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Not even the signing of free agent Case Keenum could keep the Broncos from staging yet another quarterback competition this offseason.

This time it’s a battle for the backup job.

After bypassing a quarterback in a draft that was deep on passing prospects [url=http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mason-cole-jersey]Cardinals Mason Cole Jersey[/url] , general manager John Elway declared that Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly would duke it out for the No. 2 job.

That served as a vote of confidence in Lynch, his 2016 first-round pick who hasn’t been able to win the starting job, and a golden opportunity for Kelly, ”Mr. Irrelevant” in 2017 as the last player picked in the draft.

”With Paxton, we still think he is young. We are not kicking him to the curb. He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, we knew it was going to take some time,” Elway said. ”Paxton is going to compete with Chad for that backup spot. We are not going to bring another one in for OTAs.”

That marked the first time Elway had publicly mentioned Kelly as having a chance to win a roster spot a year after missing his entire rookie season while recovering from wrist and knee surgeries.

”I thought of it as, OK, perfect, I can get more reps,” Kelly said Saturday after serving as the only quarterback during a 90-minute walkthrough that capped the Broncos’ three-day rookie orientation. ”I just look at it as another opportunity to get better each and every day and each and every rep.”

Kelly’s offseason work habits have resulted in a reshaped body.

Kelly said ”eating a lot of spinach and chicken paid off instead of fried food. … I came here and knew I needed to move around and get back to my old playing weight back in early college and high school. So, I’m kind of feeling I can move around and so some things with my legs but also be powerful in throwing the ball.”

Kelly has impressed both on and off the field.

”Well [url=http://www.chicagoblackhawksteamshop.com/authentic-patrick-kane-jersey]Authentic Patrick Kane Jersey[/url] , I’ve been proud of Chad overall,” coach Vance Joseph said. ”I mean, he’s been here every day. He’s worked his butt off. And he’s changed his body. Last year he was a little tubby kid. He is really lean now. He’s eating right. He’s working hard. He’s definitely put the work in.

”And he’s throwing the ball really well right now.”

So much so that bare hands are a bad idea for receivers, suggested tight end Jake Butt.

”He can rip that thing now,” said Butt, who also sat out his rookie season. ”You’ve definitely got to wear gloves. He’ll be spinning that bad boy pretty tough. He’s learning the offense, he’s taking leadership, he’s doing a great job.”

Joseph insisted Lynch was handling himself fine, too.

In March, the Broncos declared Keenum the starter as soon as he signed. In April, they said Lynch would have to beat out Kelly for the backup job.

”I think Paxton’s done a good job, also [url=http://www.thecoltsfootballauthentic.com/braden-smith-jersey-authentic]Youth Braden Smith Jersey[/url] ,” Joseph said. ”I think for Paxton and for our football team, it’s been a weight off all of our backs to have a starting quarterback and have everyone’s role defined from Day 1.”

He said that allows Lynch to ”relax and get better each day and not worry about a competition.”

Joseph suggested Lynch could learn how to handle adversity from Keenum.

”Case has been through some ups and downs throughout his career. So, he can learn from Case on how to handle those things,” Joseph said. ”And it takes time to be an NFL quarterback. And you would hope with Case being here, he can sit back and relax and get better as a quarterback and not worry about being the guy right now and just compete to be our backup.”

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw to some of his new wide receivers and tight ends at a public park near the team's practice facility.

Even though training camp was more than a week away, the Ravens were eager to get back to work. A group of local kids playing pickup football eagerly approached the players, which added to the excitement of the upcoming season.

The extra practice time paid off as there were few drops among the receivers on the first day of camp Thursday. Flacco looked revitalized and was crisp, zipping balls downfield with pinpoint precision.

"Joe does seem charged up," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I do see excitement. He does seem to like his receivers. He's motivated and wants to go to work."

Last season, the Ravens had the league's 29th-ranked passing offense.

As a result, general manager Ozzie Newsome hoped to boost the attack with the addition of free-agent wide receivers Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. Baltimore also added a pair of tight ends 鈥?Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews 鈥?in the first three rounds of the draft. Andrews missed the opening day of practice because of a soft-tissue injury.

The receivers have been impressed with Flacco's arm strength and his willingness to listen to new ideas. The workout in the park proved to be a solid bonding experience.

"It was fun [url=http://www.authenticsbaltimoreravens.com/cheap-mark-andrews-jersey]Mark Andrews Color Rush Jersey[/url] ," Snead said. "It was taking the stuff we did in OTAs and minicamp and put it all together out there on the field, just one-on-one with the quarterbacks. That type of time together is beneficial, just like later down the stretch in the season. It's just being on the same page with different routes and knowing the receiver and the quarterback and what he's thinking and what I'm thinking."

Five Ravens began camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list 鈥?guard Marshal Yanda (ankle), cornerback Jaylen Hill (knee), linebacker LB Bam Bradley (ACL), tight end Vince Mayle (undisclosed) and receiver Quincy Adeboyejo (leg). Players on the PUP list can be activated at any time during training camp. However, if the players are still on the list by the regular-season opener, they cannot play in the first six games.

Despite the missing players, optimism is running high about ending a three-year playoff drought. The Ravens were able to open training camp a week earlier this year because they are playing the Chicago Bears in the annual Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 2. The rookies reported July 11 and veterans arrived one week later.

Coach John Harbaugh plans to use the extra time wisely, particularly with giving the veteran players some time off.

"In the big picture, you have one more week to work," Harbaugh said. "It gives us an opportunity to have more of an acclimation period [url=http://www.broncoscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-royce-freeman-jersey]Cheap Royce Freeman Jersey[/url] , especially for the veteran guys and also really for the whole team. It gives us an opportunity over the long haul to get more work in, but also spread the work out a little more and give us a little more recovery, which would be beneficial."

The Ravens are looking to be equally adept on the other side of the ball with new defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale, who took over for Dean Pees. The players are already lauding Martindale's approach and expect to be a dominant unit.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, said Martindale's scheme gives the players an opportunity to be "more diverse."

"A lot of the plays stayed the same," Mosley said. "We might have changed the verbiage here and there. But for the most part, it's been pretty much the same. Guys are learning the different positions so we can be more versatile."

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