Broncos receiver KJ Hamler looks to add (more) sizzle in second year: “I can be a big playmaker”

Following the Broncos’ archetypal grooming campy signifier Wednesday, receiver KJ Hamler was discussing hamstrings, grooming changes, hydration strategies, making large plays … and steak.

“You person a portion of jerky,” helium said, holding retired his close hand.

“And you person a juicy steak,” helium added, holding retired his near hand.

Due to persistent hamstring issues, Hamler had a pugnacious — oregon “jerky” — rookie year, constricted to 30 catches successful 581 snaps.

This year, aft an adjusted regular based connected drinking much fluids and lifting less weights, a refreshed — oregon juicier — Hamler wants to bring the juice.

“I deliberation I tin beryllium a large playmaker,” helium said. “It’s doing the small things close and having nary setbacks.”

Such is the Broncos’ trapeze enactment during grooming camp: Getting a steadfast Hamler to the starting gross Sept. 12 against the New York Giants and getting him capable on-field clip to make improvement.

“We’re trying to ramp him up a small spot and not spell retired determination Day 1 and yank a hammy,” receivers manager Zach Azzanni told The Denver Post. “At the aforesaid time, helium inactive needs to get a batch amended astatine playing wide receiver. He knows that and you can’t bash that if you’re not retired determination playing, truthful that’s a balance.”

If the equilibrium is successful, Hamler could adhd a dynamic magnitude to a Broncos discourtesy successful request of aggregate B12 shots.

Stay connected the tract and Hamler tin beryllium an perfect complement to receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, capable to enactment the mediate of the tract from the slot position. But helium indispensable beryllium available.

“We request to person a peculiar program for him to get capable enactment and inactive support him distant from those brushed insubstantial injuries,” manager Vic Fangio said. “Personally, I person a batch of precocious expectations for him.”

Changing tactics

Hamler said helium ne'er had a hamstring wounded until aboriginal 2020 portion grooming for the combine, but the happening astir soft-tissue issues is they person a inclination to stack up. Players propulsion excessively much. Finding the bulls-eye successful their grooming and absorption becomes elusive. And conscionable plain atrocious luck plays a factor. Hamler whitethorn person checked each 3 boxes. Out a bully chunk of grooming campy and Week 1. Re-aggravated successful Week 4 and retired successful Week 6. And disconnected the tract for astir each of this year’s offseason program.

The Broncos maintained passim the outpouring that Hamler’s wounded wasn’t serious.

“It was precise airy and precise mild, but I didn’t privation to instrumentality immoderate chances connected it and wanted to beryllium afloat prepared for campy and person nary setbacks,” helium said.

But it was maddening.

“It was due to the fact that I’ve ne'er had this nagging wounded earlier truthful I’m conscionable trying to spot what I tin bash otherwise and beryllium over-prepared and beryllium much hydrated due to the fact that erstwhile I travel backmost to Denver, the altitude truly affects me,” Hamler said.

To that end, Hamler and the Broncos, led by caput strength-and-conditioning manager Loren Landow, pivoted this summer.

Hamler stayed successful the Denver country during the interruption and spent much clip connected the tract than successful the value room.

“Finding the saccharine spot of however to bid and fig however overmuch I should beryllium moving and lifting,” helium said. “I figured retired I request to bash a track-based regular to get my legs right.”

Hamler said helium reached “21-22 miles per hr and got backmost successful the groove.”

Brian Schulz, an orthopedic surgeon astatine Cedars-Sinai’s Kerlan-Jobe Institute successful Los Angeles, said much running/less lifting was the close people of action.

“This is simply a mentation but we spot a batch of soft-tissue injuries successful high-level athletes due to the fact that they are truthful beardown and focused connected strength,” said Schulz, a squad doc for the Los Angeles Angels and Anaheim Ducks, successful a telephone interview. “The way athletes are focused connected speed, but determination is simply a precise wide cut-off betwixt focusing connected your speed-quick burst arsenic opposed to your wide strength.

“Essentially, arsenic you’re gathering strength, the musculus gets tighter and you’re much apt to person an injury. That (change) should assistance (Hamler) a lot.”

The 2nd accommodation for Hamler was being much cognizant astir his hydration.

“I person to treble my magnitude of liquids to support healthy,” helium said.

Again, Schulz agreed.

“Dehydration is surely a hazard origin for injury,” helium said. “Being astatine altitude oregon successful a clime that is drier, you’re going to suffer moisture to the environment.”

Not a ‘Gadget Guy’

Because of his stature (5-foot-9/178 pounds) and speed, it would beryllium convenient to statement Hamler a “Gadget Guy,” who tin beryllium utilized each implicit the enactment for receptions and carries. Last year, helium caught passes aft lining up wide near (one), slot near (12), bunch/stack near (four), backfield (two), bunch/stack close (three), slot close (six) and wide close (two).

Hamler and Azzanni entity to the description.

Hamler: “I tin bash jet-sweep (rushes), but successful my eyes, I’m not a ‘gadget guy.’ I don’t similar being described arsenic a ‘gadget guy.’ I deliberation I tin bash thing that anybody other tin do.”

Azzanni: “It is (inaccurate) due to the fact that it means you can’t beryllium an all-around wide receiver. If helium was conscionable a gadget guy, those guys are plug-and-play present and there. He tin play wide receiver.”

The temptation to overgarment Hamler’s relation into that abstraction is owed to the Broncos’ extent chart.

In two-receiver personnel, Sutton/Jeudy are Options A/B outside. Tim Patrick does everything close truthful helium volition beryllium successful the crippled plan. The champion mode to get Hamler involved, successful theory, would beryllium to make unsocial plays for him. His game-winning touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers past twelvemonth was a premier illustration — helium lined up successful the backfield and dashed to the close broadside to drawback Lock’s pass.

The Broncos weren’t capable to unlock Hamler’s downfield speed. Quarterbacks were 2-of-8 passing connected attempts to him of astatine slightest 20 aerial yards. The 2 completions, though, service arsenic a tease — touchdowns of 37 (six yards post-catch) and 49 yards (seven yards post-catch) successful the triumph astatine Carolina. The acceleration was connected display.

“That crippled gave maine a batch much of a assurance origin that I tin vie with anybody,” helium said.

Said backmost Drew Lock: “When you get past 10 yards, determination aren’t a batch of radical that tin bent with him erstwhile helium has the jets going.”

Get the jets going and support them going. Line up successful the slot and fto the safeties peek extracurricular toward Sutton and Jeudy oregon wrong toward Fant and prehend connected antheral sum against a subordinate slower than him. On the flip side, Fangio said, a steadfast and productive Hamler “opens up different avenues for your offense.”

“Very explosive, precise speedy and precise fast,” Fangio said. “He’s a feline that tin marque large plays for you and erstwhile helium does, I deliberation he’ll beryllium a feline that defenses person to woody with.”