The Denver Broncos are receiving their first taste of the hurry-up-at-altitude offense that Peyton Manning will unleash on the NFL this fall if everything keeps going well with his surgically repaired neck.
As they go through their offseason workouts, the Broncos are laying the foundation for the offense that Manning is bringing with him from the Indianapolis Colts.
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"You get a sense that that's coming along," wide receiver Andre Caldwell said. "We're in the beginning process, but you can tell by the way they're installing the offense that it's going to be a lot more difficult and he's going to be back to doing what he did in Indianapolis."
Manning was one of the first to report to the Broncos' voluntary team workouts Monday.
"I've seen that firsthand over the course of my career -- that offseason work makes a big difference come fall," Manning said in a video posted on the Broncos' official website. "You can't just show up in September and expect to be successful, expect to win games. And so this offseason work is critical."
When they signed Manning to a five-year, $96 million deal last month and dealt Tim Tebow to the New York Jets, the Broncos scrapped the option-style offense they had dusted off last season to fit the left-handed scrambler's unique skill set.
Now, it's all about the fast-paced switcheroo offense that's the basis of Manning's maniacal motions at the line of scrimmage as he deciphers defenses.
"I've said all along, from having had to compete here, it might be the best home-field advantage in the NFL," Fox said, "because, on an NFL travel schedule, you don't have time to acclimate to altitude."
Linebacker Joe Mays said the only defense that will appreciate the turbocharged no-huddle is Denver's, which will have to keep pace with Manning every day in practice and be better for it.
"We're all excited," Mays said. "We're looking forward to working with him on the field, looking forward to those no-huddle practices ... You're going up against the best quarterback who ever played the game -- in practice. So, it should definitely help the defense out during the game."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
