Jaire Alexander Color Rush Jersey

The Denver Broncos mandated DeMarcus Walker bulk up this offseason. That was a big weight off his mind.

As a rookie last season Jaire Alexander Color Rush Jersey , Walker slimmed down to about 238 pounds in order to be more of an outside pass rushing threat. This season, he's back at 280 and playing inside along the defensive line.

He feels this should tip the scales back in his favor. After all, it's a similar weight from when he flourished at Florida State and became a second-round pick.

"Knowing what weight to play at, what I'm playing 鈥?smooth sailing," Walker said. "Just do my job and get better every day."

Walker began slimming down as a contingency plan when linebacker Shane Ray suffered a left wrist injury in training camp last July. Denver's defense features a 3-4 scheme and it's predicated on a multitude of pass rushers to assist Von Miller.

The 23-year-old Walker struggled at times with his new assignment and played in just 10 games with one sack (Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes in the season finale). It was a difficult transition as his role sometimes required him to help out in coverage, which he hadn't done since his sophomore year in college.

"I had to refresh my brain and my body," Walker said. "I wasn't the best at it. But I can do it."

Now, he's on more solid ground. These days, he heads into the defensive line room with the likes of Derek Wolfe (285 pounds), Adam Gotsis (282), Shelby Harris (290), Domata Peko (325) and Zach Kerr (334).

"It's kind of funny, they still try to call me light," Walker said. "It's all fun and games."

He bulked up over the last few months by eating four to five meals a day. Going back to Florida and dining on his mom's cooking helped as well.

As it turns out, he's not a bad cook himself. His specialties?

"Love lobster and shrimp," he said. "Love seafood."

He's listed as a defensive end on the roster. But ask him what position he plays and he grins.

"Athlete," he said. "Just say athlete."

Among his roles during the workouts is helping rookie pass rusher Bradley Chubb get up to speed. He's learning plenty from Chubb as well when they play side by side.

"Just how to take advantage of the offensive line. I think we're undefeated right now," Walker cracked of the two of them getting the best of their counterparts in offseason practice.

While at Florida State Buccaneers Ronald Jones II Jersey , Walker had 164 tackles, 28 陆 sacks, eight forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. That was playing mostly with his "hand in the ground," he said.

That wasn't always the case a season ago when he had seven tackles and spent six games as an inactive.

Feel like the forgotten rusher heading into this season? "Nah," he said. "I'll wake them up. Trust me."

His coaches certainly appreciate what he brings to the table.

"He's improving," defensive coordinator Joe Woods said. "Last year, he was a versatile player for us.

"Right now, we said, 'Hey, you're a defensive lineman.' So, he's put the weight on. ... I got on the scale with him 鈥?or watched him get on the scale 鈥?he was up to 278, and he's really making some tremendous improvements."

Definitely a step in the right direction.

"To me, if he's in the 270s or 280s, that's good enough for us, to play the defensive end position and to play as an inside rusher," Woods said.

Defensive line coach Bill Kollar will take it from there.

"He understands what Bill wants," Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. "Bill's obviously a demanding coach, so being with Bill has helped DeMarcus play harder Tre'Quan Smith Color Rush Jersey , and obviously being bigger is going to help him play better for us."

NOTES: OL Garett Bolles plans to play this upcoming season between 300 and 305 pounds. "Just so I can anchor when I get those bull rushes and things like that," Bolles said. "Feel more comfortable there. Feel more explosive and powerful there." Bolles was in the vicinity of 290-295 in his rookie season.

When he was much younger and brasher, LeSean McCoy recalled informing the league's older running backs of how he was going to one day chase them down in the record books.

A month shy of his 30th birthday, the Buffalo Bills veteran is suddenly beginning to realize how the tables have turned.

"I hang out in the offseason with a lot of running backs like (Todd) Gurley and (Le'Veon) Bell, and the way they view me is like the old head baller, " McCoy said Tuesday, referring to the Rams and Steelers star running backs. "It drives me. Now it's like reversed. Now it's 'OK, I'm still an elite player, but these young guys are creeping on me.'

"So I've got to continue to do better and be better."

Nothing has slowed him down yet, entering his fourth year in Buffalo and 10th in the NFL.

McCoy is coming off a season in which he had 1,138 yards rushing, and 1,586 yards from scrimmage (including 448 receiving) for the fifth-best totals of his career.

"What can I say, it's been a great ride. And I look forward to having a big year again," McCoy said, speaking to reporters for the first time this offseason, and after the Bills opened a three-day mandatory minicamp.

"I'm excited about this year. I'm excited to be back in that offense where it's hitting on all cylinders."

How quickly the offense can begin clicking is an uncertainty given the offseason turnover.

With third-year starter Tyrod Taylor traded to Cleveland, Buffalo is breaking in a new quarterback after drafting Wyoming's Josh Allen in the first round and signing AJ McCarron in free agency. Brian Daboll takes over as coordinator after Rick Dennison was fired in January. And the line's being revamped after center Eric Wood retired and guard Richie Incognito was released.

Though he'll miss Taylor Cheap Kerryon Johnson Jersey , McCoy likes what he's seen from Allen, who is being developed behind McCarron and second-year holdover Nathan Peterman.

"I've got to be honest. He's pretty good, and I'm not a big fan of rookies," McCoy said of Allen.

"It's still early. I don't want to make him Jim Kelly already, he just has to learn different things," McCoy said, referring to the Bills Hall of Fame quarterback. "He's got a lot on his plate. But other than that, just talent-wise and intelligence, he has it to be a starting quarterback and also a franchise quarterback."

McCoy's biggest concern is losing Wood and Incognito, who played big roles in helping Buffalo rank no worse than sixth in the league in yards rushing in each of the past three years.

"I would be lying if I told you it didn't matter," he said.

Otherwise, McCoy was in a playful mood.

He questioned how he fell from 27th to 30th on the NFL Network's top 100 player rankings.

"I think I should never go past 25," said McCoy, whose jersey number happens to be 25. "If the 25 dude's better than me, I don't see it. But that's just my opinion. And I'm known to have an opinion, and you can quote that for sure: 25. Bam! Always."

He bantered with McCarron after the quarterback praised the running back before recalling how he was still in high school when McCoy played college.

"Other than the age, you did pretty good," he said to McCarron.

When it comes to age Donte Jackson Jersey Elite , McCoy has all but run out of contemporaries to pass. His 10,092 yards rushing rank third among active running backs, behind only Frank Gore (14,026) and Adrian Peterson (12,276), and 29th on the career list.

What particularly stands out has been McCoy's consistency. He's among only 15 players to top 1,100 yards from scrimmage in eight straight seasons, according to Pro Football Reference.

McCoy was wowed when informed the list includes his idol Barry Sanders, who topped 1,100 yards in 10 straight seasons, and that he's tied with Bills' Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas.

"Thurman has eight? Well, I'm going to get nine this year," said McCoy, who has befriended Thomas since arriving in Buffalo.

After a brief pause, McCoy added: "But Thurman's better than I am."

NOTES: Allen earned his first opportunity to practice with the starters after spending the team's 10 voluntary spring sessions working with the third-string offense. ... LB Matt Milano did not practice because of a hamstring injury.

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