DENVER BRONCOS QUOTES (7/30/15)
WIDE RECEIVER EMMANUEL SANDERS
On his second year in Denver
“I’m just excited, obviously to get back. It’s a blessing to make it to my sixth year in the National Football League. I’m still going to be the same guy and trying to stay after it. The team is getting better. I think from a vocal standpoint, I got guys in in the locker room like [WR] Cody Latimer, [WR] Isaiah Burse, guys like that, who I can encourage. Just try to move those guys a long, alongside me. Hopefully they’ll learn from me and I could teach them everything that I’ve learned over the past six years. It’s one of those situations, when [WR] Demaryius Thomas wasn’t here, I had an opportunity to be a leader in the room. [WR] Wes Welker isn’t here anymore. I learned a lot from just OTAs, some I’m going to continue to just try and do that”
On Thomas’ new contract
“I instagrammed a video. I was pretty excited just to have him back. I knew there were a lot of questions in the air of him possibly not coming back. He signed for a lucrative deal and I think he’s deserving of all of that. You want to talk about a guy who is one of the best wide receivers in the league. I’m just happy to have him back as we embark on this journey of trying to hoist a Lombardi at the end of the year. I feel that we’re definitely going to need 88 out there. I saw him today, and I know he’s excited to be back, and we’re excited to have him back.”
On Thomas wanting to break records
“You want guys to set those kinds of goals. For me, that’s my goal also, to break as many records as I can and to be to the best player. For me, I want to be the best wide receiver in the National Football League this year. That’s my goal; that’s why I work my butt off in OTAs. You want guys to have goals like that. I think Demaryius is capable of that. To me, it’s never about the numbers. Obviously I want to go to out, I want to put up good numbers, but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. I think that bringing a Super Bowl to this city is what really matters. I hear [Minnesota Vikings RB] Adrian Peterson say he’s going to do special things, and I think everybody is going into this season trying to do special things. Not from an individual standpoint but from a team standpoint. I have said at certain times that every team is going in training camp saying, ‘Hey look, we’re trying to win a Super Bowl.’ There is 32 teams and if you don’t accomplish that goal, it’s a letdown of a season.”
On how Head Coach Gary Kubiak’s system will work for Manning
“I think not so much for [QB] Peyton Manning, but if you look at the system last, Kubiak has had a lot of success. That’s the reason why [Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager] John Elway believes in him, and that’s why I believe in him. His record speaks for itself. An offense that’s predicated on play-action pass in which I feel from my standpoint, he can utilize my speed there once we get the running game going. When you have Peyton Manning out there who can make all the throws, that’s the smartest quarterback in my opinion in the National Football League at managing the game. I think that’s a recipe for success. It starts tomorrow, just going out there, working our butts off to perfect this offense and get it rolling so we can put points on the board.
On how much more comfortable he is today than a year ago
“I think from an off-the-field standpoint of just hanging out here, the more you start to gain that comradery. And that’s one thing that I am closer to [my teammates] off the field. Last year, one of my main goals was to earn Peyton’s trust. I came here working my butt off for Peyton to the point that I almost tore my quad and I had to sit out a week-and-a-half of training camp. But I still have that same mindset. I’m blessed and fortunate enough to play with a Hall-of Fame quarterback, and I’m still coming in here trying to earn his trust. It’s one of those things that last year was last year. Last year doesn’t matter. It’s about what I’m doing this year. This is pressing the restart button and earning his trust and letting him know that, hey, whenever you need a play made, you can always look 10’s way. I’m going to be willing and capable of making a play.”
On the importance of QB Brock Osweiler taking reps with the first team
“I think it’s very big. That’s one thing coming into camp. Last year, even these past OTAs, every time we were doing individual routes, I was always going with Peyton. But I’m going to try to mix it up and go with Brock a little bit more because you never know. We have a long journey ahead of ourselves and things happen. Injuries occur. Sometimes Brock might have to go into a game if Peyton’s not feeling well or Peyton went down. I think that Brock is definitely one of those quarterbacks that works his butt off. I think that when a situation, if it does occur, that he’ll be prepared for it.”
On being a team that Elway describes as ‘kicking and screaming’
“I think that that’s my mindset, regardless. So it’s not one of those things where I have to turn my engine on just to hear that. That’s me. Every play, I want to give it my all, whether it’s blocking, whether it’s catching a pass, whether it’s doing whatever I have to do, I love doing it. I’m competitive and all out. I hated that I was so competitive, but it ended up paying off when it comes to playing a sport. Obviously, you want guys on the team like that when the score or if we’re getting beat in some games, you’ve got to have that mentally to say, ‘Who cares? We’re going to keep fighting and we’re not going to give up.’ I think that every coach in the National Football League and every GM wants their players to be like that. I’ll tell you what, I feel like we have a nucleus of guys that have the same mindset and that Elway wants to be.”
On [WR] Cody Latimer’s potential this season
“I just saw Cody and I’m actually excited for him. You want to talk about a guy who’s a physical tool just like Demaryius Thomas? I feel like coming in with the rookie class of Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Mike Evans and all those guys, he feels like he’s kind of overlooked. I’m big on Cody. He’s strong, he’s fast and I think that’s he’s going to come in and he’s going to have a big year for us. I’m looking forward to him just taking off and showing everybody, ‘Hey, look at [No.] 14 over here from the Denver Broncos.’“
On if the team is better today than this time last year
“I really do [believe that]. Obviously, we have a new coaching staff, but I think that last year, I came in here and it was all new to me. We had the players, like the Peyton Manning questions, but it’s more about camaraderie. You spend a lot of time with guys and you start to understand how they are. Camaraderie will beat physicality any day of the week or athleticism any day of the week. I had an opportunity to spend more time with Peyton off the field and to get to know him and [Safety] TJ Ward, [CB] Aqib Talib and [OLB] Demarcus Ware outside of the the locker room. I think that just the camaraderie and the nucleus of the team is tighter now. With that said, if you combine that with athleticism, I feel like you will make a better team. So that’s why I think that we’re better this year than last year.”
On his expectations for RBs C.J. Anderson and Montee Ball
“I think that we have a stable of running backs. You say Montee Ball [or] [RB] Ronnie Hillman, I say [RB] Juwan Thompson. I think that we have a stable of young running backs that are ready to go that feel like they can be the guy at any time. When I was in Pittsburgh, [Former Wide Receivers Coach] Scottie Montgomery used to always say, ‘I want my run hot,’ and what he meant by ‘hot’ was that he wants competition within the run, with everybody thinking that they’re the guy. That makes the unit better. As far as C.J. Anderson at this time, no one knew what C.J. could do. I’m looking forward to him in Gary Kubiak’s offense. The running back last year for the Ravens, I can’t think of his name right now [Baltimore RB Justin Forsett], but he had a special year last year. I think with C.J. Anderson taking that place in Kubiak’s offense, it’s going to be a big time year for him if he stays healthy.”
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