SB Nation - Josh Bell

Missing Al Harris In The Packers' Secondary

Brandon — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:25 -0000

by Gene Puskar - AP

I had been surprised at how well the Green Bay Packers' pass defense had held up in the first 3 games after CB Al Harris was lost for season with a torn ACL. But then came Big Ben and his 503 yards of passing offense. What happened against Pittsburgh that didn't happen in the previous three games?

Opponents: In the first three games without Harris, they played the Lions, Ravens, and Bears. Neither the Lions or Bears can throw the ball. The Ravens have a good pass offense, but RB Ray Rice is a large part of their passing success. The Ravens' don't have a dangerous wide receiver or tight end.

The loss of Harris against the Steelers hurt in the case of WR Santonio Holmes. He was covered for most of the game by CB Charles Woodson. But in past games, if a receiver was having a big game, such as TE Vernon Davis did back in November, the Packers could adjust and cover him with Woodson. But against the Steelers, the Packers couldn't make any adjustments. Woodson had to stay on Holmes or WR Hines Ward, and they had to rely on the recently signed CB Josh Bell. The additional losses of likely dime CB Pat Lee and backup CB Will Blackmon earlier in the season have robbed this unit of its depth, and Mike McCarthy said that "changing personnel frankly is not an option."

But the Steelers also presented another unique problem: they have four very good receivers. According to Football Outsiders, Ward, Holmes and WR Mike Wallace are all ranked among the Top 30 wide receivers. Also, TE Heath Miller is ranked in the Top 10 for tight ends. That's four receivers that deserve respect, and RB Rashard Mendenhall took advantage of that respect to find himself wide open a couple of times.

I'm not even talking about playoffs. The Packers have to win their next two games and then I'll talk about the playoffs. But looking at the rest of the schedule, expect to read stories about how well the Packers' pass defense responded to the poor game in Pittsburgh. Next up is the Seahawks, who's best receiver according to Football Outsiders is WR Nate Burleson, and he's likely out for the season. The Cardinals are more of a challenge but if they at least rest WR Larry Fitzgerald, he played through a knee injury last week, then their best receiver is WR Steve Breaston at No. 26 according to FO. Those are matchups the Packers can handle with their starters.

As far as next season goes, I would love to see them draft a defensive back in the 1st round who could play at cornerback or safety, and also push CB Jarrett Bush off the roster. Then draft an offensive tackle in the 2nd round as either a successor to LT Chad Clifton, or just provide them with better depth.

On The Packers 37-36 Loss To The Steelers

Brandon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Gene Puskar - AP

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I already ran through a brief recap of the Green Bay Packers' end of regulation loss in Pittsburgh. The more I think about the loss, the more I'm OK with it. The Steelers didn't expose any new weaknesses. It showed that they have lousy special teams (missed FG), CB Jarrett Bush can't cover anyone (in fact, we can't trust anyone in the secondary in coverage beyond the starting 4 of Williams, Bigby, Collins, and Woodson), and LB A.J. Hawk is lousy in pass coverage. None of these things are surprises. They are still the same team they were during their 5 game winning streak, and as long as QB Aaron Rodgers keeps playing great, they can beat anyone at any time.

The Packers are still in the lead for the wild card spot. Just win the next two games, and they control their own destiny.

This loss reminded me of the inexplicable November loss in 1997 against the Indianapolis Colts, when a great Packers' defense had a breakdown against a struggling offense. The Packers went on to play Denver in the Super Bowl that year, and I'm sure everyone remembers how it went. It's not a perfect comparison because the 1997 Colts were 1-10, and they probably don't remind anyone of the 2009 Steelers.

There were only 5 injuries during the game (LB Nick Barnett, RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings, LT Chad Clifton, LB Brad Jones) and all 5 returned during the game. Barnett had the scariest injury, his knee buckled under him without any contact, but he was obviously able to shake it off.

New dime CB Josh Bell, signed back on November 24th, has apparently entered the SS Derrick Martin memorial dog house of blown assignments. Unfortunately there aren't many options to turn to. Rookie CB Brandon Underwood has been battling a hip injury, and maybe (big maybe) he could play better if he can return soon. From Greg Bedard at JSOnline.com:

On the final Steelers touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace, CB Josh Bell was supposed to play underneath Wallace at all costs. Packers had three deep safeties on the play.

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Stunned On Steelers TD With No Time Left On The Clock, 37-36

Brandon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

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Emotionally I was all over the place while watching this game. After the Steelers scored on their first play of the game, I thought it wasn't the Packers day. Then they kept trading scores, which made me think the game could go either way, and finally the Packers scored on a TD pass to WR James Jones with 2 minutes left to play. It seemed like they had the Steelers stopped a couple times, deep in their own territory and then around midfield, but they ended up giving the Steelers too many second chances on that final drive.

This was a great game from QB Aaron Rodgers. He threw for 3 TDs and ran for another. He committed no turnovers, and overcame weak pass protection and dropped passes early in the game. RB Ryan Grant had a long TD run, but that was about all the backs provided. In their defense, it appeared that it was the Packers' game plan all along to go with pass heavy strategy (their first 6 plays were all passes).

The special teams had another forgettable game. They didn't have a kick return longer than 25 yards against the worst kick coverage team in the NFL, though the Steelers were trying to kick the ball away from WR Jordy Nelson for some reason. And K Mason Crosby had another missed FG, though it might have been more a poor hold by P Jeremy Kapinos instead of a poor kick by Crosby.

As for the 503 yards passing allowed by the usually great pass defense, the Steelers got big yardage against the weak links in the Packers defense. LB A.J. Hawk was abused early by TE Heath Miller. CB Jarrett Bush got abused early, late, and in-between by WR Mike Wallace, WR Hines Ward, and nearly anybody he covered. Due to injuries in the secondary, recently signed CB Josh Bell was forced into coverage as the dime back, and he failed late when he allowed the game losing TD reception. There are no solutions to this problem, due to injuries throughout the season these are the players they've got, but hopefully they aren't as exposed like this again.

It would have been better for a win, I'm not going to feel safe until it's official they've locked up a wild card spot, but it's obviously not a mortal blow. They still control their own destiny, if win their remaining two games then they're in, and they now have a week 17 matchup with a Cardinals team that just clinched the NFC West division title. Now it's time to forget about this close loss and get ready for the Seahawks next week.

Cornerbacks: Charles Woodson and Mike McKenzie

Brandon — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:00:37 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

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The awards keep coming in for CB Charles Woodson. He's already been named NFC defensive player of the week, and it's been reported by the Journal-Sentinel and the Press-Gazette, that he'll be named NFC defensive player of the month too.

Pro Football Talk reported that the Green Bay Packers wanted CB Mike McKenzie too, but he chose to sign with the Saints instead. He grabbed an INT in his first game back for the Saints. As for the rumor that the Packers wanted McKenzie, but apparently settled for signing CB Josh Bell instead, I don't expect that's the whole story. Maybe they did actually contact McKenzie's agent, but the whole article written by Mike Florio is without a link to another source. And Florio hasn't proven to be the most reliable source of information.

Practice Squad: Packers Sign TE Tom Crabtree

Brandon — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:16:30 -0000

The Green Bay Packers just announced the signing of TE Tom Crabtree to the practice squad.

The big news here is that they didn't sign a cornerback to replace CB Trevor Ford, who was recently promoted to the active roster. Despite the loss of CB Al Harris, the other recent signing of CB Josh Bell meant they didn't need another DB. There was a rumor about them bringing back CB Joe Porter, but apparently that came to nothing.

As for Crabtree, he's been on-and-off the Chiefs practice squad a couple times this season. Over at Arrowhead Pride, Joel Thorman came across impressed with Crabtree's performance in the Chiefs final preseason game. On the other hand, Crabtree was ranked 62 out of 88 TEs available in the 2009 NFL draft. But as you can probably learn from any draft bust, it doesn't matter as much how good you looked during the pre-draft workouts as how you play once you get to the NFL. He doesn't fill a need, and certainly won't make it onto the active roster this season, but it appears he has good hands and football smarts. He should make a nice addition to the practice squad.

Up From The Practice Squad: CB Trevor Ford

Brandon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:18:08 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

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Although the Green Bay Packers just signed free agent CB Josh Bell, they decided to also promote CB Trevor Ford from the practice squad to the active roster. I don't know why Ford was needed now, but my best guess is that there's enough inexperience in the secondary that they might have to bench an ineffective player. Plus there have been enough signings of cornerbacks over the past week, and the Packers have already lost two players off the practice squad this season to the Bills, that they may have felt it's safer to keep Ford on the active roster where he can't be swiped.

If you didn't watch the final preseason game in Tennessee, you missed watching Ford get burned earlier and often in pass coverage. But he appears to be a sure tackler, and good in run support, so maybe with some safety help, he could be adequate in coverage, if needed. But I expect he'll be inactive for the Thursday's game.

2009 Denver Broncos -- Breaking Down The Roster -- Cornerbacks

Ted Bartlett — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:30:09 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 months ago: Denver Broncos rookie cornerback Alphonso Smith takes part in drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The cornerback position has reputedly been a strength of the Broncos since 2004, when Champ Bailey was acquired in a trade for Clinton Portis. Of course, that has never really fully been the case. Bailey struggled somewhat in that 2004 season, and his accompaniment at the position was terrible. I am sure we all remember the complete coverage debacle against the Colts in the January 2005 playoffs. In 2005, to make up for the shortcoming, the Broncos drafted Darrent Williams, Domonique Foxworth, and Karl Paymah, landing a very good player who tragically died much too soon, an average player who is a very bright and upstanding guy, and a total stiff who has never figured out the NFL game.

The 2006 Broncos were pretty strong in coverage, and following Darrent Williams' tragic murder, the Broncos traded for Dre' Bly. The combination of Bailey and Bly looked to be outstanding on paper, but Bly struggled in 2007, and Bailey spent most of 2008 injured, (though Bly played a lot better than he was given credit for, in Bailey's absence in 2008).

Once again, the CB position appears to be one of strength for the Broncos. This is the best collection of talent at the position that the Broncos have ever had at one time, in their history. With some luck in the health department, and some pass rush, this group could force a lot of turnovers, and allow very few big plays in the passing game and perimeter run game. After the jump, we'll go through the individual personnel, and discuss some reasons Broncos fans should be so excited about this group.

Champ Bailey

#24 / Cornerback / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-0

Weight: 192

Born: Jun 22, 1976

College: Georgia

Contract: 3/3/2004: Signed a seven-year, $63 million contract. The deal contains $23 million guaranteed, including an $18 million signing bonus. 2009: $6.5 million (+ $2 million roster bonus due 3/3), 2010: $9.5 million, 2011: Free Agent. Cap charge: $13.669 million (2009).

Champ Bailey is an 8-time Pro Bowl selection, and 6-time All-Pro. We're not exactly breaking new news when we say that the guy is good. In his injury-plagued 2008 season, Champ started all nine games in which he appeared, recording 44 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 passes defensed.

Some MSM pundits (as always, meant negatively) are really overselling the dubious "Champ-has-lost-a-step" theory. When healthy, Champ is still the most dangerous CB in the NFL. The reason he holds that distinction over Nnamdi Asomugha is that given Champ's rare preference for playing off coverage, he often baits QBs into throwing the ball to his side when they really shouldn't. No CB is better than Champ at catching the football, recognizing or playing the run, or at making solid form tackles. It's easy to forget how good he really is, since he was hurt most of last season, but Champ is one of the very best all-around players in the NFL. We have every reason to expect a full return to Champ's dominating form this season. Just think back to his somewhat banged-up/disappointing first year in Denver (2004), and how outstanding he was in 2005.

In 2009, expect Champ to come back with a vengeance, and to shut up all of the whispering. He probably won't assume the vocal leadership presence on the defense that some have been calling for for years, but with Brian Dawkins in the fold now, that need is significantly lessened.

Andre' Goodman

#21 / Cornerback / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-10

Weight: 190

Born: Aug 11, 1978

College: South Carolina

Contract: 3/1/2009: Signed a five-year, $20.4 million contract. The deal includes $9.8 million guaranteed. Another $4.8 million is available through incentives based on Goodman playing 75% of the defensive snaps. 2009-2013: Under Contract, 2014: Free Agent

Out of all of the personnel moves the Broncos made this offseason, the Andre' Goodman signing is probably the one which I liked the best. Most people don't nearly realize how outstanding this guy was for the Dolphins last season. I watched at least 8 full Dolphins games last season, and Goodman was definitely one of the 10 best CBs in the NFL in 2008. This is the guy who held Brandon Marshall to 2 catches for 16 years, and was in his jersey the entire game. Remember how frustrated Brandon was in that game? In 2008, Andre' started all 16 games for the Dolphins, recording 39 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 19 passes defensed (a very high number).

A physical and athletic CB, with very good ball skills, Goodman is a late-bloomer who seems to be just entering his prime as a player, despite his age. He has low mileage, partly due to a history of shoulder injuries. If Goodman can stay healthy, he will pleasantly surprise most fans, and he'll be very hard to beat on the opposite side of Champ Bailey. He's not quite the most active run-defender, but he's better at it than Dre' Bly or Domonique Foxworth ever were. Goodman is tremendous in zone coverage, which I expect we'll see a lot of from the Broncos this season, given Champ Bailey's preference for it, as well.

If Goodman can replicate his 2008 play in the Mile High City, the Broncos have two legitimate #1 CBs, something no other NFL team can claim. His signing has a tremendous amount of upside, and represents terrific value for the relatively small dollar amount which he signed for.

Alphonso Smith

#33 / Cornerback / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-9

Weight: 193

Born: Oct 20, 1985

College: Wake Forest

Contract: Not yet signed, expect a 4-year, approximately $5 million deal, projected from a 10% raise on 2008 #37 pick Curtis Lofton's 4-year, $4.578 million deal

On Draft Day, I posted "I love Alphonso Smith!!!!" on the front page, and as time has passed, I've only come to appreciate him more and more. This guy is a playmaker, and he is one of the quickest and most explosive CBs out of his breaks that you'll ever see. All this stuff about his 40 time being average, and him being too short is garbage, and it comes from people who don't know what they're talking about. Watch some film of Wake Forest over the last four years, and I guarantee that #2 will jump off the screen at you. He was also tremendous at the Senior Bowl.

Smith combines the rare fluidity and quickness, which I mentioned before, with great hands, and a real penchant for hitting. He comes from an excellently-coached Wake Forest program, where, as a matter of stated policy, all players redshirt as freshmen, and nearly all stay in the program for 5 years, as Alphonso did. He is more mentally and physically mature than the large majority of his rookie counterparts.

I strongly believe that Alphonso Smith will be a terrific addition to the team, both as a rookie, and for years to come. He was a legitimate mid first-round caliber player, and the Broncos got him in the early part of the second round. This season, he should win the nickelback job, and do a great job in covering opposing slot receivers. In the future, I expect Alphonso Smith to be in the mix for making the Pro Bowl most years, because he'll always be near the top of the NFL in interceptions.

Jack Williams

#26 / Cornerback / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-9

Weight: 185

Born: Mar 27, 1985

College: Kent State

Contract: 7/22/2008: Signed a four-year, $2.157 million contract. The deal included a $452,000 signing bonus. 2009: $385,000, 2010: $470,000, 2011: $555,000, 2012: Free Agent

Jack Williams came to the Broncos amid high hopes last season, as a 4th-round pick from Kent State. He didn't play very much (or very well) as a rookie, once the preseason ended, so those expectations were largely unmet. With his surname and short stature (the 5-9 listing above is probably 2 inches generous), fans hoped he would remind them of Darrent Williams. Jack appeared in 14 games as a rookie, and made 13 tackles.

Jack is feisty and quick, but he's not as talented as the 3 players who will ultimately be ahead of him on the depth chart. He can, however, be a good 4th CB, and a solid contributor on special teams. He is probably facing a battle in camp with the somewhat more experienced Josh Bell. (If you think not all experience is positive, Bell's may not be an advantage). With Darcel McBath able to swing between Safety and Cornerback, don't be surprised if the Broncos only keep 4 full-time CBs when the roster is finalized. JMFW should be the fourth one of them, but he'll have to earn his spot, because this regime has nothing invested in him.

Josh Bell

#25 / Cornerback / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-11

Weight: 177

Born: Jan 08, 1985

College: Baylor

Contract: 2009: $385,000, 2010: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Josh Bell played in 9 games last season, with 5 starts. He made 34 tackles and had 4 passes defensed. Truth be told, he wasn't very good as a rookie, but he tried hard, and occasionally, he would flash some promise. He has a hard-worker's chance of making the team this season, but out of the top six CBs (including McBath) he is definitely the least talented of the six.

Others

DJ Johnson and Tony Carter appear to probably be training camp roster-filler. Darcel McBath's positional versatilty allows the Broncos to keep 4 true safeties, and 4 true CBs, and probably means that Jack Williams, Josh Bell, and Josh Barrett are battling it out for 2 roster spots.

Position Outlook

With good health in the secondary, average soundness in run defense, and any pass rush at all, the Broncos can be in the top 10 in the NFL in pass defense. This is a huge departure from last season, when they were functionally the worst in the NFL.

We're not able to be very sure about the coverage schemes which Mike Nolan will employ, but it is safe to assume that they'll be better than the Slowik special (CB covers with outside leverage, and repeatedly gets beaten to the inside, when the LB or S doesn't get to his spot in the zone concept).

Champ Bailey, Andre' Goodman, and Alphonso Smith are all tremendous talents, and this position group (along with Safety) is a key reason that most people are underrating the Broncos' chances to be solid on defense in 2009, and to dramatically overperform all this 4-12, doom and gloom, nay-saying.

Poll

Which young DB will fail to make the team in 2009?

Josh Barrett

78 votes

Jack Williams

133 votes

Josh Bell

344 votes

All three will make it

101 votes

More than one of them get cut

138 votes

794 votes | Poll has closed

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

Broncos Dreams and Musings July 3, 2009

Emmett Smith — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:48:55 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 months ago: Denver Broncos linebacker Darrell Reid, left, talks with head coach Josh McDaniels before drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The Denver Broncos and Michael Lombardi

I was meandering through some old materials this weekend when I found a pre-draft set of concerns about the Broncos by Michael Lombardi. I had thought at the time that they were reasonable and a fair consideration, so I kept them around. Here is what he said:

DENVER

Who is going to be the Broncos starting quarterback? Can they repair, restore and revive the relationship between Jay Cutler and the head coach?
With the switch to a 3-4 there are plenty of positions up for grabs, but the essential question is this: Who will rush the passer from the outside?
Denver forced only 13 turnovers last season and clearly lack speed on every level of their defense. Who is going to be their playmaker?
The Broncos struggled to cover anyone, even with Champ Bailey, and finished with just six interceptions for the season. Who can cover?
Can they expect to get another year out of Casey Wiegmann at center? They struggled when they played physical defensive teams

I thought, even then, that these were excellent questions. There was not doubt that pre-draft, the Broncos had reason to give pause to even the most voracious fans. This led to a lot of musing on what happened and dreams of what might be. That being said, let's take them one at a time and see if Denver did anything to work out those concerns.

Question 1: Who will be the Quarterback?

The Broncos made a decision to give up on the more emotionally fraught and fragile situation with Jay Cutler, cut their losses and make a deal that would yield a starter in Orton and kept their backup in Simms. That same deal also netted them (in essence) Knowshon Moreno and Alphonso Smith and 'half' of Richard Quinn, with a caveat involving the trade of a 3rd-round pick for a 5th-rounder (There are different ways to parse this, but this one seems most accurate to me). However, the issue of who starts at QB, although important, is secondary to the issue of whether or not the Broncos got good value in a trade that most industry people agreed that they had to make. While it’s easy for fans to argue (as I have myself) that it would be grand and emotionally satisfying to see them sit Cutler on the bench for a while, that kind of thing can poison a locker room and distract a team already facing huge changes. It isn’t reasonable and it wasn’t going to happen. I have to say that they seemed to do very well with a tough situation.

In addition, the arrival of Tom Brandstater, who will probably suit up as an emergency quarterback and who will begin his apprenticeship under Head Coach Josh McDaniels and the two QBs ahead of him is a very good sign. Brandstater has all of the tools to become a very good backup or even a starter in the NFL. He needs time and work, and should be able to receive both.

Question 2: Who will rush the passer?

This is a great question. It was then and it still is now, prior to training camp. One of the many areas of weakness last year was the inability to get pressure on the QB (or the running back or the receivers, for that matter). Part of that will shake out from the front 3, and other than Ronnie Fields it seems open right now. But the draft yielded one Robert Ayers, lately of Tennessee, who was one of the best young DEs in this year’s options. Will he rush the QB well? This could be one of the questions that determines the outcome of the Broncos season (The production of Knowshon Moreno is the other).

A change in scheme is also letting them move Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder to the outside and will let them create a wide variety of looks and options. Moss's and Dumervil's weakness against the run made them less effective coming in from the outside - the change in scheme could create a better disguise for what they are going to do. Denver will be moving towards a full time 3-4 defense, but will give a lot of different looks over the course of the season. See here for SlowWhiteGuy’s helpful look into one way to view this change.

We're going to rush the passer with scheme as well as players, as hoosierteacher pointed out with his excellent series on the Ted Blocker.

Question 3: Who will be the playmakers and create turnovers? Do we have enough speed?

To me the first section was and is the biggest question. Who will be the playmakers? You need to look at this question from two angles. If, by this, you mean to create turnovers (And it seemed that was the thrust of the question) there was a quick response by the Broncos. The answer was to redo the entire secondary, with only a scant few holdovers. They are looking to Andre' Goodman and Alphonso Smith as well as Champ to knock down and pick off passes, to Darcel McBath (David Bruton may take longer to mature, but he has the potential to be a lot more than a special teams player) to learn centerfield and look for opportunities, and Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill to prevent the kind of repetitive big plays that hamstrung them in the 2008 season.

I'm not huge on extrapolating stats. The players get injured or have a career year, the scheme changes and with few exceptions, rookies aren't going to get what they did in college. Still - you have to look at the overall stats to see where you were and what needs to change. When you add up last year's turnovers versus our new starters, the new players so far outdid the Broncos measly 13 defensive turnovers that you have to be impressed, and Alphonso Smith was brilliant at creating turnovers in college - fumbles as well as interceptions. The emphasis in training camp has included new drills on how to function if you're the 2nd or 3rd player to a tackle - you generally ignore the man (if he's going down) and hammer on the ball. It wouldn't even matter if he's getting away from Tackler 1 as long as you get the ball loose. Watching film from last year, it was clear that we did that erratically, but not with any consistency. We lost several fumbles to teams that used this practice. Will we be better? I hope so. Are we better prepared via personnel and approach. Assuredly.

If by playmaking you mean 'coming up big with plays to stop drives' you would have to include the massive restructuring of the front 7 as well. Ayers, Doom, Moss, Woodyard, probably Reid and certainly Williams in some degree of rotation, probably with A. Davis at LILB to start, will have to step up. I'd expect Spencer Larsen to be a backup to start and to be moved around from special teams to fullback to inside linebacker, although he may well take the job at linebacker later in the season or in next year's training camp. Fields has been noted by a few writers as the steal of the off-season, and there's reason to believe that since his explosion off the snap was the best on the 49ers D-Line last year. There are too many options for NT and DE to cover here, but that fact in and of itself makes my point. There will be no shortage of folks who can step up. The question of whether they will step up will begin to be answered in training camp.

I did look with interest on the part of this question that involved speed. I'll concede part of the issue - Shanahan drafted for speed for a long time, but we ended up with a smorgasbord of players, styles and abilities due to the revolving door at defensive coordinator and the accompanying revolving personnel door. We became neither fish nor fowl, although we managed foul pretty well.Many of our most recent pickups aren't incredibly fast nor incredibly slow. Bruton looks to be a backup - he's incredibly fast for a safety. McBath is just fast. Smith - there will always be an asterisk in my mind around the players from this year's draft. The timing was flat-out off. He's not a burner, but neither is he slow.

Most importantly, the scheme that we are setting in motion will use more zone coverage to minimize the issues of speed. We drafted fairly well for speed as well - Darcel McBath is in the 4.58 range, Bruton was in the 4.46, A. Smith was 4.51, not a burner but very quick and agile. Ayers only had a 4.9 40 - slow for a linebacker, but good for a defensive end. Jarvis Moss, on the other hand, is a 4.7 40 guy. Overall, I'd still have to say that Lombardi has a point. Scheme will have to help us here or we'll see issues from it, but I'm Ok with that as we stand now..

Question 4: Coverage and Interceptions

This is a great question. My own feeling is that they had answered it in spades at both the cornerback and the safety positions before the draft and filled out the answer sheet in depth during the NFL draft. Champ is healthy, they added Alphonso Smith in the draft and Andre Goodman in free agency. Jack Williams or Josh Bell will have to step up to stay on the team. They also did 'a little' at the safety position, with Brian Dawkins there to anchor the team and Renaldo Hill to start. Behind them are three young players, all distinct and with different skillsets.

Jerry Angelo got my honest appreciation for this comment in a recent National Football Post article by Matt Bowen. It brought out some issues on our safeties.

"...it's obvious that Angelo sees the safety position as a concern heading into this summer, and not just in Chicago.

"It's the poorest-played position in football right now," he said. "It's very hard to find a safety that can tackle high to low," meaning players who can tackle from the free safety spot in the open field. As Angelo said, there's so much emphasis placed on athleticism and ball skills at the position that sound tackling has become a thing of the past. "

This is one area where Angelo and I are in full agreement, and when I read it I suspected that our own Hoosierteacher wouldn't argue much with us either. In fact, I took this chance to ask him about this remark and appreciated his reply so much that I wanted to include it here:

"The big problem with safeties (in my opinion) at many levels of football is the mistaken belief that they are just extensions of the cornerback position. This line of thinking has safeties valued for the ability to race to a passed ball and intercept or disrupt. But this is not the classic role of safeties, and the effect of this type of thinking is what has hurt the position.

Safeties are, above all else, the last line of defense. They must be sure, open field tacklers because they are intended to stop any ball carriers (runners or receivers) that get past the front seven and corners. The ability to tackle, speed, and read plays are the most important ingredients. When one of those skills (almost always "tackling") is sacrificed to get a safety with "good hands" for interceptions", the position suffers. Good hands should be seen as icing on the cake for a safety, not as a requirement."

In addition to the pleasure of a chance to learn from MHRs master of Xs and Os, the other thing I love is that along with Josh Barrett, the Denver Broncos now have three young, hard hitting safeties (Barrett, David Bruton, McBath) that can play on special teams and who love to make tackles. Having lacked a decent backfield general for years, the Broncos suddenly find themselves with a plethora of riches among the veterans and the youngsters. Will they keep all of them, or will Vernon Fox make the team. I'm better that Fox falters in training camp, but I could be wrong.

With Renaldo Hill starting as the season opens and both McBath, the current heir apparent and David Bruton behind him both having great scouting reports as bright players and sure tacklers, the Broncos are finally paying attention to the defense as a unit, rather than to one position (cornerback, for example, or DE) during one draft and a second position (DL) the next. The upgrade of quality, with new FA players brought in at all positions and a lot of great young talent there from the draft and an unparalleled CFA class, is pointing towards a huge change from the past two years and brings a smile to my face.

By the way, this article on safeties and on Rodney Harrison in particular, also by Matt Bowen is a better than average look at the position and the skills it requires.

I've mentioned this, but have you noticed that the Broncos have more talent in the defensive backfield than at any time in modern memory? Think about it. With Champ Bailey and probably Andre' Goodman starting and Alphonso Smith able to bring his zone coverage skills to the table as a nickel back, we finally have a decent crew at cornerback. Even better, Goodman and Hill have played well together in the past so we've got some built-in continuity. There will be changes in scheme and terminology, granted, but these two know and understand each others tendencies. Even better, they are paired with Champ and Brian Dawkins, who brings instant leadership and drive to a secondary that last year was best described as ‘porous'. We are much, much better than we were last year.

Question 5: Can Casey Wiegmann play, and can the Broncos play physical football?

Let's move on to the second issue right away. I know that Lombardi meant this in terms of the offensive line, but it's such a good question that I though we should look at the entire team this way. The Broncos gave up way too much to other teams in terms of physicality last year and prior to that. Shanahan preferred speed to size; there are arguments both ways. I'm of the school that wants both, but will take the speed guys if they (and Wesley Woodyard is my favorite current example of this) like being physical, regardless of size, and enjoy taking on the challenge of a team trying to out-muscle them.

It's not necessarily a situation of preferring one or the other. Lots of players give you both - look at Ryan Clady on offense or Ron Fields on defense, each of whom is very fast /explosive/agile for their position. We have quite a few examples of getting both now - David Bruton ran a 4.46 40 at Combine and had the third highest number of tackles on Notre Dame in 2008. NFLDraftScout.com calls Bruton a playmaker "with the size, speed and athleticism to potentially be a good starter and very good special teams player." (There's video at the link I provided). Then there's the physicality of players like Robert Ayers, Alphonso Smith (who was referred to by Jonathan Hull of fantasyfootballjungle.com as the Steal of the Draft) and Jack Williams, all of whom are fast but not burners, yet incredibly tough players.

It's interesting to me that Buckhalter is still our fastest running back (Yes, even despite his knee surgeries) and that Hillis is just slightly (.02 - .04 seconds) faster than Moreno, yet Moreno's nimbleness has astonished people, while Hillis just runs them over like gophers in the road. Toughness - would anyone out there take Selvin Young and Andre Hall over Moreno and Hillis when it comes to toughness? I'm just asking. Toss in Buckhalter and Jordan and our squad is even stronger. I know - the injuries last year did seriously hurt the Broncos RB squad, but even so... Top to bottom, we just have a much better group at RB. We have a question mark at Torain, but we brought in a couple of young guys to cover us if Torain doesn't get well (don't be surprised if they get him on IR to start the season and to give themselves an option later when there are 2009's injuries to deal with). But toughness? It's a very new year, and for that I'm thankful. This is a tough bunch of guys.

When Parcells won the Super Bowl against the LA Rams in January of 1991, he leaned over to Will McDonough for the Boston Globe who had also been a long time friend, and while waiting for the post game press conference to begin he loudly whispered two words: "Power Football!" During the days following conference, he noted the same thing twice more:

"...I've coached this game for a long time, and I know one thing," said Parcells, two days later. "Power football wins games." He then repeated it, just for emphasis.

Personally, I love speed but I know that Parcells was often right. I believe that speed has to be paired equally with the ability to match up, stand up and finish up. That takes power and strength (and scheme, which we often lacked). Games are usually won in the 4th quarter and we lost too many that way, whether by lack of strength or lack of conditioning. Our free agent acquisitions like Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and Andra Davis are also very mentally tough, as is undrafted college free agent Rulon Davis, for example (Davis also has run his 40's in as little as 4.8, although his combine time was 5.06). Tough wins games. Tough generates the stats that correlate to wins. Given the smaller, lighter DEs that we've found ourselves with (Moss, Doom, etc), turning them into bigger linebackers makes a lot of sense. We also added a little weight, players like Fields, Parker and Askew

Moving back to the first part of the final question - How about Casey Wiegmann and the physicality of the Broncos O line approach? There are two good questions here. Can Wiegmann play another year? He says that he can and the Broncos have responded with a 2 year contract so they obviously believe him. The odds are very good, and yet the Broncos had the sense to hedge their bets. They drafted two good offensive linemen. They have Kory Lichtensteiger as the guard/center apparent, Tyler Polumbus at tackle, new center Blake Schlueter and an assortment of other options. 'Steiger has a reputation for toughness that borders on sheer nastiness and he's down to 295 of rock muscle (from up to 310 lb) and dropped some soft weight. Our new offensive lineman, Seth Olsen, was described by draftcountdown.com as "Very tough...Plays with a nasty demeanor" and plays at about 306 lb. Just our new kind of guy - he was also elected as a member of the Leadership Group in all four of his playing seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wiegmann is light for his position - listed at 285. The guys behind him are a little bigger - 'Steiger at 295, even Schlueter at 290 - but adequate for a zone blocking center (Denver will add other blocking schemes, and actually used to use some other schemes, but we will keep the predominance of the ZB). The question will be whether they can play with technique and leverage - for the ZB, that's the real issue.

As far as being physical, by the end of last year the Broncos were playing much more physically on offense. Their run blocking was a work in progress last year - by the end, they were hammering out holes for people that you either hadn't heard of or didn't want to, but the holes kept coming anyway. The relative size of Seth Olsen gives us a clue as to the direction they will go in – the retention of line coach Rick Dennison says a lot for the zone blocking approach, but they will be adding other blocking schemes as well. They may be looking at bigger guards than they have used in the past. Ryan Clady’s 325 lb. goes a long way towards creating a bigger, tougher line, and the genius of their zone blocking scheme will always put more of a premium on athleticism than just sheer road-grader size. Olsen is big but not huge at 306 yet he's very strong and late rounder Blake Schlueter is smaller yet very athletic (and mean). He's more of the lineman that Denver used in the past, but something about him drew the Xanders/McDaniels team to him. That 'something' was simple - he's incredibly fast, agile and tough as nails, is a master of the knockdown despite his lighter weight (leverage and technique are big tools for him and wields them like sledgehammers) and was a team captain in his junior and senior year.

I'm still not sure about Ben Hamilton. He just didn't seem quite the same guy. Could just have been the year off, maybe something else was going on. I don't see any signs that it was concussion-based, by the way. I do wonder if he's vulnerable to an in-camp challenge by a younger guy. McDaniels has shown one thing - he's not huge on sentimental holdovers.He needs to win.

You could also question this one issue from Lombardi: I'm pretty sure that Casey Wiegmann, among others, out-played, disarmed and diffused Kris Jenkins and a host of other players. It seemed, after looking at the numbers and the tape, as if the Broncos O line was pretty physical themselves. I thought that the physicality questions were better asked of the rest of the team, but maybe that's just me.

Conclusions:

Michael Lombardi asked a lot of good, insightful questions regarding where the tam came from at the end of last year and where it's trying to go. What stands out to me is how well these questions were answered. In looking back at the players that we (often mercifully) let go, the free agents acquired and the way that we handled the draft, the Broncos did a solid job of providing players that answer what I thought were fair, sensible queries.

They ranged from the quarterback to the pass rush, to playmakers at each level of the defense, to the quality of the secondary and defensive backfield and back again to offense. There was one question on Casey Wiegmann and another on the level of physicality on the Bronco, particularly the offensive line. Frankly impressed at how well they’ve answered them to the extent that they can, pre-training camp. I think that every team has a high level of expectation from the fans during the weeks prior to training camp. A certain allure can abound, sometimes realistic, sometimes false. How do you tell which is which?

I think that there are several means. We cannot truly understand how the Broncos are matching players to scheme simple because we do not, cannot know the schemes. But many of us have done substantial work on the statistics and schemes that our current coaches have used in the past. We've done more analysis of last season than any year in my memory (our available tools improve as does the quality of the people we have researching and writing). We can look at who stayed, who went and who was ushered out the door and consider the background and stats on those who replaced them. Taking all known factors into account, I'm impressed at how well we answered the valid and reasonable questions that were put to the Broncos early last spring. With the onset of summer, training camp is nearly in our grasp.

Bring it on!

Educated Guess - 2009 Depth Chart Thoughts

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

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

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

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

DEFENSE

SAFETY

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

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

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

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

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

Cornerback

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

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

Inside Linebacker

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

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

Outside Linebacker

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

Nose Tackle

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

Defensive End

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

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

OFFENSE

Quarterback

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

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

Running Backs

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

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

Denver has a lot of options.

Receiver

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

Tight End

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

Center

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

Guard

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

Tackle

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

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

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

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

I look forward to hearing from folks on their thoughts!

Poll

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

Jabbar Gaffney

726 votes

Kenny McKinley

83 votes

Chad Jackson

66 votes

875 votes | Poll has closed