SB Nation - Boss Bailey

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:30:09 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of ST&NO. As I started writing this, it was the Saturday of HOF weekend, and I live an hour north of Canton. I went down last year to see Gary Zimmerman get inducted, with MattR and his friend, but, alas, I didn't attend this year. It rained most of the day, anyway, and Adam Schefter tweeted about it every 3.4 seconds, so it was almost like being there.

I can generally take or leave Schefter, (I never read anything from the DP when he was there), but he did have one tweet I really appreciated:

Adam_SchefterGreat to see old friend Shannon Sharpe in the house in support of his former Ravens teammate. Rod Woodson. Next year should be Sharpe's turn

This year should have been Sharpe's turn, actually, and I would have gladly sat in the rain to see him get inducted. I caused a bit of a stir this winter with this item, in advance of the selections, as some of you may recall. Next year will suffice, though, since that's the best we can do.

What would really be great is if writers stopped voting for the Hall of Fame, and I mean that that should happen in all sports. For the four who actually know what they're looking at, there are 20 more who don't, but semi-impartially rely on hype and what people tell them, and 20 on top of that who grind axes and hold personal grudges, based on who gave who access and information. Until we manage to reach this utopian HOF state of affairs, where objective people who really know football elect Hall of Famers, we'll just keep doing what we do, and MHR's HOF committee will continue to work to get our greats elected.

In this space, though, we'll keep it Shallow and Nearsighted, like always. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. Somebody put up a FanPost a couple weeks ago, requesting that somebody on the staff write something focusing on special teams. I don't think a lot of action has happened on the request, so it occurred to me this week that I should try to write some stuff about the topic. You may have wanted somebody else, but you got me.

It's kind of a different person who becomes an expert on special teams, and I do not claim to be one, but it's conceptually interesting to me - especially from a roster-construction perspective. After the jump, we'll get into some detail with it, and talk about players who we should expect to see in the kicking game, and why.

In general, good football teams have good kicking-game outcomes. Its impact tends to be overestimated by talking-head types, though, when they say it is one-third of the game. It's actually more like one-seventh of the game, if you look at it analytically (with offense and defense each comprising three-sevenths.) It's not my intention to marginalize that aspect of the game, though, and we should definitely want our Broncos to be strong in that area.

At the surface level, success in the kicking game seems to be a function of the quality of 3 or 4 specialists (Return specialist, Punter, Kicker, and Long Snapper.) There are a bunch of non-specialists, though, who play a huge role in the success of these units. In April 2008, during my very early days writing FanPosts at MHR, (they may have still been called diaries then, actually, ala SBNation's forefather, Daily Kos), I advocated drafting players with an eye toward special teams here. The Donny Deutsch Big Idea was that the Broncos special teams were terrible in 2008, and drafting players who showed speed, athleticism, and sure tackling would add quality bodies to the bottom part of the roster for use in the kicking game. The Broncos ended up with Spencer Larsen and Josh Barrett from that draft, who both showed star quality at times in kick coverage, and Jack Williams who could, as well as Wesley Woodyard as an undrafted free agent. Larsen, Barrett and Woodyard have to be considered core special-teams players for 2009, guys who will play somewhere on virtually every unit.

a. Kickoff Coverage - You want fast players, with a sure-tackling skill set. You're mostly looking for defensive backs and linebackers here, and the odd receiver, running back or tight end who remembers how to tackle correctly from high school. The 3 aforementioned core guys will definitely be in the mix here, and you can count on Darcel McBath, Jack Williams, Alphonso Smith, Darrell Reid, David Bruton, and probably Andre' Goodman being there too. (Incidentally, let's call Reid and Bruton core special-teams guys, too, as both were acquired with kick-team roles prominently in mind). That leaves one spot, which Champ Bailey may fill, as he has in the past, being the safety man. I would diagram the lineup something like this, if it was me building the unit.

Strategically, you're looking to split the field into nine equal vertical slices (or lanes, as they're usually called). Each of the upfield players (all but Prater and Bailey in this case) need to stay in their lanes and play off the blocks they encounter to make the tackle on the returner. Bailey and Prater would stay back and try to maintain good pursuit angles if a big return happens. Better to stop them at midfield than to give up a TD.

b. Punt Coverage - This is slightly different in nature, because you have to block to keep rushers out of the punter's face, and then turn around and go tackle somebody. I will keep my core guys (Barrett, Woodyard, Larsen, Bruton, and Reid) and I like Alphonso Smith as a gunner, which is the player on one end of the line. Bruton is my other gunner, which is a job he excelled at during his time at Notre Dame. The Long Snapper, Lonie Paxton (#66) is here, and I added Tyler Polumbus (#76), Kory Lichtensteiger (#67) and Seth Olsen (#70) to help with the blocking. The three guys in the backfield are Woodyard, Larsen and Barrett. Woodyard and Larsen line up between the guard and tackle on either side, 3 yards in the backfield. From that position, they can react to penetration either inside or outside (with inside taking priority, due to the shorter distance to the punter's launch point). Barrett is 2 yards even further back, and is responsible for free rushers inside. He's also in position to run the ball on a fake, and I like him in that role, with his size and speed. I am assuming Brett Kern is the punter here.

The way the punt play works is that the 5 linemen and 3 backs count off 3 seconds before running down the field to make the tackle of the return man. The linemen want to block, but they want to stay on their feet, and heading downfield just as much, in order to man their pursuit lanes. The punter needs to get the ball off in 2.5 seconds from the snap, and typically will take a 2-step approach after the catch (kick foot, plant foot, kick.) The reason the blockers are counting 3 seconds is that the officials will penalize them for being ineligible and downfield if they leave before the kick. Timing between the punter and his blockers is crucial for that reason. The gunners leave immediately, and have to defeat man-to-man blocking, often a double team. They would like to down the ball with no return or force a fair catch, and failing that, make a quick tackle. In the absence of a tackle, their orientation should be to force the returner to the middle of the field, where most of the pursuit is coming from. Good gunners are rare, and worth their weight in gold. I don't remember the Broncos ever having an exceptional one in 22 years of being a fan.

c. Punt Return - These are two separate groups with two separate functions. Obviously, the return team needs the size/speed guys, but you want some good blockers to help set up the return. You like a backup TE or a FB, and maybe a RB or WR in the group, if you have some who are good blockers. If I am staffing a return team, I include my 5 core guys, Richard Quinn, Jack Williams, Darcel McBath, Robert Ayers, and Marcus Thomas (a great athlete for his size, and a guy who can hold up blocking, and get downfield to make a tackle). Williams, Bruton and McBath would be assigned to block the opposing gunners, with McBath being the double-teamer on the wider side of the field. I would use Alphonso Smith as the return man, with Eddie Royal and Kenny McKinley as possible backups. I would line them up something like this:

The outside players attempt to impede the gunners, and if possible, knock them out of bounds. If a player goes out of bounds, he has to get back in immediately, and he can't be the first to touch the ball in a downing situation. Woodyard and Barrett are like linebackers here, watching for fakes, and then retreating quickly on the kick, to set up to block for the return man. The front five are not rushing aggressively, and instead are making sure the kick is real, and also running downfield to block.

d. Punt Block - In a block situation, we value length and speed, and not return-blocking, so much. If the ball gets to the return man, he's most likely fair catching the ball, or watching it get downed, because the gunners probably get there before the ball does, with no focus on impeding their progress. I actually really like virtually the same personnel grouping as the punt return team, but I want to swap out McKinley for McBath, and have him be the deep return man. Alphonso Smith has an outstanding kick-blocking skill set, and a history of collegiate productivity, and I like him as an edge rusher here. The surest tackler, Woodyard, is my only LB type in this alignment.

The nine men on the line are going to rush like hell and try to block the punt. Woodyard is watching for a fake, and McKinley is going to be very careful about fielding anything that makes it to him, probably only taking a sure-thing fair catch, if the punt team sends two gunners at him. In a must-protect, late-game situation, the punt team may not send both gunners, and may keep one in to help block (nine-on-nine, rather than eight-on-nine). In that case, McKinley may be more likely to get a few yards on a return, if he can run away from the free gunner's side.

e. Kickoff Return - A major rule change will affect kickoff returns, and I will be watching it closely in the preseason to try to gauge the effect of it. The "wedge'' has been outlawed, due to concerns with player safety. A wedge is when 3 blockers basically hold hands, and tandem-block right in front of the return man. The returner would read the 3-man group, and run off of the outcome of their blocks. To combat the effectiveness of the wedge, the kickoff team would assign players (think Spencer Larsen, or someone like him) to be wedge-busters. Their assignment was to run right at the wedge, and blow it up at full speed. The danger came for the guys in the wedge, who were getting hit squarely by guys who had a 50-yard head of steam, while they are close to stationary, waiting for the returner to catch the ball. Now, the second-level group will have to individually block opposing players. Personnel-wise, my five core special-teamers are here, joined by Quinn, McBath, Polumbus, and maybe a guy like Tim Crowder. My return men are A. Smith and McKinley.

There's no wedge at work, as I mentioned, so the blockers will essentially have to man up nine-on-nine. The returner who doesn't catch the ball becomes a free lead blocker, and should pick up the first free runner in front of the man with the ball.

f. Field Goal / PAT - It's all about protecting the kick here, so we want a group of blockers. For each of the other 6 groups, I am starting with the five core special teamers; but here, I am starting with a group of offensive linemen. We need our long snapper, Paxton, and we'll use Polumbus, Lichtensteiger, Olsen, and Chris Kuper too. We'll have Quinn and Darrell Reid as our end men, and Woodyard and Larsen as our outside backfield guys. As a rule, I personally like the backup QB as holder, but we'll assume that Kern keeps that job. I picture it like this:

Barrett and Bruton get a break from this team, the only one they don't play on. Woodyard and Larsen have to block the outside rushers and force them wide of the launch point. The holder lines up 7 yards behind the snapper, while the kicker is 2 steps back and one step to his plant foot side (the left, in Prater's case).

g. Field Goal / PAT Block - More length and speed here, and for the internal linemen, power is good, too. All five of our core special-teamers will be here, along with Marcus Thomas, Tim Crowder, Robert Ayers, and Kenny Peterson. I like Richard Quinn here too, given his height and athleticism, and Alphonso Smith as an outside rusher. (I am not tremendously confident of Everette Pedescleaux or Rulon Davis making the 45-man game day roster, but at 6'6" and 6'5" respectively, they'd be good candidates for this group). The diagram looks like this:

So in all, there are 20 players among the seven teams, which is probably a fairly typical distibution. Having 4-5 core special teams guys is something which successful teams do, and those players are highly valued. David Bruton was specifically drafted to be one this year, because he shone in the kicking game at Notre Dame. The group of athletes that the Broncos have now can be a top-notch group in the kicking game. Having been so below-average in this area, really for the entirety of the 2000s, the Broncos seem to finally value this part of the game.

2. Are you ready for some football? I couldn't possibly be more ready. The tenor of this column will be changing, beginning next week. It will be heavy on football evaluation, and much less theoretical. To get the best jump on re-establishing my live football watching skills, I took in the Hall of Fame game on Sunday night. These are my observations of it.

a. Great design on the elaborate fake punt for a TD by the Titans. My first thought was that I couldn't imagine why you'd run something like that in a preaseason game, but it has to be because they have some variations on it, definitely one where Michael Griffin gets the ball on the reverse action, and probably a play-action fake with a pass by either Griffin or Craig Hentrich (when he's healthy, and the TD scorer, AJ Trapasso, has moved on). You make opponents prepare for that look, and then you run something different off of it in Week 13 at Indianapolis. It's the sort of thing that the best coaches, like Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan, have always done.

b. Great old-school Oilers/Titans uniforms, and the Bills ones were fun, too. I think I am going to really like this series of AFL Legacy Games this year.

c. LenDale White looks to have dramatically slimmed down, and was much quicker to the hole than I remember him being last season. He and Chris Johnson are quite an impressive tandem. The Titans offensive line looked very good, too.

d. This is the first time I think I have watched anything on a broadcast network since the Super Bowl. I didn't miss anything, evidently. There are no shows that I particularly like on the networks, and I virtually always stick to the "cable" channels (on DIRECTV).

e. Rotoworld.com must have gotten a good deal on the 15-second ad they ran early in the game on NBC. You wouldn't think they were big-money enough to afford network advertising. I use them for salary information, but not much else.

f. Michael Griffin is a big-time star at Safety for the Titans. They got killed for drafting him a couple years ago, especially by our dear friend Jamie Dukes, who couldn't believe they wouldn't take a WR for Vince Young (They're setting him up to fail!!!!). WRs who went after Griffin included Dwayne Bowe, Robert Meachem, Craig Davis, and Anthony Gonzalez. Bowe is good, Gonzalez is merely functional, and Meachem and Davis have been total busts so far. Griffin is much better than any of them, though. The Broncos, of course, took Jarvis Moss two picks ahead of Griffin, and that worked out great, too.

g. Vince Young looked just terrible on a down-to-down basis. He's never going to be in the Hall of Fame, unless he takes up another sport, and somehow becomes exceptional at it. Maybe bowling? Water polo? He didn't even look like he could handle running the shotgun zone-read play that he has to have run 500 times between college and his first two years in Tennessee. He made two solid throws on the pre-halftime scoring drive, including the fade for a TD, but both came on no-read plays. The slant, you're just counting on the WR to get inside position against man-to-man coverage, and on the fade, you're throwing to the pylon. The Madden Curse is one thing, but Vince's whole career has gone awry, in a seemingly irreparable way.

h. Buffalo is going to really struggle to protect Trent Edwards this year. Their players got bull-rushed straight backward on a bunch of occasions in this game. You can get away with undersized linemen if they can anchor, but the Bills didn't display a lot of ability to do so across their front. Rookie Guard Andy Levitre, #67, looked like he can't play in the NFL, let alone be a starter. He consistently got dominated in both the running game and passing game.

i. Gangster's Paradise as segue music? Really, NBC? Of all the music ever recorded, you're going with Coolio's Greatest Hit?

j. The Titans sure can rush the passer with 4 men, even without Albert Haynesworth. Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse both looked good in their limited action, and their rotation of DTs looked like they will get consistent penetration in the passing game. Jim Washburn has always done a great job with that group.

k. Terrell Owens looked good, which isn't a surprise. He caught two quick passes from Trent Edwards and didn't play much beyond that. He will help the Bills this year, especially by freeing up Lee Evans, who is one of the really great, underrated WRs in the NFL. He's never had any help at WR, or a very good QB, so his statistics undersell his ability; but he is tremendous. Defenses won't be able to roll coverages to Evans so easily, and I expect to see the best statistics of his career in 2009.

l. My girlfriend officially broke up with me during halftime. I kind of knew it was coming since Saturday morning, when she unloaded one of those "I don't know if I want to be in a relationship right now / it's not you, it's me," kind of things on me. I'm doing a lot better with it than I thought I would, and I was actually kind of worried about how she'd feel about me watching so much football every weekend for the next six months. Maybe it's just as well. :)

m. I've never been the biggest Tony Dungy fan as a coach; I think he has always somewhat underachieved, relative to the talent on his rosters. But it's impressive to listen to him speak, as a man. That said, I could have done without him being in the booth for nearly the entire second half. He, Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels spoke about everything except what was going on in the game.

n. Alex Mortensen seems to be with the Titans as a favor to his father, when he didn't even play much at Samford. He threw a duck that got intercepted and returned for a TD in the 4th quarter. It doesn't look like his presence is any more serious than that of Stefan Fatsis was at Broncos camp a few years ago.

o. When I went to Fawcett Stadium last year, I didn't realize it was, first and foremost, a high school stadium, and it actually was Josh McDaniels' home field in his high school days. (McKinley High School is nearby). They didn't sell beer there, or have ATMs, or anything, and it was all metal bleachers. It was a little bizarre to sit there for an NFL event (I didn't go to the game, because I had to work Monday morning, and I'd had enough of Redskins fans, from the induction ceremony on Saturday.)

3. I have been curious to see how ESPN's Scouts, Inc. would grade Ryan Clady after his rookie year, and the rankings just went up recently. They say he is the third-best player on the Broncos, and rate him a 79, the ninth-best Tackle in the NFL. The eight ranked ahead of him are Walter Jones, Joe Thomas, Jason Peters, Michael Roos, Marcus McNeill, Jammal Brown, Jordan Gross, and Orlando Pace. It makes you wonder if Jeremy Green did the rankings by himself, without watching any football.

When you give up 1/2 a sack in more than 600 drop-backs, commit only 3 penalties, play every offensive snap as a rookie, and you're the best in-space blocker in at least 20 years, you have a resume better than ninth in the NFL. The rest of the O-Line goes Hamilton 73, Kuper 65, Wiegmann 63, and Ryan Harris 61 (Really?!??!) Watch some film sometime, idiots!

4. NFL Network has the worst advertisers, and the Play 60/NFLRush.com commercials especially drive me crazy. They play them all the time, and it's always the same ones. I know, Adrian Peterson, Eli Manning, Santana Moss, Drew Brees and Bob Sanders are good role models for kids. Try selling some ads to some advertisers, rather than repeatedly running this overkilled stuff, mmmkay?

5. I am a big Michael Mann fan (Heat and Collateral are two of my favorite films ever, and I even liked Miami Vice). I finally got around to seeing Public Enemies on Saturday night, which had an embarassment of riches among the cast, largely due to its being filmed during the writers' strike a couple years ago. Featuring Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, and Domenick Lombardozzi, to go with the briliance of Mann himself, it looked really good on paper.

Turns out, it was boring as all get-out, and I couldn't wait for it to end. The characters were poorly developed and unsympathetic, and the story lacked the sort of conflict that it easily could have had. It was all big names, good (not great) camera work and shot conception, and a boring story. As I sat there, zoning out, it reminded me of the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, (though neither has a Michael Mann as a leader). Both teams have talent, though much of it is overrated, and the final product never seems to live up to the paper version. They are paper tigers, as Styg has said so eloquently in the past.

6. Interesting commentary from an anonymous NFL team source in PFW's Audibles yesterday.

"(Steelers QB) Ben Roethlisberger is not a well-liked teammate. He's arrogant and lazy. It's not a nice mixture in a steel city known for its toughness."

I've never met the guy, but I am friendly with a former teammate of his at Miami University, and he told me the same thing about Roethlisberger. You can't really argue with 2 rings, and things like this make me wonder sometimes if the importance of team chemistry can be overrated. It may also be that the well-established Steelers program overcomes their QB being a jerk.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. In the same audibles column as above, somebody said of Brandon Marshall:

"Brandon Marshall had one good season. He's another guy that needs to get his act together. Quit whining and play the game."

In 2007, Marshall had 102 catches for 1,325 yards, and 7 TDs. In 2008, he had 104 catches for 1,265 yards and 6 TDs, while missing a game due to his suspension. So, the question is, which season was his one good one?

By the way, don't expect Marshall to exactly play a Randy Moss-style role, and Eddie Royal to exactly play a Wes Welker-style role in the McDaniels offense. Picture Marshall being used more like the Cowboys used Michael Irvin, and Royal being used like the Panthers use Steve Smith. Marshall will run a lot of intermediate slants and crossing routes, using his size, and Royal will be used to challenge every level of the field. Brandon Stokley will run the bulk of the Welker stuff, and Jabar Gaffney will get to play against a lot of single coverage, like he did successfully in New England. Good coaches alter their schemes to take advantage of the skills of their players; they don't try to make the players fit the scheme.

9. Pork Chop Watch, and a beauty.

Denver

Andre Goodman is tearing it up in Denver.

My take: If Goodman, signed as a free agent from Miami, can play well in the regular season, it will be a huge benefit for Denver. The Broncos will get excellent play from left cornerback Champ Bailey. That's a given. If Goodman performs well, Denver's pass defense could be decent.

Decent, huh, Bill? That's a pretty tepid prognostication for getting excellent play out of both CBs. I think Pork Chop is beginning with the end in mind (and not quite in the way that Stephen Covey meant). The Broncos are going to suck, we all know that. Everybody in the free football-watching world knows it. Hell, even residents of Outer Mongolia know it. There's no question about it. So, if the Broncos have two of the 10 best CBs in the NFL (which they do, incidentally), their pass defense may be "decent."

10. I bought The Sporting News NFL preview, which is usually the best on the market. I kind of use it as a media guide throughout the season. This year's edition is a total piece of crap, and I recommend not buying it. In past years, a beat writer for each team would write about the team they knew a good bit about. For the Broncos it would typically be Jeff Legwold, who is pretty good.

This year, in what seems likely to be a cost-cutting measure, TSN used one writer per division, so I get to read about the Broncos from...Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. Boss Bailey is listed as the starting LOLB. Did it ever seem, for a second, to anybody on MHR, or anybody who knows the Broncos, that he would be a starter in the new defense, or even be on the team this year? Teicher's analysis is pretty surface-level, and very uninteresting.

The rest of the issue is garbage, too. Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, on the Jets:

There's no reason to worry about the Jets' starting offensive line. They have a Pro Bowl center in Nick Mangold, a locker room leader at guard in Alan Faneca, an all-around star in Brandon Moore, an improving young tackle in D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and a future star at right tackle in Damien Woody.

I love this; it's five misevaluations for the price of one. Mangold is okay, but overrated, and the declining Faneca may be a good leader, but he's a shell of his former (overrated for at least the last half-decade) self as a player. Moore is an average player, and not nearly a star. Ferguson may be improving, but he has underachieved throughout his career so far, and is a below-average starting LT, based upon his body of work to date. Woody is my favorite. He's a ten-year veteran, who will turn 32 in November. He played Center and Guard for his first nine seasons, and was a marginal starter on 2 Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams, (though he didn't play in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Panthers, due to an injury). When, exactly, is this future when he'll be a star at RT? Will this be in some sort of senior citizens' league?

That's all for this week, friends. Have a great week, and let's get ready for some football, when the Broncos play the 49ers on Friday. It's here, finally.

Horse Tracks 7/31/09 - Training Camp is Here!! Now, about Knowshon and Ayers...

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:53:20 -0000

DP - Broncos, Moreno are far apart in talks as camp kicks off - Jeff Legwold
Knowshon and Ayers are still unsigned, and there's bad news; Jokeland gave their first rounder (#7 overall) Darrius Heyward-Bey a 20% raise over last year's 7th-overall choice. That contract could throw everyone else off-slot, as the normal raise is 8-10%

DP - Champ Bailey longs for a championship
Champ says he's going to make sure all of his teammates want to win as badly as he does, and that he failed to see that fire in some players' eyes last year.

DB - Shelton, Moulton Re-Signed

DB - First-Year Players Primed and Ready - Broncos TV
Chris Hall catches up with some of the Broncos' rookies, including Nate Swift, Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath and Marquez Branson.

DB - Staying in Big 12 Country
Zach Eisendrath profiles rookie WR Nate Swift, who joins Correll Buckhalter as Cornhusker alumni with the Broncos.

DB - INFORMATION REGARDING FAN AND MEDIA PARKING FOR BRONCOS TRAINING CAMP

DP - 10 questions as Broncos open camp - Mike Klis

DP - Boss Bailey back in business in Georgia
Notes from Legwold and Jones - Champ and Boss bought a trucking company in GA this offseason. Meanwhile, Champ, Renaldo Hill and Marcus Thomas will start camp on the active PUP list. Plus, WR Lucas Taylor cleared waivers and was placed on IR.

DP - Kiszla: The best Broncos jersey? Try this
Kiszla offers some suggestions on which Denver jerseys to consider buying, in hopes of saving you from having to get a new one in two years.

DP - A couple things to look for at Broncos camp
Legwold's suggestions for the camp competitions to watch for.

NFL - Signing status of 2009 NFL Draft first-round picks
There are now 11 first-rounders reported to have come to agreements, but still 7 players picked higher than Knowshon who have not done so...

RH - Versatile rookie Smith looking to earn respect with Broncos

FOX - Denver Broncos Football Team Report and Insider Slant
FOX's preview of the Broncos heading into Training Camp. Thanks to Elizabeth for the link!

CBS4 - From Club Med To Club Dread: Broncos Face Changes - Arnie Stapleton
While more intensity in Camp will probably mean a big injury or two, this is a team that needs more intensity and fight; so it's probably worth it.

BH - Josh McDaniels the biggest question mark in Denver
Back in Boston, David Ramsey takes a look at what McDaniels faces with the Broncos.

DDN - McDaniels making impact
Good luck reading that ridiculous font. Who the heck runs this site?!

GJS - Expect '09 to be ugly for Broncos - Rick Jussel

9NEWS - Running Red Rocks with the pros
Ebenezer Ekuban and Selvin Young are working their tails off at Red Rocks.

DP - AFC Preview - Jeff Legwold

DP - NFC Preview - Jeff Legwold

SDUT - Heated roster battles expected to center on four key positions

SDUT - Football Outsiders pick Chargers

SFG - Big payday shouldn't alter how Asomugha approaches his job

SFG - Heyward-Bey holdout lasts only one day

KCS - Chiefs' No. 1 pick absent as training camp begins

NFL - Patriots pleased to have QB Brady slinging passes on the practice field

SI - Vikes left to pick up the pieces after Favre debacle - Don Banks

NFL - Vick says he's 'getting close' to signing with a team, doesn't go further

NFP - NFL notebook: Vick heading to Seattle? - Matt Bowen

SI - Searching for rookie gems as NFL training camps open - John P. Lopez
Lopez likes Blake Schlueter, and apparently so do the Broncos' coaches.

SI - Top 10 positional battles in NFL training camp - Ross Tucker

FOX - 10 guys worth rooting for in NFL training camps - Peter Schrager

NFP - The head coach as agent - Jack Bechta

NFP - Diner morning news: Schwartz and the Lions - Mike Lombardi

ESPN - Camp confidential: T.O. can't cure all Bills ills

CBS - Bills camp report: Welcome to the pressure cooker - Clark Judge

FOX - Positional Power Rankings: D-lines
The Broncos come in at dead last, which would be hard to dispute...

ESPN - NFL: ESPN's Chris Mortensen previews his 24-day, 21-team bus tour of NFL training camps
No, Denver is not on the schedule.

SI - Plaxico Burress gambles on testimony in hopes of avoiding prison - Michael McCann

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Temple - Wes Bunting

NFL - With defensive tackles' value rising, 2010 draft to feature bumper crop - Gil Brandt

Horse Tracks 7/20/09 - Happy Birthday, Casey Wiegmann and D.J. Williams!!

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:43:59 -0000

GS - Ex-Gator Moss now a linebacker
Hmm. Jarvis says he feels right at home playing LB. So, you mean the Broncos shouldn't have traded UP in the first round to take an undersized DE who is miscast positionally? Oh. Whoops. Hopefully the switch works out.

Athlon - 2009 Denver Broncos Preview
Hmm. Magazine sales must be dropping. Or, at least they should be; Athlon still has J.J. Arrington and Boss Bailey on the team, while the retention of Bobby Turner and Rick Dennison is ignored to say the blocking scheme will be totally different.

SB - Raiders Blog and Q&A: Elway almost a Raider?
Wow. Try not to have any nightmares tonight. It's okay; it DIDN'T HAPPEN.

DP - Jeff Legwold to join The Denver Post
Here's the best Broncos news in months. Thank you DP and welcome back, Jeff!! Thanks to Elizabeth for the link!

DP - Fans' hopes fall when Watson's shots don't
Dusty Saunders doesn't know who will be alongside Dave Logan calling Broncos games.

FOX - 7 Points: Mason needs to decide on future in NFL - Ed Thompson
Thompson perpetuates the myth that Alphonso Smith has to come up big in '09 to justify the price Denver paid. Well, he's probably not starting either way. So if he's not a starter until 2 years from now, the trade was dumb? What are you saying, Ed?

PFW - Jets' Washington seeks elite-back contract
PFW apparently can't make up its mind about Smith. He is the "heavy favorite" at nickelback but "didn't cement his role during OTAs" (as if that's possible for a rookie).

NFL - Vikings pleased with Favre's progress from biceps tendon surgery
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

ESPN - National Football League goes after big game in landmark American Needle antitrust case - Lester Munson

PFW - NFC East training-camp previews

SI - Sean Payton guest authors Monday Morning QB for Peter King - Sean Payton

Y! - Lambeau playoff stunner made Vick a force - Mike Silver

NYT - Why Peyton Manning Isn’t More Revered - The Fifth Down Blog - KC Joyner

ESPN - Analyzing the next steps in the career of Michael Vick, who is scheduled to be released from home confinement Monday - John Clayton

Y! - T.O. hopes series shows other side of his reality
I'm trying to figure out how much I'd have to be paid to watch this show. I just can't settle upon a number.

PFW - Jonesing for redemption - Dan Waters
I wonder if Dan Waters really knows what the word "Jonesing" means. I'm guessing not.

Horse Tracks 6/24/09 - BMarsh's best bud comes to his defense

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:31:29 -0000

CBS - 'He isn't a bad guy' -- best friend still backs Broncos' Marshall
Pete Prisco talks with BMarsh's best friend, Jags WR Mike Walker. Walker comes to Marshall's defense, saying he would let Brandon date his sister. He also says Marshall's unhappiness not only stems from monetary issues and his hip injury, but also from the trade of Jay Cutler. Obviously Walker is biased, but it is nice to hear BMarsh's side of the story, even if it's from somebody else.

DP - Broncos' Buckhalter happy to be shareholder
Correll Buckhalter is happy both to be a Bronco and to still be playing despite several major injuries earlier in his career. Therefore, he is content being part of a potential rotation rather than being a workhorse back. Josh McDaniels calls CB the Broncos' fastest running back and praises his multidimensional skills.

LTC - Former Niwot, CU star McChesney stoked to have opportunity with Broncos
Interior lineman Matt McChesney is thrilled to be with the Broncos, after rooting them on from the South Stands while growing up. McChesney calls signing with Denver "a no-brainer," a year after the tragic death of his younger brother.

NFP - Diner morning news: Getting back to basics
Lombardi says the Broncos coaching staff needs to be selective in how they allocate practice time. He says the 2008 Dolphins should provide a blueprint for how to turn around the Denver defense, and quickly.

FOX - Summer two-a-days: NFC East, AFC West
Peter Schrager rehashes the Broncos offseason, strangely spending an entire paragraph on J.J. Arrington and another questioning the release of Boss Bailey. At least Schrager reminds folks that the '08 Broncos weren't exactly the strongest football squad around.

NFP - Bears should avoid Marshall
Matt Bowen can think of several reasons why BMarsh wouldn't be a fit for Chicago.

DDN - Jury still out on the Broncos’ rookie class
Daniel Williams goes over the Broncos' top draftees; get out your magnifying glasses...

RTD - Both sides guilty in Cutler spat - Paul Woody
Nice to see someone spread the blame around...

LSWA - Brooks walked the walk in career
Here is a terrific profile on one of the newest inductees to the Louisiana Sports HOF, former Broncos LB Michael Brooks. Michael Strahan calls Brooks the "toughest man (he's) ever been around."

PFW - Chiefs sign 'Mr. Irrelevant' PK Succop

KCS - Chiefs to retire Thomas’ No. 58 jersey on Dec. 6

KCS - Central Bancompany now 'Official Bank of the Chiefs'
Well, if any of you have accounts with Metcalf Bank, you can now get a Chefs credit card!!!! HAHAHAHAHA (PUKE).

NFL - Packers, WR Jennings still in talks about a contract extension
Interesting. The Pack's star fourth-year WR is entering the final year of his contract, is only scheduled to make $535,000 and has chosen to attend all voluntary OTAs despite hoping for a new contract. By the way, Jennings has 24 career touchdowns, 9 more than our guy. Oh, and Jennings was going to be the Broncos' choice (the pick was almost in) before Green Bay called and offered up Javon Walker. Could've had Jennings AND Marshall. Wow. Oops.

JS - Jennings, Packers agree on new deal
According to a source, Jennings already has a new contract which will make him the second-highest paid WR in the league per season. I know, Jennings and Marshall have very different situations; I just see a lot of irony here.

Y! - Cornerback Fernando Bryant to retire

NFL - Steelers sign franchise-tagged OT Starks to four-year contract

SI - Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers S, should shut up about contract - Peter King
One of PK's readers actually thinks the MSM has been too kind to the Broncos this offseason. I kid you not. King actually wants to let them play out the season before grilling them.

NFL - Jets coach Ryan acknowledges his toughest foe: dyslexia

FOX - Jets to wear corporate patch on practice jerseys
It's not just the Broncos...

NFP - Pros & cons of an 18-game season - Jack Bechta

NFL - Bills' playoff hopes ultimately will ride on rebuilt defensive line - Bucky Brooks

NFL - Dungy we know today was softened by the Steel Curtain - Jennifer Allen

NFL - Group that includes three Cowboys players signs heavy metal record deal

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Oklahoma State - Wes Bunting

Horse Tracks 6/19/09 - BMarsh goes to camp (not that one); Lloyd, Dumervil & Ayers show how it's REALLY done

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:50:48 -0000

DB - Broncos Release Five Players
In addition to the previously reported cuts of LBs Boss Bailey and Louis Green, Denver let go of three more players - S Herana-Daze Jones, RB Kestahn Moore and CB Rashod Moulton.

DP - Broncos' Marshall captivates kids at youth camp
BMarsh and his agent spoke briefly with reporters at Marshall's football clinic; Kennard McGuire said he's been in "constant" contact with the front office, while Marshall says he's "10 times better" physically than he was in Week 1 of last year.

DP - Brandon Marshall Hosts Football Clinic - Video
Footage from BMarsh's clinic and a brief interview with Marshall.

NFL - Broncos' Marshall keeps quiet about status at youth football camp
AP take on BMarsh, along with a video report from NFLTA (including an appearance by Dave Krieger).

DB - Lloyd Excited to Play in Denver
New Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd is already working out with his teammates, and he has some choice compliments for Kyle Orton. Lloyd says the QB "can throw a fastball, a touch ball (and) an awesome deep ball."

DB - Finishing Strong
Elvis Dumervil posts a blog entry; he's sticking around for another week to achieve 100% offseason participation (no financial incentive). Dumervil says training camp will "separate the men from the boys" and he looks forward to relaxing at home with his family until then.

LTC - Ayers looks for deal to get done
LB/DE Robert Ayers says he will be in camp from day one and that "money is secondary." Great to hear, although his agent will surely cringe when he reads/hears that quote.

AJC - Ex-Falcon Foster likely headed to Rams
The Broncos were apparently interested in Falcons OT Renardo Foster but lost out when St. Louis claimed him on waivers.

CM - Bad first impression
Tim O'Sullivan joins the crowd in panning Josh McDaniels' every move.

DB - 2009 Media Guide Released
The media guide is available for partial and full downloads on DB.com

LVS - Brandon, Thomas hoping to build alumni bridge at UNLV
Sam Brandon headed to his alma mater to help coach the defensive backs at a team camp.

CD - Clarett asks to get out of prison early
Good luck with that one, Mo...

NFP - Big concerns in Oakland - Matt Bowen

SFC - Raiders practice brims with news and notes

KCS - Chiefs and Missouri agree on deal for training camp

SDUT - Chargers again mull Oceanside for stadium site

NFL - Commissioner Goodell suspends Stallworth indefinitely

NFL - Louisiana Senate approves deal to keep Saints in Big Easy

NFP - Diner morning news: Why wait on Freeman?
Lombardi thinks the Bucs should hand Josh Freeman their starting QB job.

NFP - The road to '09: Tennessee Titans

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Tampa Bay Buccanneers

SI - Tony Romo under scrutiny for Dallas Cowboys' lack of success

NFLN - NFL Videos: The Carucci report
Vic Carucci thinks Larry Foote, Greg Ellis and Colin Cole are fine acquisitions for their new teams.

NFL - In spirit, father of Eagles WR DeSean Jackson continues to inspire

FOX - Bulger admits this is his last chance - Alex Marvez

NFP - A proposal for a 17th game - Robert Boland

NFL - Top 10 most outrageous characters in NFL history

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Missouri

NFL - Clemson's Spiller, LSU's Scott tops among college senior RB prospects - Gil Brandt

Around the NFL: Carter in Detroit, Marshall wants a trade, Burress is a disaster, Bailey released by Denver

Brandon — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

Browse more photos »

Back in March, I spilled some digital ink considering whether the Packers should sign veteran free agent DE Kevin Carter. I still think he would be a good backup to DE Cullen Jenkins. At this point, I doubt the Packers remain interested. But it appears Detroit is interested in signing him.
WR Brandon Marshall still wants to be traded. John at Mile High Report says he wants him to remain a Bronco, but it's not essential that they keep him.
Ex-QB Tim Hasselbeck on why WR Plaxico Burress is a disaster as a teammate.
It's one-and-done for LB Boss Bailey in Denver. He was released after just one season in Denver. The Packers kicked the tires on signing Bailey back in March 2008, but Denver offered him a silly multi-year contract.

Thursday Notes: Matt Millen Tries to Paint Himself as a Scapegoat in Detroit

Sean Yuille — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:51:07 -0000

I'm just as sick of hearing about Matt Millen as all of you, and trust me, I hate writing about him. But I needed to address what he told SI's Don Banks in an article that was published yesterday.

"I don't go backwards,'' Millen said. "I just don't think like that. There's nothing I can do about [Detroit]. All I can do is from here on out. I understand. In Detroit, they need a bad guy. I was a bad guy. I was to blame for the fall of the auto industry and the housing market. Somehow, I had something to do with [Detroit mayor] Kwame Kilpatrick [resigning], although I'm not sure what. But that's what happens when you lose in this game. You give everyone a cheap and easy story to jump on.''
What Millen said above is an insult to anyone with even a little knowledge of the Lions. I know he's trying his best to rebuild his image now that he is again going to be on TV, but come on, does he really want us to believe he was the victim in Detroit? Sure, blame can be passed around to William Clay Ford for hiring him in the first place and not firing him until last year, but Millen is the one that will go down as one of the worst general managers in sports history.

People did not make Millen out to be a bad guy because Detroit needed one. People made him out to be a bad guy because he was awful at his job and deserved to be fired long before he actually was. This has nothing to do with being a bad guy anyways; fans were simply sick of him running their team into the ground and decided to speak up about it to make something happen. This whole "I was a victim and a scapegoat" crap he's trying to pull is maddening and sickening. Scapegoats in the sports world are people that unfairly get singled out for losing a game that was a team wide effort or a bad playoff run where everyone struggled or something like that, not general managers who consistently fail at their job for almost an entire decade.

In the case of Matt Millen, he was anything but a scapegoat, as that implies that he wasn't actually the one responsible for the Lions' woes this decade. Like I said earlier, does William Clay Ford deserve blame in this as well? Sure, as Ford hired Millen and waited much too long to fire him. Even so, that doesn't mean Millen can duck all of his responsibility in the mess that was the Lions during his tenure. To act like the victim is just ridiculous. The victims were the fans who had to deal with Millen's crap for eight years.
Charles Rogers wants to make another comeback attempt, and he apparently enjoys speaking in the third person (see the link for what I'm talking about). I hope he succeeds just so he can pay back the Lions all the money he owes them.
Boss Bailey was released by the Broncos on Wednesday.

Broncos release Boss Bailey

John Bena — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:39:39 -0000

The National Football Post is reporting the Denver Broncos have released LB Boss Bailey --

Denver Broncos linebacker Boss Bailey, a seven-year veteran, was released today, according to a team source.

Bailey, 29, spent his first five seasons with the Detroit Lions before signing with the Broncos last season as a free agent. He started six games and finished with 40 tackles.

Bailey is the younger brother of veteran Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey.

The Denver Post spoke to Boss about the move --

"I wasn't really surprised by it. I understand how the business goes," Bailey said. "It's a business call. I appreciate everything they've done for me since I've been here. Once you're a Bronco, you're always a Bronco.

Bailey said he "still has some work to do" to be ready to play for another team this season.

Bailey was injured much of 2008, his first with the team, and had yet to participate in drills. With the Broncos moving to more of a 3-4 look, and considering Bailey's injury concerns and history, it is hard to be surprised.

Coach Josh McDaniels spoke of the timing of the move -

"He was totally professional in his approach, and the way he handled himself here," coach Josh McDaniels said. "We felt it was the right thing to do for the player, to have the opportunity to latch onto another team by August."

Like I said in the comments. This is a class move by the Broncos. The guy isn't healthy, and won;t be for some time. Why keep him around when you can let him go find work somewhere else NOW when teams are still filling their training camp rosters.

Educated Guess - 2009 Depth Chart Thoughts

Steve Nichols — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:30:09 -0000

It is still too early to have a good idea of what depth chart Denver will be using. But members of the media and fans at Milehighreport.com will put up depth charts anyway because it is fun to speculate on who will play at what positions. I love depth chart projections because the conversation that ensues serves to educate. Some folks will share information about a player trait that others weren't aware of, and discussions of schemes ensue.

Most longtime members of MHR love the annual depth-chart breakdown that Guru does. It was my favorite feature of MHR before I joined the site a few years ago. If you want accurate predictions, that's your story. If you want some educated guesses and a good discussion, I hope you'll enjoy the following....

As I've written consistently, this is a tough year to guess on our final roster and dept chart. New coaches, new system, a radical change in player-use philosophy, and a major turnover in players makes this year tricky, but very intriguing. We'll know much more when camp is fully underway, but here are some of my thoughts thus far.

DEFENSE

SAFETY

One of my most difficult tasks is to guess whether or not Brian Dawkins plays at his historical free-safety position or moves to strong safety. There are strong arguments both ways. Even at his age, Dawkins had a terrific season again last year. He still has speed and range, and can sack quarterbacks from the deep safety position. He still has the hands to intercept. And when he hits a ball carrier, the stadium hears it. Brian Dawkins remains a terrifying force on the field. I would like to see him stay at FS, but I'm starting to lean towards a move to SS. I have a few reasons for this, but I'm not 100% comfortable with making a firm projection.

First, Dawkins will be getting older, and the eventual slowing will make him a better fit at SS. Second, I'll take Dawkins covering a TE over some of the prospects at LOLB. Third, in most schemes the SS will have more run-support responsibilities, and Dawkins is one of those safeties that can consistently bring down even the biggest of RBs.

Renaldo Hill would then become my guess at FS. Coming off of the good year he had last year, I think he is a definite upgrade at FS. Given his age, he will likely be holding the position for a young up-and-coming player in the near future.

Darcel McBath is my favorite for the backup FS spot. He should do well on STs, but I think he will be the future at FS, and a player to watch. I think he'll see some playing time this year. For the fourth spot on the safety chart, we might see a duel between Vernon Fox and Josh Barrett. Fox could win out because there is talk about Barrett getting some looks for an OLB position.

Where does this leave the "other" rookie (David Bruton)? I think he has a shot at being a special teams ace for now, and a project for a future role at safety.

Cornerback

Superstar Champ Bailey is a lock for the #1 CB position. Andre Goodman was brought in to take over at the #2 position, and should do a great job there. Controversial draft pick Alphonso Smith will be exciting at nickel back, and is likely going to be a #2 CB in the near future.

I love what the team has done at safety and corner. We have two future-Hall of Famers at defensive-back positions, a hot rookie, and two solid veterans. The battle for the final spot will be between Jack Williams, Josh Bell, and Rashod Moulton.

Inside Linebacker

In my last article, I wrote that I was proud of myself for predicting that D.J. Williams would again be moving, this time to RILB. It is his natural spot, and one that he is happy with. He will be the anchor for the LBs. At LILB, Andra Davis will be stopping runs and "ted blocking" the way to sacks for the RILB. Beyond these two, nothing is sure.

I'm guessing that Larsen will be a FB / ILB hybrid. Someone pointed out a fact to me in the last couple of weeks, and I buy the reasoning - Larsen would make a great LILB because (as a FB) he is already capable of blocking the way through the trenches. I buy that, so Larsen becomes my pick for #2 LILB. Woodyard is my pick to back up Williams.

Outside Linebacker

With hybrids, this is a very tough call. Until he gets injured, Boss Bailey has a shot at starting LOLB, and Jarvis Moss is my guess to compete for the spot. The more I think about it, I like Elvis Dumervil at ROLB. He isn't big enough to play RDE in a 3-4, but his rush skills would make him a feared presence in a 3-4 played with a 5-2 look. I'm not sure who backs up Dumervil. With safety Josh Barrett getting looks at LB, I think he could go ROLB or LOLB. For now, let's consider ROLB a possibility.

Nose Tackle

The early favorite is clearly Ronald Fields, who was projected to start for the 49ers this year. Carlton Powell and Marcus Thomas are both bulking up and fighting for a spot, and I think there may be a better competition for the spot than earlier thought.

Defensive End

Let me throw out the names in the mix as I see them (in no special order) - Robert Ayers, Tim Crowder, Ryan McBean, Kenny Peterson, and Nic Clemons.

I think Ayers, McBean, and Crowder compete for the LDE spot. I think Peterson starts RDE, with Clemons or one of the three players competing for LDE backing him up.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Kyle Orton had a lesser offensive line and lesser receivers in Chicago, but still managed more wins than Denver's previous QB. He may not have the physical tools and potential of a Jay Cutler, but he also lacks the drawbacks (forcing the ball into interceptions, not looking off receivers, decision making in general). Chris Simms is not likely to be the starter, but could be a surprise if called in during an injury to Orton.

Tom Brandstater may be a long-term project, or a desperate emergency player in the event of a catastrophic string of injuries. The only real question is, "Do we carry three QBs on the roster, or keep Brandenstater on the practice squad but suited up under the NFL's emergency 'third QB' rule"? Tom is a very smart kid, and may be a surprise in a couple of years.

Running Backs

Denver is loaded at this position. I was sorry to see Arrington not pass the physical, but Denver didn't lose much in the signing. Still, Denver finally has a workhorse RB in 1st-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno. The next question is, do we go committee or run a prime back? Do we spell or rotate? Peyton Hillis is a proven commodity as a power back, but can also block as FB or gash defensive lines running the ball from the FB position. Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordon are solid backs, not castoffs. The running game will not be an issue for Denver this year.

Larsen and Hillis can both play FB. Hillis is good enough to start at RB (with Moreno), and Larsen is good enough to play at LILB (likely rotating behind Davis).

Denver has a lot of options.

Receiver

Brandon Marshall starts at #1, and Eddie Royal starts at #2. Brandon Stokley is probably still going to be our slot receiver, and that's a good thing. This is a great starting group. Competing for the coveted 4th-receiver spot are Jabar Gaffney, rookie Kenny McKinley, and Chad Jackson.

Tight End

Daniel Graham is not only the clear starter, but has played in the NE offensive program before. He is an outstanding blocker, but can cause defenses problems if he goes out to catch. Tony Scheffler is too good of a receiving TE not to be in the mix, and will see the field in a lot of two-TE sets. Jeb Putzier and rookie Richard Quinn will fight for the 3rd TE position. Putzier has the advantage in catching, but Quinn is a heck of a blocker.

Center

Casey Wiegmann will start. Kory Lichtensteiger is being groomed as his replacement. Blake Schlueter (rookie) is either going to back up Kory next year, or might back up one of the guards this year.

Guard

Ben Hamilton starts at LG, and Chris Kuper starts at RG. Seth Olsen and (perhaps) Blake Schlueter are my guesses to back up.

Tackle

Ryan Clady is a lock at LT, and Ryan Harris is a lock at RT. Tyler Polumbus is a likely backup, but Brandon Gorin might give him a run for his money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special teams is settled at K, P, and long snapper. The only question is whether Royal will be relieved of his return responsibilities.

As mentioned earlier, without knowing the systems we'll be running, and with the added complexity of the Amoeba philosophy and the hybrid scheming, this is a tough depth chart to figure out. I'm certain that I'm going to be wrong on a least a few of my early guesses, but my overarching hope is that we as a group can discuss the roster and use the chart as a good base to exchange ideas.

I look forward to hearing from folks on their thoughts!

Poll

Assuming that Marshall, Royal, and Stokley start at the first three WR positions, which of the following players should start at #4 WR?

Jabbar Gaffney

726 votes

Kenny McKinley

83 votes

Chad Jackson

66 votes

875 votes | Poll has closed

MHR University - The "TED Block" scheme (and why DJ should play RILB)

Steve Nichols — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:30:12 -0000

A little over a year ago, "Fooch" (Editor of Niners Nation) interviewed me about the Ted position and a nifty scheme that the 49ers run on defense (linked further down). After the 2008 season, former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan came to Denver and brought his (and head coach Josh McDaniels) 3-4 to town.

Flash forward...

Some months ago (Feb 08), I commented under a post that D.J. Williams should move to RILB, and a month later (Mar) I wrote in a story that Williams was better suited for RILB. "Move him AGAIN?"

Flash forward again...

Wednesday, May 27th I read the Associated Press wire that defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is now going to play D.J. Williams at RILB.

Rock Me Amadeus! (Some of you old timers will get the inside joke).

No, my real name is not Coach Nolan. But more of the pieces of the defense are coming together. Could it be that we can have a "penetrating" defense (as stated recently by McDaniels), but might I still be correct in thinking that we will be a 2-gap defense? How can that be? A one-gap defense (such as the "Phillips") is the "penetrating" defense that we might expect. On the other hand, a "Fairbanks-Bullough" defense can be penetrating too, if you use the TED Blocking scheme, and guys are bulking up to play the line. Hmmmmmm.

Read on.....

The TED Block scheme

First, some background.

There are several ways to refer to linebackers in a 3-4. The two guys in the middle are called inside linebackers (ILBs) and the outer two are called outside linebackers (OLBs). MLB (or middle linebacker) is used when talking about the middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense.

Nomenclature (naming system) for football positions are based on the team being referenced. In other words, if I say "Right outside linebacker", I am speaking about the LB on the right of the defense. If you were looking from the perspective of the offense, it would be the LB on the far left.

I use the terms ROLB, RILB, LILB, and LOLB to refer to LBs by position. But other people do it differently, and it is still perfectly correct. In some places (from right to left) we would say Will, Mike, Ted, and Sam. Will ("w" for "weakside", the side the TE is not on), Mike ('m" for middle), Ted (has been ascribed to a former player who played the position), and Sam ("s" for "strongside", the side with the TE).

So what is the TED Block scheme? It's an interesting use of the Ted Linebacker (LILB) on certain plays. Instead of playing "man", "zone", "blitz", or "contain", the linebacker does something completely different. He blocks the way to the QB for the Mike (ROLB)! He has to have the power to perhaps push off an OL, and likely a FB kept in to pass block.

Why is this interesting to us?

1. Well first, new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is associated with the scheme (it was a part of the 49ers defense). You can read a little about it here, where I was interviewed just over a year ago by our friends over at Ninersnation.com. I expect to see it used in Denver, too. I'll leave the details to that link. I think it is kind of creepy that I engaged with the Niners blog on the subject well before Nolan headed to Denver.

2. And second, it becomes important because of another coincidence...

Why should D.J. Williams should play at RILB?

Some months ago I had the audacity to write (both in a story and in comments under other stories) that I advocated Williams be moved to the RILB position. Some folks may have felt that he should stay at WILL (ROLB). I thought he was a good candidate for RILB for a few reasons. One, he is a proven force at both ROLB and MLB in a 4-3. Second, Andra Davis (slower and more of a run stopper) is a better fit for LILB (the area where most runs go to). Third, Davis can block the way for Williams if we use a TED block (playing to both players' abilities perfectly). Davis the big blocker, and Williams the speedy blitzer and LB commander. Sounds good, right?

Lo and behold, the Denver Broncos coaching staff must have liked my thinking. From our friends at Yahoo Sports (AP writer Graham) on Wednesday came this news:

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—The Denver Broncos value D.J. Williams’(notes) versatility at linebacker even if at times it’s vexing for him.

This season, he’ll be asked to relocate to another new linebacking spot, his fourth change in six seasons.

But he’s not grumbling because Williams feels like he just landed a plum position. With Denver switching to a 3-4 formation, Williams will play inside and away from the tight end...

That's right. Williams will play RILB, and I think it was the right call. This is a major piece of the puzzle out of the way for those of us who love to prognosticate over the depth chart. Now we know Williams is at RILB instead of ROLB, and this makes Davis my top contender for LILB (the TED blocker on some plays).

Read the entire article here. It tells a lot about how Williams is happy with the move to RILB, and goes on to tell how the new guys (Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, and Andre' Goodman in the secondary) are eager to make the defense something special in '09.

Now all that's left is for us to guess at the OLB and DL spots.

(Josh Barrett has been practicing at SS and even at LOLB, and claims he can cover any TE in the league! Boss Bailey is still in contention, as is Wesley Woodyard. Spencer Larsen may give Davis a run for his money. I like Dawkins and Hill to start at safety for the full year. The big question is which safety will play free and which will play strong. Darcel McBath will get his chance next year, unless Hill stumbles).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm putting together a piece on "sky" and "cloud" coverages, two-zone defensive plays that are common in football at both the high-school and pro levels. I'm also putting together a story on the oft misused "H-Back" term. Let me know if there is anything else you might be interested in by using the comments section below.

All the best,