Denver Broncos: OTAs Observations, Notes and Quotes from Day 1

The Denver Broncos kicked off OTAs at Dove Valley on Tuesday. They are set to defend their title after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with a victory in Super Bowl 50. The team worked through free agency to keep the players they could afford. The team simultaneously worked to craft a draft board that could help them acquire quality talent from the pool of college players coming into the league.

Now it’s time to get back to work.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak doesn’t think there’s any Super Bowl hangover based on what he saw at practice on Tuesday.

“No, it was really good. Good energy. Obviously the leadership of our team has changed a little bit without 18 (QB Peyton Manning) around here. Our work habits are really good. Our offseason has been tremendous.” Kubiak smiled with satisfaction, “They worked really well.”

Here are some Day 1 observations, interesting notes and revealing quotes from the first day of camp.

Paxton Lynch Shines

There is no question that the star of the day was rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch. All eyes were going to be on the team’s first-round pick as he tried to prove that he’s worthy of starting for the defending Super Bowl champions at some point this year.

Lynch did not disappoint.

In a short amount of time, it’s apparent that Lynch has improved his footwork when operating under center. He’s far from a finished product in that department, but Lynch’s steps seemed crisper than they did in rookie minicamp.

Kubiak talked about Lynch’s progress so far this offseason.

“Footwork, you want it to be where you don’t think about it,” Kubiak said. “He’s having to think about it right now because he hasn’t done it. But boy, he’s made a lot of ground up since we got him.”

He did a good job of distributing the football all around the field, but his standout play came on a deep pass to second-year wide receiver Jordan Taylor.

Lynch didn’t often get a chance to show off his deep arm in college at Memphis. He wasn’t taking all deep shots in practice, but he did hit Taylor—aka Sunshine—on a deep, arcing pass that went for a touchdown.

It was his first touchdown pass as a member of the Broncos, so Lynch excitedly sprinted down the field to celebrate with his teammates. That type of energy can be infectious to the players around him, and it’s clear to see that Lynch absolutely loves football.

Veteran cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is one of the best at his position in the entire league. He’s one of the leaders on defense—a unit that will be testing Lynch time and time again during practice.

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