Offseason drills create bond among Bronco trio
ENGLEWOOD • Maybe the offseason workouts in Atlanta won't matter in a tangible way, and passes thrown from quarterback Jay Cutler to tight end Tony Scheffler and receiver Brandon Marshall in February won't translate to more touchdowns this fall.
But the trio of third-year Denver Broncos offensive stars believes the extra sessions will help, which has to count for something.
"Oh, I think it's big," Cutler said. "It's a trust issue out there. You know, if you can't trust the guy next to you, you're not going to win a lot of ball games."
The idea to train together was Scheffler's, hatched late last season. He had worked out in Atlanta before he was drafted and asked Cutler if he wanted to work out together there. Cutler knew Marshall had a home in Atlanta and asked if he wanted to come, too.
They all took January off after the season, then at the beginning of February they met in Atlanta. For the next month and a half they worked out.
Some of the time was spent weight training, other drills were run to improve quickness and speed and there were also football drills - all away from any public attention.
"Just a place off the beaten track," Scheffler said.
Marshall said he felt a physical effect of the workouts right away.
"I was stronger than ever," Marshall said. "I wanted to go down there and just redevelop my body."
Most nights, the teammates would go to dinner together. They always had some kinship because all three were part of the 2006 draft class, but they felt the added chemistry from the nights out together would help.
"I mean, not just for us working out together, just us hanging out and going to dinner and just us being together and getting a feel for what it's going to take for us to get to the level you want to," Cutler said. "So, it was a good experience."
Marshall knows the importance of having a bond with the quarterback. He has spoken before about how he'll change a route during a play because he sees a soft spot in a defense, and Cutler will anticipate him changing the play.
Scheffler's numbers his rookie year reflect the trust Cutler has in him. He had six catches for 67 yards in 11 games with Jake Plummer at quarterback, 12 catches for 219 yards and four touchdowns in five games with Cutler. He caught 49 passes for 549 yards last year despite a foot injury that bothered him all season.
Cutler said he was happy two of his top targets were willing to work with him and get on the same wavelength, which he thinks will pay off this season.
"I think that's been a problem around here," Cutler said. "We had some guys that you didn't know if they were going to go out there and do their job."
