SB Nation - Louis Green

Horse Tracks 7/8/09 - Darrell Reid gives back

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:46:35 -0000

DB - Jackson Poised to Perform
Despite his limited prior successes as a pro, Chad Jackson believes his pre-existing knowledge of Josh McDaniels' offense will help him excel in 2009.

DB - Following the Blueprint - Zach Eisendrath
UFA linebacker Lee Robinson is looking at Wesley Woodyard's path to the Broncos roster for inspiration. Robinson played OLB at Alcorn State but is working inside for Denver so far.

CSG - Broncos camp preview: the tight ends
Frank Schwab sees a big role for Tony Scheffler in the Denver offense, more production from Daniel Graham with the growth of Ryan's Clady and Harris, and a lot of jumbo-package looks for Richard Quinn.

DB - Training Camp Schedule Released

DP - Broncos to start training camp July 31
LJones points out that McDaniels and Co. are going fan friendly with a public practice at the Big IF and autograph sessions after every practice.

NT - Broncos' Reid brings skills, drills and smiles to youths
LB/DE Darrell Reid recently held a football camp back home in NJ, telling the kids in attendance to work hard in school to earn their way onto the playing field.

KNS - Tennessee football great Al Wilson inspires kids to dream
Al Wilson spoke at a Y in Knoxville, telling the children there to have a plan in life, stay focused, study and make positive choices.

WT - NFL 32 in 32: Denver Broncos
Ryan O'Halloran does some pretty shoddy work, penciling Crowder and Ayres (sic) at the starting end positions, Louis Green (who's been cut) at linebacker, and Josh Bell as a starting corner over Goodman and Pho Smith.

USAT - Broncos couldn't put a sock in 'second-class' days in AFL
Larry Weisman considers how ugly both the Broncos' socks and their play on the field were in the early days.

SDUT - Countdown to Camp - Kevin Acee
Whoops, missed the first several parts of this. Kevin Acee is previewing the Dolts season by looking at sections of their roster; he's halfway through - here are the links.

NFL - NFL gives Giants LB Boley one-game suspension for 2008 battery charge

NFL - Titans opening LP Field to McNair fans on Wednesday, Thursday

NFL - Stallworth details events before DUI crash in recorded police interview

Y! - Teams slow to re-sign '05 draft picks - Jason Cole
Wow, if the '05 guys aren't getting deals, then wait 'til we see how the '06 class plays out, BMarsh.

CBS - Jauron, Phillips among coaches on hot seat
Clark Judge thinks Kubes is on the back burner in Houston. Say it ain't so!

NFP - Diner morning news: the Packers move on - Mike Lombardi

NFP - NFL quick hits: Peppers will pay off - Matt Bowen

CBS - Positional Rankings: Inside Linebackers - Pete Prisco

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 5: Tight ends - Marshall Faulk

SI - Special MMQB: Tuesday Edition - Matt Light

NFP - In praise of Southern football: part 2 - Robert Boland

NFLN - NFL Videos: Big money, big gamble
Marshall Faulk thinks the addition of Jay Cutler makes the Bears a Super Bowl contender.

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Dallas Cowboys

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 10: Dance Moves
In honor of Michael Jackson, NFL Network counts down the top ten on-field dance celebrations. I think White Shoes has gotta be the best one...

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Pittsburgh - Wes Bunting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFP - Big concerns in Oakland - Matt Bowen

SFC - Raiders practice brims with news and notes

KCS - Chiefs and Missouri agree on deal for training camp

SDUT - Chargers again mull Oceanside for stadium site

NFL - Commissioner Goodell suspends Stallworth indefinitely

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

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

NFP - The road to '09: Tennessee Titans

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL - Top 10 most outrageous characters in NFL history

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Missouri

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

Tales from the SunnySide: Lee Robinson

Emmett Smith — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:30:12 -0000

via assets.espn.go.com

Every year, it seems a linebacker comes into camp that hardly anyone has heard of. Spencer Larsen was just such a player - some scouts had him as too old, too slow, not flashy enough. He just was good at one thing - playing football. A year later, every Bronco fan knows his name, and in Larsen's case, much of the nation has heard of him for either his robust special-teams tackles or his selfless three-way play.

How about Wesley Woodyard? Anyone who watched his preseason play had an inkling that there was just something special about the man. Undrafted as a safety/linebacker 'tweener', it didn't take Wesley long to prove that he had the heart, courage and skills to be what Mike Shanahan would soon say that he should be - a starting linebacker in the NFL.

This year, that player might, just might, be Lee Robinson.

Coming out of Alcorn State, the small school that also brought Steve McNair to the NFL, Lee Robinson is an outside linebacker who spent some time with his hand on the ground at DE while in college. Blessed or cursed with the versatility of a tweener's label and skills, Robinson is a player whose maturity and dedication have given the Broncos a new level of competition for any and all of their linebacker slots.

To start, he's a solid 6'3" and 250 lbs of linebacker. The Broncos once moved to smaller, lighter linebackers, but it's fair to say that Josh McDaniels prefers something contrastive. He has said that he wants big, physical players who are versatile and can work in multiple situations, which is a substantial description of Robinson. One way to consider Robinson is as a bigger version of Wesley Woodyard. Last year, Woodward took the Broncos by storm. He was considered too small for a lot of teams, but he played well beyond his metrics.

Robinson has all the size that you could want. He plays fast but times slower in his 40s. But much like Wesley Woodyard, he's a heck of a player. How do we know? Take a look at what our own styg50 had to say:

Styg's Broncos Fit: This guy reminds me eerily of Wesley Woodyard, and that is a damn good thing. He is a good tackler, reads plays well and is instinctual in following the play to the ball. Like WW, one of his strongest assets is keeping blockers away from his legs and keeping hands out of his frame, which leaves him free to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage. His open-field tackling could use work however, as he doesn't consistently break down but he shows a ton of hustle and is quick to congratulate teammates, making him a respected member of the team. His coverage ability is adequate, though he can't hang very long on deeper routes. Has all the markings of a late-round, high-impact player.

"Late-round, high-impact player". Late round is relative, as are draft ratings. Robinson was rated in the 5th-6th round, roughly, before his performance at Texas versus The Nation. Practicing, playing and dominating on that stage, he became an instant ‘new thing'. Some had him rising to the 2nd round. But some pedestrian metrics, including a 4.79 40-yard dash at the Combine burst that bubble. So did a draft loaded with OLBs and tweeners. With some stiffness in his hips and problems in zone coverage, Robinson saw his draft weekend ending with a CFA phone call from the Broncos, welcoming him to camp. I consistently saw Robinson rated between the 4th and 5th rounds, so finding him as a CFA is a possible gift.

There are always reasons that players rise and fall: Some are real, some not. To begin, here's a link to a Draft Guys analysis of the player. It shows his lateral speed, and defines how much faster he plays than he tests, and documents his good eyes in coverage.

Next, it would make sense to look at his career numbers:

Lee Robinson, OLB
Year	GP	TKL	TFL	S	PBU	INT	FF
2005	11	62	8	4	4	0	1
2006	11	79	15	9	1	0	2
2007	9	82	18	4	3	0	1
2008	12	111	10.5	3.5	3	3	3
Totals	43	334	51.5	20.5	11	3	7

Lee Robinson, Career Averages
Year	T/G	TFL/G	S/G	PBU/G	INT/G	FF/G
2005	5.64	0.73	0.36	0.36	0.00	0.09
2006	7.18	1.36	0.82	0.09	0.00	0.18
2007	9.11	2.00	0.44	0.33	0.00	0.11
2008	9.25	0.88	0.29	0.25	0.25	0.25
Totals	7.77	1.20	0.48	0.26	0.07	0.16

I would like to look at both sides, so I'm going to start with the best. This is what NFL DraftScout.com had to say:

He's a guy who looks like Tarzan -- and plays like him, too

They were referring to the fact that he has long arms, strong hands which he uses well, a powerful body, upper and lower. He uses those to shed blockers with great skill. How important is that? Ask HT:

This brings me to the ILBs. They can be fast or big or a good mix, much like in the 4-3, but with a twist. Because the DL has one less man (even though 3-4 teams fight to acquire double coverage demanding players), the ILBs tend to have one common trait.

According to hoosierteacher, their skill set must include the ability to shed run blockers, or they just won't be an asset.

Robinson also has a factor that seems to be in very good order in Dove Valley. He's a born leader and isn't uncomfortable sharing this with his teammates. I found an excellent article that offered some insights into Lee from his college coach, Earnest Jones.

"It all came together this weekend with him playing on the field the way he leads off the field," Alcorn defensive coordinator Earnest Collins Jr. said. "That's got to be one of those things Lee continues to do.

"This was a game that I've been waiting for him to show me, to play like I know he can play. It's one of those deals where now I know he can do it, so I expect him to do it for the rest of the year."

Seeing action at both inside and outside linebacker positions, Robinson leads the team in tackles and interceptions.

"Lee has been a guy we've looked to for leadership the minute he walked into the door," Collins said.

Collins also said having Robinson is like having a coach on the field since the senior played in 31 games since 2005.

"Lee's play makes my job easier because they feed off him," Collins said. "As long as he's upbeat and has the right kind of attitude, they're going to follow him."

His history of injuries is simple - he's never missed a single game. What does concern people, other than the glut of 3-4 OLB/DE tweeners which was voluminous, Robinson has stiff hips in coverage and sometimes struggles to change direction. His footwork can be suspect, but that can be coached- Robinson is very coachable. The best analysis I read of him came from newerascouting.com.

This is what they gave for negatives:

Weaknesses: His competition level helped inflate his stats. Robinson is not a natural playing zone pass coverage. He has stiff hips and doesn't turn directions well. His footwork can be choppy and he can be exposed by quicker backs and receivers. When playing a deeper zone responsibility, he doesn't play as instinctively. When rushing the passer, does not have any well defined pass rush moves. Is not overly muscular and has a bowling-ball type frame that will need leaned out in the NFL. Tends to take too many false steps. Will let blockers get into his body.

You would have to notice that some of the negatives are in contradistinction to all the other scouting reports' positives. That's common in scouting - people see things differently, and a single play can stick in your mind. In general, Robinson is very good at keeping blockers away and his physique at both Texas versus the Nation and at the Combine turned heads. The rest is accurate, though, and there is one other thing that was a consistent concern - he's raw. He needs to learn more technique. One problem with going to a lower-ranked school is that sometimes the coaching isn't as top-level. But the Broncos' is, and we will quickly see how fast he learns. The two things that are constant issues for rookies are the speed and skill of the NFL's players and the need to learn - fast.

Robinson will go to camp and compete against Mario Haggan, Louis Green, and Spencer Larsen. By the end of camp, we will see if his prosperity of potential can turn into a plethora of production. That's why you give them a chance. And all that Robinson has ever asked for is a chance.

The Phinsider placed him in the Best Player You Never Heard Of series.

Lee Robinson (LB-Alcorn State) - Robinson had the defensive play of the practice with a twisting interception snagged out of the air at full extension on a Chase Patton fastball. Robinson showed excellent coordination staying on his feet and turning instantly into a returner after the spectacular pick. He's clearly a tremendous athlete.

Robinson is by far the best athlete of the LBs on either squad, and he uses that edge to make plays. He stayed with speed demon Devin Moore step for step on a deep route, and also stuck to Bernard Scott down the field in backs on backers. He also displayed terrific quickness and drive to penetrate and shoot gaps against the run, and explodes into his tackles. Robinson is definitely one of the best prospects in this game.

Now, he just has to prove it.

Injury Report: Kansas City Chiefs Vs. Denver Broncos

Joel Thorman — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:09 -0000

No surprises on the Chiefs end. I still haven't determined the exact timetable for Brodie Croyle's return (Ed. Note: October 19th). Donnie Edwards may be out longer than one week.

No real surprises on the Broncos end either. Defensive tackles Josh Shaw and Dewayne Robertson didn't practice. Shaw suffered a torn groin is likely out 2-3 weeks but Robertson is expected to be back at practice today and ready to play on Sunday. Several backups will be filling in in a reserve role along the defensive line which should bode well for LJ and Co.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Name	Position	Injury	Status
Patrick Surtain	CB	Shoulder	Limited Practice
Brodie Croyle	QB	Right Shoulder	Out
Donnie Edwards	LB	Ankle	Out

Denver Broncos:

Name	Position	Injury	Status
Darrell Jackson	WR	Calf	Did Not Practice
Dewayne Robertson	DT	Knee	Did Not Practice
Boss Bailey	LB	Ankle	Full Practice
Elvis Dumervil	DE	Finger	Full Practice
Louis Green	LB	Hamstring	Full Practice
Marquand Manuel	S	Thumb	Full Practice
Patrick Ramsey	QB	Right Elbow	Full Practice
Eddie Royal	WR	Ankle	Full Practice
Josh Shaw	DT	Groin	Out
Ryan Torain	RB	Elbow	Out