Demaryius Thomas didn't go in any team periods, but ran smoothly throughout Friday's work. (PHOTO: MAXDENVER.COM)
Josh McDaniels called this “Opportunity Day,” and for Demaryius Thomas, it was his first opportunity to practice after spending the last four months nursing a foot injury.
J.J. Arrington runs behind a block from Ryan Harris (left) during an installation period Friday at Dove Valley. (PHOTO: MAXDENVER.COM)
But Thomas had to overcome a nervous moment during the first period of practice, when the Broncos ran a cone drill similar to the one on which he injured his foot during pre-draft training.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is the drill again,’” Thomas said. “But after doing it, it was fine.”
Thomas was joined on the field by right tackle Ryan Harris and running back J.J. Arrington, who had been sidelined with toe and knee problems, respectively. Harris and Arrington practiced earlier this week, coach Josh McDaniels said, but this was their first workout in front of outside observers.
None of the three took part in team or seven-on-seven periods, being limited to individual and installation work.
Arrington, who still had a noticeable hitch in his gallop, said after practice he was at about 85 percent but that he expected to be 100 percent within three weeks.
Harris went back to his usual spot at right tackle during group work Friday. Zane Beadles, who had been working at right tackle, shifted to left guard when Harris was on the field.
As for Thomas, the day was not a painful one, but was rough in spots, as he dropped a pair of passes in his work during group periods, with no defense against him. The drops didn’t concern him much; he was too busy focused on what he still had to learn.
“We might have run three routes in the triple option (at Georgia Tech). They’ve’e got us up to 15 or so routes. It’s just different,” Thomas said.
“There are still routes I haven’t run before. I’ve still got to get used to them. I’ll be fine.”
But perhaps the biggest obstacle for Thomas and the others to overcome was psychological — which each did this week.
“One time I said in the weight room that I didn’t feel a part of the team because I wasn’t practicing,” Thomas said, “but today I felt like a teammate.”
