SB Nation User Blog: WABronco

Brohm to Seattle

WABronco — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:42:57 -0000

Email sent.

Basically, Brohm gives Seattle added security for the future as the franchise's premier players begin to age.

He also fits the criteria of BPA, a strong trait of GM Tim Ruskell. He also fits the team's long-successful offense.

So....any good RB's in the next draft?

WABronco — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:03:46 -0000

http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/p...Y&pageId=3.2.1

Yea, so I hope this turns out to be like Chris Henry's false-positive in Kentucky (or wherever it was)...otherwise many bad things will soon happen to this team.

Anyone know anything from the contract-aspect? I see he had an 8.5 mil bonus and 12 mil in total guarantees...would that mean that only 3.5 mil of the remaining deal is guaranteed?

The Decision to Draft Marcus Thomas

WABronco — Sun, 13 May 2007 01:24:46 -0000

Saturday, May 12, 2007

The Decision to Choose Marcus Thomas

Investigation into DT Swayed Sundquist, Broncos

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series leading into the mid-May commencement of organized team activities in which we further explore the Broncos' draft and offseason to date, focusing on the state of the club as it prepares to begin its organized team activities in the middle of the month. Last week, we looked at how the Broncos ended up picking 17th in the first round. Earlier this week, we examined the last two rounds of the draft's first day and why the Broncos targeted the defensive and offensive lines. Today we turn our attention to the acquisition of the fourth-round selection that became Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.

By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The sun had barely escaped from the horizon on the eastern plains of Colorado in the post-dawn hours of Aug. 29, but Ted Sundquist was not in the mood for a tranquil ease into a Sunday morning offseason routine.

The Broncos' general manager began that day -- the second of the 2007 NFL Draft -- by arriving at the club's headquarters and resuming the quest he commenced the night before, dialing one team after another, searching for a deal that would allow the Broncos to trade into the middle rounds and select before its next scheduled pick in the sixth round.

"I got in an hour early on Sunday and started calling and went through every single team until I got to 121, when Minnesota finally said yes," Sundquist said.

"I tried not to get too overextended. I'd have about four or five (at a time). I'd call when they were on the clock, as well, when I could see where they were at, and then I'd go right down the row. There were a couple of teams that had multiple fourth-rounders; I caught them on the front side and they said, 'Nah, I don't think so,' and I said, 'I'll see you on the second one.' Then we got back around and Minnesota was willing to do it.

"I called every single team and offered them the exact same thing that Minnesota took at the end of the fourth round and nobody would take it. (Other teams) had their players they wanted. Or, they weren't willing to move themselves out of the third round for next year's third-rounder. They still wanted the player, so what you saw were trades where teams would move back five or six spots in exchange for a fourth."

As it turned out, Sundquist said, the swap with the Vikings was timely if the Broncos were going to select Marcus Thomas, whom they had targeted to acquire since they selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Ryan Harris with the 70th overall pick.

"Marcus Thomas was going to be picked at 122 (a selection held by the Dallas Cowboys)," Sundquist said. "We had been told that."

If the Broncos had been able to retain the No. 86 selection that was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the trade to move up and pick Jarvis Moss in the first round, Thomas "probably" would have been Denver's second third-round choice.

THE COST OF THE TRADE

Eyebrows of draft observers arched at what the Broncos yielded in order to pick Thomas. It wasn't so much the sixth- and seventh-round choices that caused the stir, but the decision to send a third-rounder to the Vikings in the trade, moving the Broncos down to a pair of first-day selections next year.

At Head Coach Mike Shanahan's press conference following the Thomas selection, Shanahan was asked whether the package of picks was a "steep price to pay."

"It's not a very steep price to pay unless he is not with our program two weeks from now," Shanahan said.

Days later, Sundquist remained nonplussed by the notion.

""The 'steep price to pay' thing, once again, I'm baffled by, 'Why?'" Sundquist said. "It's too steep of a price if we end up picking in the top five of each round. But when has that happened in the life of most of our fans?"

Not since 1983.

"To me, when you identify a player that you feel like can come in and contribute to your football team now, I'm not going to sit and wait and say, 'It's too steep a price,' because there's this fictional ghost player in the third round next year that we could take -- and no one knows who that player would be," Sundquist continued.

"Is that guy (a 2008 third-rounder) going to have as big an impact on your football team as Marcus Thomas would have in '07? You have to ask yourself that. You don't know who that player is."

And on the Broncos' draft board, Thomas -- in terms of talent -- was close to first-round target Justin Harrell.

"Here's a guy who we feel may be as talented as Justin Harrell," Sundquist said.

The often-chronicled, character-based reasons why Thomas' draft stock descended from the first round down into the middle rounds meant the Broncos had to engage in a scrutinous investigation of Thomas' background before deciding whether he was worth a mid-round flyer.

"I think that due diligence was done in our interviewing of the player, our interviewing of people who coached and mentored this player and disciplined this player over the four years at Florida," Sundquist said.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AND ANALYSIS

"I can assure the fans that it wasn't groupthink, that it wasn't about hearing what we wanted to hear," Sundquist said of the internal discussions that the Broncos brain trust conducted as they dissected Thomas' réumé and decided whether to prioritize him on the draft board.

"I'll be honest with you -- when we first talked about this, I, the general manager, was not real happy with the scenario -- that this guy was one of the senior leaders, had an opportunity, blew his opportunity and let his team down," Sundquist said. "I spoke up during the meetings about that, and it bothered me -- it bothered me quite a bit.

"But as we dug deeper and deeper into what the real circumstances were surrounding what went on, I became more comfortable with the risk that we were taking versus what I felt like we were getting from Marcus as a football player both on and off the field, and his leadership ability. You ask those guys down there (at the University of Florida) who the leader of that team was -- it's Marcus."

But the Broncos' investigation went deep, contacting anyone they could find with even a passing connection to Thomas -- past and present coaches, football support-staff personnel, professors, instructors. Their primary scouts in the region are director of player personnel Jim Goodman and his son, scout Jeff Goodman; both are Florida alumnae, and Jim Goodman was on the Florida staff from 1989-90.

"The area scouts, when they go into the university, it's their responsibility to speak to as many different sources as they possibly can about the character of any player," Sundquist said. "We're not searching to find what we want to find; we're searching to find the truth. Then we have to make the final decision as to whether we want to 'take that risk' or bypass that risk."

Shanahan also coached on the Florida staff from 1979-83.

"Our ins with Florida when it comes to getting to the bottom of some of these (character) questions are as good or better than anybody in the league," Sundquist said.

The Broncos then supplemented that research by interviewing him at the Scouting Combine, bringing him to Dove Valley for a pre-draft visit, and scouring for information, even studying the video of his Combine press conference. No stone was left unturned.

"Our visits weren't publicized. There was a reason for that," Sundquist said, "but he was brought in here for a visit."

"As it became clear (Thomas) could help us, then we went back and rechecked and maybe we went to some other sources and talked to some other people, but it was as thorough a job as we've done," Sundquist said. "There's a gamut of other things that we use with regards to testing and things like that, and this kid is very, very high on those charts.

"We battled this darn thing out and talked about it and went back. Even after we had done the initial interviews, we went back and talked to more people and asked them, 'Really - what is going on here?'

"I got swayed to where I was willing to take the risk. Initially, I said, 'Guys, no.'"

But Sundquist proved malleable and open to the notion that Thomas could atone for his past problems.

"We're comfortable with the decision we made," he said.

MONDAY: How the draft meshed with the general offseason plan.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=6810

Great article.

This seems like the 2nd or 3rd time that we've plucked someone right out from under the Cowboys' noses. Tatum, MoClo, and Thomas...hopefully the last one turns out a lot better than the other two.

Hawks sign 11 UDFA's

WABronco — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:28:49 -0000

Hawks expected to sign 11
Posted by Mike Sando @ 06:00:40 pm
Players expected to sign free-agent contracts with Seattle: WR Joe Fernandez, Fresno State; FS Patrick Ghee, Wake Forest; RB Kenny James, Washington; LB Cameron Jensen, BYU; C Nick Jones, Georgia; DB Tim Mixon, Cal; TE Joe Newton, Oregon State; WR Logan Payne, Minnesota; P Kyle Stringer, Boise State; DE Nu'u Tafisi, Cal; and SS C.J. Wallace, Washington.

--I really like the Mixon, Newton, Tafisi, and Wallace signings.

Broncos want Johnson

WABronco — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:23:38 -0000

BRONCOS WANT JOHNSON

A reader tells us that there's a rumor being reported on 950 AM in Denver that the Broncos are trying to make a play for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, in an effort to land receiver Calvin Johnson.

A source with knowledge of the discussions tells us that the rumor is dead-on accurate, and that an offer has been made by the Broncos to the Lions.

Per the rumor and based on what we've heard, the Broncos have offered their first-round, second-round, and third-round pick in the 2007 draft and their first-rounder in 2008 for the No. 2 spot.

The Lions, we're told, are concerned that the No. 21 overall spot would put them too low to land one of the players whom they covet. The Lions' goal in trading down is/has been to get more picks, and to still get one of the players they want, but at a lower salary slot.

So the deal might hinge on the ability of the Lions to line up another deal that would allow them to move back up a bit.

The Broncos hold the No. 21 overall pick in round one, the No. 56 overall pick (No. 24 in round two), and the No. 70 and No. 86 overall picks (No. 6 and No. 23, respectively, in round two). We don't know which of the third-rounders has been offered.

Under the trade chart, the deal might favor the Lions. But different teams value picks from the next year's draft differently; some teams downgrade the points by a full round, making a 2007 first-rounder the equivalent of a 2008 secon-rounder. The other problem here is that no one will know where the Broncos draft in round one until the 2007 season ends.

The entire deal would be contingent on the Raiders not drafting Calvin Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick. We're currently told that the Raiders are expected to strike a deal on a contract with quarterback JaMarcus Russell before Saturday.

However, the fact that former Raiders coach/current Broncos coach Mike Shanahan apparently has a bee in his butt for Johnson could cause Raiders owner Al Davis to think twice about whether he would prefer to have Johnson on his team -- or to have to face him twice per year.

profootballtalk.com

Wow...I would go berserk, but in a very good way, if we got our hands on CJ.

He is the best wideout to come out in my time, and maybe the best offensive prospect as well.

Thoughts?

Making the case for Branch (PFW)

WABronco — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 03:14:02 -0000

Making the case for Alan Branch

Falling fast down draft boards, the ex-Michigan defensive tackle serves as a reminder for why scouts should focus on game film

By Mike Beacom
April 22, 2007

The four months that exist between the close of the college football season and the NFL draft can be a miserable place to live for a football player.

Scrutiny is the vulture that rips apart the flesh of the highly touted prospect, needling and prodding in search of weak spots. And, the bigger the prospect, the bigger the magnifying glass he is under, and the more examining NFL teams need to do in order to justify their sizable investment.

But these past few months weren't supposed to be so cruel to Alan Branch, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound defensive tackle out of the University of Michigan. Branch left college a year early because he was told he was a can't-miss top-10 pick, the kind of player defenses build around for a decade. His football film was testimony to that.

But what someone like Branch has accomplished on the field often has little to do with why his stock falls this time of year, and no prospect in the 2007 NFL draft class has fallen as far as Branch has. The reasons are trivial, but then again no one has ever said that pro football's evaluation process was a fair or perfect system.

Argument One: Branch has stress fractures that have league sources concerned

Several reports surfaced last week, one from a longtime NFL reporter, about the presence of stress fractures in Branch's lower legs. Branch's camp questions those reports, however. His agent, Ben Dogra, asked three NFL teams this week about the report. All three told Dogra they were not concerned, he says.

"We can't comment on it because we don't know anything about it," says Dogra, who admits that Branch did have shin splints (considered common for larger linemen) while at Michigan, but that they never kept him off the field. "Could he play if both of his legs were fractured? It all just doesn't make sense to me."

Approximately 40 prospects were asked to return to Indianapolis in late March for a second medical examination. Branch was not one of them.

Argument Two: Branch took too many plays off at Michigan

Several analysts have suggested that after reviewing game film from last season, it became apparent Branch was not playing at 100 percent on every down. Usually such a tag is reserved for prima-donna skill-position types, but in the case of Branch, it indirectly suggests he is somewhat of a lazy player.

Not true, he says.

"It's funny to me. Being a 335-pound guy who averages 60-65 plays a game ... my gas tank isn't infinite, (but) I go hard every play."

Branch was a big reason why Michigan's defense allowed only 43.4 rushing yards per game, and five scores. Without his presence, the Wolverines would not have experienced that level of success.

Says Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki, "He rarely left the field in college. ... Did Branch take some plays off? Yes. Show me a defensive lineman his size who does not take off plays, especially one that consistently took as many snaps as Branch did."

Adds Dogra, "He played 80-85 percent of the time. He's the one guy (Michigan) didn't rotate."

Argument Three: Branch does not take care of his body, and could be someone who eventually eats himself out of a job

This label comes from pre-draft workouts, from which at least a few scouts have walked away disappointed. Some suggested Branch looked sluggish during Michigan's pro day on March 16. According to a report filed by Gil Brandt, a former NFL personnel whiz and an analyst for NFL.com, "Kansas City defensive line coach Tim Krumrie worked Branch hard during the position drills, and the scouts there said Branch did not look like he was in very good shape."

It is obvious why this is a concern for someone carrying as much weight as Branch. Remember Gilbert Brown? Wisconsin-based Burger Kings used to advertise the Gilbert Burger, a triple Whopper with all the fixings. Late in his career, on the few occasions when he could find his way below the 400-pound mark, Green Bay would roll Brown out onto the field so that he could eat up a minimum of two blockers (not literally ... at least, we don't think literally) on every down he was able to play.

Branch, however, is no Gilbert Brown. Not even close. He is only slightly heavier than Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth, and it's fair to point out that when linemen are paid in dollars instead of in the form of a scholarship, it's easier to get them to listen to staff nutritionists. Even so, Branch is barely outside of the realm of ideal playing weight for a defensive tackle, if he is at all.

"He is large," Dogra says, "and yet he ran as fast, if not faster than most of the defensive tackles that were 20 and 30 pounds lighter than him."

Argument Four: Branch does not have enough of a mean streak to play the DT position in the NFL

After conducting sit-down interviews, several scouts suggested that Branch was too mild-mannered. Defensive tackles are supposed to own the same gritty demeanor that coaches expect out of their interior offensive linemen.

"I'm not soft-spoken on the field," Branch admits.

Dogra makes a comparison. "We represent Brian Dawkins," he says. "Brian is one of the softest-spoken guys you'll meet, but when he puts that helmet on ..."

Nawrocki's best argument to support Branch is something scouts seem to be overlooking. Branch is still, in many ways, developing -- as a defensive tackle and as a big-bodied individual. That statement can't be said of every DT prospect, and certainly not somebody as accomplished as Branch.

"I think a lot of evaluators underestimate how much he has grown in a short amount of time and how much he is still growing into his body and getting comfortable playing at 330 pounds," Nawrocki says. "He was a tight end in high school and returned punts. He still has time to finish maturing physically. He's still learning how to use his body. He will become more coordinated and play with more balance in time."

What Branch claims should matter most to teams considering him on April 28 is who he is as a football player. He does not run from being called a soft-spoken guy because he says he is one -- off the field. And he doesn't worry about making every tackle so long as he is playing a role in making every play.

"If I'm doing my job and the linebackers are getting all of the tackles and I don't get any, that's fine with me," Branch says.

"There are different kinds of defensive tackles," he adds. "Some make plays, some fill holes. I feel I can do both.

"I'm the type of player that can hold down the line where a team has more freedom with the linebackers -- have them flow or cheat outside or blitz. I'm a defender a team can depend on."

Any regrets about leaving early now that he has seen how ugly the next level can be?

"The only thing I regret about leaving early was that I didn't get to beat Ohio State," he says.

Now that sounds like an answer scouts should make note of.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Extras/2007/beacom042207.htm

SAM prospects

WABronco — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:38:03 -0000

I don't mean to steal anyone's thunder (Ohno), but I'm wondering what MHR'ers think about prospects in the draft, on our team, on the market, etc.

I'm assuming that DJ will indeed be moved inside, but I'm not sure how Bate's values his SAM's (in terms of 2-down players or coverage-oriented, etc). Regardless of how he's used, a replacement is needed on the strongside.

In the draft, the consensus I get has Stewart Bradley as the best available SAM. His only major concern is durability, but he brings everything else to the table. He would add a blitzing presence to our LB corps too, which is something we lack IMO.

Stephen Nicholas is somewhat intriguing because of his large upper body and blitzing ability.

I see a lot of Bronco fans plugging for Willis, but really, what's the point? Have they just forgotten the last two years? Regardless of Willis the football player and how good he is, I just don't think he's a fit.

In-house, there's Cameron Vaughn and Nate Webster. I'm sure either could match, or better, the production of Donnie Spragan of '04.

Vaughn seems like an adequate fit, because he was more of an attacking, interior LB at LSU than the undersized weakside player.

The name I've read most in connection with replacing Wilson is Edgerton Hartwell. Given his size and strength, he could fit in as a two-down player IMO. He should also come at a bargain price, due to his injury history and lackluster Atlanta years.

So...?

At any rate, I'm hoping that we go for the bargain basement player who can come in and play a role. I don't think we need the big name rook, and Bradley on the late 1st day is about as high as I'm willing to go.

Any other solid SAM prospects I'm missing?

Ted Ginn Jr. -- Reader Review

WABronco — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:00:03 -0000

Would Ginn Look Good in Orange and Blue? Plain and simple, what would your reaction be if Denver ended up selecting Ted Ginn in the first round? The consensus I get at other boards is hardly positive, but I'm wondering what ya'll think (didn't want to hijack K TempesT's thread too much).

Basically, I would not be opposed to Ginn at all, especially if Branch, Moss, etc. were either unavailable or no longer necessary (Jenkins, Rogers, etc.). I really like what he brings to this team, both as a returner and as a receiver.

PRO'S:

1. "Speed at receiver."

Ginn would bring a new skillset to the receiving corps. Marshall, Walker, Rod, and Stokely are all strong intermediate and short-route runners. While both Walker and Marshall are capable of making the deep reception, they are often contested because they don't have the true long-speed necessary to separate.

Ginn would give us a true field-stretcher and open up a lot of other options, on the field and in the playbook. One can only imagine how he would do paired up with Cutler's arm. Look at how Bernard Berrian exploded onto the scene this year...and now look at his quarterback. Look at our quarterback...and picture him throwing to Ginn. Got it? To be honest, I'm beginning to get the sense that people underrate his speed and explosiveness and how they could translate to the NFL playing field.

I've long been a proponent for adding more depth at WR through this year's draft. While I don't see the glaring need I once did, Stokely looks like a typical one year rental and Rod's clearly on his last legs.

2. "Return ability."

We all know how bad our return units were last year, and have been for some time now. Despite the re-signing of Quincy Morgan, I think it's blatantly obvious and upgrade could be made.

There's no doubt in my mind that Ginn's return skills will translate to the pro game.

In 2005, Chicago's return units were below league average. Add Devin Hester, and you suddenly have the premier ST unit in the NFL. Chicago's special teams went from costing their team points to actually being worth 19 (kick return) and 12 ( punt return) points in scoring, to their offense, above the average NFL special teams unit (Football outsiders). Better field position equates to more points scored, period.

CON'S:

1. "Does he fit?"

With the signing of Daniel Graham, leaving us with two quality TE's, there's obviously reason to believe that we may be returning to the 2 TE sets of the Sharpe/Carswell/Chamberlain days. Scheffler can shift outside or into the slot, as well.

Domenik Hixon could put the kibosh on this entire idea, too. Maybe the FO views him as the answer? At any rate, he's an unknown quantity to me, so I can't really look at him as an impact (or non-impact) player at this moment.

Even though I've seen some say that we ran 3 WR sets 50% of the time after Cutler took over, I'm a little hesitant here.

2. "One dimensionality."

While I always cringe at anti-Ginn's screaming "He's another Lelie!" at every opportunity (simply because it's unoriginal...heh), I can't deny the possibility. Off the top of my head, the slim speedster-type hasn't had a great track-record in the league, so far.

But, even if Ginn doesn't surpass the Lelie-ceiling (or "floor", however you want to look at it), I still think his return ability will balance some of the negative. And, if properly used, I don't see how being a Lelie with excellent return ability is so inherently bad, anyways. It's not the greatest possible outcome (I was thinking Lee Evans with return skillz is pretty darn good), but it's not the worst thing in the world either (I must say, I was a bit of a Lelie homer). I actually think he has more ability to catch the short pass than Lelie did, and then do something with it with his outrageous open-field ability.

Summary:

Simply put, I see Ginn as a package of Devin Hesteresque return skills with years of experience at WR.

If Devin Hester played 3 years of WR at Miami, would you spend a first rounder on him? Do you value the boost to the return game and his potential at WR, or are you DL 8 days a week?

Just wondering.

Dielman on the way?

WABronco — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:01:41 -0000

Could Dielman Be the Answer?

By Doug Farrar
Seahawks.NET
Posted Feb 26, 2007

On Sunday, FoxSports.com's John Czarnecki reported that the Seahawks are preparing to offer Chargers guard Kris Dielman a contract that would pay the 26-year-old lineman somewhere in the neighborhood of $6.5 million per year. When free agency begins on March 2nd, Dielman will be an unrestricted free agent, and he would be a major component in a Seahawks offensive line in desperate need of a re-do.

After fielding the NFL's best line in 2005, the Seahawks lost guard Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings in a now-infamous "poison pill" deal when Seattle gave Hutchinson the transition tag instead of the franchise tender. The money-saving move proved disastrous when Minnesota signed the elite guard to an offer sheet that would prove impossible for Seattle to match.

Though the post-Hutchinson line still featured future Hall of Fame left tackle Walter Jones, Pro Bowl center Robbie Tobeck and excellent right tackle Sean Locklear, the Hutchinson deal both accelerated and confirmed the real value of the best guards in the business. The Seahawks went through a rotation at just about every position in the line, due to injuries and effectiveness. Hutchinson's replacement, Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, couldn't elude nagging injuries throughout the year. Rookie Rob Sims from Ohio proved very effective in Womack's place - he's a potential star as Locklear was in his first year.

The Seahawks' offensive line finished 30th in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Line Yards statistic in 2006, after finishing sixth in 2005. In Adjusted sack rate, Seattle dropped from ninth to 28th in the same single season. At one point late in 2006, the Seahawks actually ranked dead last in ALY. Shaun Alexander went from NFL MVP and touchdown champ to injured, sub-1,000-yard rusher. Matt Hasselbeck missed four games with his own injury and wound up running for his life more than ever before. It wasn't all due to Hutchinson's departure, but it was close enough to let Seattle know that their formerly lockstep system of guard devaluation wasn't working anymore.

While they struggled in 2006, the virtual mirror image of Seattle's 2005 team offense thrived in San Diego. LaDanian Tomlinson broke Alexander's single-season touchdown record, the Chargers finished the season with the NFL's best record, and Dielman was at the heart of it all. His presence was a primary reason that rookie left tackle Marcus McNeill had such a wonderful initial NFL campaign, and San Diego finished 2006 as the top team in Adjusted Line Yards, and the ninth-best in Adjusted Sack Rate.

Unlike the Seahawks, the Chargers seemed to understand the value of their left guard before the 2006 season, when they extended the fist-round tender to Dielman, who was then a Restricted Free Agent, and signed him to a one-year deal. Dielman played tight end and on the defensive line at Indiana University for former Chargers offensive coordinator and current Miami Dolphins coach Cam Cameron, and signed with San Diego as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2003. Over his first two seasons, Dielman went from the practice squad to the special teams unit to a few game reps at his current position. By 2005, his stock was rising, and he started the final 14 games of the seasons at left guard. 2006 was truly his breakout year, as he was the cornerstone of the league's most statistically effective line.

The Seahawks, having learned their lesson in this matter, may be about to teach the Chargers the same class: How to Lose Your Undervalued Guard Without Really Trying. And if the Seahawks are to have any hope of returning to the Super Bowl after an off-year, they must get their offensive line in order. Signing Kris Dielman, who would certainly be the best available free agent guard, would be the optimal solution.

Free, Scout.com article. http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=211&p=2&c=622152

Potential DC candidates arise

WABronco — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:11:13 -0000

Broncos dismiss Coyer
Defensive coordinator fired after 9-7 team misses playoffs
By Bill Williamson
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Article Last Updated:01/10/2007 12:08:05 AM MST

Larry Coyer understood the circumstances when he was promoted to defensive coordinator of the Broncos. When things go bad, people in power are in danger.

Four years later, the danger zone caught up to Coyer, who was fired in the first major move by the Broncos after their late-season collapse. In addition to Coyer, the team also let go of defensive line/tackles coach Andre Patterson.

Down the stretch of a 9-7 season, Denver's defense wore down. The Broncos lost five of their final seven games and didn't qualify for the playoffs after a 7-2 start.

The defense was torrid at the start, with the Broncos allowing only 44 points in the first six games. The defense didn't allow a touchdown in the first 11 quarters of the season.

The Broncos ended up ranked No. 14 in the 32-team NFL in yards allowed, and gave up at least 20 points in eight of their final 10 games. In all four of their home losses, the Broncos blew second- half leads.

Potential candidates coach Mike Shanahan might consider to replace Coyer are former Miami interim coach Jim Bates, former Atlanta coach Jim Mora and Denver secondary coach Bob Slowik.

Bates is sure to get a close look as the fourth defensive coordinator under Shanahan in Denver. Shanahan long has admired Bates, considered one of the better defensive minds in the NFL. Bates left Green Bay after the 2005 season after coach Mike Sherman was fired. Bates also is considered a candidate for the Dolphins' head coaching job.

"I'm looking at a couple of things," Bates said. "I'm a free agent, and I may look to jump back into the league."

One of Bates' sons, Jeremy, is an offensive assistant coach with the Broncos. Another son, James, resides in Denver. Bates attended the Broncos' home game against Cincinnati on Dec. 24.

Coyer, 63, met with Shanahan on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Coyer was the Broncos' linebackers coach from 2000-02 before taking over for Ray Rhodes as defensive coordinator.

Coyer and Patterson are the fourth and fifth coaches Shana- han has fired in 12 seasons as Broncos' coach. Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Greg Robinson in 2001, secondary coach David Gibbs in 2004 and defensive line coach Keith Millard in 2005.

The team issued a statement announcing Coyer no longer is defensive coordinator, but offered no direct statement from Shanahan. Patterson's firing was not announced.

Patterson was with the team for the past two seasons. He was previously a coach in Cleveland, where he coached several defensive linemen Denver since has brought in.

"I appreciated my time here," Patterson said. "I loved being a Bronco."

Coyer released a written statement on his departure. Like Patterson, he expressed appreciation for his time in Denver.

"There is no animosity," Coyer said in a written statement. "I appreciate everything, and it's been a great ride."

Coyer pointed toward issues on his side of the ball.

"Make no mistake, I was very aware that some hard changes had to be made in several areas and as the season worked its way to the end, and then after it ended, I made my concerns known as it pertained to the defense," Coyer said. "Prior to the season's end, I opted to put all my efforts into the game-planning, and at least we were able to win two of the last three games.

"Did we always coach and play to our best ability? No. No one does it ... There is always room to do better. However, I am not the person judging my decision to put all my game-planning efforts into the last three games while I was laying a plan for changes I would like to see at season's end or the decision to replace me."

The Broncos spent most of the season using a four-man pass rush from the defensive line instead of using a blitz-heavy attack the team used in 2005.

The firing surprised defensive tackle Demetrin Veal.

"I didn't see that coming," Veal said. "My first reaction is shock. When something like this happens, I guess there's always questions, but they must have felt like this was a good idea."

Moving forward, the focus likely will be on Bates, Mora and Slowik. Shanahan previously has considered Mora, fired last week as the Falcons' coach. Slowik, with Denver the past two seasons, has been a defensive coordinator for Green Bay, Cleveland and Chicago.

Footnote

Quarterback Preston Parsons was signed to a future contract. Parsons was on the Broncos' practice squad last season.

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