SB Nation - Al Wilson

Horse Tracks 9/27/09 - Broncos at Raiders today; Stokley and Moreno game-time decisions

Douglas A. Lee — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:00:11 -0000

DB - Matchup: Broncos at Raiders - Broncos TV
Chris Hall looks at today's game, with several sound bites from McD and Co.

DB - A Closer Look: Oakland Raiders - Gray Caldwell

DPP - Gaffney's choice: West was the best - Lindsay Jones
Not only did Jabar Gaffney play for the Gators, but so did his dad and three uncles; his dad played with the Jets for eight years, and his cousin is CB Lito Sheppard. Jabar and Lito were teammates in HS and at UF, and both were drafted early in the 2002 Draft. Heck, Brian Dawkins went to the same high school, as did Iggles legend Harold Carmichael!

DPP - Buckhalter: Winners never quit - Jeff Legwold
Correll Buckhalter has persevered through several major knee injuries, the early loss of his mother, and the incarceration of his brother to make it to his ninth NFL season.

DPP - Buckhalter figures to be used more often - Mike Klis
The playing status of Knowshon Moreno (groin) and Brandon Stokley (thigh) will be game-time decisions today.

DPP - Scouting report: Broncos at Raiders
Klis and Woody think the Raiders will win today

DPP - Q&A: There's more to QB Orton's reads than it may appear - Jeff Legwold

LTC - Change part of Broncos’ identity - Brian Howell

NFL - Injury Reports

TSN - Surprising Broncos look to keep rolling in Oakland

CSG - Broncos' experienced secondary minimizing big plays - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos: Three things to watch against Oakland - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos top 10: Raiders rivalry moments - Frank Schwab

GJS - Jussel: Yes, the Broncos can make it 3 in a row

DPP - Klis: Game comes first in NFL
A look at NFL records and a longer schedule.

INDT - Drew Litton: Raiders Bring the Heat

CT - Ryan takes blame for loss: Browns defensive coordinator says bad blitz call hurt team against Broncos - Scott Petrak

GV - Packer: Leader Wilson made sure to finish what he started
A look at Al Wilson from his alma mater's view

AFC West News

MIJ - Raiders have another crack at a taste of first place - Steve Corkran

OT - Raiders can send Broncos reeling - Jerry McDonald

OT - Raiders poorer for treatment of Gannon - Monte Poole
Can you even IMAGINE being a Raiders fan and trying defend stuff like this? Amazing...

KCS - Haley juggling many responsibilities in first year - Kent Babb

KCS - Pioli’s ego may get in way of building a winner - Jason Whitlock

KCS - Chiefs-Eagles scouting report - Adam Teicher

SDUT - Ball control is biggest Bolts issue - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Numbing rhetoric aside, Turner has got it right - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Pennington has Chargers' number - Tod Leonard

SDUT - Dolphins at Chargers: Five things to watch - Jay Posner

SDUT - Predictions for Chargers vs. Dolphins

NFL News

NYT - For Little Glory, N.F.L. Quality-Control Coaches Learn It All - Greg Bishop

NFL Opinion

NFP - Sunday at the Post - Mike Lombardi
Lombardi thinks Eddie Royal is a mismatch problem in the slot today.

NFP - Weekend notes: Favre will have to make plays - Matt Bowen
There's that B.J. Raji picture again...gets me every time.

PFW - Cowboys' Spencer struggling with pass rush - NFL Whispers
Good news for next week...

Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team Released

John Bena — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:25:36 -0000

via www.sportslogos.net

View full size photo »

The 2009 NFL season marks the 50th anniversary of the Denver Broncos. To commemorate the past while embracing the future, the franchise has allowed its community of fans, an integral part of Broncos Country during the first 50 seasons, the chance to vote for their 50th Anniversary Denver Broncos Team.

From June 6 - Sept. 4, fans had the chance to make their voices heard by casting their votes online at www.DenverBroncos.com. The results are in, and here are the choices:

First-team Offense

QB John Elway

RB Terrell Davis

RB Floyd Little

WR Ed McCaffrey

WR Rod Smith

TE Shannon Sharpe

OT Matt Lepsis

OT Gary Zimmerman

G Keith Bishop

G Mark Schlereth

C Tom Nalen

First-team Defense

DE Simon Fletcher

DE Rich Jackson

DT Trevor Pryce

DT Rubin Carter

LB Karl Mecklenburg

LB Randy Gradishar

LB Tom Jackson

CB Champ Bailey

CB Louis Wright

S Steve Atwater

S Dennis Smith

First-team Specialists

K Jason Elam

P Tom Rouen

Ret Rick Upchurch

The first team will be honored in person during halftime of the team's Legacy Game on Oct. 11 when the New England Patriots visit INVESCO Field at Mile High. In addition, one lucky voter will have the opportunity to join the 50th Anniversary Team during this ceremony. That winner will be announced at a later date.

The voting process was made possible by the Broncos' online marketing partner, Akavit - the principle digital agency behind DenverBroncos.com and BroncosCountry.com. The interactive voting tool featured the Broncos' history and highlights spanning the past 50 seasons through the use of video and additional multimedia. Each player was represented by their respective biography, statistics and photographs.

Along with the first team, the Broncos are also announcing a 50th Anniversary second team.

The second team-offense has Craig Morton lining up at quarterback, with Otis Armstrong and Sammy Winder at running back, Haven Moses and Lionel Taylor at wide receiver, and Riley Odoms at tight end. Rounding out the unit is the offensive line of Ken Lanier and Dave Studdard at offensive tackle, Ben Hamilton and Paul Howard at guard and Billy Bryan at center.

The second-team defense has a line of Rulon Jones and Alfred Williams at defensive end, and Greg Kragen and Paul Smith at defensive tackle. Al Wilson, Bill Romanowski and D.J. Williams are at linebacker. Ray Crockett and Willie Brown are the second-team cornerbacks, while Steve Foley and Goose Gonsoulin round out the defense at safety.

The second-team specialists are Jim Turner at kicker, Mike Horan at punter, and Billy Thompson at returner.

Horse Tracks 7/23/09 - Broncos sign draft choices Quinn, McKinley; Happy Birthday, David Bruton!

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:42:05 -0000

DP - Broncos sign two, including second-round pick Quinn
Richard Quinn and Kenny McKinley have reached contract agreements, leaving seven players yet to be signed.

DP - Ayers says he expects to be signed before camp - Jeff Legwold

DP - Jury's ruling big for Bronco
Klis looks at the court case and possible suspension facing Brandon Marshall, including the not-so-pretty details of the police report.

DB - 2009 Position Previews: Defensive Line
Gray Caldwell looks at the Broncos' D-Linemen and the switch to Mike Nolan's D. Honestly, it seems every year we read/hear guys saying "It's much more fun to play in this system," or that "It's exciting to have all these new faces in the locker room." Personally, I'd rather hear, "I think this new defense is really going to work." Hopefully McDaniels doesn't believe in the "hire a new DC every year" strategy we've been accustomed to. Most interestingly, Marcus Thomas is putting on weight to play NT.

DB - 50th Anniversary Team: Defense
Highlights of the best defenders in Broncos history. Obviously, not a whole lot of recent footage.

DB - Contagious Enthusiasm
For what it's worth, Jim Saccomano says he's never seen so much enthusiasm and excitement throughout the Broncos organization.

NFP - Red in the face - Ray Gustini
Gustini takes a tongue-firmly-in-cheek look at what Shanny knows about the Broncos but isn't saying due to his contract provision. It's pretty funny stuff.

FP - sports briefs
Al Wilson is chairing a golf tournament in TN to help people with disabilities.

TL - NFL's Clark Talks of Mentoring Program
Former Broncos TE Desmond Clark is helping to mentor Florida's youth with his after-school program.

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Precamp analysis: RBs

KCS - Five keys for the Chiefs heading into camp

NFL - Vikings, CB Winfield nearing agreement on contract extension

Y! - Judge to rule by Aug. 7 in Vikings suspensions

NFL - Harbaugh 'optimistic' that WR Mason will forgo retirement, rejoin Ravens

Y! - Deputy: No plans to investigate Roethlisberger

ESPN - AFC East training camp preview

ESPN - NFC East training camp preview

ESPN - Winners, losers from 2008 NFC West drafts

CBS - Training camp battles: AFC North - Pete Prisco

Scout - Pre-Training Camp Issues: Minnesota Vikings

NFP - A make or break year for Bills - Matt Bowen

SI - Derrick Mason's abrupt retirement leaves Ravens hanging - Ross Tucker

NFP - Diner morning news: (Rex) Ryan’s rookie season - Mike Lombardi

NFL - With 0-16 still a fresh memory, Marinelli moving on with Bears - Thomas George

NFL - Vick met with NFLPA leader Smith on Tuesday, union executive says

NFP - Wednesday whys: Vick has his options - Andrew Brandt

PFW - Testing Vick’s remorse shouldn’t be brief process - Dan Parr

NYT - Vick as a Quarterback? He’s Underrated - Brian Burke

Y! - Greatest players never to make the Super Bowl - Jason Cole

NFL - Hall recall: (Bruce) Smith was always a man among boys - Gil Brandt

PFW - Former Hercules still doing battle
Former Stiller Carlton Haselrig is trying his hand at MMA.

Y! - Harrison's accuser shot again in Philadelphia

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: North Carolina State - Wes Bunting

Talking Points: why Chase Rettig has only two offers

Joel — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:51:57 -0000

Tennessee football

Clausen on Rettig and Scroggins. Casey Clausen thinks as much of Chase Rettig as any of the other elite QBs he's seen. So why does Rettig only hold offers from Boston College and Tennessee? A difficult junior season in which most of his receivers went down with injuries. His team was 1-9 in a running-based offense while the other Elites were putting up big QB numbers and winning.

So what does Clausen think of Scroggins? "I like him. High rising senior. He's got a good arm. Good kid. Real bright kid. I think he's got a real bright future."
Life is found in the one extra effort. Al Wilson, who's holding a football camp this Friday (Fulmer will make an appearance), knows the power of the follow up question:
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" he asked a boy. "A football player," the boy grinned. "How are you going to get there?" challenged Wilson.

Tennessee basketball

Bruce Pearl's raise wasn't quite as much as some thought it might be after the whole nightmare scenario earlier this year, but a 9.5% raise that averages out to $2.32M per year over the next six years ain't bad. There's great wisdom in maneuvering into a second- or third-best salary in any given group and being content with it.

SEC

Calipari's Memphis, Calipari's Kentucky. A Sea of Blue compares last year's Memphis team under Calipari to last year's Kentucky team and concludes:
So the question isn't, "Can Calipari teach these guys his offensive system in a timely fashion," rather it's, "Can Calipari get these guys to rebound and play defense with purpose?"
Prove it. You know, one of the best things about blogs is that they have the space and notion to second-guess and then actually analyze throwaway comments from national media without the space or inclination to do so. Year2 at Team Speed Kills actually looks at the numbers to determine the accuracy of the common statement that Mark Richt does best when expectations are low. Consider the comment to be revised to this:
If you want to boil it down to the most simplest, you get something like this: when Georgia has been picked to win the East, it has not done so; when it has not been picked to win the East, it has done so three of six times.
That's some basis for the more general comment about Richt and expectations, I guess, but Year2 points out that it's really not that simple. Go read the whole thing.
He's this close to Tebow. In a list of SEC quarterbacks, Jonathan Crompton is only one below Tim Tebow. Of course, it's EDSBS's list of SEC QBs you'd want in a bar fight, and Tebow and Crompton are Nos. 11 and 12, but hey.
ESS-EEE-SEE. The Rivalry, Esq. takes on the question of whether SEC fans love football more than Big 10 fans. No real conclusions here, but an interesting read.

NCAA/Other

Sporting News's Brian Cook served an FOI request on the entire country and uncovered a variety of amusing (and fictional) secondary violations.
Team Speed Kills has a recap of Tuesday's BCS hearings on Capitol Hill.
And the Valley Shook gives Jason Whitlock a good and proper Fisking for his recent column on Steve McNair.
GVX has rolled out its new design and IT'S BLACK!

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 7/1/09 - Piling on BMarsh

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:36:52 -0000

DB - Not Your Quinn-tessential Rookie
Chris Gentilviso profiles rookie tight end Richard Quinn, who is learning Josh McDaniels' offense with plenty of help from Daniel Graham. McDaniels praises Quinn's ability to catch passes and block in the running and passing games.

DB - A New Transition
Zach Eisendrath profiles rookie WR Kenny McKinley, who Steve Spurrier calls the best wideout he's ever coached. Like Quinn, McKinley has been leaning on someone familiar with Josh McDaniels' offense - fellow Spurrier product Jabar Gaffney.

KMGH - Brandon Marshall To Police: I Hate Denver
BMarsh apparently has expressed his wishes to leave Denver before the recent trade request; the police report obtained from his DUI arrest quotes him saying "I hate Denver. I hope I get traded. I hate this f____ city." BMarsh also apparently asked the arresting officers, "Why aren't you guys out looking for (Darrent) Williams' killer?" Included is a link to a copy of the police report. Keep in mind - he was drunk.

NFP - Five offensive players who may surprise
Matt Bowen thinks Kyle Orton was misplaced in the Chicago offense and expects bigger things out of him in Josh McDaniels' system.

WBIR - Former Vol captain Al Wilson back in Knoxville
AL Wilson is in TN for his football camp and to meet with kids at the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs.

KCS - Young Chiefs lineman Albert is trying to be a leader - Kent Babb

KCS - Construction set to begin on Chiefs training camp site

NFL - Northcutt is a Lion after trade with Jaguars finalized

NFL - Patriots LB Bruschi hasn't decided on playing future beyond '09 season

NFL - Rookies attending symposium have many fresh examples of what not to do - Steve Wyche
This year's NFL rookies don't need skits to show them examples of major screw-ups; they just have to look at the cases of VIck, Burress and Stallworth.

NFP - Diner morning news: Run, Indy, run - Mike Lombardi

CBS - End silly debate, Detroit: Stafford should start right away - Pete Prisco

SI - Ray Lewis among last of dying breed of middle linebackers in NFL - John P. Lopez

NFL - Albert the greatest on this list of NFL's top defensive tackles
Bucky Brooks breaks down his top-5 DTs.

NFP - Two paths to becoming an agent - Jack Bechta

NFP - Madden 10 player ratings: winners and losers - Ray Gustini
Elvis Dumervil took a BIG hit in this year's Madden ratings.

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Illinois - Wes Bunting

Talking Points: Some Tennessee fans prefer losing in white jerseys over winning in black

Joel — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:54:36 -0000

Tennessee football

None more black. It's becoming increasingly apparent that black jerseys are somewhere in our immediate future, especially now that Al Wilson says it's okay. But 7 of 22 fans are opposed to black even if it guaranteed 10 wins? What, exactly, are they fans of? By the way, Wilson walks the fine line perfectly between appreciation of coaches Fulmer and Chavis and the embracing of the new regime. Gotta love that guy.
Tennessee adds nearly thirteen feet to its offensive line. Offensive linemen Zach Fulton (6'5", 305 pounds) and Marques Pair (6'6", 255-pounds) committed to Tennessee yesterday. Now if only they had someone to pass block for.
Bruuuuuuuce! Missed this last week, but In the Bleachers has a podcast interview of Bruce Feldman, who apparently talks a bit of Tennessee during the thing.

Tennessee basketball

Oh, for more eligibility. Former Tennessee basketball guard JaJuan Smith hit a game-winning three-pointer from the corner with 2.6 seconds remaining to get his News Sentinel team the win over First Tennessee in the Pilot Rocky Top League last night.

SEC

ESPN's got a great behind-the-scenes look at the filming of The Blind Side. Many of the scenes were ad-libbed by the coaches rather than scripted. For instance, the coaches were told in one scene to simply give their standard recruiting pitch within a certain time frame, and Ed Orgeron "came out of his seat and forearmed the couch." Exaggeration, perhaps, but you never know with the O. The thing even gave Tommy Tuberville the opportunity for one last shot at Nick Saban: "It was a good time. They weren't asking us to play a bad guy or anything. Of course, I'm sure Nick had a hard time doing that."
A Sea of Blue has more on Calipari's dribble drive motion offense as a recruiting tool.
Dawg Sports's taunting in the SEC provides clues on how to get under the Georgia fan's foldy hide.
CFN's preview of LSU is out.

NCAA/Other

This is what success looks like.
Big 10 Bloggers' Preseason Awards, from Lake the Posts.
Over the Pylon's got some more numbers and more dollars.

Poll

Black jerseys, yay or nay?

Yay

68 votes

Yay, but only if it means more wins

36 votes

Nay

85 votes

189 votes | Poll has closed

Horse Tracks 6/29/09 - No news is definitely good news.

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:29:52 -0000

Happy Monday, MHR Friends! Nothing Broncos-centric today, as we've officially entered the dead of summer. It's actually kind of a relief, isn't it? Hopefully the BMarsh situation will just cool down over the next month, he'll be at camp in a month and everything will be hunky-dory. We can dream, right? I'll use today to catch up on a bunch of PFW stories and ESPN's recap of the decade. There's some interesting stuff there, but I can't help but think - why all this wrap-up-the-decade stuff when it's not even over yet?

NFP - Sunday at the Post
Mike Lombardi says he looks to Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling for writing inspiration. He doubts MIke Brown has much left to offer the Chefs, and he points out that JaMarcus The Hutt disappeared after calling for his teammates to practice after OTAs. Wow, where was that story?!

SI - Trent Green on Michael Vick, Brett Favre, concussions, more NFL
Freshly into retirement, Trent Green steps in for PKing and does a nice job with his Monday column.

NFL - Rookie symposium offers chance to pass knowledge on to NFL youth - Steve Wyche
Eddie Royal was one of the speakers at the rookie symposium; if only the rest of the league displayed his maturity and humility..

NFL - Bills owner not eager to add extra regular-season games in Toronto

NFL - Campbell confident he can prove himself to be right man for the job - Thomas George

Power rankings: Best, worst teams of decade - NFC West - ESPN
Denver ranks 11th on ESPN's power rankings for the decade, although that is clearly on the strength of their regular-season record alone.

ESPN - Best of the best: Top 25 players this decade
Champ ranks #6 here.

ESPN - All-decade offense: Brady leads packed roster

ESPN - All-decade defense: Strahan, Taylor stand out
Champ Bailey is the Broncos' lone representative on ESPN's all-decade team.

ESPN - All-decade special teams: Overlooked stars

ESPN - All-decade moments: Manning-to-Tyree tops list

ESPN - Patriots sweep all-decade team, coach, MVP

ESPN Insider - Derrick Mason and Aaron Smith are among the most underrated NFL players of the decade
Football Outsiders breaks down the 25 most underrated players of the past decade, including Matt Lepsis and Al Wilson.

ESPN Insider - Michael Vick and DeShaun Foster are among the most overrated NFL players of the decade
Football Outsiders ranks the 25 most overrated players of the past decade, which includes the Broncos' punters, Travis Henry and Simeon Rice.

PFW - What can Brown do for Indianapolis?
Dan Waters profiles Colts rookie RB Donald Brown, drafted in the first round out of UConn.

PFW - Holmes working hard to capitalize on heroics
Seth Gruen on the MVP of last year's Super Bowl.

PFW - Bengals' Rivers looking to make bigger impact - Mike Wilkening

PFW - Saints' McCray says he'll win starting job - Dan Parr

Colts players really like new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:26:34 -0000

Larry Coyer as Tampa Bay's Assistant Head Coach last season.

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Coaching football is all I want to do. I don't want to do anything else. I don't want to take time away from this game. I love this game. And I love coaching.

Larry Coyer said that back in January 2007, days after he was surprised by a call from then-Denver Broncos President and Head Football Coach Mike Shanahan informing Coyer he had been fired. Today, Mike Shanahan is mercifully unemployed, fired from his duties as head man in Denver after years of bad head football coaching and even worse personnel moves. Meanwhile, Larry Coyer has found a home in Indy, and his new players seem to very much like the change this old career coach has brought to the Colts.

To understand Coyer, look to further than his resume. It's a mile long. The resume stretches back to 1976, when he was a defensive coach at Iowa and had a young defensive back there by the name of Jim Caldwell. Today, Jim Caldwell is his boss as the new head coach of the Colts. And together, Coyer and Caldwell are working to rejuvenate a fast and talented Colts defense that was decimated by injuries in 2008.

Unlike other coordinators, Coyer does not think the defensive coordinator spot is one that reviews and critiques the jobs of the postions coaches beneath him. If anything, Coyer is the kind of guy who thinks a coordinator should be actually involved with the postiion coaches. From his 2007 interview:

Sometimes, when you're walking around as a "coordinator" you get perceived as a "critic at large." I don't like that. You need to be in there with everybody.

While at Denver from 2000-2002, Coyer coached the linebackers, helping the Broncos develop players like Al wilson and John Mobley. In 2002, he was promoted to defensive coordinator, but retained his linebacking position duties. This suited Coyer, as he felt it connected him more with players and staff:

It was difficult being a coordinator and coaching linebackers, but it also put you in a game. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but I think when you are coaching a position and you have a title like "coordinator," everybody is on equal footing. You're all accountable. I think sometimes when you become the coordinator you become the critic. And that's not the way I wanted to be because we are all together. This is a game of loyalty.

Coyer takes a lot of pride in loyalty, it seems; loyalty with players, coaches, and team staff. He also brings 44 years of football knowledge with him to Indianapolis, and already players are picking his brain about this and that:

Gary Brackett:

"Larry has a lot of energy. He’s an older gentleman, but he has a wealth of football knowledge," Brackett said. "You’re just blown away every time you meet with him. You’d better have a notebook because there will be a lot being said."

Bob Sanders:

"There's a lot of excitement," Sanders said Sunday, the final day of the team's 2009 mini-camp. "[Coyer's] a smart, intelligent coach. We're excited to have him here."

Dwight Freeney:

[Larry's] older. But he has a lot of experience and a lot of energy; new energy. And sometimes, change is a good thing.

As I have often noted, I cannot recall layers like Gary, Bob, or Dwight making such glowing statements about former defensive coordinator Ron Meeks. In the seven years Meeks coached Indy's defense, I cannot recall one comment from a player saying something similar to what players are now saying about Larry Coyer, and Coyer has only been on the job for a few months. That does not necessarily mean Ron Meeks was terrible, but those players very rarely said anything about him, good or bad. The praise often went to Dungy, or to their position coaches. It never went to Meeks.

Now, with Coyer as a coordinator and not as a coordinator and a position coach, he must work with a staff compromised of people who once worked for Meeks and Dungy. Alan Williams (secondary coach), Mike Murphy (linebackers coach), and John Teerlinck (defensive line coach) are all remaining, and Coyer must work with them and avoid becoming what he dislikes: A critic at large. All three position coaches command tremendous respect with the players, Teerlinck especially. Coyer and Teerlinck once worked together in Denver from 2000-2001. Teerlinck coached the defensive line while Coyer coached the linebackers.

The other challenge Coyer faces is improving a defense that has significant trouble getting off the field on third down. From John Oehser:

[Indy Star writer Mike Chappelle] also noted that the Colts’ offense averaged a league-low 10 possessions a game the past seven seasons, which was nearly two fewer than the league average. The Colts have had the fewest possessions in each of the past four seasons.

The reason the Colts offense averaged a league-low 10 possessions a game is because Indy's defense (according to stats work by our own mgrex03) was tied for dead last in 2008 in third down defense. the Colts defense, quite simply, could not get opponents off the field. We saw this in the Chicago Bears game, the first Jacksonville Jaguars game, the first Tennessee Titans game, and many more such games in 2008.

With the talent coyer has at his disposal, the key stat for him and his staff in 2009 is improving Indy's third down defense while, at the same time, keeping his positive energy high as he works the Colts players into this new "tweaked" Tampa 2 scheme.

Talking points: Jake Heaps to BYU

Joel — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:45:08 -0000

Tennessee football

Jake Heaps is reportedly going to BYU.
Feature post on Jesse Scroggins coming up at 8:00.
Clay Travis suggests that fans don't really care whether their teams' players get arrested and notes that it's a really good thing for the Gators that Tim Tebow plays for Florida. Clay also just turned 30, and getting a lawnmower for his birthday has given him some bizarre ideas.
There's apparently a decent chance that we could see orange and crimson jerseys on the field at once this Third Saturday in October.
QB prospect Chase Rettig has ties to former UT QB Casey Clausen.
Al Wilson is hosting a football camp -- Camp Explosion -- and the article about the thing includes the following fantastic quotes:
Former UT tight end Neil Johnson once said of Wilson: "Al Wilson was so tough, if he slapped your mother, you'd ask your mother what she did to deserve it.''

. . . .

"Dang it Al, this is a non-contact drill! How many times do I have to tell you that!'' former UT defensive coordinator John Chavis yelled more than once during the 1998 practices.

SEC

The SEC has two really good QBs and a bunch of unknowns for 2009.

Just for fun

The Top 10 sports movie quotes to use while watching sports.