SB Nation User Blog: broncobear

Tales: Josh Barrett Redux

broncobear — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:46:54 -0000

After a long consideration of the Josh Barrett situation, I decided to go back and get a better understanding of who the player is, why his draft stock dropped precipitously and what we might expect from him. What I found didn’t surprise me, but it filled in the gaps in my understanding. Unlike a lot of players I research, there was a plethora of info on Barrett. The problem was getting through everything and achieving comprehension.

A little background: He was like most NFL players early on. He went to Reno (Nev.) High School, playing football for head coach Dan Avansino and was chosen the Northern Class 4A Football Player of the Year in Nevada in 2002. He was a member of the Las Vegas Sun All-State team on offense and as a returner, garnering first-team All-Region honors at wide receiver, defensive back and return specialist as a senior. He also earned Sierra League first-team honors and was the Conference Player of the Year. As a first-team All-Sierra League selection at defensive back, receiver and as a returner, Barrett also made All-League as a running back...Rushed for 490 yards on 60 carries and scored five touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 365 yards and five more scores while making five interceptions in his final year. Barrett returned seven kicks and punts for touchdowns and scored four times on interception returns during his career. As a junior, he was named to the All-Nevada Class 4A and All-Northern Region second-team as a returner, adding All-Sierra League first-team honors. It’s what a lot of NFL players show us – the ability to separate their abilities from similar players at multiple levels.

He was heavily recruited and decided to attend Arizona State University. Unfortunately for Barrett, their team wasn’t playing at its best while he was there, which immediately lowered his status. However, clippings indicate that the defensive secondary did play well overall.

Barrett has always been a mixed bag as a player/athlete. He has a reputation as a hard worker on and off the field with very good intangibles.They said that he plays the game hard and shows good football intelligence. People have raved about his motor and intensity, which will endear him to Shanahan, who looks for that in practice and especially on special teams, where it’s likely that Barrett will start his pro career.

But this is a young man who was benched for problems possibly with effort as well as injuries early in his senior year. Still, he rebounded and gave his all, despite more senior year injuries. It showed on film, and the Goodman’s liked him. As a 7th round pick, they couldn’t resist. But, 7th round? Que? Sure.

Due to injuries in 2007, Barrett apparently became discouraged. I’m interpreting, but there’s evidence. You see, he missed nearly all of 2003 with two right shoulder injuries, a separation and contusions. The first injury, the separation, occurred on Sept 6 of that year, the season opener against Northern Arizona, and it was aggravated by double contusions during Oct and Nov. But he was a stud in 2004, 5 and 6.

So in 2007, he suffered a pectoral muscle strain vs. San Diego State on Sept 15, early in his senior campaign. During the next game, Sept 22, he had a quad contusion vs. Oregon State and had to sit. His attitude suffered. He was benched. Then, despite playing his way back into his coaches’ graces, he left the Southern California contest (11/22) and sat out the final two games vs. Arizona (12/01) and Texas (12/27) with a right knee sprain. Scouts shook their heads and wondered who he was.

He has a lot of upside. Since he missed nearly all of his freshman year, he’s a year behind on coaching. Sometimes it shows – he shows great straight line speed, but has trouble when mirroring receivers.

Fftoolbox.com noted: "He needs to show better instincts and with NFL coaching has the athletic ability to do very well in the NFL." In other words – he may be a project.

Yes, and a project who is 6’2, about 225 (estimates vary, 222 to 233) who runs a 2.35 40. One report worried about his gaining adult muscle dropping his overtime in the future, but there’s evidence to the contrary. He was 233 when he ran under 2.35 by one clock. So, no worries there.

He’s smart as heck. He finished his degree before his senior season and boasted a 3.45 GPA and yes, he plans to become a dentist. Smart players make better secondary generals, if he winds up at free safety.

Every Morning QB said, "I also liked the workouts from UTEP’s Quintin Demps (4.4-40) and Arizona State’s Josh Barrett (4.35-40). It’s not considered a strong safety class this year, but these guys will give NFL teams something to consider in the early to mid rounds."

NFL.com was succinct: "Pick Analysis: Barrett had a great junior campaign and potentially could've been a third-round pick, but he got benched as a senior. He has all the measurables and exceptional speed, 4.36 in the 40. Barrett matured a lot after sitting and demonstrated poise when he came back. His lack of playing time, though, clearly hurt his draft stock."

It makes sense. Walterfootball.com added, "Josh is a solid safety, but a lot of his stock will hinge on his workouts. He projects in the middle rounds and worst and might even be able to sneak up into the 3rd"

Okay, quick good side: He's a sure tackler who hits hard. Reads the action and puts himself in position to make plays on the ball. Aggressive in run support. Not afraid to mix it up with offensive linemen and fullbacks. Relies on his natural athleticism and hand usage to disengage from blockers. Good lateral quickness to string out the play. Good late burst.

And: "Josh has incredible size for a safety, at 6-3 231 pounds. His linebacker size enables him to square up on defenders and knock on the ground. He also has great speed, perhaps the Sun Devils's fastest player despite weighing over 230 pounds. Plays with incredible tenacity and is extremely durable.: (walterfootball.com)

And the bad: Even with incredible speed for a safety, he still occasionally gets beat in coverage. Also, does not have the best hands, with only 5 career interceptions. And, "Can close on the ball in front of him, but needs to drive harder with his legs and extend his arms to properly wrap and secure the ballcarrier (will dive at runners or take a side rather than square up)...Does not have the recovery burst to get back on the route when the receiver gets behind him...Not an instinctive player, making poor reads (or late) at times and is prone to biting on play-action...Must develop looser hips, as he struggles when redirecting and changing direction...Allows too much of a cushion vs. short-area receivers, who just settle into soft spots in front of him...Plays too flat-footed and is too rigid in his turns to come out of his cuts with a sudden burst... Has a litany of injury problems that lead to durability issues...For a player of his size, he tends to try to out-finesse blockers rather than attack them with aggression..."

Other that other than the issue of his hips, which is a concern, notice that this is nearly all technique and lack of quality coaching (IMHO). So that’s it. He’s a project that needs a lot of good coaching. And, he’s got an amazing upside. Kudos to Shanahan and Co. for taking the slow road to develop an emerging player at one of our greatest positions of need!

Tales from the SunnySide: Josh Bell

broncobear — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:16:50 -0000

For Whom the Bell Toils...

Sometimes, a man doesn’t get much love. Take Josh Bell. He is a hard working young cornerback. He has a little swagger, a little attitude. He's trying to make a career in a tough position in the toughest football league in the world.

He was born on Jan 8, 1985 in Dallas TX. Bell went on to be a first-team all-district selection at Skyline High School in Dallas. He moved on to Baylor, not exactly a football powerhouse, but Bell ranked in the top 10 percent of his high school class and knew that he wanted a good education.

"I’m a competitor, he said, "and I want to be the best at everything, so I took school as a competition. But I feel that getting a good education is more about learning the material than getting the stamp of a "good education." You can go to a community college and learn more of the information than at a regular college. It just depends on the individual. But I place a high value on scholarship."

Since Baylor has been accurately described as a perennial doormat in the big 12, Bell toiled in near obscurity. However, during four seasons at Baylor, Bell totaled 94 career tackles and 12 pass breakups. He received its Best Defensive Skill Player Award as a senior. He also dropped three interceptions, scoring zero. He was interviewed by Michael Kranzler and talked about it.

"MK: You had 12 pass breakups in your career at Baylor but zero interceptions. Was there any reason for this?

JB: "Actually, I dropped three of them that I should’ve had. I didn’t start until my senior year, but I didn’t make a lot of mistakes that the other team could capitalize on, so a lot of them didn’t throw my way."

The weakness of the Baylor program took its toll, and his skill levels appeared to go unnoticed. He was philosophical about it.

"Going out every week," he said, "I was playing like we were playing against the No. 1 team in the nation and I had to be able to shut down any receiver we played. We had to deal with a lot of moral victories, which I hate, but moral victories keep your sanity when you’re not winning like you want to."

His combine didn’t set the world on fire, either. He could only put up 9 reps on the 225 bench press. He was 5’11, 177 lbs (he's gained about 6 lb.) and his average time in the 40 was 4.53. But metrics don’t tell the whole story of a player. His confidence was unshakeable.

"I like to say that my biggest strength is my mental part of the game because I don’t make mental errors, I don’t make mistakes. Scheme-wise against a team, I know exactly what they want to try to do to me in certain situations. I would also say my competitiveness. I might be 177 pounds, but you’re going to feel me."

That intelligence and competitiveness got him a chance with the San Diego Chargers. He had several suitors, but liked his chances with the Lightning Lads. It reunited him with former Baylor defensive coordinator Bill Bradley, now with the Bolts. It was too good for the 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback to pass up.

"I just felt a little more secure with San Diego, because Coach Bradley’s there," said Bell, who led the Bears with 10 pass breakups last season (2007). "I played for him, and I know exactly what he wants and what he demands from a player."

Although an undrafted free agent in this year’s training camp, he was tutored by the Chargers talented defensive backfield.

"Cromartie is one of the biggest influences," said Bell. "He takes a lot of rookies under his wing. All of the players, they’re a little older and they’ve got more experience, so they teach us things so that we don’t make the same mistakes they did."

But, in the end the Chargers felt that they were solid, and Bell was released on August 30 of this year. Still, he knew that he would catch on somewhere. His confidence was rewarded. That somewhere was the Broncos: we signed him to the practice squad on Sept 24. A month later, on 10/27/08, Champ Bailey was out, injuries were mounting and he was signed to our team.

There was just something about him. In practice, the swagger showed. So did his level of play. He was ranked at 57th out of 104 cornerbacks who came out of school this year by profootballweekly.com, but no one had seen his fearlessness against NFL pro level play. He didn’t back down from any challenge, and covering the Broncos receivers in practice was no easy task. He relished it. Shanahan was impressed, as was Slowik. By 11/3 he played nickelback against Miami. By 11/15, he was tapped to start over Paymah and Jack MF Williams.

After the game, the papers were filled with stories about the rookie class – the performance of Hillis, Larsen’s amazing three way play, the coolness of Cutler, the multi-tasking yardage of Eddie Royal and the Pro Bowl worthy effort of the Ryan tackles, Clady and Harris, Wesley Woodyard’s obvious talent and fire. But there was hardly a mention of Bell. That’s Ok with him – he just works on his game and expects good things to come.

Asked about his greatest weaknesses before draft day, he replied,

"I guess I need to work on showing up on every play instead of showing up on every other play." If he does the Broncos could well have another starting cornerback next year.

Shanahan makes no bones about who starts on his team.

"We always play the best players, there's no question," Shanahan said. "If a young guy gets an opportunity when somebody's hurt and he's playing better than the veteran, then he will get that opportunity to start. That's always been my philosophy and it will continue to be my philosophy. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

Josh Bell isn’t getting ahead of himself. He’s just getting ahead of the rest of the depth chart. When Bailey returns, Bell will almost certainly go back to nickel cornerback. For now, at least.

Bell may not get as much love as he wants, but he gets better every week, and in the NFL, that’s called ‘job security’. With the additions of Larsen, Woodyard, Winborn and Bell, it’s starting to look like the Broncos are starting to pick defensive talent the way they’ve picked offensive talent. And that’s good news indeed.

Tales from the SunnySide: Holidays with the Chargers

broncobear — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:44:12 -0000

It’s a strange thing to be in Southern California when the holiday’s roll around. As Steve Goodman used to say, "There’s not a single reindeer and it hardly ever snows: the temperature is 84 degrees."

I’m hanging out on the beach with Shelby: She’s kind of polite about the trench coat and in SoCal, it’s not the strangest thing you see at the beach. Santa? He’s in Malibu, driving a Rolls-Royce limousine, fronting a flock of surfer chicks doing foofy drinks with the elves in the back. The reindeer are training in the sand for standing takeoffs with a couple of Frisbees working on the side. They have a few illegals handling the cleanup duties to keep the sand flies happy. It’s California.

This is a strange old place for a Bear. The song of the surf is sonorous: simultaneously powerful and soft, it can carry you to a place both relaxed and alert. The coastal waters are where we first were born to the land and its level of salt is perfectly reflected in our blood: The ocean truly runs in our veins. An hour on the beach leaves you in a netherworld of comfortable languor. The weather is so perfect that it loses its meaning – no one comments on it, because there’s nothing to say. It is sattwa, the guna of harmony. The Japanese call it ‘wa’.

It’s a strange old place to be Chargers fans, too. You have to figure out which Chargers you root for – the ones that everyone knew would go to the Super Bowl? The ones who were going to challenge the Patriots for the longest winning streak. Yes, those guys. Seen them lately? Remember all those kinds of articles? Sure, me too. But the team they’re getting out here seems to be mired in qi-sucking mediocrity, while still mouthing assurances of similarities to last season.

A lot of teams get caught up in the joys of next year. Next year we’ll get ‘em, they say. Next year we’ll be better. Even MHR fans talk about next year, next draft. But in the land of the Sandy Ego, it’s all about last year. And there, as Willie the Shake once penned, is the rub.

The San Diego Union Tribune, too, sings the incessant refrain of last year. "The Chargers were just one game better after 10 games last year. This is the week they embarked on an eight-game win streak that took them to the AFC Championship Game." The pelican grabbed that crab and pounded it on the rock with a bossa nova beat. It’s a drum that they love to play out here.

Turner stood at the podium for his post game press conference after Sunday’s game, and he seemed to speak in the tones of the 10 year old that had broken a vase. His posture insisted that it was no one’s fault, and I half expected him to tell a reporter as much. When the Broncos won this weekend I heard a half dozen players compliment Coach Shanahan. I don’t hear that about Norv Turner, that kind of confidence. Turner said he has been impressed by his team's "attitude and resiliency after tough games." He mentioned last year, too. Everyone does.

"We've been in tough situations where games could have gotten away from us," Turner said. "We didn't let that happen." But oddly, it did happen – they lost those games. The issue of ‘by how many points’ may comfort the mind, but it doesn’t change the W column.

Perhaps it’s just the onus of losing, dampening their sinews and sapping the fire of their strength. Perhaps creeping Norvism really is taking its toll. Teams often take on the personality of the head coach: Shanahan burns with the desire to win another SB. Parcells will not tolerate anything but physical, demanding play. Tony Dungy’s Colts have taken on his cerebral exactitude. And the San Diego Chargers seem to be taking on the bland perplexity that Turner exhibited Sunday night and Monday at the podium.

LDT’s conference was different – his was a burning fury, seething just beneath the surface, his anger spoken yet unexpressed; his frustration is palpable. He believes that he is well now, that he is back. He barely contains himself, and has spoken privately about his discomfort that his number is not called more. To him this is the way home, the golden path of armed resistance. But weeks come and go and the running game doesn’t materialize.

LDT has 182 attempts, 686 yards, a 3.8 ypc and an anemic 5 TD this year. He might not be completely right, but there’s no question that he has a point. The Bolts and the Broncos have been more the same than different in that they both had decided by circumstance to put the weight of winning on the arms of their young and gifted QBs (Rivers has a 100.4 rating, with 296 attempts and 191 completions, he has 2513 yards and a league leading 21 TDs).

But their rivers aren’t flowing in quite the same direction, and the ball and the games keep falling just a little short for the lightning lads. The Broncos seem to be learning and growing but the Chargers haven’t quite figured who they are yet, and in November that’s cause for worry. They lack a path; longing for one, they are homesick for a land they have never seen.

Fan Aussiecharger noted, "I am sick of hearing how "we came back last year". This is not last year. It's not going to happen just because we went on a run last year. This team has not looked motivated all year and the fact they keep referring to last shows they are not focused on the present. You can't drive a car looking in the rear vision mirror." Good points, all.

This is a team that had a top rate defense last year: they have gone 4 games without a takeaway. Last year their four starting linebackers held 4 of the 5 top slots for tackles. This year, 4 of the top 5 players in tackles are defensive backs. When the opposing players are consistently in your secondary, two things are true. You’re probably not getting a good rush, and you’re probably not winning. In these areas the Bolts are 2 for 2.

There have been bright spots. Jacob Hester showed once that he showed fast hands and great awareness in snatching a fumbled kickoff that should have tied the Miami game, but he turned out to have hands that too often dropped the ball and he hasn’t played his way back into a regular role yet. Cason is coming along, but he too is having growing pains. If he can overcome injuries, Jyles Tucker is going to be a heck of a player in time, but right now Tucker fights injury as much as opposing players. This is not a team that stands before the gates and cries ‘Havoc!’ Too often, it seems to await a written invitation on silver tray and chafes at the endless failure of its arrival. It is a team that seems as if has a goal, but not a vision.

There is a bright spot: the schedule. The Bolts only need to make up one game before the Broncos conclude their regular season in San Diego. They would need to win that one and hold the tiebreaker. It’s a very doable thing. They have more home games and have weaker opponents. The Broncos may have to defeat Carolina and the Jets, a tough row to hoe, and hold their other 4 games. The Chargers can yet win the division, but the Broncos have the keys to their own destiny now.

Rivera is contributing his own strength of character to this San Diego defense. Despite the lack of turnovers, I noticed a substantial difference in their resiliency on Sunday. He’s having a good influence and he took over a club in serious seasonal affective disorder.

This season, the Chargers' average time of possession of 27:59 is 25th in the league. Their average of 55.4 plays per game ranks last, while their opponents' average of 67.5 plays is second-most , yet they held Pitt to 3 FGs (officially, at least). Even then they found a way to lose in the final minutes; wilting on the final drive.

Of course, in the team’s last four games, Rivers has thrown six interceptions and dropped three fumbles, one of which ended in a safety. Two turnovers in 4 seconds against Buffalo may be a new AFC West record. In a league in which you’re only as good as your last game, he’s currently pretty darned bad. His QB rating against the Steelers was 43. He gave up a fumble in the end zone that lead to a safety and he ended two red zone drives—one with an interception and another with ugly passes that fell incomplete on second and third down.

In another city, Cutler’s Broncos seemingly have started to strengthen. They are winning on the road, making the big play, learning a better defense and clearly are convinced that they can win. They are not ‘there’ but they are going in the right direction. SD maybe hasn’t picked a direction yet, and you wonder what they’re waiting for.

If this is the direction they’ve picked, it’s nice of them to like Denver so much. Super Bowls are earned. Time really is running out. Platitudes still are as meaningless as a hooker’s kiss and last year was a couple of decades ago in NFL time. But a win here, maybe another there and the Chargers could still go into the final game of the season with the right to hammer the Broncos into the sand and put them out of the playoffs.

Maybe it’s the sound of the ocean. It can lull you to sleep, convincing you that there’s plenty of time, no need to panic, and that the answer is just over there on the next beach. And, it can still be true. They can still pull this one out and win their division, but the Chargers need to wake up before it’s will be too late.

From Joe Fortenbaugh’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly :

THE BAD 1. Philip "The Ship Is Sinking" Rivers:

San Diego is in big time trouble right now. A popular pick during the preseason to win the Super Bowl, the Chargers are currently 4-6 and in must win mode from here on out (too bad Indy comes to town this weekend). While playing Pittsburgh is certainly no easy task, Rivers had a miserable game on Sunday, completing only 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards, NO touchdowns and two interceptions. While there is still the off chance that Denver stumbles and San Diego gets back into contention, does it really matter? Their goal was to reach the big game this year and with the defense they currently put out on the field each weekend, the chances of them slowing anybody down come January are slim to none.

If you want to listen to someone talk smack about Rivers, Eric Gomez of the bleacherreport.com has an analysis that doesn’t pull any punches. Catch it at:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/83229-qb-rivers-drying-up-chargers-playoff-hopes The title says it all.

Mario Haggan

broncobear — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:37:53 -0000

Mario Haggan | # | LB Height: 6-3 Weight: 263 Age: 28 #57

Mario Marcell Haggan is a happy guy. Far from those players who are to locker rooms what a succubus is to a camp site, Haggan likes to laugh, to joke, and is far from shy. When he was at his Senior Bowl Weekend, he walked up to Coach Dick Vermeil, interrupted his conversation and started to talk to him. On the Monday before that game he shuffled through a few personnel types at the Adams Mark Hotel, Senior Bowl headquarters, to introduce himself to the future NFL head coach, interrupting Vermeil’s conversation in the process. The coach and the future NFL player shared a few laughs, and then Haggan moved on.

"It was a short conversation, but it went well," said Haggan. "He's a great guy. He's the same guy you see on television. He's a great coach and a class-act guy."

This season, he moved on from Buffalo to Denver. The circumstances were a bit murky, since he had just served a 4 game suspension for a banned substance. No, it wasn’t a steroid: It was for a prohibited ingredient in an over-the-counter weight-loss product.

"It's definitely been tough, no doubt," said Haggan. "And it was my fault for not knowing what was in those supplements. I was taking an over-the-counter drug, actually trying to keep my weight down. But I was a first-time offender, got fined and suspended four games. It was a substance recently banned by the NFL even though a lot of us didn't know it until it was too late." For this and other reasons, Buffalo decided to cut him loose after 5 seasons.

Although a standout special teams player, Haggan ran a 4.88 40 at the combine (for reference, Larsen’s time was listed as a 4.94) and he perhaps doesn’t have the top end speed that a starting MLB or SAM usually needs in this league. It’s worth noting that instincts, understanding the game and experience can help to mitigate that weakness. After opening his professional career mainly on special teams (where he totaled 57 special-teams stops over his 5 seasons), Haggan worked his way into the defensive rotation at strong side linebacker last year. But Buffalo has decided to go in another direction.

Haggan comes to us from Clarksdale, Mississippi, a small town guy with a southern guy’s natural comfortableness and gift of conversation. In high school, Haggan was selected all-state by the Clarion-Ledger and got an honorable mention All-America by USA Today coming out of Clarksdale High School back in 1998. When choosing his college, Haggan had a few suitors.

"Alabama, Mississippi State, the other Mississippi school, Illinois, and a couple other Division I schools showed a lot of interest. I was mainly looking at staying in-state," he remembers. What made the difference in the end were the Bulldog coaches. "The style of defense and the type of recruiting Glen Davis did. He and Coach Sherrill made me feel like I would really have a chance to do good things at Mississippi State, and it turns out they were right." Haggan started at LB in 1999, a season that saw MSU start 8-0 and earn one of the highest national rankings in school history. "The '99 year was a great year. We rotated two defenses, so that allowed me to play behind Barrin Simpson and a couple other guys and be an early contributor as a young guy. That year was special because we played together as a team," Haggan says. "We had about four or five come-from-behind victories. We went through a period where we lost to Alabama and Arkansas and had a chance to go undefeated or even compete for a SEC championship. To come off those to two losses and beat our rival was really big and meant a lot to recruiting in this state."

While playing at MSU in 2002, Haggan was the showcase player in ESPN's The Season, an in-depth documentary about various sports teams. He was a three time All SEC and an All-American. He was the emotional anchor of a Bulldog team that went to three bowl appearances, a productive defender who led the team in tackles as a senior with 119, also accumulating 7 1/2 tackles for loss. He played both middle linebacker and defensive end as a junior after being named first team All-Conference selection linebacker as a sophomore. That didn't work and he went back to linebacker for his senior season but without complaint or attitude. His 359 career tackles still ranks eighth all time for the Bulldogs.

After his memorable meeting with Vermeil at the Senior Bowl, Haggan prepared for the combine. He put up the 225 lb. bench 21 times and had a vertical leap of 33 inches. Despite his slow 40, he was rated anywhere between the third and 7th round. Despite being an intelligent player, and a natural run stopper with a classic Mike build, he was slow, another dreaded tweener with DE size. His draft analysis said in part,

"Mario Haggan was a productive college player at a few different positions, as his stats show he's always around the ball carrier. Mario Haggan doesn’t have the size for defensive end or the speed for linebacker. However, there have been pro-bowl quality MLBs before without much speed Mario Haggan figures to be a good special teams player…he has the instincts to succeed if he’s given a chance." And after he was drafted by the Bills: "Athletic linebacker with good upper body strength. Good tackler. Team leader with good intangibles. Smart player. Also played defensive end in college but is likely too small to play there in the pros. Plays much better closer to the line and can struggle in man to man coverage. Lacks speed to the sideline."

Buffalo took him with the 228th pick of the 2003 draft, partly despite concerns about some chronic ankle problems, now resolved. Ironically, Denver had pick 227, from Carolina, and used it on DE Clint Mitchell. That’s just one way that Haggan’s life has nearly intersected with the Broncos. When Haggan was the All-American, All SEC MLB with Mississippi State, his D line included Dwayne Robertson. Playing next to Robertson was the Broncos later draft pick Dorsett Davis. When he was drafted, he was rated by some as the 19th best ILB in the draft. Niko Koutouvides was ranked as the 9th.

When the Chargers complain about the Broncos, Haggan understands. The Bolts already hate him. He has been tagged, unfairly or accurately, for yanking on the ankle of Clinton Hart.

"By Kevin Acee UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER December 4, 2006 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Linebacker Shaun Phillips had to be restrained, and head coach Marty Schottenheimer called a timeout at game's end for the sole purpose of allaying tensions. The Chargers left the field thrilled with the 24-21 victory but upset by their belief the Bills' Mario Haggan intentionally yanked on Clinton Hart's ankle during an onside kick.

"The guy twisted Clinton Hart's ankle," Phillips said. "We don't play like that. We're professionals here. To try to break somebody's ankle is a problem. If you want to give somebody a rib shot or pinch him, it's OK; it's part of the game. A little bit of cheap shots is going to take place. But you cannot, not under any circumstances, try to maliciously hurt anybody. You just don't do that. You're messing with a person's livelihood; he has a family. You don't do that to people." Hart was carted off the field and was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain."

The Broncos might want to remind the Bolts (who are still, this week, whining and moaning in the media about Ed Houchulis’ blown call during the 1st game of the season) that pinching and gouging are just part of the game. Dick Butkus after all, was known in part for having bitten an opposing player’s leg in a pile-up, so I guess the game has come a long way. At any rate, Haggan should feel right at home on the Broncos. The Chargers hate us, too.

Anxiously awaiting his return to the NFL, Haggan fully realizes the day will come when he has to hang up his helmet and shoulder pads forever. "I feel like I am well-prepared," said Haggan of life after football. "You never want that time to come, when you put football down for good. I am in my sixth year and already know it will be tough, especially when you see how tough it is for guys like Brett Favre to walk away after such a long career."

But Haggan already has a couple of career plans for life after the NFL. "I want to have a broadcast career and I've done some things with broadcasting already," said Haggan. "I would say broadcasting is my first choice and coaching is a close second. I still have that dream of coming back to be the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State."

"I had a great opportunity to work at the TV station at Mississippi State and was an intern," Haggan continued. "That really helped me get started. Now I have my own radio show in Buffalo and do some tv spot segments from the Bills' locker room for Channel 4 in Buffalo. I have also been to the NFL Broadcasting Boot Camp, doing all I can to boost my broadcast career, my second career so to speak."

The Broncos hope that he isn’t looking too far past this season. Another stud on special teams would be welcome, especially with K2 starting, for now, at MLB. The Denver Post could be right, and Larsen may also see reps at Mike, but Coach Shanahan looked at the man before the draft and saw ‘fullback’ tattooed across his forehead (Perhaps this weekend we’ll see him catch a pass or two). Let’s hope that the big, smooth talking southern fellow can plug some gaps in the dike for us. He’s got a reputation as a veteran locker room leader joining a young team. A huge leader of a guy who plays with emotion could be a valuable thing.

Note - Some of the stats out there on Haggan are conflicting. His current weight is listed from 252 to 268 or even higher (DenverBroncos.com has him at 263). One source claimed that he had over 100 tackles last year with Buffalo - nfl.com states that he has 78 for his career. The RMN listed 84 special teams tackles alone and says that he's 252 lbs. The numbers I used are numbers that at least two sources agreed on. That's all I can promise.

Marshal Ranked as #2 Receiver in the NFL

broncobear — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:15:25 -0000

The Sporting New Today has published its version of the top 40 receivers in the NFL. Not surprisingly, Brandon Marshall is listed at #2. "Fearless, big, fast and physical, a lethal combination" is how raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha described him. Nice description from a rival. Just as nice is the listing of Eddie Royal. Appropriately ranked at #19 of the 40, Royal is the first rookie on the list. He is followed by DeSean Jackson at #26. Gotta say it – the Goodmans really know how to evaluate talent. Let’s hear it for our receivers. Sandy eggo checked in with Vincent Jackson at 16 and Chris Chambers at 24. The chief’s Dwayne Bowe got a nod at #31. Them raiders? Fageddaboud it… This link is at http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20081112/?pg=14&pm=1&u1=friend

Should We Pick Up Mike Peterson?

broncobear — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:42:07 -0000

I found this from M. Lombardi, national Football post:

FROM MICHAEL C. WRIGHT OF THE FLORIDA TIMES UNION… Peterson stood on the sidelines in a sweatsuit Sunday while his teammates routed the Lions 38-14. The next day, Del Rio lauded the play of Peterson’s replacement, Daryl Smith (who replaced an injured Peterson for six games last season), while sidestepping questions about Peterson. "My plan right now is to dance around this one and move on to the next subject," Del Rio said Monday. On Wednesday, he said: "I’m not going to get drawn into a discussion about that today." The team’s first major addition in free agency under Del Rio in 2003, Peterson appears to have fallen out of favor despite being one of the team’s most productive players and its leader on defense. According to statistics compiled by the team, Peterson leads the Jaguars with 85 tackles—despite missing a game. Smith, who hasn’t missed a snap, ranks second with 81 stops. Peterson is the team’s lone captain named solely by teammates, and he earned that designation several days after Del Rio appointed the team’s other captains himself. Peterson was critical of the organization during training camp because of its reluctance to extend his contract, which is currently in its last year. Asked about the possibility of suffering a fate similar to defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (traded to Buffalo) and Deon Grant (not re-signed, now with Seattle), Peterson seemed upbeat about his prospects. "I’m a different breed, though. I go down swinging," Peterson said. "I won’t really just accept it. I’m not just going to hand it to anybody on a platter."

This locker room is a mess and Del Rio is not dealing with the problems at hand. His avoidance of the issue is not going to win him any favors either. Whatever the key issue is with Petersen, Del Rio needs to move forward and he needs to deal with it man to man and move past it. If he cannot, then this will linger in the locker room. This is one of those situations where you cannot use the Law of Three Leadership rules, because Peterson was one of those players who use to do whatever was asked of him and was team captain. So it is in the best interest of the team that Del Rio work on a solution and not walk around the building counting the days until Peterson is a free agent.

So, here's a question. Should the Broncos take a run at this man? He's in the last year of his contract. Despite what was called insubordination, he was elected captain by his teammates and is popular with them. He's a very good MLB and we need a team leader on the defense. Sad as I am to say it, Larsen probably isn't going to be a MLB anytime soon, if at all. An elite Mike, even a ten year veteran, could really help us out. If we're going to pay elite dollars, is this a good place for them?

He's 6'1, 238. he doesn't miss games - Has started 117 of 120 games in nine seasons with career totals of 1,226 tackles (704 solo), 18.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, five forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. But if he's been fighting with Shanahan's friend, Jack Del Rio, would he be more problem or solution?

Poll

Is Mike Peterson a good answer for the Broncos at MLB?

Yes - we need a man like him!

16 votes

No - Too old

10 votes

No - Who needs more cancers in the locker room

9 votes

Maybe - But we should bid on him

15 votes

Other

2 votes

52 votes | Poll has closed

The Good News

broncobear — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:36:56 -0000

There’s good news? You bet! Despite the failings of the Broncos as they go into Atlanta to try and upset the heavily favored Falcons, there is a lot of good news to report. Not surprisingly, a lot of the good news is coming out of our offense.

Last Thursday showed that the Broncos continue to have the potential to put 40 points on the board week after week. Despite some issues of getting in sync and the normal progression of a young QB, the Broncos are at or near the top of the AFC in several key categories.

Let’s start with an AFC leading 3556 total yards. It is obviously based on the continuing bombardment coming out of the arm of Jay Cutler. Without comparing him to anyone, much less to history, seeing a young man not yet in his third full season leading the AFC in passing yards tells you a lot. Ryan in Atlanta can depend on a stingy defense that knows how to take away the ball and the pounding runs of Michael Turner and Co. Jay can't. Our rushing offense has produced 965 yards, not terrible and not great.

Jay? Well, he depends on rookie wonder With Cheese, a cagy veteran in B. Stokely and the intermittent brilliance of Marshall, his favorite target, but he has spread the ball around more and more and seems to be learning his offense well. He doesn’t have much else to depend on, and it’s not inappropriate to consider how he’d be doing in a more balanced team. This is a lot to drop on a young QB, but overall Jay is handling it well. Several interceptions have happened because someone, usually Marshall, ran the wrong route. Jay has 18 touchdowns to his credit and 11 interceptions. His passing yards lead the AFC, at 2616.

Here is nfl.com’s report of the Atlanta stats:

23rd in total defense at 347.6 ypg 22nd in passing yards allowed at 228.4 ypg, and 21st in rushing yards allowed at 119.1 ypg Total yards against? We’re at second to last in the AFC, atop woeful Kansas City, who gave us a serious pounding. Rookie mistakes…yet, look at what our young wunderkind has done.

Denver is -11 in the turnover department. Atlanta is at +4. That bothers me a lot. While I think that the turnover question is quite possibly our biggest failing, the answer may be Cutler’s ability to shake off mistakes and come back strong. I saw Jay mature last week. After a fairly poor showing in the first half, other than an excellent touchdown drive, Jay got mad, got going, and found ways to win. The interception based on Marshall missing the route? Didn't fluster Cutler. Isn’t that his fifth 4th quarter or OT win? Not bad for a QB in his second full season whose tailback is a fullback and whose fullback is a LB.

Is Jay our whole team? Heck No. We have a lot of excellent rookie talent and great depth at a lot of positions, despite a cursed injury roster. We have the veteran play of the best slot man in football, good TEs, and a front line who have pass coverage down to a science.

Atlanta rushes the passer well, but two of their own DT – Kindal Moorehead and Grady Jackson, are banged up and Moorehead did not practice yesterday. DE John Abrahams is also sporting a neck injury. Far more importantly, their solid LT, Sam Baker, did not practice and may not play, and tackle Todd Weiner has a bad knee. They have weaknesses to exploit.

This game may come down to poise. Ryan has 250 attempts for 1909 yards. He’s driving a well established machine, not tearing up the league (Note – the Sporting News, which I used for much of this, lists Ryan’s passing yards at 1909, but their total passing yards at 1829). The Atlanta offense does have a massive 1420 yards rushing. We will have to stop the run. Michael Turner, who accounts for 890 of them, has a bad hand but it’s not likely to stop him. Our guys up from will have to. Atlanta will get its yards – we will probably bend, but we don’t have to break. At times, we have stopped long drives with big plays. This would be a good week to continue that trend.

I think that Cutler probably has to have another game of 30 to 40 points. That’s a big burden, and he may try to force things as young QBs do. But he has the skills and the weapons to hammer out another huge win on the road. The only potential bad news is that it may have to be on his young but able shoulders.

Per NFL.com, Atlanta is: 6th in total offense, 361 ypg 19th in passing - 203.2 ypg 2nd in rushing- 157.8 ypg, and 13th in points per game at 23.4 ppg 23rd in total defense at 347.6 ypg. 22nd in passing yards allowed at 228.4 ypg, and 21st in rushing yards allowed at 119.1 ypg

Denver is: 2nd in total offense, 395.1 ypg 3rd in passing - 287.9 ypg 18th in rushing- 107.2 ypg, and 9th in points per game at 24.9 ppg 29th in total defense at 389.1 ypg 28th in passing yards allowed at 242.8 ypg, and 27th in rushing yards allowed at 146.3 ypg

We match up surprisingly well. I agree with all the Gun Young and others have posted. We need to stop Turner; with Baker hurt, we should be able to rush and hamper Ryan. That’s very important. But the final word is probably going to come from Mr. Cutler. I hope he’s going to eat a solid blood-sugar appropriate breakfast on Sunday. We’re going to need him. But the good news is that Cutler can get it done.

New Running Backs: Pope and Boyd

broncobear — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:43:47 -0000

Since we're in desperate need of a couple of new running backs, I took a look at the background of two who might both help the team and avoid pilfering their luggage. A quick trip to the SunnySide is in order.

P.J. Pope | PJ Pope, a running back out of Wyoming Ohio, is a two way player who can help the Broncos from early on. A 5’ 9 back whose weight is listed from 205 to 218, Pope has great hands and is an immediate threat as a receiving back as well as a power runner who is best through the tackles. Pope attended Wyoming High School in Wyoming, Ohio, where he excelled in baseball and football. During his senior year, Pope ran for 2,230 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns, enough to help him win the "Southern Ohio Player of the Year" Award.

Pope was often described as a secret weapon at Bowling Green where he studied physical education. His Bowling Green coach had high praise for him.

"P.J. might be our best offensive football player," head coach Gregg Brandon said. "Now, Omar (Jacobs) might be our most valuable, but P.J.’s probably our best overall player because he’s so skilled in his running abilities as well as receiving. When we leave him in the backfield or if we put him in the slot, he’s going to stretch the defense. I like that in a running back."

Pope was a Doak Walker Award candidate in his junior year. Despite a senior campaign that included problems with injuries, Pope went on to be the only player in BGSU history to rush for more than 3,000 yards in a career and accumulate more than 1,000 yards receiving as well. He finished as the school's third all-time leading rusher with 3,116 yards (5.2 per carry) and added 1148 yards receiving.

His predraft analysis said in part, "(A) Three-year starter awarded All-Conference honors as a sophomore and junior. Played in nine games last season posting 125/436/20. Career-best numbers of 178/1,098/15 came as a junior, with pass-catching totals of 50/490/6…Nice-sized ball carrier who is best between the tackles. Displays good vision, finds the running lanes and has a burst. Sets up blocks, is aggressive and strong in his lower body. Solid receiver who makes the reception in stride…Not an elusive back who makes defenders miss. Lacks the speed to get around the corner… A leader by example who has made football a priority, Pope offers potential as a special-teams player/fourth running back in the NFL."

His lack of top and speed (a 4.5 40) and a history of injuries his senior year caused Pope to drop to undrafted free agent status. The Chicago Bears signed Pope as before the 2006 NFL preseason to compensate for the absence of starting running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. The Bears later cut Pope from the team on September 9th, but was shortly re-signed onto the practice squad. He has spent stints with Green bay and another with the Bears in 2007 before being waived on Aug. 29 when the Bears announced that Matt Forte was their back of the future.

Although his history of injury is troubling, Pope is a between the tackles runner who can provide another solid blocker and is a threat at receiving as well as running the ball. We’ll find out quickly if he’s worth the chance the Broncos are taking on him.

Cory Boyd

The Broncos have also moved Cory Boyd to their practice squad. Boyd is a young man with a very troubled past. He was raised in an environment described as ‘toxic’ and has struggled to find his way in the world. Often his own worst enemy, SI.com’s succinct analysis of Boyd was as follows:

"Comes from a tough background and has had off the field problems in the past."

His high school years were productive as far as football. He played defensive back and running back at Orange (N.J.) High School for Coach Randy Daniel, graduating in 2003 Boyd rushed for 1,535 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, rushed for 1,785 yards and 22 touchdowns during his junior campaign and recorded eight interceptions his junior season while playing safety. He was rated the #12 prospect in the state of New Jersey by Rivals.com and the #21 defensive back in the country by SuperPrep.

He moved to the University of South Carolina and had immediate success, seeing action in all 11 games as a tailback and special teams performer and being named the team's Freshman of the Year. In 2004 he was the team's second leading rusher with 309 yards on 62 carries (5.0 average) with three touchdowns and the team's second leading receiver with 35 catches for 347 yards and one TD and saw duty at both tailback and fullback. He had soft hands and a hard attitude.

Spurrier saw what was and what could be and decided on a tough love approach, suspending Boyd for a year (2005). By all we can see, it worked. In 2006 he led the Gamecocks in rushing with 823 yards in 12 games, starting seven times. Boyd averaged 5.0 yards per carry, scored a team-high eight rushing touchdowns and also was third on the team and led all SEC running backs with 35 receptions for 406 yards and two scores. He ranked fifth in the SEC and 59th in the country in rushing yards per game at 68.6 and was fourth in all-purpose yards, averaging 107.8 per game, but his per game average was hurt when he played against Arkansas despite being ill and did not have any carries. He was named the Ernest A. Brooks Memorial Award winner as the MVP of the Carolina-Clemson game and carried 18 times for 94 yards and two scores in the bowl win over Houston. Boyd was given the offensive Everyday Effort Award following the 2006 spring drills.

In 2007 he truly hit his stride as a hard-nosed runner, a candidate for all-league honors in 2007. Coy entered the fall camp as the number one tailback after leading the squad in rushing in 2006 and was known as a very physical player who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He was just the fourth player in school history to log 1,000 yards rushing (1,364 entering 2007) and haul in 70 receptions in a career (81 entering 2007Boyd was the only player in school history to reach the 1,000-1,000 plateau. He had 15 career starts and three 100-yard rushing days.

ESPN Draft Tracker said, "While he had some issues following rules and handling coaching early in his career, it should be noted that Boyd had an extremely difficult upbringing and he has matured a great deal since his freshman season in 2003. Boyd projects as a mid-round pick in a very deep draft class but it wouldn't surprise us a bit if he outperforms several running backs selected ahead of him."

He had a good combine, and he did surprise NFL personnel by posting a best of 4.46 in his forty yard dash. The rap on him was in part not having the speed for the NFL, so that shocked a few people. He also put up 225 Lb. 25 times in the bench and had a vertical jump of 33 ½ (some sources list 34.5). It’s here that we get a picture of Cory Boyd the player, the one that might be.

Every report agrees that he is a very physical player. He had some minor bumps and bruises, more than average, perhaps, but no serious injury history. ESPN went on to say,

"Possesses good height and size potential. Runs hard and with good pad-level. Shifty back that shows the ability to plant and quickly change directions to hit the cutback lane. Shows good vision as a runner and will find creases when available. Shows good initial burst to and through the hole. Very good balance and body control. Shows soft hands and an adequate feel for route running as an underneath receiver. Gives a good effort as a blocker and is strong enough to anchor versus blitzing LB's. Comes from a very tough neighborhood in New Jersey and has shown tremendous resiliency in getting to where he is today. Continues to mature as both a player and a person."

His weaknesses? "Top-end speed is adequate but he doesn't show a second-gear in the open field. Gets to and through the hole, but won't be able to consistently bounce runs outside and run away from NFL defenders. He's not overly elusive, either. Still filling into his frame. Must prove capable of adding some bulk (5 to 10 pounds) without losing any burst. While he usually shows good form while running, he has the tendency to get too upright."

Scout.com added: "The Gamecock running back quietly went about his business amassing a solid senior campaign throughout an up and down South Carolina season in 2007. Totaled 952 yards rushing with 5.0 yards per carry average and 9 touchdowns while relinquishing some repetitions in a running back rotation. Boyd’s best effort came against one of South Carolina’s top rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers, rushing for a season best of 160 yards. Boyd is a hardnosed runner with some questions about top end speed. Displays a nice burst into the hole initially and does make decisive cuts. Never quite had that breakout run this past season with a season long of only 29 yards. At the Combine he did surprise NFL personnel by posting a best of 4.46 in his forty yard dash. A bit of an upright runner at 6 feet 1 inch tall and 213 pounds, Boyd also has soft hands out of the backfield. As a junior he led all SEC running backs in catches, adding 36 more receptions this past season. Steve Spurrier is not known as having an NFL ready system. The proof is in the pudding, but he does ask his teams to pass early and often. So while Boyd was churning out the yards meticulously down the field, he had to understand all the basic concepts of the passing game as both a receiver and blocker."

Boyd was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round (238th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He had fallen a long way on the issues of character and several minor injuries, and was rehabbing a knee during June and July. But, during the summer his past resurfaced. At the 2008 NFL rookie symposium in July, Boyd was involved in a fist fight with fellow Buccaneers rookie Aqib Talib. Ironically, the symposium is aimed at starting NFL rookies down the right path in life and their professional football careers.

Although Boyd has a history of character issues, Talib isn’t an angel either. He had a history of multiple occasions of marijuana usage while at Kansas and had one positive drug test. Since Jon Gruden has referred to Talib as the ‘future face of the franchise’, the outcome was predictable. Boyd was waived/injured by the Buccaneers on July 26 and subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve. He was released with an injury settlement on October 17.

The Broncos picked him up for the practice squad. When you lose your entire RB corps before Week 11, you make some hard decisions. In the Broncos case, Boyd is likely one of the best options out there. He’s a powerful back, a solid choice for a one cut system. He’s tough to bring down, usually requiring more than one tackler. He had the strength of character to graduate from SCU’s hotel, restaurant and tourism management program last December.

Boyd was interviewed by Luke Nicholson in preparation for the draft and has this to say:

"Why should an NFL team select you over other running backs in the draft?" "Because I rarely ever get tackled on first contact and I don’t go down without a fight. I play through pain the same way I play without it. Plus I have the hands of a WR."

What does he want to do after his NFL career? Open a youth recreation center to help kids whose backgrounds are similar to his own. These are good reasons to take a flyer on a man who needs you as much as you need him. Perhaps he can turn his life around. It’s not a first, second or third chance. But it might be his last.

Chargers Update

broncobear — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:40:08 -0000

It was the best of games; it was the worst of games. It’s been that way throughout the Chargers 2008 season. This Sunday might be a chance to change that.

At 3-5, the Chargers have been advancing to the rear for most of their contests. A propensity for losing in the 4th quarters, a tepid defense that ranks dead last in the league against the pass (26th overall) and a long string of untimely turnovers have changed the Bolts Super Bowl hopes to a Parade of Homelys. With a home contest against the bumbling Chiefs coming up on Sunday November 9, they have a new defensive coordinator, are laying claim to a different defensive philosophy, winning ugly, and oy, yes – trying to figure out where to play football.

Mike Aguirre, the city attorney who was an avowed foe of their stadium hopes, was voted out of office. But that light at the end of the tunnel is a pin point at best – with the debacle in the credit markets, financing a stadium is as attractive as paving over the San Diego Zoo. Which, it’s true, is one of the few options they haven’t explored. The voters seemed to object to a project that was described as a ‘national security nightmare’, involving building above some of the ports. A new stadium would cost about 1.4 billion, and no one seems to know how it can be built – or where. That pinpoint of light might well be an oncoming train.

The Bolts have a stadium contract lease that can be voided with a buyout between February 1 and April 30 each year until 2019 when it simply ends. There is a chance of leaving the public holding the bag to the tune of 200 million, but where to go? Folks have mentioned LA and a few other options, but in California the environmental impact process is two years regardless of where they build and no other projects currently beckon.

They are talking about the Qualcomm Stadium site, and have been for a long time. One version of the project called for 450 million for stadium and housing, but they were told that it would be too much traffic, to much congestion. Of course, another huge development was just approved near there, so obviously this isn’t a very popular project. The size of the parcel is still 166 acres, and that’s the only thing that hasn’t changed. That, and a lack of public approval. Football isn’t a religion here. It’s more of an afterthought.

The team is coming off a desperately needed bye week. They staged a minor miracle by hammering the Pats at home, but then the long and winding road to London beckoned, and a stop in Buffalo left them gored before, while in England, the Saints went marching over them. At least it’s at home, against KC, and few are betting against that. The good news is that they have played less home games than anyone else in the league, and they are a good home club. That’s bad news for the Broncos, but good news for the Chargers.

Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it, and Ted Cottrell was doomed. Ron Rivera has a different outlook. His is the belief that Wade Phillips had it right in the first place. More aggression and a smaller playbook are on point. Force the pace and dare the offense to come at you. Dictate what they will do, don’t react, ACT! Cottrell dropped his LBs into coverage and leaned on his secondary. Rivera is up from that he’s going to blitz and make you beat him. The defensive players seem cautiously optimistic. The belief is that Cottrell was too conservative for this bunch of young, athletic and aggressive guys. Cromartie says his hip is better now, and he’s up from 65% to 95%. I’m not sure how that will mesh with the poor play of Castillo, Williams and Olshansky, but that’s to be decided on the field.

On offense, Chambers is mostly recovered from an ankle injury, and Jeremy Newberry was ill on Friday but is expected back. Gates says that he’s ready now. Buster Davis, their 2007 first round pick rides the pine, but takes heart from the struggles of players like Vincent Jackson when he entered the league. Next year, they tell him. Next year, he echos, like a sigh in the costal breeze. The word bust is also in the wind. He’s had a long series of minor injuries, and Malcolm Floyd stole his job while he was out. Just life in the not-for -long. He may yet work out.

Rivers has been very muddy rivers for much of the season. If Cutler has had troubles, phillip has often been Mother Teresa, giving to the poor opposing defenses at wildly inopportune times. He’s at the top in TDs, his yardage is great, but the fact that he gave up two turnovers in 4 seconds to lose a game recently tells you what you need to know. No word on whether LT is going to be ready for the second half.

The Chargers can yet steal this season. If Rivera can simplify and energize the D, if their front three can wake up and smell the playoffs, if rivers can apply a little stickum, this could all come together. Their schedule is very favorable.

On the other hand, the Broncos have a hold of their own destiny now. It’s up to them what they do with it. If they win out, or just win as many as San Diego, it's over. All the Bolts can do is, well...

Charge.

Tales from the SunnySide: Iron Clady

broncobear — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:28:35 -0000

No one becomes an offensive lineman for the accolades. The past Broncos requirement that no O lineman speak to the media may have been snuffed by the NFL, but it lives on in their hearts and traditions. Ryan Clady fits right in.

He’s used to a quiet approach to life. As a young player, he couldn’t get any interest from the schools in his home city of Rialto CA. He was a DT at Eisenhower High Schools there, and got offers from San Diego State, Idaho State and UTEP before settling on Boise State. Once a Bronco, always a Bronco.

Clady is one of the reasons that his college Broncos changed their stars. They perennially went undefeated in the regular season and blew their chances at the upcoming bowl games. When he was a freshman, it was a 44-40 lose to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. In 2006 he started 11 of 13 contests at right tackle and his offense ranked ninth in the nation in scoring at 36.1 points per game, 19th in rushing and fifth in rushing touchdowns before dropping another one to Boston College in the MPC Computers Bowl.

The following year Clady moved to left tackle, and the Broncos improved to second in the nation in scoring (39.7 point per game) and second in rushing touchdowns (39) before eking out a 43-42 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. It brought Clady to a little well earned national attention. The Statue of Liberty play in that game is etched in a lot of people’s consciousness.

“I had to pull around the left side to seal the block,” Clady explained. “Fake like I’m down-blocking a little bit for a couple of seconds, and then pull around for the seal.”

The play also showed the nation how nimble Clady can be as well as what he could offer at the pro level. Dubbed ‘Sweet Feet’ by PJ Alexander, Clady should get equal billing for his iron hands and utterly nasty disposition on the field. Broncos fans are getting used to the sight of him pancaking a rusher and jumping on top for good measure. Sometimes he stays on his feet just to look around for another victim. It’s nothing new to those who have followed his career. In college, teammates joked that he hadn’t said more than two words to them. Funny and engaging in private, he rarely spoke with the media. But his accomplishments did.

2005) Named first-team Freshman All-America by ESPN.com, second-team Freshman All-America by Rivals.com and CollegeFootballNews.com and third-team Freshman All-America by the Sporting News...

2006) Named second-team All-America by SI.com...Named first-team All-WAC...Started all 13 games at left tackle for the Broncos... Named to SI.com Midseason All-America first team and CollegeFootballNews.com second team...Named to the Outland Trophy Watch List...Named to The Sporting News and Blue Ribbon Preseason All-WAC Teams...

2007) Named first-team All-America by the AFCA and the Sporting News, second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and SI.com and third-team All-America by Rivals.com...Named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference....Named Boise State’s co-offensive lineman of the year... Named to the PLAYBOY All-America Football Team...Named preseason first-team All-America by the Sporting News and second-team All-America by Nationalchamps.net...Named to Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Watch Lists...Picked as a member of the preseason All-WAC team by the Sporting News and Blue Ribbon Yearbook...

As soon as he declared for the 2008 draft, he declared that he was cut out for the kind of zone blocking scheme that the Denver Broncos runs. He began to train at TEST Sports in Martinsville New Jersey, learning under Willie Rolf, formerly of the Chiefs. A hard worker, he also learned under Will Shields and Jackie Slater. In truth, Clady wasn’t entirely humble. He announced to Scout.com (Feb 2, 08) that he strongly believed that he was the best left tackle in the draft. New England hinted that they lusted after his skills, as did the Ravens. Baltimoreravens.com ran an article on him. Baltimoresun.com asked, “Do your job and don't get noticed. Isn't that what we want from our franchise offensive tackles?” It was, and it is. Denver felt the same.

Clady started to get a lot of press, but most of the national attention was on Jake Long and his early contract. A lot of Broncos fans thought that was just fine and held their breath. Thankfully, the Football Entities were merciful, and he inexplicably dropped to us in the draft. Jim Goodman and Co has him penciled in from the start.

"My pass-blocking abilities and my feet, I think I have good feet," Clady said at the beginning of 2008. "And I think I can excel at the next level."

It ain’t bragging when you can back it up.

Now 10 weeks into the season, Clady has yet to allow a sack, as several members of this site have asserted. Other than a ‘phantom hold” and a strange chop-block call, Clady has been faultless. His running blocks are coming and his pass blocking is amazing. When you factor in the number of passes the Broncos have attempted (515, compared to 478 for their opponents, according to http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/teams/stats/DEN/2007/regular) it’s even more astounding. That’s one penalty every 257 plays for a rookie LT.

ESPN recently ran an article on Thomas:

…”While there are plenty of players out there with great size, what separates Thomas from the pack is his quickness, light feet and ever-improving technique. Like most of the great ones he almost always appears to be in balance and rarely looks awkward. Mix all of these outstanding attributes with great competitiveness and tremendous work ethic and you have a player every team longs for in their backside protector.”

Broncos fans might think that they were writing about Clady. This season, he may be outdoing Thomas who hasn’t been quite as strong, in part due to opposing teams game-planning him better. On the other hand, Joe T is costing his team 8,000,000.00 per year. (Foxsports.com)

Clady has reasons for his quiet confidence. His mother passed away when he was young and he was raised by his father and extended family. That had a lot to do with his decision to leave school early. Clady said,

“I felt I have proven everything I could, playing in college and I was ready for the next level. The time was right for me to pursue my dream.”

What he doesn’t tell you is that he wanted to care for his younger siblings financially. That's far more the measure of the man.

USA Today has been talking (Oct 29 2008) about Clady for the Pro Bowl, and it’s not premature to do so. Said bleacherroport.com,

“Clady has arguably had a bigger impact on (his) team than any other rookie in the AFC, maybe the NFL. Clady is lighting it up, and deserves some recognition.“

The nfl.com said recently, “Cutler probably wishes he would've had protection half this good at Vanderbilt, where was sacked 80 times in 45 starts.”

With the emergence and health of Ryan Harris, the Broncos have their tackles of the future. They have been digging a moat around Cutler, lining it with stakes and stocking it with dragons.

In April, he told our own TSG, “Right away, I just want to learn the system. I want to play well and I want to be a starter.” Than he added, “Everyone wants to be a Pro-Bowler and to win a couple Super Bowls.” It looks like he’s well on his way.