Special teams is often overlooked by the casual football fan but the Denver Broncos slowly improved and peaked in the playoffs on that unit in 2015. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis is hoping, despite some free agent losses, that the path they finished on in February is seen as early this spring at UCHealth Training Center.
“I think guys like Kayvon [Webster] stepped up. I think guys like Cody [Latimer] stepped up. We had a lot of guys that stepped up in that position and we are going to look for some more this year,” DeCamillis said, confidently, Thursday. “Everybody has a chance to come in a be that guy for sure.”
The organized team activities that began Tuesday and the impending training camp in July will certainly get veterans ready for the season but now, in May, the youth of the team will get very early opportunities to catch DeCamillis’ eye.
The losses of special teams captain David Bruton Jr. and returner Omar Bolden to free agency and the drafting of punter Riley Dixon certainly will grab headlines early but each season there is always turnover at a lot of slots on special teams. DeCamillis’ top priority is not filling those slots immediately but implementing the attitude he wants.
“You always have changes,” DeCamillis admitted. “It’s getting that continuity as quick as possible and the other thing is really making sure we keep the tradition going that we started last year. I thought they did a great job of covering, they played fast, they did things smart. We want to continue that as much as we can.”
The Broncos draft certainly addressed the special teams with Dixon but also added fullback/special teams star Andy Janovich and two safeties, Justin Simmons and Will Parks that can contribute early. Janovich, in particular, was a pick that DeCamillis was excited about due to the amount of time he played on special teams throughout his four years at the University of Nebraska.
“He is a guy that has already done it,” explained the coordinator. “You see it on film. It’s not guess work with him. He’s done it already and I’m really excited to have him. He’s going to be a big upgrade for us for sure.”
As a result of the incoming players, holdovers from the 2015 roster will immediately feel the competition on a daily basis for playing time. Players like Kapri Bibbs, Zaire Anderson, Taurean Nixon and even veteran punter Britton Colquitt will likely be in the cross hairs now, until the end of the preseason.
For DeCamillis, that is just how he wants it.
“I would say that because we won the competition because we won the Super Bowl, I think that competition is already engrained,” he said. “They all know they are coming in to compete for a job no matter who they are.”
Organized team activities may seem unimportant to some but for the youth of the team it may be the difference in a roster spot in September or looking for another job. Special teams can be a haven for player’s early seasons as they progress or like Bruton and others can turn into a lengthy NFL career. For the Broncos, it’s just another area they’re hoping to improve on in 2016.
