Broncos rookie minicamp observations: Sean Payton wasted no time introducing RJ Harvey to one of his favorite RB staples

RJ Harvey determined himself in Sean Payton s office on Friday his first full day at the Broncos facility as a pro since being drafted last month The rookie running back listened and watched as his new head coach outlined a vision for his future by showing him film from the past The players on the screen Former New Orleans running backs Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles The topic choice routes Each former Saints back tormented linebackers safeties and others throughout their careers They d be matched up one-on-one in the middle of the field making a cut either inside or out the choice to get open and doing major damage Payton on Saturday reported the first day of his rookie minicamp Friday included installing the choice track Saturday it was the wheel path Rookie minicamp is for basics Payton disclosed Saturday the present day s install we put in really one highway for the running backs but also for first impressions This much is clear Harvey s intent on not waiting around to make his When he watched Kamara and Sproles with Payton Harvey saw players he wants to emulate and ultimately surpass Definitely want to be like those guys Harvey advised reporters Darren Sproles he went crazy with the Saints Kamara too I want to be better than those guys so I m going to work every day to get better and prove myself to all the vets and the coaches I want to make an immediate impact in this league There s a long way between sunny Saturdays in May and the kind of December Sundays when Harvey s rookie year impact will ultimately be measured There s a long distance between making a mark in your debut season and forging a career like Sproles years or Kamara eight and counting On the second day of Broncos rookie minicamp the lone day open to reporters however Harvey looked the part Caveats inevitably apply this time of year No pads No veterans Just the very first days on the field Still Harvey is a powerful runner whose packed muscle onto his lower half deploys a wicked jump cut and proposes he has good vision because he spent his entire high school career and first collegiate season at Virginia playing quarterback On Saturday he also displayed good hands in the receiving challenge He didn t drop a pass and hauled in several wheel routes I ran a lot of wheel routes at UCF so I m used to that he stated flatly Definitely there s a lot to improve on Pass protection and working my routes We didn t run a lot of routes overall at UCF so it s something to get better at and I m going to get better at it Payton noted he tries not to get ahead of himself during weekends like this one Every young member has a lot of progress ahead This Broncos draft class is perhaps particularly intriguing in that department given the projection involved with Harvey first-round pick Jahdae Barron s versatility and the light collegiate snap counts for OLB Que Robinson and TE Caleb Lohner Payton though reported it s also major to remember what this weekend encompasses for players like Harvey Related Articles Years after now-cleared bullying lawsuit Clay Webb looks to make impact on Broncos roster Broncos Sean Payton says ILB Dre Greenlaw quad will be a full participant in training camp Broncos cut punter Matt Haack LS Zach Triner to trim roster to Longtime agent Jeff Sperbeck s fatal fall from golf cart driven by John Elway ruled an accident Broncos bringing QB Ian Book a former Sean Payton draft pick in as vet tryout athlete for rookie minicamp We really start with the fundamentals Payton explained The rise comes and you feel it Sometimes it comes faster than you expect sometimes maybe slower He s someone that look he s picked up very promptly what we re doing You can tell it s something that s really pivotal to him But this is their first exposure to the training room the weight room the schedule the nutrition the practice There s a lot more than Hey we re going to run these plays He s looked good though Here are particular other observations from Saturday s practice The Broncos believe Barron can play any number of positions and he put that versatility on display Saturday Payton disclosed part of settings like minicamp are to see players in different positions We ve moving guys around he declared We re not just isolating them at one spot Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron takes part in drills during rookie minicamp at the unit s headquarters Saturday in Centennial AP Photo David Zalubowski Barron was involved in one of the the bulk competitive plays of the day a Pat Bryant grab in traffic The first-round corner also volunteered that he d been juked by Harvey As Harvey was speaking to reporters in the locker room Barron grabbed his phone and jumped into the scrum He broke in to ask his own question Why did you juke Jahdae at practice with that move this day Why did you do that Harvey laughed and eventually responded I had to get the first round in man There s plenty to like about Barron s competition though Payton mentioned he already plays like somebody with much more experience If you re watching closely various people transition and stop very rapidly He has really quick twitch Payton explained I d say he s sticky in coverage I worry sometimes with corners that if you re defending every track you re defending no way He s really savvvy If it s a tight split he eliminates of what could be run You feel a veteran contestant The Broncos have an intriguing PFA piece in North Carolina Central product Joaquin Davis a receiver who demonstrated every inch of his -foot- frame and -plus-inch vertical on a leaping grab over the middle during one period of minicamp Saturday Davis agent Joseph Flanagan explained The Post that Broncos scout Nick Schiralli who d primarily led on pinpointing Davis identified him to Flanagan as someone who could make an immediate impact on special teams Payton too referenced special-teams when discussing Davis on Saturday Fellow receiver Courtney Jackson who operated out of the slot at Arkansas State and Toledo product Jerjuan Newton also stood out in crisp route-running Saturday Payton was clear before the draft that Denver would add bodies in its receiver room before training camp and all profile to have a shot to crack the -man roster Payton informed reporters during his presser Saturday that there were a couple of players at minicamp who staff would discuss bringing to training camp He didn t name names but here s one guess South Dakota running back Travis Theis The -pound Theis displayed intriguing agility on a number of plays out of the backfield Saturday despite lacking true top-end burners and has plenty of versatility after catching balls last season for FCS plan South Dakota Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis