ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It has been 172 days since the Broncos last game. Though it was likely the shortest offseason in most of their careers, the Super Bowl loss certainly left a bitter taste in their mouths.
That bad taste has lingered.
But with a plethora of new faces and a buzz of anticipation surrounding the team, the Broncos are excited to start over and begin training camp today.
"I've said this many times: Unless you win that last game there's disappointment, whatever that last game is," Head Coach John Fox said Wednesday. "That's the only thing that's changed my first year, second year, third year. Unless you're hoisting that and you win that last game, that's the only way you don't have disappointment. The front office has done a tremendous job of acquiring new talent, retooling, so to speak. We got some guys back, had a tremendous offseason. There's a lot of excitement."
The Broncos reported for camp yesterday and have their first practice this morning from 8:50-11:30 a.m. before holding their evening walkthrough from 5:30-6:50 p.m.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway said he believes the team is better on paper than last year. For the reigning AFC Champions, that's a good sign.
"I'm never getting too optimistic because this thing changes so fast, and things can change on a dime," Elway said. "But I am excited about the team that we have on the field, I'm excited about the coaching staff that we have, and be able to get the best out of the guys that we have. So we're excited about getting started."
Elway is looking forward to moving on from 2013. Though the season ended in a conference title and a Super Bowl berth, he said once the team steps on the field for training camp today, that season is officially over.
Elway said, in order to win the Super Bowl, your team has to be well rounded and that "we've moved closer to that."
"This is a new year and we've got to go out and we've got to play the best football that we can play, and do what we do best," Elway said. "And how the coordinators put our guys in the best situations to be successful and we'll create our own identity. I think if we continue to do that with the people that we have, we're going to be able to compete for a world championship."
Defensive end DeMarcus Ware is starting his first training camp not in a Cowboy uniform today. Though it's early, he has simple, but lofty expectations for the team this year.
"We are trying to be [No.] 1 and [No.] 1," Ware said. "The best offense in the league and the best defense in the league."
Super Bowl XLIX is 192 days away and today is just the first day of camp. But the team knows that the road to Super Bowl redemption begins now.
