Broncos kicker Matt Prater might as well place the ball on the tee.
It appears the business of the 2011 NFL season is about to start.
The decertified NFL Players Association is arranging to have its 32 union representatives gather Wednesday in Washington, where they are to be briefed on a collective bargaining proposal before voting on it, according to two NFL sources.
Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has the Broncos’ vote.
Considering the NFLPA spent the past five months negotiating with team owners on a new labor contract, approval is likely to be little more than a formality.
Team owners are expected to vote Thursday in Atlanta. If all goes well, the NFL lockout will be lifted Friday, the free agency and trading period will begin next week (possibly Monday) and the Broncos have tentatively set July 28 as the day of their first, open-to-the-public training camp workout at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters.
At that point, the Broncos can begin sweating off the hangover from the two-year Josh McDaniels era and begin fresh under coach John Fox.
“We have all the talent in the world,” Broncos punter Britton Colquitt said Monday at the Diamonds in the Rough Charity Golf Classic at Cherry Hills Country Club. “We just didn’t have all the X factors to put it all together. Now we’ve got the coaching, we’ve got the motivation. Everybody’s going to want to come in there and have a great camp.”
Also participating in the golf event were NFL agent Peter Schaffer, Broncos fullback Spencer Larsen, general manager Brian Xanders and scouting director Matt Russell, University of Colorado football coach Jon Embree and athletic director Mike Bohn.
Colquitt and Larsen have been working out with trainer Loren Landow of The Steadman Clinic. About 35 players on Denver’s roster worked out at least once with Landow during this unusual offseason, when NFL players were locked out from their team facilities. The lockout started March 12.
“I think we’ll be a lot more bonded this year,” Colquitt said. “Everybody knows each other a little more, because we all had to pull together and work out by ourselves and we all came together that way.”
Landow drew 45 local professional players for his workout Monday, including Broncos quarterback Brady Quinn, defensive end Robert Ayers, middle linebacker Joe Mays, tight ends Richard Quinn and Dan Gronkowski, running back Lance Ball, cornerback Cassius Vaughn, wide receiver Matt Willis and the regular group of offensive linemen led by Chris Kuper, Russ Hochstein, J.D. Walton and Zane Beadles (and free agent-to-be Ryan Harris).
The players sense the 2011 season is near.
“As players, we’re all excited,” Larsen said. “It’s getting to be that time when we all want to start playing football. It will be good to get the team together again. See the guys. We haven’t seen each other in a while. I’m looking forward to getting to meet the rookies. We haven’t had a chance to meet them yet. We don’t know yet exactly what’s going to happen, but hopefully we get started soon.”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com