DENVER (AP) — Nathaniel Hackett’s first training camp in Denver was notorious for his few hard hits, at least until joint practice. with the Dallas Cowboys.

But what really caught our attention was Hackett’s decision to ditch the 7-on-7 drill. It’s a staple of today’s pass-heavy offense, pitting the quarterback, his snapper, and his five-pass his catcher against a defensive combination of his back and linebacker.

With big bodies ruining the center and no handoffs to worry about, quarterbacks tackle rhythm with receivers honing their skills against D-backs who try to disrupt everything.

At the same time, offensive and defensive linemen typically head to adjacent fields to practice one-on-one pass rushing.

Hackett also disabled them.

Hackett, who came to Denver from the staff of Green Bay’s Matt Raffler, said that while the Packers placed less emphasis on 7-on-7 practices, they couldn’t eliminate them entirely, instead making more 11-on-11 practices. did.

He said he wanted to give his players more “real football” jobs. It’s an approach that might prove important given that most of the starters he predicts have stayed on the sidelines in the preseason.

“Thank you Coach Hackett,” right tackle Calvin Anderson said. “I think he has an innovative spirit. He’s not afraid to think outside the box and do new things.”

Former NFL offensive lineman Tyler Polumbas said he would have been awkward going into the season without the standby drills.

“It’s a different era and it’s obviously going well for the Packers,” Pombas said. “But I’m not going to lie. I have reservations about it.”

“For us big boys, when we’re 7-on-7, it’s when we’re 1-on-1. So I know it’s been huge for me,” Polumbus explained. I’m not sure how confident I’ll be going into , because 1v1 matches are the only time I can get out and work on my craft.

“I was able to try new things and I wasn’t afraid to ruin the game. At 11-11 I was afraid to try new things,” Polumbus said. “Because if you try something new and lose, it ruins your game and everyone yells at you.”

One morning, when Hackett sat down for a pre-practice interview on the local radio, a half-dozen or so of Denver radio stations, including Polumbas, a former NFL player turned commentator, criticized him for his lowness. Was crushing.To drop the contact approach to camp and the 7-on-7.

Hackett explained that he chose safety over tradition and science over custom. His goal, he said, was to start the season healthy and not overwork his players with hitting or expose them to undue injury in practices he felt were unnecessary. rice field.

Only two times the Broncos had one-on-one drills during camp, which involved receivers facing D-backs and tight ends and running backs against linebackers.

“Certainly it was by public demand,” Hackett said. “It’s nice to have some young guys getting rep’s over each other. The crowd loves it.”

Several other NFL coaches have tweaked their offseason training plans regarding 7-on-7. maintained. Giants coach Brian Daball used his OTA for his 7-for-7 practice in the spring, and like Hackett, he stuck to 11-for-11 this summer.

“I like the quarterback to feel the people around him,” Dabor said. “There’s a time and a place for that. technique, but I think it’s important for quarterbacks to feel the people around them, especially up front.”

Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatel is one player who still believes in the value of the 7-on-7.

“You know it has a purpose,” he said. “You’ll want to rest the big guys in the meantime, so you can get a lot of recognition, speed recognition on the pass. Play his action, the run pass part of the ID is lost, but I always I was the fan.”

NFL receiver-turned-radio host Brandon Stokely says 7v7 helps players build confidence, time, solve problems, and even experiment.

“You see 7-on-7 in middle school. It’s a big deal,” Stokley said, calling his friend Peyton Manning.

“Peyton Manning thought they were very important and we got a lot of reps and got a lot of work done doing those drills,” says Stokley. “I’m not saying you have to do it every day, but I think there are benefits to doing these exercises.

“I mean, it’s a different approach than what Nathaniel Hackett did. It’s not the school I grew up in, and it’s not what I thought was useful. I think the proof is in Pudding.

Win, maybe that’s the trend. Lost, it may just be a fad.

Polumbus suggested that going 7-on-7 would make it harder for players to climb the depth chart as they have fewer opportunities to mark.

“I think it’s more disappointing for young people than anything else,” said Pombas. “But you know, you’re not here for young players. You’re here for beginners.

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AP Sports Writers Tom Canavan and John Wawrow and AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.

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