Jake Butt couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic over the simple routine of putting all his pads on again.

Reasonable. It’s been a while.

The Denver Broncos tight end returned to the field in full gear Tuesday for the first time since tearing his right ACL against Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 William Jackson Jersey , 2016.

”I kind of thought about it when I put on the pants. It was like, `Man, I haven’t put on the pads in almost two years,”’ the Michigan standout said. ”It was exciting. It felt good out there.”

Next order of business: Jerseys .

Butt and his family don’t mind having a little fun with their last name. And now that he’s fully healthy, those No. 80 uniforms will be going fast – taken by his clan and completely customized (his father had ”Papa Butt ” on his jersey when Jake was at Michigan).

”We’re ordering in bulk,” Butt said. ”We’re building the `Butt Army’ out here, for sure.”

It was on hold last season as the 23-year-old recovered from the knee injury that caused him to slip to the fifth round of the 2017 draft. The Broncos were hopeful to have him back for the second half last season, but he wasn’t ready and went on injured reserve.

Butt declared Tuesday his knee feels ”100 percent” again. He wasn’t wearing a protective brace when the team donned full pads.

He could be a big boost to the tight end corps. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Butt won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end his senior season at Michigan. He had three catches for 28 yards against Florida State in the Orange Bowl before tearing his knee.

His recovery has been somewhat slower than he anticipated. The rehab has been filled with plenty of ups and downs.

”It’s not just you’re getting better and better every day. You have some days that are better than others,” said Butt, who had 138 catches for 1,646 yards while with the Wolverines. ”In that sense Paxton Lynch Jersey , you have a mental component. But once you’re on the field, for me personally, you’re playing football. You’re not thinking about any bumps and bruises you might have.”

He used the down time in 2017 memorizing his routes and reads. He’s putting it to good use now.

”I had a year to observe how pro football really works,” Butt said. ”Going back to the spring, I really got into the playbook so I can hit the ground running in camp.”

Butt has plenty of competition in camp among a tight end group that’s got deep Big Ten Conference roots. There’s rookie Troy Fumagalli, a fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin. There’s also Jeff Heuerman, a third-round pick in 2015 from Ohio State who’s currently sidelined by a balky knee. Not to be left out: Matt LaCosse attended Illinois, and Austin Traylor went to Wisconsin.

Fumagalli has an easy explanation for the league’s representation.

”Well-rounded,” he said. ”I can’t speak for all of the Big Ten, but a lot of the schools they expect you to be a pass catcher, a pass blocker and a run blocker. They expect you to be well-rounded.”

Butt’s hoping to display that throughout camp.

”You know you can’t come in and take a day off because that next guy up is hungry,” Butt said. ”Everyone in our room is making plays and doing a great job. That’s going to help us in the long run.”

He’s already developing a solid rapport with quarterback Case Keenum.

Then again Clint Boling Jersey , Butt said that’s not difficult.

”Case is doing a great job connecting with a lot of guys out there,” Butt said. ”That’s the advantage of having a veteran quarterback. He understands where to go with the ball, where to put the ball, what reads to make. We’re trying to take advantage of that.”

NOTES: DE Derek Wolfe briefly left practice Tuesday with what coach Vance Joseph described as a small stinger. ”He’s fine. He came back out. He’s OK,” Joseph said. … OT Garett Bolles returned to practice after taking a hit to the chin. ”When you have these head injuries, any type of a head injury, it’s always going to be on the safe side to check him out,” Joseph said. … CB Tramaine Brock will miss about a week with a hamstring ailment, Joseph said. … OG Ron Leary on his scuffle with LB Todd Davis during practice: ”It’s all love.”

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Taylor Lewan answered the biggest question for the Tennessee Titans heading into training camp by showing up for work along with the rest of his teammates.

How long it takes to get a new contract for the two-time Pro Bowl left tackle remains to be seen.

General manager Jon Robinson said they're making good progress, even if he isn't ready to say when that might be wrapped up.

"It's good to have him back," Robinson said Wednesday after the Titans reported for camp. "I know that our coaches are excited to work with him and had really good discussions over the last 24 hours with his representation and nothing's finalized. But I would say we're certainly headed in the right direction."

Robinson said contract talks had been going on the past couple days and ramped up Tuesday night.

"I'd say we've made really good progress and that's about all I can really comment on that for now," Robinson said.

With the Titans firing Mike Mularkey in January after the franchise's first playoff victory in 14 years Jake Rudock Jersey , Lewan took part in the team's voluntary offseason program with new coach Mike Vrabel . Then Lewan skipped the mandatory minicamp in June over a lack of progress in contract talks.

The left tackle is due $9.34 million this season after Tennessee picked up the fifth-year option for the 11th selection overall out of Michigan in the 2014 draft. He has started 53 of 58 games, including every game the past two seasons, protecting quarterback Marcus Mariota's back. Lewan, who turned 27 last weekend, is younger than Nate Solder who became the league's highest-paid offensive lineman in March with a four-year, $62 million deal from the New York Giants.

Lewan and the rest of the Titans showed up on Wednesday for the start of training camp, joining quarterbacks, rookies and injured players who started last weekend.

The left tackle was not among the handful of players made available to reporters Wednesday. Veteran linebacker Brian Orakpo, going into the final season of his contract, was glad Lewan reported since that means both sides must be talking again.

"I know what he brings to the table, so hopefully I mean stuff can get done and we can play ball and move forward," Orakpo said. "Nobody really wants to be worried about contract situations when we're trying to be you know coming together as a team. And they understand that Johnthan Banks Jersey , Taylor understands this so hopefully get it done sooner than later."

The Titans already are without right tackle Jack Conklin, who was placed on the physically unable to perform list last weekend. Conklin tore his left ACL in the Titans' divisional playoff loss to New England , and Vrabel had no timetable for Conklin's return.

Vrabel said Lewan is in great shape along with the rest of the offensive line. Center Ben Jones said it was good to have everybody in and ready to work, a credit to Lewan's work ethic.

"We're a band of brothers," Jones said. "We want us all out there at all times and that's all we do is go out there and grind every day. Taylor's the lead guy he's a guy we can put our hat on. You know he's going to work hard every day."

Vrabel said all the Titans passed the running test, but veteran wide receiver Rishard Matthews still is being evaluated. Matthews was sidelined during the offseason program with an unspecified injury.

"When he's ready, he'll be out there," Vrabel said.

NOTES: Robinson said he met Tuesday with Kevin Dodd before the Titans released the outside linebacker. Dodd was the 33rd selection overall out of Clemson in 2016 and the second player Robinson drafted in his first year as general manager. "I take full responsibility for that one. I've got to do a better job scouting moving forward," Robinson said. The move leaves the Titans at 89 players, and Robinson said they are looking to fill that spot.

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