Is NFL Training Camp Overrated? Time for Young Players to Shine

A lot of people might think NFL training camp is just your average, ordinary NFL practice session, but two-a-days in this league can be make it or break it for young players.

I have been to Denver Broncos training camp every year since I was about 11 or 12 years old, back to the days of Brian Griese and Ashley Lelie. Heck, the Broncos have even since switched locations about an hour or so away from where it used to be since I’ve been attending.

Now that you know my yearly training camp routine, I think it’s important for you to know how critical camp is for some young players. Flashback to 2008, where the Denver Broncos were fresh off of a late-season collapse after Jay Cutler’s first full season starting as the quarterback. Fans were buzzing a little bit more than usual because the team officially had a couple of star players on offense in Cutler and third year receivers Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler.

The Broncos had a void at the number two receiver position, and some kick returner named Eddie Royal came out in camp and really turned heads. I can remember sitting at practice, watching this rookie second round pick absolutely tear it up in training camp, earning a starting job before camp even concluded and then going out and making a huge impact with 91 receptions as a rookie.

In another instance, a more “dark horse” type of moment, the Broncos recently discovered receiver Matthew Willis in training camp and the pre-season. A couple of years ago, Willis was catching everything thrown his way at camp, and back in 2010, he actually pushed veteran receiver Brandon Stokley off the roster.

In 2011, the Broncos discovered undrafted rookie Chris Harris, who had nothing BUT training camp to prove himself to the coaching staff with the lockout and no other OTAs to speak of. Harris came out, started making plays, and he got the attention of the coaching staff to the point that, on opening day, he made sure he was on the roster.

Training camp may seem overrated for teams who are models of consistency, for example, the Green Bay Packers or New England Patriots. But for all 32 teams, training camp is a time to discover hidden gems, specifically players at receiver and cornerback. For those young players, it’s a time to step up and make plays, to get noticed by the coaching staff and make an NFL roster.