ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As training camp hit its fifth day, third-year cornerback Riley Moss is embracing the weight of expectations — both literally and figuratively.
With a season dependent on anchoring the cornerback spot opposite of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, Moss knew entering the season "stronger and smarter" was the expectation. Last year, he ended the season "at 193, 194 pounds," and he arrived at camp this year at 200 pounds.
"I've put on some good muscle," Moss said after Day 5 of Broncos camp. "I only put on .4 percent body fat, so it was good."
Moss made it clear that his offseason work was aimed at winning contested reps.
"The point of attack," Moss said of his focus. "When the ball's up in the air, some of those 50-50 balls, being stronger, not getting pushed off. That was a big thing for me this offseason — getting bigger, getting stronger, being able to push against the receiver and be a little more physical."
Physicality is a priority when Moss knows he's playing in one of the toughest spots on the field: lined up across from Surtain.
"As long as I'm across from DPOY, it's going to be like that, and I love the challenge — it makes it fun," Moss said. "It makes it fun coming into work knowing it's on me. I'm going to be on an island and what can I do? That's what I think makes this game so beautiful and why I love the position that I'm in."
Apart from being a reason for the challenge on the field, Surtain also is credited for helping accelerate Moss's development, especially in the nuances of the position.
"When I got here, I learned a lot from Pat in terms of staying square at the line, being physical at the line, being patient and I've grown a lot in that aspect," Moss said. "The biggest thing is just patience and trusting my speed."
MIMS CONFIDENT IN RECEIVER ROOM
On the other side of the ball, third-year wideout Marvin Mims Jr. is feeling a sense of continuity — and growing confidence in the Broncos' offense.
"I feel like last year we were throwing a lot of different looks at defenses we were playing," Mims said. "I feel like it helped the offense a lot. I think it's [repeatable], and then you add [RB] RJ Harvey, [TE] Evan Engram to the mix too. There are all types of formations and stuff we can go into with the new players and the strengths we have as a team."
Mims, who's looking to build off a promising end of last year, praised the depth, consistency and cohesion of the Broncos' receiving corps. Like Moss on defense, Mims sees the depth of his unit as a major strength heading into the regular season.
"You look at all of the guys in our room and how we have been playing at camp, for the most part everyone has looked good — there's not many negatives to say," he said. "We are going against our defense, who's probably going to be the best defense going into the season, and it's huge for us. Just the depth of our receiver room is something that isn't talked about enough, and I think it's a really strong thing for us going into the season."
As training camp intensifies and the Broncos' roster begins to take shape, both sides of the ball are feeding off each other, creating internal competition that could end up being one of their biggest weapons.
