Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware praises Ty Sambrailo for aggressiveness

During their early offseason workouts, one youngster for the Denver Broncos has truly stood out among the rest; rookie Ty Sambrailo.

Though he’s originally from California, Sambrailo being a former Colorado State Ram gives his story a little more of a feel-good, “hometown kid” vibe. But Sambrailo’s not just getting attention from coaches, players and the media because he played college ball just north of the Mile High City, the rookie left tackle is receiving praise due to his quick learning at the important position.

Last week, that praise was coming from head coach Gary Kubiak, who said of Sambrailo, “He’s done a good job. He’s smart, so that’s not a problem. He’s a worker. I think the players respect how he’s going about his business.”

This week, after a few more practices in OTAs, it was eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro pass-rushing master DeMarcus Ware who was showing the rookie some love.

“The first day I went against him, you know, a rookie’s going to be a rookie,” Ware said per Andrew Mason of denverbroncos.com. “But he’s getting a really good comfort level in his play …

“For him to pick up the offense and know what’s going on, but also be able to be effective and have the confidence that he’s had, I really compliment him on that.”

Sambrailo has certainly not shrunk under the pressure of being thrown into the fire so quickly after being drafted. His smarts are showing through in his ability to learn the playbook quickly and toughness is always a valuable characteristic of an offensive lineman.

“We actually had a little scuffle in practice,” Ware said Tuesday. “He’s waking up. His aggressiveness is coming out. That’s what it’s about. When you’re playing that left tackle, you’ve got to let guys know that you’re that cornerstone of the offense. That’s what he’s doing.

“He’s doing a great job.”

Practicing against the best can play out a few different ways; it can hurt the rookie’s confidence or, as Sambrailo said earlier in the month, iron can sharpen iron.

In fact, “Iron Sharpens Iron” is the team’s motto, a saying full of bravado and manliness befitting one of the most talented teams in the NFL. Players like Ware – and opposite of him, Von Miller – can help their teammates improve, which will only benefit the Broncos on the whole when the season kicks off.

For now, Sambrailo has been the surprise of OTAs, as he continues to improve seemingly daily.