JERSEY CITY, N.J. --The Broncos' traveling party for the Super Bowl is a little larger than it was during the regular season. Of course, the team never left a week early for a regular-season game.
Not only did more staff members make the trip, more players did as well. Though most of their travel to this point involved preseason games, the members of the practice squad flew with the team to New Jersey.
"It's been great," wide receiver Nathan Palmer said. "Sitting back at home, watching guys go to the game and not being there, it kind of stinks a little bit. But it's all worth it when you get to come to games like this. Being on the road, traveling, being around the guys, going to the meetings, seeing everything, seeing how these guys prepare, it's just another experience for me to learn from and I'm glad to be doing it."
Palmer has had a hectic month as he was just signed to the Broncos' practice squad on Christmas Eve after spending most of the year with the Miami Dolphins. He told members of the media at Media Day that within hours of the getting the news that he had been released, his agent called to tell him about the Broncos.
Defensive end Hall Davis has had a similar month as he was signed just three weeks ago and said that – though he was close – he is still learning names.
"It really has been a whirlwind," Davis said. "I'm really blessed to be here. I really thought I would be at home watching the Super Bowl but to be here, it's surreal. The Broncos are a great organization and I'm just happy to be here."
Several Broncos have taken or plan on taking the time to see some of the sights around the city while they are here in New York. Davis said the he wants to see the Statute of Liberty and tackle Paul Cornick said he's going to visit Times Square.
But Monday the Broncos visited a different kind of attraction – the Jets training facility -- and they weren't tourists. They were there to work.
"It was a cool opportunity," guard Ben Garland said. "It was a lot different than our facility and obviously you don't love it as much as Dove Valley. But it was cool just to get out there and experience something new. Not a lot of people ever get to work out in an NFL facility and we got to work out in another one, which was kind of a cool opportunity."
Other than practicing at an unfamiliar location, the job of the practice squad hasn't changed much for this week.
And though they won't suit up on Sunday, they did on Monday and they will again Wednesday when the Broncos resume practice – and those times of preparation are as important as they have ever been.
"I think it's business as usual but it's kind of heightened business as usual," Garland said. "You are really focused on watching that film and ensuring that you're giving that exact look that the opponent is going to give and making sure that you're playing the play like they would play and trying to really show what they do."
