ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- No, the Broncos haven't been practicing in baby blue onesies adorned with flowers or polka dots.

But according to Aqib Talib, they might as well have been.

"This is like pajamas or whatever you want to call it," he said of the padless practices in shorts. "It'll get a little more lively tomorrow."

Tomorrow, of course, is the team's first day in pads since the 2013 season ended, and the physicality will certainly ramp up. As Danny Trevathan pointed out, the players haven't hit anybody in five or six months, so they'll be ready to let loose and play "real football" for the first time.

"That's when it really gets going," Wes Welker said. "So these days have been great, but really looking forward to tomorrow and seeing who really shines."

Those who shine brightest might gain more traction than any players have through practices thus far, with coaches putting more stock into full-gear production.

"Overall it is ultimately how you play the game so those evaluations become a little bit more important," Head Coach John Fox said. "In my experiences, it really holds true in your fronts both offensively and defensively."

The extra importance of the fully-padded practices for the linemen is not lost on Sylvester Williams, even after he made the play of the day in Friday's session. He says the linemen get to "figure it all out tomorrow" and that everyone will "see who the real playmakers are."

The score settling won't stop there, as rookie running back Brennan Clay says the rest of the backs will have something to prove.

"A lot of linebackers are out there talking trash," he said. "They're much bigger than us but they can't run as fast, so we'll see how it transpires tomorrow. It's going to be exciting."