SB Nation - Roderick Rogers

New England Patriots Links 8/19/09 - Training Camp Wrap; Rex Ryan's Big Mouth

Marima — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:52:34 -0000

WR Randy Moss (81) hauls in a pass during the afternoon practice session. S Roderick Rogers (43) trails behind.

TRAINING CAMP OBSERVATIONS

Mike Reiss wraps up the afternoon practice noting the presence of newly signed S Roderick Rogers.

Newly-signed safety Roderick Rogers (No. 43) made a nice play to break up a deep pass from Brady to Moss, although the ball appeared to be a little underthrown. He appeared to be jawing with Moss after the play. Moss victimized him later on a deep throw, though.

Christopher Price reports Jonathan Wilhite was no longer wearing the red non-contact jersey, and appeared to be going full speed in drills with the rest of the defensive backs.

One of the best catches of camp came early on this afternoon when Tom Brady found Randy Moss with a laser at the back of the end zone as part of a passing drill. Moss caught the ball with his right hand, making a one-handed backhand grab that you had to see to believe. It was like his glove was covered in Velcro — just stuck his mitt up there and he came down with it. Really impressive stuff.

Andy Hart comments on the spirited session despite the lack of full pads.

Terrence Nunn got a little talking to from coaches after being in the wrong spot on one pass route in group work with the QBs. He seemed to be in the wrong place later on a pass from Andrew Walter as well. Nunn then made up for it with a nice catch on a deep ball from Kevin O’Connell later in the practice. The first-year player is clearly in a battle for his roster/practice squad life. He’s still a PFW favorite but bumbling kickoffs in preseason action and getting yelled at by coaches in non-contact drills isn’t the greatest sign in the world.

Erik Scalavino offers news and notes from the final open practice of the summer.

WR Wes Welker was back on the field after missing several consecutive practices and the first preseason game last Thursday. Punter Chris Hanson also saw his first action in pads since the Eagles game.

Late in practice, while the rest of the team was working on the right field, QB Tom Brady, Moss, Welker, and WR Joey Galloway were on the left field working on pass patterns.

Ian Rapoport notes a reporter asked Patriots coach Bill Belichick for his thoughts on camp ending. "Ending?" he asked like it was crazy.

Practice began with a birthday song for LB Adalius Thomas, who turned 32 today. Belichick has praised Thomas for his leadership and versatility.

Brady wouldn't leave the field until he finished on a good note. So Galloway lined up wide, ran as hard as he could, and reeled in a Brady pass in the end zone. And then they were done.

Daily Links after the jump...

TEAM TIDBITS

Patriots sign S Roderick Rogers.
Paul Perillo considers the Pats defense transitioning to a four-man front.
Ask PFW: Training Camp wrap up, roster predictions, trades revisited and more.
Patriots Today: Camp concludes, thoughts from Welker and more. (8.43 min. video)
Locker Room Uncut: Seymour, Welker and Maroney. (3.32 min. video)
Bill Belichick Tuesday Press Conference Transcript.

LOCAL LINKS

Chris Forsberg previews the new ESPN Monday Night Football commercial, "Is it Monday Yet? Brady's back." Brady's not actually in it, but It's a hoot. (40 second video)
Karen Guregian notes the quiet confidence of Randy Moss, who hasn't spoken to the media since last May when he asserted the offense was "going to be a little bit scarier" than it was two years ago.
Mark Farinella reports Wes Welker may have a slight ankle sprain, explaining why he didn't suit up last Thursday and may not play tomorrow night against the Bengals.
Mike Reiss introduces us to newly signed S Roderick Rogers.
Chris Gasper catches up with a healthy Laurence Maroney, who is expecting to "run hard and make good, decisive reads and just take what I can get."
Mike Petraglia says Laurence Maroney feels he got a lot accomplished in his first preseason game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. "It’s been a while since I had a game-type situation. It was just good to get out there and get a feel for the game."
Karen Guregian figures that in a 4-3 defensive scheme, Richard Seymour may have more of an opportunity to shine and get to the quarterback.
Rich Garven notes the Patriots haven’t officially scrapped the 3-4 as their base defense, but they’ve definitely laid the foundation and appear well positioned to make such a move.
Paul Kenyon reports Tank Williams hopes to be a Patriot this year but he's preparing for life after football.
Mike Reiss looks at the Patriots roster In terms of number of players at each position, and stacks up to the NFL average?
Mike Reiss offers some thoughts from Wes Welker and from Richard Seymour following practice yesterday. Dan Koppen also throws in a playful jab at Brady's latest magazine cover.
Jeff Howe details Patriots rookie Terrence Nunn's quest for a roster spot.
Mike Reiss answers his reader mailbag full of questions about the defense, receivers, Brady, trades and more.
Globe 10.0: Bob Ryan debates with Chad Finn whether this offense can be better than in 2007. (2.34 min. video)
Mike McDermott notes "The ego has landed" -- and other observations about Brett Favre.

NATIONAL NEWS

Dave Hutchinson (Newark Star-Ledger) NY Jets coach Rex Ryan takes another veiled shot at New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Wait, isn't it Belichick who supposedly is the arrogant jerk?
Greg Bishop (NY Times) Rex Ryan has words for Patriots (Again).
Don Banks (SI) Preseason Week 1, winners & losers. Patriots are winners, woo-hoo!
Ben Reiter (SI) Postcard from Camp: Patriots.
Don Ohlmeyer (ESPN) New ombudsman analyzes ESPN's handling of Ben Rothlisberger story.
Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) ESPN finally fills its ombudsman vacuum. Don Ohlmeyer tackles ESPN's non-coverage of the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault suit and misses the mark.
Peter King (SI) Minnesota Vikings are making a big mistake with Favre.

Tuesday's Notebook: Why My Patience in Favre is Gone

Anthony21 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:21 -0000

Oh Yeah, That Brett Favre Thing

With all the news coming out of minicamp, you'd be excused if you completely forgot that this team is still in a state of limbo when it comes to the quarterback position. Jim Souhan argues that the Wildcat excitement you saw at this site over the weekend is essentially unwarranted:

Vikings offensive players who aren't quarterbacks can't be taking these OTAs or minicamps or whatever they are called very seriously. The whole purpose of these camps is to build continuity. So why isn't Childress holding these camps at Oak Grove High in Hattiesburg, where his receivers can learn to keep Favre's fastballs from breaking their fingers?

Well, the uncertain status of Brett Favre certainly detracted from minicamp, but I'm not sure that means the players didn't take it seriously. That's beside the point, though -- the biggest development coming out of minicamp was the offensive experimentation by Chilly and Bevell, which made the weekend productive and worthwhile. I'll partially agree with Souhan in that it's extremely unfortunate this Favre thing couldn't have been resolved by last weekend.

I'll be honest: The possibility of Brett Favre in purple had me thrilled...four weeks ago. But after days upon days of no developments in this storyline and with this team facing an indefinite continuation of the Brett Favre dance, I'm ready to give up. There, I said it. I'm ready to give up on Favre. If he's not prepared to make a decision at this moment, I don't want him. It's unfair to T-Jack and Rosenfels, it's a distraction, and it's more frustration than it's worth.

Would Favre be an upgrade for the Vikings at quarterback? Absolutely -- that's a point I won't concede, despite the fact that I no longer have a scrap of patience left for him. But the fact that he hasn't made a decision yet is completely unreasonable. I should have known better -- I should have known what the Vikings were getting themselves into when they expressed interest in Favre. Simply put, though, the page should have been turned on this days/weeks ago.

That's what makes this tidbit from Peter King just another disappointing aspect of this unending saga:

I think I have nothing new to report on your favorite newsmakers, Brett Favre and Michael Vick. Favre is flying very far under the radar and hasn't been heard from all week, and I hear the Vikings don't even know his plans, though they're anxious to find them out.

Feel free to rip some of your hair out.

To the people actually in the know about this -- Favre, Chilly, Wilf, Cook, etc. -- King had better be mistaken, and that group had better know by now how this is going to resolve itself. I'm trying to unearth some sense of positivity in the fact that Favre's inner circle could know for certain whether or not he's going to come back, but that's hardly a sure thing. Based on what we've seen before from Favre, I wouldn't doubt the accuracy of King's report one bit.

If my grasp at some positivity is unwarranted -- that is, if the Favre/Chilly/Wilf/Cook group still has no idea what's going to happen -- then for crying out loud, this organization needs to put its foot down immediately. They should have done that long ago. Give Favre a Friday deadline. Either he's agreed to sign with the Vikings by then or the team's offer is off the table and we roll with the Jackson-Rosenfels quarterback competition.

What a shame this has become. The possibilities of Favre, Peterson and Harvin on the same field have been tantilizing to say the least, but there's such a thing as something going way too far and becoming much too frustrating. As someone who once supported the scenario of Favre donning the purple and gold, I was hopeful that a resolution would be reached by the end of last week. That rumor, pushed by Peter King, fell flat on its face.

Make no mistake about it: Brett Favre is holding this team hostage. Despite the new schemes rolled out over the weekend, and despite the fact that everyone from the Vikings has been very professional about dealing with this storyline, it's time to move on. Until we can determine if Favre is the starting quarterback or Jackson/Rosenfels will be under center, this team is largely in a holding pattern. Time to reach a conclusion on this, once and for all.

What Awaits Winfield?

By midday today, we'll know a lot more about where Antoine Winfield stands with this team. The OTAs resume today, and for all practical purposes, attendance is required. If Winfield shows up, heading back to the bargaining table should still be on the docket for the team and his agent, but his contract status becomes less of a sidestory during a time when football should be the focus. If he sits out, we've got a big problem.

Happy Trails, Roderick Rogers

Smell ya later, Roderick Rogers -- the Vikes tried converting the Wisconsin Badger from safety to receiver, but the fact that they cut him the day after minicamp should tell you a lot about how that transition went.

And Finally...

Follow me on Twitter!...Steady Burn has a list of the top-five Conan O'Brien look-alikes in sports...Corey Schneider of the AHL gets my vote...Norman Chad wonders what would happen if Mike Vick and Brett Favre were pen pals...Speaking of Vick, it's curious that the Falcons haven't released him yet, is it not?...Yeah, they're really gonna get a lot of compensation for him by clinging to his contract rights...

Fun Facts About 2008 - A 2009 Denver Broncos Draft Analysis

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

For many draft "experts" and Broncos fans, the reaction to Denver's choice of Knowshon Moreno at #12 on Saturday resulted in cries of, "Not another running back!!!!!!"

Browse more photos »

Draftivus Weekend 2009 may be over, but it seems to me that the only draft-related activity as fun as predicting the outcome is in sifting through the results and grading them. Sure, it's a little early to do so; but we all do it, and I'm pretty sure we all seek out what the "experts" have to say in order to validate our own opinions (or cast them aside as idiots). Here are some of the reactions I've seen over the past 24 hours on MHR and across the web, and I paraphrase...

How could the Broncos not draft more D-Linemen or Linebackers?
What?! Another running back?! Denver already signed Arrington, Buckhalter and Jordan in addition to having about 12 holdovers.
More defensive backs? What, are they going to start 9 DBs? How many corners and safeties could the Broncos possibly use?
Josh McDaniels is a moron because he didn't draft the guys I wanted him to!!!

Personally, here is what I thought as the Draft approached...

Obviously, we'll come away with at least a couple of D-Linemen, including a nose tackle.
And of course, we'll end up with an excellent new linebacker.

Obviously, I was wrong. But I'm no expert.

Now, let's examine some undeniable facts...

The 2008 Denver Broncos were 8-8
Denver's so-called "explosive offense" scored 370 points, good for 16th-best in the NFL
They allowed 448 points, which was 3rd-worst in the league
The Broncos' point differential was -78, or 25th-best league-wide.
Seven teams had a worse point differential than Denver, and those seven teams all missed the playoffs, averaging a record of 3-13.
Only one team (Green Bay) with a positive point-differential won fewer than 8 games.
The Broncos lost to Oakland by 21 points (at home) and at Kansas City by 14 points. The Raiders and Chiefs combined for 5 wins against teams not named the Denver Broncos.
Denver lost to the Chiefs, Patriots, Raiders, Panthers and Chargers by an aggregate score of 187-67, which averages out to 37.4 to 13.4.
At various points during the 2008 Season, the Broncos were down to running backs such as P.J. Pope, Cory Boyd, a seventh-rounder in Peyton Hillis, a fifth-rounder in Ryan Torain, and a guy who had been selling mobile phones at the mall (Tatum Bell).
Denver had the 5th-fewest rushing attempts in the NFL.
The Broncos' time-of-possession ranked 24th in the league.
During this same season, the Broncos had folks like Vernon Fox (cut by the Skins), Josh Bell (cut by the Chargers), Josh Barrett (a seventh-rounder), Roderick Rogers (dumped by Minnesota), Calvin Lowry (cast aside by Tennessee), and Herana-Daze Jones (dumped by Cincinnati) either starting or playing crucial roles on the defense.
The Broncos' pass defense allowed opponents to connect on 67.3% of their attempts, which was 4th worst in the league.
The Broncos intercepted 6 passes in 2008, 2nd worst only to the Lions. One of those picks was made by DT Marcus Thomas, who promptly fumbled the ball away on the ensuing "runback."

Recognize this 2008 Bronco? Me neither.

I realize these are some depressing numbers, but this is 2009. I offer the stats above to remind everyone that 2008 wasn't such a hot year for our beloved Broncos. The '08 version of the Broncos couldn't control the clock, couldn't produce sustained drives and couldn't hold onto the ball on offense. On defense, they couldn't rush the passer, stop the run, defend the pass or take the ball away. Injuries left us with guys we practically picked up off the street playing running back, safety and cornerback.

Didn't everyone here learn from 2008 that a team can never have enough running backs and defensive backs? Keep in mind that the veterans Denver signed at those positions this offseason, in Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and Andre' Goodman will all be at least 30 years old this season. They will hopefully provide skill today, but they will definitely not do so in the distant future.

The 2008 Broncos had a lot of holes; while Atlanta and Miami were both wonderful examples of remarkable one-year turnarounds, their stories are exceptions. This team needs to be competitive first; if they can also win more games than they lose in 2009, I see that as a bonus. We're talking about a team which fired almost its entire coaching staff and enters 2009 with a new starting quarterback. For me, the Broncos were so bad in 2008 that I cannot expect every hole to be filled by 2009. We're talking about a process here, and it sure seems that Josh McDaniels, Brian Xanders and Company are making their way towards that end.

Yesterday, we saw a draft strategy we're to this point unfamiliar with. Yes, Mike Shanahan is an all-time great and brought home two Championships. However, when drafting for need over taking the best player, the Broncos ended up with guys like Marcus Nash, Paul Toviessi, Ashley Lelie (over Ed Reed), Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, Deltha O'Neal and Willie Middlebrooks. The new regime quite obviously sees the draft through a different viewpoint, and when their top choices went off the board (Raji and Jackson), they chose Knowshon Moreno. Not because they came in wanting a running back, but because they felt he was the best player on the board. That's how Minnesota got Adrian Peterson, by the way.

How about this guy? If you do recognize him, you'll probably be glad to know that he's no longer on the Broncos...

As I mentioned above, I'm no draft maven; but what I like about the "experts" reactions is this - everyone who criticizes the Broncos' 2009 Draft, from Jamie Dukes, to Pete Prisco, to Mel Kiper, to Todd McShay offers this basic thought - they love the players Denver drafted, they just don't think Denver filled the holes they would have chosen to fill. Personally, when I read draft analysis the day after, I want to see that Denver chose players widely accepted as being excellent football players. Used to be that our draft choices were either "undersized," "injured during senior season," "questionable character," "slow for the position," among other lovely tags. Today, they're "solid citizens" and excellent football players, but why do the Broncos need another defensive back or running back? As for where they'll play, I think we should leave that up to the Broncos' Coach and General Manager.

I'm not trying to provide a sunny outlook here; I'm just examining some facts. Some of you are happy about our '09 Draft results, others are bewildered. Both viewpoints are just fine by me - but don't forget the prism of 2008's season when looking at the makeup of the 2009 Broncos.

The Wrath of Shanahan -- Broncos Release S Roderick Rogers

John Bena — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:39:41 -0000

Mike Shanahan made it very clear that he was none too happy with the performance of 2nd year safety Roderick Rogers. The Coach also made it clear that it was Rogers, not Dre Bly, that blew the coverage on the turning point play of the game -- a 51-yard completion from JaMarcus Russell to former Bronco Ashley Lelie while the game was tied at 10.

Today, Rogers felt the wrath of Shanahan when he was given his outright release form the Broncos. Does this mean the beginning of the Josh Barrett era in Denver??

The official release is below --

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday waived safety Roderick Rogers, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

Rogers, a second-year player from the University of Wisconsin, saw time in Denver's last three games (1 start) and posted six tackles (4 solo) on defense along with two special-teams stops. He spent the first nine weeks of the season on the Broncos' practice squad before he was signed to their active roster on Nov. 4.

Broncos Announce Several Roster Transactions, Promote RB P.J. Pope From Practice Squad

John Bena — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:27:38 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday announced several roster transactions, including the signings of linebacker Mario Haggan, running back P.J. Pope and defensive back Roderick Rogers to their active roster.

The club also on Tuesday waived tight end Chad Mustard while adding running back Cory Boyd and linebacker Tyson Smith to its practice squad.

Mario Haggan (6-foot-3, 263 pounds) is a sixth-year linebacker who spent the last five seasons (2003-07) with Buffalo, which selected him in the seventh round (228th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft from Mississippi State University. He appeared in all 16 games during each of the last four years with Buffalo and has played in 65 career games, totaling 21 tackles (14 solo), one sack and 57 special-teams stops. Haggan attended Clarksdale High School in Clarksdale, Miss., and was born on March 3, 1980.

P.J. Pope (5-foot-9, 205 pounds) is a second-year running back who spent the first nine weeks of the 2008 season on Denver's practice squad. He entered the NFL with Chicago in 2006 as a college free agent from Bowling Green State University and saw time on the Bears' practice squad during each of the last two seasons in addition to a brief stint on Green Bay's active roster in 2006. Pope has appeared in one career game, posting a special-teams stop for the Packers. He attended Wyoming High School in Cincinnati and was born on Feb. 26, 1984.

Roderick Rogers (6-foot-2, 187 pounds) is a second-year defensive back who spent the first nine weeks of the 2008 season on Denver's practice squad. Rogers, who entered the NFL with Denver in 2007 as a college free agent from the University of Wisconsin, appeared in the Broncos' final two games as a rookie last year after beginning that season on their practice squad. He attended Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., and was born on Sept. 7, 1984.

Cory Boyd (6-foot-1, 218 pounds) is a rookie running back who joins the Broncos after being waived on July 26 by Tampa Bay, which selected him in the seventh round (238th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft from the University of South Carolina. He played 46 games (27 starts) for the Gamecocks and finished his collegiate career with 464 rushes for 2,267 yards (4.9 avg.) with 23 touchdowns along with 117 receptions for 1,303 yards (11.1 avg.) with five scores. Boyd attended Orange High School in Orange, N.J., and was born on Aug. 6, 1985.

Tyson Smith (6-foot-2, 250 pounds) is a second-year linebacker who joins the Broncos after competing in Dallas' training camp this year. He has appeared in three games for his career, totaling four special-teams tackles for the New York Giants during the 2006 season. Last year, he saw time on the practice squads of the 49ers, Redskins and Cowboys. Smith, who entered the NFL with Baltimore in 2005 as a college free agent from Iowa State University, attended Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, and was born on Oct. 9, 1981.

What does all this mean?? The fact the Broncos promoted Pope likely means that Selvin Young is not ready to go. Chad Mustard getting released likely means Tony Scheffler is getting close and will hopefully go on Thursday. The rest? The only disappointment I can say I have is Rogers. Not that he was brought to the active roster but rather Josh Barrett hasn't made enough progress as of yet.