SB Nation - Tim Crowder

Bates has Bucs following in Bronco's footsteps

Niko Houllis — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:00:21 -0000

Creator of the 29th and 31st ranked defenses the last two years.

"Bates' philosophical synopsis includes many of the same terms espoused by (former coordinator). Accountability. Fundamentals. All-out pursuit. Steal the ball. The biggest difference is (former coordinator) never could consistently develop a strong pass rush, while Bates has a long history of coaching double-figure sack artists, most recently Jason Taylor and Aaron Kampman". Sounded good didn't it? This is what we were told in the offseason when we were given the (great) Jim Bates to replace the immortal Monte Kiffin here in Tampa. So we bit, and couldn't wait for Bucs corners smashing receivers off the line, and opposing runners hitting walls, Quarterbacks getting squashed and balls being thrown downfield to empty positions on the field.

Problem is, well, None of the last paragraph has happened so far, and the first paragraph is taken from a Denver Broncos media outlet in the 2007 offseason; an offseason Bates was given Carte-Blanch to fix a Bronco's Defense that gave up 26.1 points per game in the last 10 games of 2006.

Another nice surprise after the jump....

Before the commenting starts, let me make something clear; Yes...this is an about face for me. I've compared this team to 1996, the year Tony Dungy came in and the defense was lost at first, but improved each week. This is NOT 1996. That team got blown out opening day by the Packers by making 2 or 3 critical mistakes before the half that Brett Favre made the Bucs pay for with 2 quick scores before Tampa Bay even knew what hit. That ’96 team was never dead last in just about every single defensive statistic, nor the laughing stock of the NFL.

We know Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik were not keen on OC Jeff Jagodzinski, But did we tell the wrong coordinator to check out airfares on priceline.com?

Gaines Adams has actually gone backwards on us, something no one thought was possible, a testament to poor drafting that has plagued this team under Gruden/ Allen. But at least that will all change right?

Depends on who had control in the war room. Because the Broncos got that Credit Card statement and its due..! Mr. Bates went shopping in 2007 and came home with 3, that’s right, 3 upper round Defensive linemen. Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Marcus Thomas, two of which came from the Florida Gators. I guess they felt half of a College D Line was better than what they had. These three defensive linemen have an astounding 7.5 total sacks combined, in two full seasons, plus three games this year! And the best one, Crowder, did so well with his 4 sacks in 2007, (and none in 2008), that he is now on our team! And so the end result? Denver fell backwards from 15th in Sacks to 26th under Bates! Not to mention 29th overall defensively; With 3 premium draft picks on the line!

Its 6:30, does anyone know where Roy Miller and Kyle Moore are?!?!?

Ok, there is really nothing we can do about this right now, except watch the season unfold, and see if the Bucs, or the Broncos, used different personnel to run their draft. Makes you wonder If Dominic would let Bates do the picking, or just take in his opinion but mostly listen to his own scouts. All scouts are not created equal, and hopefully ours are a little more equal than others.

Otherwise, Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris will have some explaining to do at seasons end on how they missed the boat on BOTH position coordinators.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

2 months ago: Denver Broncos' Knowshon Moreno, top, leaps over Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations, where we're always aiming to deliver the best thing since Starks in Clark's Wallabees. It's a feel-good Tuesday, right? Our Broncos are 3-0, but it's a much more legitimate-feeling 3-0 than last season's version. The respect is still slow in coming, but it's coming bit by bit.

The most important thing I've witnessed happening is a growing confidence and self-respect among our fan base. MHR is mostly known as a positive-thinking community, so maybe a lot of us were on the feel-good train earlier than others, but I can feel it really starting to take hold. Contrast that to Cleveland (where most are aware that I reside). The feeling around here is just awful, and we can all be glad not to be feeling that way. It's on to the Cowboys game, but first let's do this thing here. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I was browsing through my Facebook news feed on Sunday night, and I saw this gem from NYCBroncosFan (Later posted on MHR by John Bena):

"Denver rookie head coach Josh McDaniels doesn't have a grasp on how to build a team." - John Clayton, April 23rd, 2009

Doesn't have a grasp, huh? That's a really, embarrassingly arrogant comment, because if you're commenting on other people's "grasps," it necessarily follows that you fancy yourself an expert, who is far beyond mere grasping of the operative subject. I spent some time excoriating Clayton last week, but since that's like stealing a candy bar from a developmentally challenged baby chinchilla, I have no interest in continuing with that tack this week. At some point, the referee calls the fight, and I'll take a bloody win by TKO. It's his blood, and not mine, after all.

What I want to talk about in this prime ST&NO real estate today is the idea of team building. For one thing, what in the world would John Clayton know about building a football team, any damn way?

OK... sorry about that. I guess I need to work on impulse control. Let me start again. New paragraph.

Deep breath. And another. OK, beginning again, in a more measured tone, I didn't tweet a whole lot on Sunday (@TedBartlett905) because I spent a lot of the game on the phone with my brother Chris, a Los Angeles-based fellow Broncos fan. He's a smart guy (it runs in part of the family), and we were talking about team building. His fanhood of Correll Buckhalter continues to grow, and he said that his impression was that Buckhalter was a winning player, and that he never perceived him that way in his Philadelphia days.

Some discussion ensued, and he said one of his classic, succinct "Chris things" that he bestows upon the world sometimes.

"Building a team isn't about getting the best players, it's about getting the right players." Chris Bartlett, September 27, 2009

Riddle me this, friends. Who is the worst player on the 2009 Broncos? That's a tough question to answer, because whoever it is, he is a pretty good football player. As far as I am concerned, this team has zero bad players on it. Now think back to last year. It was a horror show of bad players on defense, right? There were at least 5 starting by the end of the year, and another starting at RB, after all the injuries. Think how many of these players are out of the NFL now, who didn't even get a sniff of a training camp this year. Nearly all of them.

CBS showed a graphic of the sources of player acquisition for the Broncos' 53-man roster.

2009 Free Agency	17	32.08%
2009 Trade	3	5.66%
2009 Draft	9	16.98%
2009 College Free Agent	1	1.89%
Holdovers	23	43.40%

Total	53	100.00%

That is an astounding amount of turnover, but it represented the importation of the right players, if not necessarily the best players. Instead of Channing Crowder, we got the much cheaper Andra Davis, who has been great for the Broncos through 3 games. Instead of Albert Haynesworth or Chris Canty, we got the very cost-effective Ronald Fields, who has also been outstanding. Derrick Ward? How about Buckhalter instead? Only two somewhat highly-priced players were brought in via Free Agency; Brian Dawkins (5 years, $17 Million) and Andre' Goodman (5 years, $20.4 Million), and both of them have been worth their weight in gold. (To get all finance-nerd on you, Dawkins weighs 210 pounds, which is 3,062.5 Troy Ounces. Gold traded at 990.42 USD per Troy Ounce on Monday night, so I just valued Dawkins at $3,033,161.25, which is pretty close to the average annual value of his contract of $3.4 million. Funny how that worked out.) :)

When you know exactly what you want to do on the football field, and you know exactly how you want to do it, you can go out and decisively get the right players to do those things in those ways. Of course, your ability to project the fit of the new players, and evaluate their talent is key. For my money, every single player whom the new Broncos staff signed, drafted, and traded for has performed EXACTLY as expected, if not better. The only bust was J.J. Arrington, who didn't recover well from an injury and cost $100,000 (and nobody was counting on him too much, anyway). It was $100,000 well spent, because a healthy Arrington would be a contributor on this team, and they weren't expecting him to necessarily be healthy anyway.

There is no glaring weakness on this whole football team. That's a lofty statement, but I think it is a true one. The Broncos can run and throw, from big or small personnel groupings. They can stop the run and the pass, and be effective blitzing both and dropping, in base personnel or sub packages. The special teams have been excellent, through 3 games, even if I am a little reluctant to call that a sure thing yet. How many teams can say all of that? I can't really think of any, beyond the Giants and the Ravens. Maybe the Broncos' strengths aren't as strong as some other teams', but their weaknesses are mostly less weak. You'd better bring your "A" game when you play this team, because they're going to compete with you.

The 2009 Denver Broncos are a good football team, and they can compete with anybody in the NFL. This fact becomes clearer all the time, which is to say that most people still aren't hip to it, yet. They'll get there, though, eventually. Thinking ahead to 2010, anybody the Broncos bring in will be to upgrade a position of some strength. To me, that is a textbook way to build a team. As for John Clayton, I wonder when Josh McDaniels gets his apology, for the mean-spirited, myopic, and idiotic comment of April 23rd. I am betting on never.

2. Information From My Eyes - Denver at Oakland Edition:

a. I was just saying how the Broncos don't have any particular glaring weaknesses. An area where they can (and need to) perform better is in short-yardage running. I thought Russ Hochstein looked pretty bad as the goal-line FB for 3 straight plays; I want to see Spencer Larsen back filling that role if Peyton Hillis is going to be the ball carrier. I actually think that Knowshon Moreno could be the better option, though. He runs with quickness and violence, and I think he can be really effective down at the goal line.

b. Jabar Gaffney was a fantastic acquisition, and he continues to make key plays for the Broncos. He would be the number one guy for the Raiders if he'd signed there, and the Crypt Keeper wasn't setting the depth chart. I am glad he signed in Denver and that he plays a great deal for the Broncos.

c. Renaldo Hill has been such an unsung guy throughout his career, but he's a really good player. He is always in the right position, and plays the game with awareness and intelligence.

d. Does anybody realize the the Broncos' defense is now number 1 in the NFL in both yards and points per game?

e. I'll talk more about Ryan Clady in the Between The Lines segment, but he tied an NFL record Sunday by posting his 19th consecutive game from the start of his NFL career without allowing a full sack. The player he tied is Ryan Young, a forgotten former Jet, who began his career in 1999. It says here that next week, Mr. Clady will dominate DeMarcus Ware, as he did in the 2008 Preseason, and he'll hold the record alone.

f. I'd like to see Eddie Royal get the ball more on offense, and I am sure I am not alone in that camp. It just seems to me that the Broncos were sure they could run the ball at will against Cleveland and Oakland, and decided to follow that plan without a lot of deviation. When you get substantial leads, passing seems more risky than what you want in the second halves of games.

g. I didn't think RIch Gannon was particularly critical of the Raiders Sunday, and I wonder if John Herrerra's ~~clownish~~ typical ploy worked, by chastening Gannon's commentary about his former team. It's pretty ridiculous that the Raiders are so allergic to criticism, and the better way to avoid it is to lose the Commitment To Sucking.

h. I usually get things right, and I still think JaMarcus Russell can salvage his career and be a good QB. I have to say, though, that ever since I said that he looked good in Week 3 of the preseason, he has played terribly. He clearly isn't playing with much confidence right now, and it is incumbent on the Raiders' staff to set him up for success by asking him to do things he is comfortable doing. My understanding is that they're messing with Russell's mechanics a lot in practice, and while he definitely needs refinement, the regular season is no time for overhauls.

i. Could Darrius Heyward-Bey possibly look more clueless on the field? That guy is a project, because he doesn't know how to run routes, and he's inconsistent catching the ball. Louis Murphy is better than him now, and probably always will be. Of course, Murphy didn't have too great a game Sunday, either.

j. Nice job of holding by Brett Kern, as two Lonie Paxton snaps weren't too great. Matt Prater did his job Sunday, which should keep his critics temporarily at bay.

k. Has anybody else noticed that the Broncos' captains aren't wearing the "C" patches? I was under the impression that doing so was a Roger Goodell mandate. Does anybody know more than me about this?

l. I also noticed (last week) that the Broncos' name wasn't painted in the end zones at Mile High, and all there were were the diagonal stripes. I didn't really care for the look, and I wonder what the rationale for it is.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other Games Edition:

a. The Patriots sure have been struggling in goal-to-go situations the last couple weeks. I think if I had Randy Moss, I'd definitely be looking to hit some fade routes on teams down there. Part of the problem is definitely that their line isn't getting the same push as in past seasons

b. Brian Williams was released by the Jaguars, but still looks pretty useful to me. He broke up a deep ball to Randy Moss that would have been a sure TD, and generally looked to me like a solid player. For the Patriots, they were in on the Jaguars Retreads Act too, with Fred Taylor looking very good, and getting over 100 yards and a TD. Taylor is a formerly great player, who has declined to being merely a good one, but he was a classic Patriots bargain acquisition.

c. Ryan Mouton for the Titans may be playing himself out of a job, and he personally cost his team the game against the Jets (with help from Kerry Collns). Mouton hasn't shown much positive in the return game, and has shown trouble holding on to the football.

d. As for Collins, he was in a no-win situation, but he needed to play better. Sunday's game was a classic case of the game getting away from the better all-around team early on, and causing them to play from behind, to their operational detriment. Collins is not built to play like that, and he responded accordingly.

e. I haven't seen a lot of the Redskins this season, so I watched a bit of the Detroit-Washington game Sunday. The Skins are getting atrocious play from their offensive line, and are another team that should have taken Michael Oher. Jim Zorn has faced a lot of criticism for his scoring area play-calling, but the fact is, if the line doesn't block anybody, Clinton Portis can't pound the ball in.

f. The Lions are on the right track, and it's clear how much better coached they are than they have been - maybe ever in my lifetime. Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson are an outstanding trio on offense, and Brandon Pettigrew is another nice weapon. The Lions need more talent to be a real contender, but they will steal a few more wins this season, like they did on Sunday, and add to their talent base in the next offseason. They'll grow up with Stafford, and finally be a legitimate team.

g. Tampa Bay is a terrible team right now, especially on defense. Tim Crowder is playing significant snaps for them, which speaks to their relative talent level, when he was the odd man out in Denver. Even a good play, like Sabby Piscitelli's tackle for a loss on Brandon Jacobs to force a FG rather than a TD is wasted, because the Bucs can't put together any kind of consistent performance in the other phases of the game.

h. Percy Harvin is a dangerous, dangerous player. He never returned kickoffs at Florida, because the best kick returner in America, Brandon James, was there, too. Harvin took one back 101 yards in the third quarter Sunday, and looked like he was born to do it. He has now scored in every game this season, and could challenge Mark Sanchez to be Offensive Rookie of the Year, if he keeps it up.

i. The 49ers got their own huge special teams play, when Ray McDonald blocked a FG attempt and Nate Clements took it back 59 yards for a TD as the first half ended. Both of those special teams plays felt like huge momentum shifts, and neither particularly ended up affecting the final score, thanks to Brett Favre's heroics.

j. A young defensive player I like a lot is Thomas DeCoud, a Safety for the Falcons. He was a third-round pick last season, and he showed very well against the Patriots on Sunday, especially in breaking up a well-thrown Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss deep ball.

k. The Cincinnati Bengals look real to me, as real as Carson Palmer can make them. The big surprise to me is how well their offensive line is playing, even without top draft pick Andre Smith. Andrew Whitworth is better than I thought he was, and he's doing pretty well at Left Tackle, even if James Harrison did get him once for a sack on Sunday. When Smith gets healthy, he'll step right in at RT, and they'll be even better, because he can blow guys off the ball.

l. For more Bengals fun, the winning Touchdown was caught by another ST&NO Favorite, Andre Caldwell, who is turning into a nice WR. He was a great player throughout his career at Florida, his brother Reche played in the NFL, and you have to love a WR whose nickname is Bubba. He is part of a really good group, along with Chad Ochocinco, Chris Henry, and Laveranues Coles (yet another ST&NO Favorite), and he makes the Bengals that much harder to defend, especially when you remember to worry about the highly underrated Cedric Benson. If I were the Bengals' offensive coordinator, I'd be going 4 wide with Benson all game long, and making teams try to stop me from running with their sub packages. The Bengals' coaching budget is too light to have that much creativity, though. It costs money, after all.

m. The Steelers defense really misses Troy Polamalu from a scheme perspective, because his presence allows them to do a lot of the exotic blitz packages they normally do. Polamalu is one of the very fastest players in the NFL in pads, and can consistently show blitz, and get to deep center field from there at the snap.

n. I think the Cardinals lost the Sunday Night Game on one play, when Tim Hightower fumbled inside the Colts' 5-yard line in the second quarter. If they scored, they'd have taken a 10-0 lead, and instead, the Colts just took off after that play. I question the mental toughness of the Cardinals team, and especially Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who seems like he doesn't want me to be right in praising him a few weeks ago.

o. Donald Brown is a much better player than Joseph Addai in all phases of the game, and it's absolutely no accident that he's getting the crunch-time snaps for the Colts, even if Addai is nominally the starter.

p. Dwight Freeney's injury could be catastrophic for the Colts, if he has to miss a lot of time. A lot is made of how irreplaceable Bob Sanders has been in years past, but I actually think Melvin Bullitt does a really nice job filling in for him. Freeney is the irreplaceable one for the Colts, make no mistake about that. If they can't rush the passer with 4 men, they're suddenly as vulnerable against the pass as they are against the run.

q. The Ravens are hitting on all cylinders right now, and look like the best team in the NFL, to me. I don't think they miss Rex Ryan too much, as it looks like Greg Mattison has their defense playing just as well as Ryan did. Mattison isn't well known to NFL fans yet, but he's a great coach (I am familiar with him from his college days).

r. Brady Quinn is not the problem for the Browns, and neither would Derek Anderson be, although Quinn is better. I talked about how the Broncos hit on all of their offseason acquisitions - well, the Browns missed on all of theirs, from the looks of things so far. They're talent-poor, and they look like they know they are losers. It's going to be a long season here in the metro area, but at least the locals are used to this. I can't imagine how Eric Mangini and George Kokinis evaluated this to be a competitive group of players.

s. Stick a fork in the Dolphins, even before Chad Pennington was lost for the season. Chad Henne is not the answer, and he'll prove that as the season goes on. Pat White isn't either, as a full-time QB, so I expect Miami to be shopping after this season, with a high first-rounder to spend. After passing on Matt Ryan in 2008, you wonder if they'd do it again.

t. Darren Sproles proved once again that he is a second banana, and not a lead back.

u. The longest run the Broncos have given up this season was 20 yards, to Cedric Benson. If Felix Jones is healthy next Sunday, and the Broncos miss setting the edge at an inopportune time, that could go out the window. The only RB who's more dangerous to the outside is Jones' draft classmate Chris Johnson, and it's not a very big difference. Jones strained his left knee on a 40-yard run in the 3rd quarter Monday night.

v. You know who has developed into a terrific player is Thomas Davis, who was a first-round pick as a Safety for the Panthers in 2005. It took him awhile to learn how to play LB, but he has really turned into a Pro Bowl-caliber guy. He is excellent in coverage, and really hits guys.

w. I only saw the very end of the Seattle-Chicago game, and didn't care enough to record or watch the Short Cut. What I saw though told me what I already knew, which is that Seneca Wallace isn't good enough to be a backup QB in the NFL. When he was forced to throw the ball from the pocket in a compressed-time situation, and beat zone defense with strong throws, he was unable to do it. The Seahawks have to know this by now, and should have addressed it in the offseason.

x. The Texans got screwed on that offensive pass-interference call on Kevin Walter, to be sure, but Chris Brown has to hold onto the ball going into the end zone. The Texans are a team that just can't seem to consistently do the little things to win games, which doesn't reflect very well on MHR favorite Gary Kubiak and his staff. To be honest, doing the big things well and missing the little things is sort of Later Years Shanahan-ish, when you think about it. I hope Kubiak and Company can get it turned around.

4. Between The Lines

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

a. Once again, the Broncos were nearly flawless in pass protection - this time, against the best pair of DEs they've seen this season. Kyle Orton took one significant hit, on an outside stunt by Gerard Warren, after he'd gotten rid of the ball. Ryan Clady owned Richard Seymour, to the point where Seymour was called for a personal foul for pulling Clady's hair. On the right side, Ryan Harris dominated Greg Ellis, as well. Ellis came into the game with 3 sacks but never got a sniff of Orton. The inside of the Broncos' line also held up well, against their somewhat-lesser individual competition. Largely since the Broncos rarely had to throw, the Raiders never generated a significant rush in this game. ESPN.com didn't even give Warren credit for his QB hit, and had the Raiders entirely shut out in their box score.

b. For their part, the Raiders struggled in pass protection, before finally pretty much giving up on throwing the football. I had to look up who #51 was, because he showed up in my notes several times with terrible plays. It's Chris Morris, a natural Center, who was playing Guard. In addition to two holding penalties, he got beaten a few times. Mario Henderson struggled mightily with Elvis Dumervil, who had two sacks and should have had two more (Darrell Reid's hands-to-the-face penalty cost him one, and JaMarcus Russell dragged him past the line of scrimmage on another). Robert Ayers lined up all over and got a lot of pressure. I am really pleased with his growth. Darrell Reid got a sack, and Vonnie Holliday and Marcus Thomas also got good pressure in spots. The Broncos sacked Russell 3 times, and hit him 3 more.

c. The Broncos line also dominated in the running game, again splitting about half and half between zone- and man-blocking concepts. The only black mark was the failure to convert 3 straight runs from the 1-yard line early in the game. Ryan Harris was dominant in the running game, and was key to springing both of Correll Buckhalter's long runs. Clady was his normal self, and his cut block on Nnamdi Asomugha allowed Knowshon Moreno to score his first-ever TD. The Broncos rushed 45 times for 215 yards (4.8 per rush) and the Moreno TD. I did think the Broncos slowed down a bit when Russ Hochstein and Tyler Polumbus played a lot in the second half. I really enjoyed Richard Quinn's blocking, and he showed again that he is just another player who is perfectly fitting his role, as imagined when he was acquired.

d. The Raiders came into the game with a pretty vaunted rushing attack, and it never really got going. They rushed for 95 yards on 21 carries, but it was tremendously disjointed, and 15 of those yards came on one run by Russell. Henderson was a bit better in the running game for Oakland, and Samson Satele showed a bit of surge a few times, too. For the most part, though, the Broncos held the line of scrimmage, and maintained their gap discipline well. Mario Haggan had a really nice game against the run, and forced a Darren McFadden fumble, which Thomas and Reid unfortunately failed to recover, after the three of them had combined to stack up a play. McFadden got a couple of outside creases, but nothing consistent at all.

e. The Broncos dominated both lines in this game, and there was no bigger reason why they won. It was so clear that even the fairly reticent Josh McDaniels claimed the victory in these areas.

Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams

a. I feel like I have been telling this story for two years (possibly because I have been), but the Packers are bad in pass protection. Leonard Little beat Allen Barbre twice for sacks, and Aaron Rodgers avoided 5 other near sacks by running with the ball (he had 8 carries for 38 yards and a TD). If the Rams were any better on the defensive line, Rodgers could have had a more-typically painful day. I didn't see much of anything from Chris Long in the pass-rushing department, even against the underwhelming pass blocking of Daryn Colledge.

b. The Packers disappointed in terms of rushing the passer. Aaron Kampman got a sack and injured Marc Bulger, but the Packers never hit Kyle Boller after that. I was really surprised, because the Rams' OT combination of Alex Barron and Adam Goldberg is decidedly below average. Barron was solid, but Goldberg surrendered the Kampman sack and had a holding penalty, on a play where I initially wrote "great block" (The replay showed it to definitely be a hold). Jason Brown has been a very nice acquisition for the Rams, and anchored the middle. I really didn't see much from Clay Matthews, and I haven't yet.

c. The Packers' rushing stats looked pretty good, with 37 carries for 152 yards and 2 TDs. The truth is, the gains made by Ryan Grant were very hard-fought, and only averaged 3.8 yards per carry. The overall number is dramatically inflated by Rodgers' 38 yards and Donald Driver's 13. Chris Long did show well in the running game, and Clifton Ryan hung pretty tough inside, but the best run stopper was S Craig Dahl, not a lineman.

d. The Rams actually did a very nice job of run blocking, led by Jason Brown and RG Richie Incognito. Barron and Goldberg were OK outside, but the battle was won inside. For the Packers, ST&NO Favorite Cullen Jenkins had a disappointing game, but NT Ryan Pickett showed pretty well. B.J. Raji was active for the first time, and I never noticed him in this game once, and I'm not even sure that he played, since he didn't register on the stat sheet.

e. I'd give a slight edge to the Rams overall, which is mostly probably due to low expectations. I just can't get past the feeling that the Packers are really bad on the O-Line, and it's a shame, because they're very good otherwise. The Rams have to feel pretty good about their performance, and maybe it carries over to games against lesser competition.

5. So, I guess this makes me something of a flip-flopper, but I am going to briefly explain a change in previously stated policy, so we're all on the same page, and nobody wonders. I have previously declared that I would henceforth refer to several underwhelming football writers by unflattering nicknames. I have decided to change course on that policy, and call them by their names.

I like to think that this column is pretty good, and I don't want to detract from that. There's no need to feed the God of Obviousness by calling people names, and I can get cheap laughs by other methods. I will still feel free to criticize stupid things that people write, but I will call their writers by their chosen names.

6. Back to football, I decided to name glaring weaknesses by team, to illustrate my point in item 1. I am limiting this to whole phases of the game, and mostly not subsets of a phase of the game.

Dallas Cowboys - Pass coverage, Pass rush (other than DeMarcus Ware)

New York Giants - None, but pass protection is sometimes close to being one.

Philadelphia Eagles - Running the ball inside

Washington Redskins - The offensive line in both the running and passing games

Green Bay Packers - Pass protection (a major weakness)

Detroit Lions- Pass protection, run defense, pass defense

Minnesota Vikings- Pass protection, Pass coverage

Chicago Bears - The offensive line in both the running and passing games, and pass coverage from safeties

San Francisco 49ers - Pass offense, Pass rush

Seattle Seahawks - Run offense, Pass protection

Arizona Cardinals - Pass protection (a major weakness, like Green Bay)

St. Louis Rams - Everything, except for punting and place-kicking; this is the least talented team in the NFL

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Pass rush, Run defense, Pass offense

Carolina Panthers - Run defense

Atlanta Falcons - Pass defense and Interior run defense

New Orleans Saints - Pass defense (it's somewhat improved, but I don't trust it after Kevin Kolb lit them up)

New England Patriots - Pass protection, Pass rush

New York Jets - Pass protection (though it is improving)

Miami Dolphins - Passing offense

Buffalo Bills - Pass defense

Pittsburgh Steelers- Pass protection, Run offense

Baltimore Ravens - None

Cleveland Browns - Everything except special teams

Cincinnati Bengals - Pass protection (but they're improving lately)

Oakland Raiders - Pass offense, Run defense

Kansas City Chiefs - Run defense, Pass rush, Pass offense

San Diego Chargers - Run defense, Pass rush

Jacksonville Jaguars - Pass offense, Pass defense

Houston Texans - Pass protection, Run defense

Indianapolis Colts - Run defense

Tennessee Titans - Pass offense, Pass coverage

7. Retired for John Elway

8. I saw where ESPN Dallas was launched this week, joining Chicago and Boston as cities where the Worldwide Leader has spread. I wonder when/if Denver gets its own site. If it happens, their writers better consistently bring their "A" games to compete with MHR.

9. Big up Matt Bowen of the National Football Post for being the first widely-distributed national NFL writer to admit he didn't see the Broncos coming, and that they're for real.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Time-to-hop-on-the-Broncos-bandwagon.html

Can the Broncos keep it going?

Sure they can. I fully understand that the early season schedule has been favorable for the Broncos, but looking ahead, they still have two games against Kansas City, one more at home versus the Raiders (three games they should win) and two big games against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

Anybody who can divorce themselves from their preconceived notions can see that the Broncos are doing all of the little things that win games. That's the crux of Bowen's realization, and I salute him for being the first to have the combination of acumen and guts to see it and say it.

10. An early thought on next week's Cowboys game. Dallas has a massive offensive line, and they tend to wear teams down by the time the second half rolls around. That's what happened with the Panthers Monday night. I think the Broncos will be tougher to wear down, because they use such an interchangeable rotation of defensive linemen, and there's no particular drop-off in quality when the subs come in. Every player in the rotation is contributing, and I think it bodes really well for success in Week 4.

That's all for this week, friends. Check us out Saturday morning for Lighting Up

Horse Tracks 9/15/09 - Spencer Larsen out with shoulder injury; Orton has stitches removed

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:46:43 -0000

DB - Week 2: McDaniels -- September 14 - Broncos TV

DB - The Morning After: Week 1 - Zach Eisendrath
Right after Sunday's game, the stitches were removed from Kyle Orton's finger. He hopes to play without a glove versus the Brownies.

DB - More Than A Miracle - Mike Rice
I like Rice's outlook. I think he's quite objective, frankly...

DPP - Larsen left with shoulder injury after freak fall - Mike Klis
Ben Hamilton got his hair buzzed off yesterday; did he get too much TV attention for his long hair on Sunday? Could the Kangaroo Court be back in session?

DPP - Broncos see Dawkins has plenty of gas left in tank - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Q&A: Broncos would prefer Orton be like Plummer - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Eye on ... The Browns - Lindsay Jones

DB - Keep Building - Gray Caldwell

DPP - Broncos can't afford to waste good fortune - Jeff Legwold

DP - Broncos learn lessons from winning play - Mike Chambers

DPP - Krieger: Miracle plays can mess with reality

DPP - Spotlight: Linebacker Mario Haggan - Mike Chambers

DPP - Analysis: Orton master of winning ugly - Mike Klis

DPP - Broncos replay: pass defense analysis - Jeff Legwold

CSG - Game-winnner against Bengals is one of greatest plays in Broncos history - Frank Schwab

CSG - McDaniels happy Broncos are 1-0 but film doesn't lie - Frank Schwab

DP - Mailbag: Tab "Tater" over Orton - Mike Klis

CR - Miracle ending for Josh McDaniels - Todd Porter

DB - Ask Andra Davis...

IDT - Jay Cutler is not the best player on the Denver Broncos’ football team anymore. - Hunter Ansley

IDT - Drew Litton: The Luck o’ the Broncos

IDT - Drew Litton: The Immaculate Deflection

DB - Broncos Team Up With Colorado Lottery - Chris Gentilviso

NYT - Ravens’ Foxworth Is Building Home Museum to the Civil Rights Movement - Alan Schwarz
Old friend Domonique Foxworth's basement is not your typical NFL player's shrine to himself; rather, it is adorned with memorabilia from the Civil Rights Movement.

Browns News

CPD - Cleveland Browns' Eric Mangini praises Brady Quinn for 'poise', is confident of improvement - Mary Kay Cabot

CPD - In the end, Eric Mangini says team's mistakes are his responsibility: Browns Insider

CPD - What went wrong for Browns? It's not a short list: Terry Pluto's notebook

NFL Results

NFL - San Diego Chargers 24 at Oakland Raiders 20
Philip Rivers led the Dolts on an 89-yard drive in the final minutes to win the game. But it was a costly victory, as G Louis Vasquez injured his knee and C Nick Hardwick was carted off with a leg injury. Richard Seymour notched two sacks in his Jokeland debut.

NFL - Buffalo Bills 24 at New England Patriots 25
Tom Brady threw two TDs in the final 2:10 to shock the Bills. Leodis McKelvin eschewed a touchback and fumbled, giving the Pats the ball back for their winning score. Meanwhile, Pats LB Jerod Mayo left with a knee injury and Bills LB Paul Posluszy left with an arm injury.

AFC West News

SDUT - Chargers' streak continues, barely - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Bolts look sick, Raiders sicker - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Injuries leave offensive line dangerously thin - Tod Leonard

SDUT - Tweet, tweet: Chargers fail to live up to hype - Tim Sullivan

SDUT - WRs Jackson, Naanee prove they're game - Tod Leonard

SDUT - Coleman signs, Johnson cut - Kevin Acee
The Dolts waived RB Gartrell Johnson and signed DE Andre Coleman from the practice squad. SD is presumably hoping to sneak Johnson through to their practice squad...

SFC - In loss, a sense of hope - David White

SFC - Ostler: Raiders show signs of life in loss - Scott Ostler

OT - McDonald: Raiders loss hurts ... in a good way

KCS - Opening loss adds urgency to Chiefs game against Raiders - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs to add veteran wide receiver - Adam Teicher
The Chefs may sign Bobby Wade, who was recently cut by the Vikings.

NFL News

Y! - NFL players promise brains to concussion research
Tremendous news; hopefully many other players will follow suit.

NFL - Urlacher done for season after dislocating wrist vs. Packers

NFL - Seeking insurance at QB, Eagles bring back veteran Garcia

NFL - Polamalu says 'best case scenario' is return in three to six weeks

NFL - Panthers coach Fox says Delhomme will keep starting job

NFL - Coughlin: Nicks, Ware could be sidelined beyond two weeks

NFL - Saints await announcement about Smith, Grant - Jason La Canfora

NFL - Seahawks lose LB Hill for at least two games, sign veteran Lewis

NFL - Colts still uncertain about Gonzalez's injury

NFL - 49ers ponder another offer to unsigned first-round pick Crabtree

NFL - Broken fibula sidelines veteran DE Hayward for the year
Man, gotta feel bad for old friend Reggie Hayward. That's his second season-ender in 4 years.

TBO - Bucs re-sign C/G Mahan to offset loss of Faine
Tampa Bay also added former Bronco Tim Crowder.

NFL - Jets waive CB Cole to make room for suspended DE Ellis to return

NFL - Goodell to rule soon on Jets' failure to disclose Favre injury last season

NFL Opinion

NFP - Tavern talk: Let’s buy a round - Mike Lombardi
A toast to the Slot Machine.

NFP - NFL has few options in Williams case - Andrew Brandt

Y! - Cards start campaign going in wrong direction - Mike Silver
Although Silver doesn't seem much the fan of McD, he's happy for Stokley.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Preseason Wrap-up: Can We Build a Team That Can Beat the Raiders? Yes We Can!

Sugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:22 -0000

I understand how important this last preseason game was for roughly 20-30 players per team. I do. For some it was the difference between making the 53-man roster or getting cut. For others who were relatively certain of their impending unemployment, it was a chance to get on tape for potential future employers. For coaches, it was one last look at a few players they may try to retain on the practice squad. But for just about everybody else (in the world) these games were simply painful to watch.

As a Redskins' fan, I of course watched the game against the Jaguars intently and hung on most every play. But as I watched the games around the league, I found myself losing interest quickly as penalty flags rained down on my living room as if Pacman Jones himself were throwing them.

To write a recap of each game would be worse than having to read Peter King rate every latte he has ever drank. So instead, this week I thought I would put my preseason watch-a-ton to the test. Every team has made their final cuts. I will attempt to build a 53-man roster from all the players released by the Saturday deadline. This may include some players who ended up on the practice squad, but you'll have to excuse that. After all, even though I did watch pretty much every preseason game played in the last month, my knowledge of certain teams' backups probably doesn't go much further than guys who should rightfully land on the practice squad. This already feels like a poor man's version of Madden fantasy draft. I get to decide who I am going to keep and at what position they will play. My ultimate goal: a 53-man roster capable of beating the Oakland Raiders final 53-man roster. Our team name: Sugartime Ballers. At the end, you'll get to vote on whether you think the Ballers can take down the Raiders. The first picks after the jump...

QB (3): Jeff Garcia, Joey Harrington, Chase Daniel

This team is going to have a questionable offensive line, so I am going to need a veteran quarterback capable of escaping pressure and getting rid of the ball. I watched as much of the Raiders' preseason as I could stomach and to me it seemed like Jeff Garcia was the quarterback that gave them the best chance to win now. My guess is that they sensed that too and decided that going with a guy staring down 40 years old would be the nail in the coffin for the JaMarcus Russell era, at least from a confidence perspective. Joey Harrington (cut by the Saints) is experienced in the art of art of hand signaling, which is what I want in my backup QB. Plus he is a great pianist so he can play getaway music on the piano as Jeff Garcia is running fro his life behind whatever offensive line I can put together. Chase Daniel gave it a good run in D.C., but failed to be named as the 3rd quarterback when the team decided to go with nobody instead (ouch).

RB (5): Dominic Rhodes, Anthony Alridge, Ian Johnson, Fui Vakapuna, Isaac Redman

It struck me as a little odd when the Bills jettisoned Rhodes. With Lynch out for the beginning frames of the season and Fred Jackson a little dinged this preseason, I figured a veteran like Rhodes would have value for that team. Alridge just barely missed being the last running back kept by the Redskins and adds speed out of my backfield. Ian Johnson is a young buck that got bounced by the Vikings. I have a soft spot in my heart for this guy after watching him have such a great career at Boise State, not to mention the now famous Statue of Liberty play against Oklahoma a couple seasons ago. Vakapuna is a guy I picked because I need a blocking fullback and I have been watching HBO's Hard Knocks this season featuring the Bengals. He is a big, athletic dude, and we are going to need a Samoan presence in the backfield on this team. Redman had a great preseason in Pittsburgh but the numbers game beat him. We are lucky to have him and Vakapuna muscling up in our backfield.

TE (4): Leonard Pope, Alex Smith, Bear Pascoe, Garrett Mills

The Cards cut Pope and the Pats cut Smith. Both are capable receivers that understand the position well. Bear Pascoe was on the 49ers squad and I remember hearing his name for the first time late in the game against the Raiders I think. He was described by his college coach at Fresno State as the "most devastating blocker" they had ever seen. He started out there as a quarterback. He blocked 6 kicks on special teams, and keeps his edge by participating in rodeos. He's an old-school kind of player and on my team he will play an old-school role: Iron Man. At 6'5", 250+ lbs, he will never leave the field. Our wildcat offense will be called the "Wild Bear" formation and we will direct snap it to him. He will rush the passer on defense and he will line up all over the field on offense. His importance on this roster almost necessitated adding a 4th tight end to help carry the load at the position, and Mills, fresh off the Vikings roster, will fit in nicely. The Raiders will not have a chance.

OL (9): Damien McIntosh, Tony Pashos, Andrew Crummey, Kynan Forney, Jeremy Bridges, Scott Burley,Justin Geisenger, Mike Butterworth, Mark Wilson

McIntosh (Chiefs), Pashos (Jaguars), Crummey (Bengals), Forney (Chargers), and Bridges (Redskins) are my starting five. Burley (Redskins), Geisinger (Panthers), and Butterworth (Falcons) are my backups. Burely went to University of Maryland and has been hanging around the league the last two years. Geisinger is a journeyman lineman who spent a season with the Redskins but has also been a member of the Bills and Titans. The Raiders gave Mark Wilson his walking papers, but he has had steady employment as a backup since 2004. Mike Butterworth made this team because I simply ran out of guys that I really knew much about...and I love maple syrup on pancakes.

All of my starters would likely be welcome on most squads in the league after a few weeks when teams are all of a sudden hit by injuries and become starved for guys who have played before. Forney was a huge shock getting cut by San Diego. He might be one of the two or three best players on the Ballers.

WR (6): Keary Colbert, Robert Ferguson, David Tyree, David Patten, Trent Shelton, Steve Sanders

Ferguson (Falcons), Colbert (Lions), and Patten (Browns) have all been unfortunate members of previous unfortunate fantasy teams of mine. So they owe me. Hard to argue against Tyree (Giants). He can start on special teams and catch balls with his helmet. With Bear Pascoe behind center, he might have to catch a few wild pitches. Shelton (Redskins) should make their practice squad and Steve Sanders (Cardinals) was great on Beverly Hills, 90210.

DL (8): Shaun Smith, Alex Buzbee, Ryan Boschetti, Darryl Richard, Rob Jackson, Tommie Hill, Matthias Askew, Terrance Taylor

The Patriots drafted Richard last April, and that is pretty much good enough for me. I recall Tommie Hill made a huge play late in the first Monday Night game against the Panthers, scoring a touchdown with no time left on the clock. Not being good enough for the Giants defensive line does not necessarily make you bad. Rob Jackson and Alex Buzbee both got cut from the Redskins so I have seen plenty of them and are comfortable with them as backups. Boschetti got dumped by the Raiders--can't remember anyone listing their personnel decisions as better than...well, anyone's. Shaun Smith was a shock to get sent home by the Lions. He is definitely good enough to anchor the Ballers' defensive line. And Terrance Taylor was a 4th round pick for the Colts. I am little surprised to see him gone from there, but we will not ask too many questions and scoop him up.

LB (8): Tim Crowder, Zach Thomas, Rocky Boiman, Khary Campbell, Bruce Davis, Jeremy Leman, Robert Thomas, Cody Glenn

Crowder should have cracked the Broncos' Final 53. Our squad will benefit from the veteran presence of Zach Thomas, who might not really have ever been realistically in the Chiefs' plans. Rocky Boiman has been around, most recently ending his second stint with the Titans. He has a ring from the Colts' Super Bowl victory and his experience will be put to good use for the Ballers. Khary Campbell is a special teams standout that did not make the last cuts in Houston. Bruce Davis was a huge underachiever for the Steelers. Here's hoping he can turn it around for the Ballers. Leman (Panthers) was a guy who I thought played well enough in the preseason to stick. I guess that is why my phone isn't ringing off the hook to become anybody's GM. Thomas and Glenn were both waived by the Skins. Thomas has plenty of experience in the league and Glenn (while still an odd draft choice by Vinny Cerrato--read: "wasted draft choice") is a raw player from the Nebraska Cornhuskers' program.

DB (8): Deltha O'Neal, Brian Russell, Brian Williams, Bernard Pollard, Corey Lynch , Deangelo Smith, Corey Ivy, Lendy Holmes

O'Neal (Texans), Williams (Jaguars), Russell (Seahawks), and Pollard (Chiefs) are my starting defensive backs (first two are CB's, second two will man the safety positions. Smith (Cowgirls), Lynch (Bengals), Ivy (Browns), and Holmes (Redskins) round out our scrappy secondary.

P: A.J. Trapasso - Any guy who takes aim for a $40 million video board in a preseason game, ESPECIALLY one bought by Jerry Jones, gets a spot on my team.

K: Brandon Coutu (Seahawks) - The 'Hawks kept this guy on their roster all season last year behind Olindo Mare in the hopes they could trade him. He has a hell of a leg and will get a shot from another team very soon.

Give Me the Numbers, Stat!

27-17, Ballers over the Raiders. Bear Pascoe has 78 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 1 blocked field goal and 3 sacks. Jeff Garcia runs in for the other TD and throws the ball straight into the owner's box where Al Davis is sitting. Davis sues the NFL.

Next week at this time, we will be through the first weekend of meaningful football. Imagine...four quarters without any fourth-stringers (God willing). The season of excessive penalty-calling is over. Let the games begin. We'll see you back here on Tuesday--with nary a mention of any battles for the backup long snapper position.

Poll

Can this team I have constructed beat the Raiders today, on a neutral field, with a run-heavy offensive philosophy behind the Iron Man Bear Pascoe?

Yes, handily

164 votes

Maybe 51 times out of 100

142 votes

Maybe once in a 100 tries

51 votes

Not a chance

42 votes

399 votes | Poll has closed

Analysis of the 2009 Colts roster cuts: Part One

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:42:14 -0000

by Michael Conroy - AP

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, right, and team president Bill Polian. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

View full size photo »

We have the final roster cut-down list, written up by shake n bake.

Almost immediately, there was significant reaction. Granted, every year cuts happen and there is always those one or two cuts where people scream NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! only to get over it once the season starts. But, with players like Dante Hughes, Mike Hart, and (especially) Marcus Howard getting the boot, it should serve as a reminder that the Colts do indeed have a new coach. This new coach has new ideas; ideas that in some cases will differ from his predecessor. And as we have seen, the 2007 and 2008 drafts, which were very heavily influenced by what Tony Dungy likes in players, were not drafts that tickle the fancy of new Colts coach Jim Caldwell.
MasterRWayne discusses whether Bill Polian has lost his touch as a draft guru. Currently, only three players remain from the 2007 draft, and three significant players from the 2008 draft were recently let go.
John Oehser offers his roster analysis at Examiner.com.
18to88 chimes in.
My favorite reader comment on the roster cuts thus far comes from Cassieper:

Lance Ball: He wasn’t that good. We only considered keeping him because Hart was injured.

Guns: Always injured. Never was going to contribute.

John Gill: Who?

Mike Hart: Serious injury. The Colts can’t wait until midseason on him.

Brett McDermott: Once again, who?

Tom Pestock: Only played in garbage time, never showed anything.

Taj Smith: Talented, maybe one year away. Cut him to get him on the practice squad. Should have no trouble getting him through the waivers.

Mike T: Another guy who’s practice squad bound. Wasn’t quite good enough to deal with starting talent.

Terrance Taylor: A huge project. Cross your fingers and hope he makes it to the practice squad.

Jaimie Thomas: A huge disappointment so far. Hasn’t shown anything. Practice squad bound.

Josh Thomas: Only good against the run. Putting him at end would concede the pass. Dawson is as good as him against the run and better as a pass rusher.

Michael Toudouze: I like him, but he is nowhere near Ugoh and CJ in talent.

Key and Petrowski: Bad players and injured. Bad combination.

So there you go.

In just a 24-hour period, this site has over 1,000 comments from numerous readers about the cuts. I did my best to read as many varying opinions as possible. After reading the comments, the articles, and examining how other teams dealt with the roster cut-downs, I have finally posted my analysis after the jump.

First off, I understand that the immediate reaction to the cuts seems like a stinging indictment of Polian's job, particularly when you look at the 2007 and 2008 drafts. Now, important to note that in neither of those drafts did Polian "bust" his first round pick, like Jerry Angelo with the Chicago Bears has done pretty much since 2004 (Rex Grossman, Cedric Benson, Chris Williams, etc.) With 2007 and 2008, it is important to note that those drafts were made with Tony Dungy working with Polian. Dungy had a specific philosophy about players. He valued certain traits over others. Bill respected that philosophy and draft accordingly.

But Dungy's philosophy on players is not necessarily shared by Jim Caldwell.

Dungy valued speed over size. This is why Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson were so valued by Tony D. Clearly, Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell do not value speed over size as much. The Colts asked Cujo to add 15 pounds of muscle this off-season (which he did), but his efforts were not enough to supplant Keyunta Dawson. Dawson made the transition back to DE (his college position) during the off-season, and performed very well in camp and pre-season. Last season, Dawson was the starting defensive tackle, weighing in at 260 pounds. Now, he is more comfortable, and better suited, as a DE.

Thus, the smaller, quicker players like Howard and Cujo are expendable.

And I know some of you are screaming "WHAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007 WHEN FREENEY AND MATHIS GOT HURT!" Folks, if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis get hurt again as they did in 2007, it is the equivalent of losing Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. A player like Marcus Howard is not going to replace Dwight Freeney; not in this new defensive system. Indeed, one of the reasons Freeney and (especially) Mathis got hurt in 2007 was because the Colts relied too much on them for the pass rush. In a Tampa-2, the front four (not the front two) need to apply QB pressure. And now with Larry Coyer dialing up blitzes from Philip Wheeler (an excellent blitzer in college), Melvin Bullitt, and eventually Bob Sanders, the scheme should (in theory) create more rush without solely relying on Freeney and Mathis.

Also, I think Caldwell is just tired of seeing teams run the football at Indy's front, and having DEs weighting 245 pounds is not going to help you stop the run.

For Mike Hart, it is possible that he could be signed to the practice squad, but I think that's remote. Hart's knock coming out of college was he was "beaten up" after all the hits he took rushing for all those yards in the Big Ten. Last year, he blew out his knee and this pre-season he injured both his ankles. This is a bottom line business, folks. If you cannot stay healthy, you're not going to keep your job long.

And for all the Doom and Gloom folks who think that the cuts signal the "downfall" of the Colts, please take a moment to check out KFFL.com, or browse through the numerous SB Nation football sites. You will see all the cuts and roster moves other teams had to wrestle with. Many of these moves involved players many of us wanted the Colts to draft or sign in 2007 and 2008:

Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson was placed on the suspended list. We thought highly of him in 2007.
The Bengals cut safety Corey Lynch. We also thought highly of him in 2008.
The Patriots cut Kevin O'Connell, another player in the 2008 NFL Draft we liked.
Packers first round bust Justin Harrell was placed on IR. For all the screaming about getting a quality DT the last three years, it seems Harrell clearly was not the answer in 2007. I thought he was. Clearly, I was wrong. Green Bay had to suffer through a horrid 6-10 season to draft B.J. Raji, and none of us know if he will be any good. He also signed late.
Packers also cut Brian Brohm, the "insurance QB" in case Aaron Rodgers turned out to suck. Brohm had a prolific career at Louisville, and if he had come out after his junior season, he might have been a first round pick.
John David Booty was cut.
Kory Sheets was cut.
Mitch King was cut.
Dominic Rhodes was cut. Hell, Marshawn Lynch is suspended for three games, and Dom still got cut. The Bills are a complete mess, folks.
DeMario Pressley, a DT from 2008 some wanted the Colts to grab, was cut by the Saints. So was former Colts WR Courtney Roby.
Adam Carriker, who I wanted the Colts trade trade for last season, is now on IR.
Broncos cut Tim Crowder, their second round pick from 2007.
The Jaguars IRed their starting DT from last season, Rob Meier.

So, no offense, but to those who seem to second guess Bill Polian for the 2007 and 2008 drafts (like Paul Kuharsky at ESPN), kindly tell me who he was supposed to take. Many of the players we all wanted Polian to pick up then are now in the same boat as Mike Hart, Marcus Howard, and Dante Hughes. If you want to bash him for trading up to get Tony Ugoh in 2007 and, thus, preventing Indy from getting a player like Matt Forte in 2008, then fine. I think that's fair. But, from where I'm sitting, it looks like the 2007 and 2008 drafts just did not foster the kind of overall NFL talent we are used to seeing from the collegiate ranks.

It's also important to note that from the now dreaded 2007 draft, Polian managed to sign then-free agent rookie Melvin Bullitt. So, it's not like lunch meat came out of 2007. Clearly, taking Anthony Gonzalez worked out better than trading up to get someone like Justin Harrell.

All of us are so used to seeing Polian draft picks work out that, when they don't, we scratch our head and wonder if we haven't been transported into some netherworld, alternate reality. But if you look around the NFL right now, lots of "name" players from the 2007 and 2008 drafts are, indeed, now looking for work.

Part two of my roster evaluation will get posted later today while teams begin putting in waiver claims for many of the recently cut players.

Horse Tracks - 9/6/09 - Broncos trim roster to 53 with more changes to come

John Bena — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:34:49 -0000

Moss surprisingly makes Broncos roster - Frank Schwab(Gazette.com)
The biggest surprise among Saturday’s final cuts by the Denver Broncos might have been one of the players that survived.

Crowder goes, Moss stays for Broncos - Lindsay Jones(DP)
Two years ago, the Broncos used their top two draft picks on Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, with the hope the defensive ends would energize the team's pass rush.

Kiszla's Mailbag
Feel free to skip over this...Oy Ve!

Broncos roster takes shape - Mike Klis(DP)
Veteran coach, rookie coach. Apparently, it doesn't matter. After the Broncos temporarily set their 53-man roster Saturday, they once again wound up with players at every position.

Roster Limit Reached; Holliday Signed - Chris Gentilviso(DB.com)
Saturday's regular-season roster deadline brought several shuffles by the Broncos to reduce the team to 53 players.

NFL: Broncos in a fix as season looms - Jeff Legwold(Salt Lake Trib)
Now on the doorstep to his first regular season as the Broncos head coach, McDaniels still has decisions to make. It's just a whole different set of problems on offense right now.

Broncos release final 12, add Holliday to get to 53(SeattlePI.com)
Defensive linemen Tim Crowder and Nic Clemons were among the players listed on the Denver Broncos' final list of cuts, while veteran end Vonnie Holliday was added to the roster as the team established its 53-man roster.

The Journey to 53 - Denver Broncos Cut Day Open Thread

John Bena — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:37:26 -0000

By 2PM mdt today the Denver Broncos, and the other 31 teams in the National Football League, must be at 53 players on the active roster. Use this thread to talk about it as names come across the wires -

The following players are confirmed to be released or placed on I/R -

Released September 4 and 5th, 2009
Player	NFL Exp.	College
DL Matthias Askew*	3	Michigan State
G Kory Lichtensteiger	2	Bowling Green State
QB Ingle Martin	3	Furman
CB Rashod Moulton	1	Fort Valley State
T Clint Oldenburg*	2	Colorado State
DL Carlton Powell	2	Virginia Tech
ILB Lee Robinson*	R	Alcorn State
WR Nate Swift*	R	Nebraska
RB Marcus Thomas	2	Texas-El Paso
WR Matthew Willis*	2	UCLA
DB Joshua Bell	2	Baylor
CB Tony Carter*	R	Florida St.
DT Everette Pedescleaux*	R	N. Iowa
OL Mitch Erickson*	2	S. Dakota St.
DE Tim Crowder	3	Texas
DE Nic Clemons	3	Georgia
RB Darius Walker	3	Notre Dame
OL Matt McChesney**	3	Colorado

*Practice Squad Eligable
**Placed on Injured Reserve

After the jump, the players on the Broncos roster that are Practice Squad eligable.

	53-man roster	Practice Squad	Waived
RB Knowshon Moreno	X
OLB/DE Robert Ayers	X
CB Alphonso Smith	X
DB Darcel McBath	X
TE Richard Quinn	X
DB David Bruton	X
OG Seth Olsen	X
WR Kenny McKinley		X
QB Tom Brandstater		X
DE Mathias Askew		X
OG Mitch Erickson		X
T Clint Oldenburg		X
WR Matthew Willis			X
WR Nate Swift		X
DT/DE Ryan McBean	X
DB DJ Johnson			X
DB Tony Carter			X
SLB Lee Robinson		X
DE Everette Pedescleaux		X
DE/NT Chris Baker	X

Hard words on Brandon Marshall and an update on Le Kevin Smith

John Bena — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:43:24 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

Could Tim Crowder be on the bubble for the Denver Broncos? (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Browse more photos »

Whether you believe Josina Anderson or not, there is no denying she always has something interesting to say. With aparrent inside sources throughout virtually ever locker room and the League office, Anderson always claims to have the inside info.

Another example came today on Anderson's blog, which included updates on Le Kevin Smith's injury and Brandon Marshall's mental condition. Here is what she had to say -

Broncos defensive end Le Kevin Smith is currently rehabilitating a torn meniscus, according to sources with knowledge of Smith's injury situation.

Smith, who did not participate in the team’s last 2 preseason games, was brought in to bolster the depth along the defensive line.

However sources tell me that Smith’s kind of injury can keep players out four to six weeks. Specifically, the same sources say Smith should miss at least two more games given his own current prognosis. Whether he’ll be allowed that remaining minimum healing team remains to be seen.

Will that affect Smith's roster position? The fact that the Broncos gave up a 5th-round pick for Smith tells me he is likely to be safe.

Then there is the update Anderson gives on Brandon Marshall. First, Anderson talks of how Marshall is handling his suspension -

I have talked to multiple people who have talked to Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the midst of his team-imposed suspension for an outside perspective on Marshall’s mental status during his punishment.

These sources tell me uniformly that in their own conversations Marshall’s tone indicates a measure of sincerity and contrition, and that he’s appreciative of the people who’ve reached out to him. They say Marshall sounds like he plans to humbly reintegrate himself back into the team; however as one guy told me, "I am beyond the point of listening to what Brandon says, I only watch what he does now." The weight of mistrust in many of their reports is very heavy.

Perhaps the most telling parts of her Marshall update were the reported words of some of Marshall's teammates, both on and off the record -

Privately Marshall is drawing a lot of strong criticism, particularly from a number of his fellow starting teammates on both sides of the ball. Off the record, significant players have said things like: "he is killing his image;" "We don’t know what he is doing. Sometimes you can’t tell whether he’s coming or going;" "He can’t be trusted. I can’t put my name to vouch for how he’s acting right now;" "He’s acting like an idiot, this is not the way to get his money."

More specifically one defensive starter said, "Brandon is (edit) up, because if you look at it this is his contract year and he could be playing in a system totally geared around him. He is such a stupid (edit)."

Of course, they also know what we know - there simply isn't an easy way to replace what Marshall can do on the field so the hope is the two sides can come to some kind of accord.

There is also a tidbit about the reported contract the Broncos offered Marshall which alledgedly led to his pathetic behavior in practice last week -

According to these trusted sources, Marshall told them directly his videotaped frustration was partly connected to his disappointment with the terms of an extension the Broncos recently offered him. Sources were told by Marshall in his own words that this supposed deal averaged nine million dollars a year, but that his frustration stemmed from it being back-loaded as a result of his high risk behavior. Specifically, these sources say Marshall mentioned that this deal could have given him as little as three million in the first year, and that this detail was clearly not satisfactory to him and his statistical resume. In conclusion, these sources who’ve talked directly to Marshall told me to take this information with caution because it was only his version of events as they relay it.

Call me crazy, but if Marshall in fact was offered an extension with details similar to what is described above he should have jumped at it. Sure, the $3 million to start would be below market, but at least there is a golden nugget at the end. Unless, of course, Marshall knows he'll never see it because of health concerns.

There are interesting tidbits about LaMont Jordan and Jarvis Moss as well which are right in line with the thinking here at MHR - Jordan might be in trouble (he is off my Final-53) and Moss could be in a last-minute battle with draft-mate Tim Crowder for a roster spot. Check it out.

Horse Tracks 8/28/09 - Brandon Marshall continues to soil his image

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:39:36 -0000

As I mentioned a couple days back in the comments, I could see this heading toward a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. There's a limit to where the NFLPA can defends its players' actions, and BMarsh (IMO) is getting awfully close to that point...

KMGH - Brandon Marshall Makes A Mockery Of Practice - Video
What's there to say?

ESPN - Marshall: Frustration fueled petulance - NFL Live
Trey Wingo interviews BMarsh, who goes over his talking points quite a few times.

DB - Thursday: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Thursday: Priefer - Broncos TV

DB - Aiming to Strike Fear - Zach Eisendrath
Mike Priefer talked yesterday about what he expects from the special teams this season. Priefer hopes to have Eddie Royal at his disposal in the return game, while calling the competition between Brett Kern and Britton Colquitt at punter very close.

DB - Honored For Their Offseasons - Gray Caldwell
Josh Barrett, Tim Crowder, Jabar Gaffney, Daniel Graham, Ben Hamilton, Peyton Hillis, Kenny Peterson, Chris Simms, Brandon Stokley and Jack Williams were all recognized by their teammates as the hardest offseason workers. Their rewards include prime parking spots at the team facility and their choice of seats on the team charter flights.

DP - Marshall's petulance on video fuels mea culpa - Mike Klis

DP - With age comes Broncos wisdom - Jeff Legwold
Some of the eldest Broncos share their insight into getting through training camp with the proper attitude.

DP - Backfield minus Moreno, Jordan against Bears - Lindsay Jones
Anyone still upset about all the offseason RB signings? Meanwhile, Brian Dawkins is expected to play on Sunday.

CSG - Broncos notes: Smith a bit shaky as returner - Frank Schwab
Apparently, Alphonso Smith is having some issues securing the ball (which is why he's a CB and not WR).

NFP - Is Marshall killing the Broncos season? - Matt Bowen
Bowen considers how BMarsh has handled his contract situation. He shares some interesting quotes from an NFL exec, who wondered, "Look how he has behaved before the money. What do you think he will be like when he gets the money?" Good question...

CSG - Marshall missing at beginning of Broncos practice - Frank Schwab

AP - Marshall Absent At Practice, Saga Continues - Arnie Stapleton

LTC - Orton ready to face old mates - Brian Howell

PFW - Broncos’ backs set to share wealth - Dan Parr

DB - Thursday: Transcripts - Josh McDaniels

DP - Husted: Elway driving toward the altar this weekend
Personally, I am still horrified that The Greatest Ever is marrying a Raider.

NFL Results

NFL - Jacksonville Jaguars 32 at Philadelphia Eagles 33
Michael Vick debuted with the Iggles, lining up in several different looks. Asante Samuel forced two turnovers for Philly.

NFL - St. Louis Rams 24 at Cincinnati Bengals 21
The Lambs got two TDs from backup RB Samkon Gado

NFL - Miami Dolphins 10 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6
A 16-point game in the playoffs is one thing. In the preseason? Goodness. That must have been fun to watch...solid production from Cadillac Williams

AFC West News

Y! - Rivers Q&A: Chargers not LT's or QB's 'team' - Jason Cole

SDUT - Don't look for LT in anymore preseason tilts - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chargers skeptical of expanding NFL season - Tim Sullivan

KCS - Larry Johnson says better supporting cast improves his attitude - Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs notebook: Chiefs wind down toughest week - Adam Teicher

KCS - Prediction: The final 53 - Adam Teicher

SFC - The Raiders' three-headed running attack - David White

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Camp folds tent - David White

NFL News

NFL - Left shoulder injury forces Cowboys WR Williams out of practice

NFL - Favre still trying to get to know his new Vikings teammates

NFL - Bills coach Jauron says T.O. 'looked good' in testing sprained toe

NFL - Desperate for QB help, Packers could look to Bucs - Steve Wyche

NFL Opinion

NFL - Vick still has rust to shake, but he's now officially an Eagle - Thomas George

FOX - Eagles fans cheer Vick's return to NFL - Alex Marvez

SI - Michael Vick debut provides glimpse of what's to come in Philadelphia - Andrew Perloff

NFP - Vick's return not about 'second chances' - Matt Bowen

CBS - Vick more disruption than revelation in Eagles debut - Clark Judge

NFP - Tavern talk: blues by team - Mike Lombardi
Lombardi counts BMarsh and Clady as blue chip Broncos, with Eddie Royal and Champ Bailey falling into the "almost" category.

NFP - Diner morning news: Can Thigpen fit with Jags? - Mike Lombardi

PFW - Giants' offensive line showing signs of slippage? - Eric Edholm

CBS - Vikings will have problems with Favre -- until 5-0 - Clark Judge

CBS - Saints camp tour: Pierre's power could juice up Big Easy - Pete Prisco

NYT - Smart Football With Chris Brown: A Look at Steelers Strategy

FOX - Schein's Nine: For subplots, AFC East is best

ESPN Insider - Mr. Grumpy pants comes to Chicago - David Fleming
I didn't take the time to read the whole thing, but there's an article in the coming ESPN the Mag about JC and his abrasiveness.

NBCC - ESPN Labels Cutler "Mr. Grumpy Pants" - Eamonn Brennan
Brennan shares a glimpse of how Cutler "motivates" his teammates.

NFP - Buckley's knockout hit - Jack Bechta

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

NFP - Do not trust these men: College edition - Ray Gustini
Gustini has some fine advice for those heading off to college.

MHR University - Preseason Depth Chart Analysis and How to Watch Preseason Games

Steve Nichols — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:30:10 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

4 months ago: Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey takes part in drills during a football training camp session conducted in Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

One of the most fun ways to prognosticate about a team during the reloading season is to put together and discuss projections for depth chart placement. Then, as always, a team will put out an initial depth chart (preseason) that can have fans scratching their heads.

What is the purpose behind the initial depth chart? Why do teams put them out, and what can be learned from them? What should we watch for as a team heads into the preseason?

Let's take a look at the initial depth chart for the Denver Broncos (released 9-10-09) and start a discussion on what we think the chart indicates. Let's also review what to watch for in preseason games.

(The caption says he is practicing during a drill. But I like to think that Champ is asking forgiveness for the doubters amongst the fan base).

First, I'm going to borrow from a previous article I wrote about how to watch preseason games (edited to update us for this year)...

How to Watch the Preseason Games -

Let's talk about the mysterious and controversial preseason games. Controversial, because coaches have to weigh the value of getting players ready or evaluated versus injured. Controversial, because the League, networks, and even fans can't agree on issues surrounding ticket prices and revenue for games that "don't count". But mysterious, because we as fans have to balance cheering for our team to win knowing that the team isn't going all out for a win. So what do we watch for?

Here's a guide to watching the preseason games in a manner that allows you to learn about the team, evaluate players, and gauge the team's success moving forward, regardless of what the scoreboard says.

Different coaches approach the preseason differently, but all coaches are a little more vanilla than they would be if the game counted. They aren't going to show every wrinkle of a system. They are also going to call plays to test a team in a situation, even if the situation doesn't exist (such as a two-minute drill at the end of a half even though the team leads, or going for it on fourth down, even though the game condition calls for a punt).

Some coaches, like Mike Shanahan, believe in the school of thought that you "Play a preseason game like you would a regular game." In other words, play to win. Denver fans may be used to winning preseason games, but this may not happen under Josh McDaniels. Shanahan took it easy on the players in camp (compared to most teams), but in the PS he generally called the game the way he might in a regular game. For this reason, he also got a lot more PS wins. Did this count against his ability to evaluate? Not at all. Mike is also a coach that has his mind pretty much made up near the start of camp who is going to be on the roster, so he is ahead of the curve. Still, he'll make some calls to try out scenarios that he wouldn't do if the game counted.

We'll have to see if McDaniels is more concerned with evaluating talent and schemes than pumping up the team early with wins that are (to some degree) "meaningless".

So what do we watch for in a Denver PS game? The coaches are still holding back, and the competitions are more settled than most fans might think, right? Well, there's a lot to watch for. Here's what I'll be watching for if I'm lucky enough to catch a game.

The Players

Some position things to watch for:

Denver placed a high emphasis on receivers being able to run block (Pittsburgh is an example of a team that also demands receivers can run block). Will we see that continue this year?
Despite raw talent, which receivers demonstrate chemistry with Kyle Orton? Which TEs?
The safety's first movement is towards an assignment or a zone. His second move indicates how well he's read the play. That's the move to watch.
How well do the halfbacks protect Orton if held back to pass block?
Many teams stress TE coverage from the strong safety or the LOLB (even though both players take a role from time to time). Who will get the emphasis under McDaniels? Whoever gets the assignment, how well do they do? Does the SS play back, or closer to scrimmage?
Will we see the Ted Block scheme in our system? Will our new 3-4 be played more like a traditional 3-4, or more like a 5-2 (with pass-rushing OLBs)?
Are we doing more 1- or 2-gap schemes on the defensive line? Is the NT handling (or demanding) double teams?
It's almost too obvious to write, but who are the first eleven players on the field for the first plays on offense and defense? But here's something else to consider: who plays STs on the kickoff?
How does the OL do in pass protection? Most vanilla calls by the defensive coordinators will be simple slants designed to get to the QB.
Who looks tired at the end of each quarter? When a play is blown, how well does a player shake it off?
Does our starting RB get spelled, rotated, changed for pace, or play every down?
When a pass play for the offense goes for long yardage, was the error made by the CB or the SAF?

The Systems

Here's what to look for in terms of defining the new defensive system. Some of these things are similar to what to watch for in the "position" list above. However, those are tactical evaluations for each player. This list is strategic for the overall system view.

Defense -

How often do we switch between 3-4 and 4-3? In 4-3, is the MLB more man or zone? In 3-4, are most 4th pass rushers (a LB) coming from the inside, outside, or balanced?
In the 3-4, how wide are our DEs playing? Do the OLBs primarily rush (such as 5-2), or play common man, zone, and blitz responsibilities?
CBs in man or zone? (Unlikely we'll see much zone with talents like Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman available).
Where is the SS positioned?
1- or 2-gap play by the DL?
How often do we blitz?
Do the #2 and nickelback CBs play tight, on, or off in their coverage? (Bailey is allowed to always play off, which fits his personal style). In fact, will Bailey be allowed to continue his own preference?
Is the defense playing "bend, don't break", "hold the line", or aggressively? How much blitzing is there?
Is the 3-4 the base formation? It likely is. Is it a standard 3-4, or a variation (wide, in, over, under, etc.)?
Is the defense trying to force the pass or the run, or playing it even?
Are there certain plays that have more prominence?
Who is covering the TE - the SS or the SAM?
Does the WILL play more "zone and blitz" or "zone and man"?

Offense -

How much misdirection will we use this year? While Orton is more of a pocket passer than previous Denver QBs, is the bootleg really gone? (The bootleg is a great combination with zone blocking, because of the type of misdirection it foists on the defense). More importantly (critical to me), is "How much zone blocking do we keep from previous years"?
How smooth does Orton sell the play-action pass, and how often is it used?
Do we see Orton making audibles on the line? How much leeway is he getting from the coach on the sideline?
When Orton throws an INT (and he should), was it a bad decision on his part, on the part of the receiver, or good defense?
How much does the TE figure into the pass game this year? Does it seem to be planned or a check down?
Does Orton have favorite targets, or does he spread the ball? Do the routes seem more timed, or opportunity driven?
How do the cheerleaders look? Are they as hot as last year? (Yes, this is important).
Is there more run, or pass?
Do we see more formations with 3 or more receivers, or less?
How much do the RBs (RB and FB) get into the game going out for passes? Are they screens, or actual common routes?
Do we see a FB often, or more sets that are single back or 2 RB (no FB).

A lot of fans will watch to see who makes the big plays. My opinion is that this isn't the way to go. The coaches are probably more interested in who plays consistently well, and less on who makes a game-changing play. But that's just my opinion. I think the decision on who starts is made before the preseason with most teams (believe it or not), but when a new coach arrives, this all changes for the first year. The decisions left to be made for most teams are only for a few players on the bubble, or if a player really blows it time after time. This year will be more wide open than the last several years because we have a new HC.

Another thing that I consider is that I don't get excited by how many wins or losses we have. Good play can be indicative of how the other team runs their preseason, and losses might have been wins if the team were going all out. However, if the team loses and played very poorly, that is something to watch for, too. So for what it is worth, try not to get hung up on who wins, and instead focus on "how" each player plays and how the team plays as a whole. McDaniels may try to win a few games to boost the confidence of the players and fans, or he might sacrifice wins to get deeper analysis of what he's working with.

Denver's goal is to get the players up to speed, and to give the players some confidence heading into the season. Let's hope for the best, but let's take the preseason into its proper context and watch it with a studious eye.

What will you be watching for?

The Initial Preseason Depth Chart

I don't put very much into the preseason charts. Neither do most hardcore fans (notably Guru, who mentioned pretty much the same thing in his story on Monday).

That said, is there any worth to a preseason chart for the fans? Sure. Any time that we as fans are writing about, talking about, or reading about the team, we are learning. Here's my take on some of the things in the initial chart to get the conversation rolling.

No surprises on the OL. From left to right, we see Ryan Clady, Ben Hamilton, Casey Wiegmann, Chris Kuper and Ryan Harris. Harris is hurt, and (as of this writing) we don't know how badly. In the worst event, expect Polumbus to take his place. The depth chart says it's Brandon Gorin, but that's because a depth chart won't list a player twice who backs up two positions. Tyler Polumbus is the primary backup for both tackles.

Sometime ago I wrote that it was possible we might not see Brandon Marshall as our #1 starter. Pehaps it was 1 or 2 folks that chimed in that I was out of my mind. Perhaps I wasn't.

On this chart, we have Jabar Gaffney at #1, Eddie Royal as a mismatch for anyone at #2, and Brandon Stokley in the slot. This can happen when folks hold out. Do we take this chart to the bank? Not really. As long as Marshall keeps up a good attitude, plays hard and well, and his next legal case fizzles (a lot of ifs), he can have the position back by the start of the season. But it is NOT a sure thing, either. Gaffney has done everything right so far, and Marshall may need to see that he'll have to be 100% on and off the field to keep "his" spot. Then the question becomes (as I wrote in that other article), who gets the slot - Gaffney or Stokley?

I admit some surprise that Chad Jackson and Kenny McKinley are lower than Lloyd and Swift, but with much of my focus thus far on defense, I may have missed some of the reports on these players.

Exactly what we should expect - Daniel Graham, then Tony Scheffler, then Richard Quinn. The only question now is, how many TEs do we keep beyond that?

We knew Orton, then Chris Simms, then Tom Brandstater. The question is, will Brandstater get a chance to emerge as a future starter, will he displace Simms as the primary backup, or will he be a project that never comes to fruition?

Like Marshall, if you look like you might hold out on the team, you might not make the initial depth chart as a starter. McDaniels already said Knowshon Moreno is good, but behind the rest of the players in conditioning and understanding the systems (meaning not just the offensive system, but team communications, huddle scheme, terminology, etc.).

Our new regime doesn't use the FB term in the depth chart, so we'll have to figure out where this puts us in terms of starters. My assumption is that Peyton Hillis is a starting FB if ever there was one, but he may be too useful as a RB (or should I say "tailback" in this new scheme?).

Correll Buckhalter is extremely versatile, and has looked great. He gets the nod for now. LaMont Jordan is listed second, and ths may be a surprise to folks like it is to me. Not that Jordan isn't good, but because I would expect Hillis to be higher. Hillis is listed third.

This loses meaning beyond the point that preseason charts are "motivators" for players more than being accurate. Why? Because we have to consider that we don't know if we'll have a primary back that gets spelled, or a "backs by committee" approach. In the latter, we might have a rotational scheme or a specialist scheme.

So for fans of Moreno, Ryan Torain, and Hillis, don't put all of your money on Buckhalter or Jordan just yet. Watch the preseason games, and learn.

Early observations had Ryan McBean looking real good, and he gets the early nod to start at LDE where he'll be stopping the run. It makes sense to me that Marcus Thomas (a 4-3 DT) would move to LDE in the 3-4, and he now shows behind McBean.

At RDE, I've heard a lot of good things about Rulon Davis, so I'm a little surprised he's near the bottom right now. (In fact, our own Guru reported from camp that he noticed how well Davis was doing). But Kenny Peterson has done well so far, and has earned the right to go into the preseason as the current RDE.

I'll say this, I'm far more happy about our DE positions than I was before the summer. The four players I've listed so far look solid, and we still have 3 others in contention. For future reference, I hearby bestow the title "PDX" on Everette Pedescleaux. His name takes longer to type than my entire article!

This is the scariest position for those of us worried about the transition to 3-4. It is the anchor of the 3-4 as much as the MLB is to the 4-3. Fortunately, it looks like Ronald Fields (the listed starter) is doing well. I'm a little surprised that Chris Baker is in front of Carlton Powell.

If I am blessed enough to get any preseason games in my area, NT is one of the positions I'll be watching for the sake of pure analysis. (I'll be watching safeties for the love of the game).

SAF

May I brag a little? I had hoped for Brian Dawkins to be the FS, and he lists this way. I knew that the choice to put him at FS or SS would be tricky to guess at, so I wouldn't have bet either way. But I agree with the early chart - Dawkins should be at FS, and Darcel McBath is more of a FS than a SS. McBath should become something special learning under Dawkins.

At SS, I feel good about Renaldo Hill starting. I had written in an earlier article that David Bruton, Vernon Fox, and Josh Barrett are more at risk than the other three, and I was curious to see who would make the team if we only kept four safeties. Many folks chimed in with valid reasons that we might keep five or even six. As of now, Bruton gets the backup at SS, and perhaps Barrett and Fox have to fight for a possible fifth spot.

I felt confident that Bailey and Goodman would start, and they are. My assumption was that Alphonso Smith would come in as a rookie and learn nickel. But as well as Smith has played, Jack Williams seems to have improved his play to the point that he is a contender for that nickel position. Also, given Smith's value at returner on STs, it seems prudent to let Williams play at nickle while Smith learns. Watch the preseason games to see if one player seems to edge the other for the role at nickel.

This gives us four terrific corners, and a good mixture and experience and youth. There are still four more corners to round out the chart, not all of whom will make the team.

OLB

Mario Haggan at LOLB? McDaniels himself said that there was some "loafing" by OLBs, and that Haggan wasn't one of them. This strikes me as a motivational signal. Darrell Reid is likely the starter, and early reports are good on Tim Crowder. If they're loafing, that's a bad sign. But it is more likely (at least in my mind) that the coach is sending a gentle message rather than really worrying about Reid and Crowder. The message this sends to Haggan though is kind of weird ("you're starting because the REAL starters are taking it too easy").

But I'm not worried about Reid and Crowder, or the LOLB position in general. (In fact, a friend of mine who is in tight with the Colts organization tells me that Reid is a steal for us, and we can expect some special things).

At ROLB we have three interesting names. We all know and love Elvis Dumervil (MHRers know him as "Doom"). He's a terrific RDE in a 4-3, and will likely play more of a pass rushing type ROLB in what would appear to be a 5-2 look. I'm glad to see him listed at starter.

Robert Ayers is listed next. He surprises me, because his rookie reports made him out to be more of a run stopper who doesn't always get the penetration needed to get to the QB. I had him pegged at DE (against the tide of most opinions, I know). At OLB, I thought he might not be able to keep up with TEs to play LOLB, but he could be a run stopper at that position. But ROLB seems to make sense. Starting wider than he would at DE, he has a better rush chance against the QB. But he can be schemed in several ways, too. For example, SD goes against the grain of most teams, and prefers to run to the weakside. Ayers would be a specialist in such games. With the Ameoba philosophy in place, Ayers may be used as a specialist depending on down, distance, and opponent.

Last is Jarvis Moss. Moss gets some criticism because he almost quit the team during camp. However, to a careful eye (and mine has experience in counseling as well as coaching) it sounds like a kid who was having problems that needed help. Instead of letting him quit and cashing in on the money he (Moss) would have had to fork over, the coaches encouraged him to take a couple of days away to get things straight or to think things over. I think there is a deeper story here, and one that probably isn't much of our business. Here's what is important. Moss came back, was welcomed back, and has been showing good moves for penetrating the pocket. He may very well have a solid role on this team moving into the regular season. That the coaches helped him out shows me that the kid has worth as a player, and at the very least as a young man. I'm in his corner, whether he makes the team or not.

ILB

Before camps, I listed D.J. Williams being moved inside to RILB and Andra Davis getting LILB. I was pretty proud of myself for getting that one right, as that is how the two players have been lining up throughout the camp season. So imagine my shock at reading the chart and seeing them switched! It makes no sense for several reasons. First, they haven't been playing the way the chart shows; second, it doesn't match their skill set for the Ted block scheme that DC Mike Nolan runs in his defensive systems, and third, Williams is more of a zone- and blitz-LB while Davis is more of a run stopper and big plug kind of guy.

Given that Williams is playing LILB in practice, and Davis is RILB in practice, I'm calling this an error on the chart. But who knows how far the deception could run? It would be a shock, but terribly interesting to see McDaniels and Nolan pull a major switch ala the morphing Patriots defense (which changes looks to match opponents like, well, like an ameoba!)

Another intersting tidbit. Behind these two are Wesley Woodyard and Spencer Larsen, who are excellent ILBs even if they weren't in the backup role. But look at who each player starts behind! Larsen (more of a run stopper or Ted blocker) is behind Davis, as he should be. And Woodyard, who swarms to the ball and gets in on every play, is rightfuly behind WIlliams. So it follows that the chart is likely backwards at the ILB positions. Either way, the bottom line is that we have four solid players for two positions, and still have two more players behind them fighting for a roster spot.

My only remarks on STs (where I have next to no coaching experience) is my surprise that Brett Kern is listed as the holder. It is common for teams to either use a QB or a punter. The reasoning for QB is that he can throw the ball on a fake FG, or cover up for a blown snap by throwing the ball. That is the prevailing school of thought in modern football. But we're going with the punter. The thinking here is that the punter is more in tune with what the kicker needs when placing and timing the hold. I don't buy it, but a few minds that know more about STs than I do believe in it. So there it is. I would have used a QB, but then again you REALLY don't want me coaching your STs.

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

So, have at it. What are your thoughts on the presason, and preseason charts in particular? What will you be watching for? As always, any questions about football are welcome. I can handle most questions as they pertain to what happens on the field, but MHR is full of experts on just about every aspect of the game ranging from history to caps, from legal to medical, from current events to other teams.

Let's hear from you! (If you're a longtime reader, but have never joined or posted, why not make this the day?)

Poll

I feel _______ about the roster and depth for the overall team than I did before the preseason camps started.

much better

219 votes

somewhat better

353 votes

the same

224 votes

somewhat worse

76 votes

much worse

12 votes

884 votes | Poll has closed