GREELEY, Colo. -- Here are five observations from the Broncos' training camp.

1. Wide receiver Ed McCaffrey looked tentative in his team drills because it was the first time since breaking his leg last year that he's run routes at full speed. Catching the first pass of team drills was an important step. McCaffrey made some nice catches on hook passes. As the flanker and the receiver who moves at the line of scrimmage, McCaffrey is key to the success of the offense.

2. Halfback Terrell Davis is running with confidence and believes he can be just like Garrison Hearst, a Comeback Player of the Year who has put his injuries behind him. Davis knows the competition behind him. He senses that the next serious injury could speed up his departure. His confidence comes from playing the final five games of last year and having an offseason of conditioning and little rehab.

3. Since the minicamp, the Broncos are trying to scheme for big plays. Because they start possession receivers in their thirties, they might have to do that by occasionally putting a young receiver in the backfield to create matchup problems. First-round choice Ashley Lelie could be that option. He runs fast and smooth and showed no ill affects from his hamstring problems of the offseason.

4. Second-round choice Clinton Portis has all the signs of being the next starting halfback after Terrell Davis. He's quick. He's fast. And he bounces off potential tacklers and keeps moving forward. Portis busted the charts in the Broncos scouting reports for his confidence. He believes he's one of the best players on the field.

5. Bad news for the rest of the league. Alex Gibbs, one of the league's best offensive line coaches, may be back on the sidelines during games. Gibbs is semi-retired. He worked a couple days in Denver during the week last year. This year, he's considering skipping the week and just working games. His ability to adjust in games is one of his strengths.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.