run coverage. It’s also important to note that none of these workouts are permitted to take place in pads. This is also a time when coaches can schedule meetings and film sessions.
May is also when the mini-camps take place, again they are voluntary but every player will attend. The first mini-camp is for rookies and that takes place from the 10th through the 12th. The other mini-camps are as follows; May 20-22, May 27-31 and June 3-6. Then there will be the only mandatory mini-camp from June 11-13.
During the mini-camps, there are no pads and no hitting but team drills are allowed. In fact those practices will look a lot like training camp without the hitting. Through all of the mini-camps, conditioning will take place. After June 13, the players and coaches will get a six week break before the start of training camp at the end of July.
While the offseason for the fans still has 3+ months left, it is over for the players and coaches. This is the part that the fans don’t see but it is a vital part of the process. So while others are rushing to finish the taxes on Monday, the Broncos will be starting the long journey that they hope ends with a championship.
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