In an answer we didn’t include last week in his Q&A session with DenverBroncos.com, Linebackers Coach Richard Smith talked about his impressions of the linebackers he’s preparing to work with this season.
One key point that stood out was the fact that he put Mario Haggan into the same group as Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers, players Head Coach John Fox has already said he envisions as 4-3 defensive ends.
“You’d say why?” Smith said. “What it does is it upgrades the speed of our defense. Now you’re taking linebackers and they’re playing down linemen — it upgrades the athleticism of that position.”
I asked Smith to talk a little more about the role Haggan will most likely play in 2011 after rotating from outside linebacker to inside linebacker and back again in 2010.
“What was impressive with me is this guy played all over the place,” Smith said. “He played outside, he played inside — this guy was a jack of all trades and was really good. I haven’t met him in person, but I have talked to him on the phone. I like this guy’s personality. I like his energy level. Guys like that are contagious to your football team, so we have to find a spot for him. If that’s at the defensive line position or at the linebacker position, this guy is very valuable to your football team.”
With Haggan’s importance to the club in mind, Smith said he wants the defender to find as much playing time as possible — a lot of which could come on the defensive line.
“What we needed to do on our football team on defense is upgrade our speed,” he reiterated. “By taking him and moving him down, it upgrades our speed. I’m not saying he couldn’t play linebacker, but you would like someone who is not as big, not a 265-pound guy playing in a 4-3 system, if that makes sense. From that standpoint, that’s why we moved him to a position where he’ll have an opportunity to compete. I think that will be a very good competition at that position. Or in a role situation, where those defensive linemen have to roll in and out to keep them fresh. So I think he’s in the right spot for our system.”
We’ll post the rundown on what Smith had to say about the rest of his “exciting” linebacker corps tomorrow.
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Elvis Dumervil, Linebackers Coach Richard Smith, Mario Haggan, Robert Ayers
I love trying Haggan on the line. I suppose it is hard to get excited about this information because we have such big holes in the middle of the line. We have an outstanding 7 man perimeter in the making; but it will only be as strong as the weakest link, and that is and has been the middle. There is nothing more demoralizing than giving up first downs and touchdowns with guys running down your throat. I am sure the staff has a plan for free agency, I just hope they have a solid plan B and C as well……
BTW
Gray, nice article and picture. That game against KC was one of the few bright spots last year. If I remember correctly, Haggan had a monster game against Matt Cassel.
I don’t mean to be a ‘Debbie Downer’… but this lockout sucks.
Go Broncos!!!!
Thanks hometeam. Agreed — nobody’s thrilled about the lockout, but you really can still feel excitement heading toward the season inside Dove Valley.
As for the Chiefs game, what’d he have…three sacks? And he picked up another one in the second KC matchup at Arrowhead. I don’t think Matt Cassel liked seeing him that much.
I like seeing more athletic guys on the line. Whenever huge defensive lineman have been brought in they just can’t keep up the energy. The altitude does make a difference and that gives us more of a home field advantage. I also remember the Superbowl won against the Packers, our smaller lineman just wore them out. I can still see those “green monsters” huffing and puffing with hands on hips. Definately one of my favorite memories in Bronco history during my time as a fan.
Gray, your such a tease. “I tell you the rest of the story tomorrow”. One breadcrumb at a time. LOL
Haha imready, Chris Hall and I are trying to give you guys something new every day between blogs, top stories and videos to whet your appetite!
I’m putting together what Coach Smith had to say on the other linebackers for tomorrow, and on Wednesday I’ll have what the four assistant coaches we posted Q&As with had to say on rejoining Coach Fox in Denver.
Gray and Chris, I think I speak for all of us fans hungry for whatever football scraps we can get our teeth into during this lockout: we appreciate every little bit of reporting and info you can give us!
I definitely agree with hometeam’s 1st post though – the 3 things we must acquire before the season starts are a good DT, a great DT and another DT just like the other 2.
Good stuff, I like thinking of it that way – upgrading speed on the D-Line. Haggan is a hard worker, and will do his best at whatever position we put him. I got his autograph last year at Training Camp, and said “I totally appreciate all your efforts man” and he looks at me, kind of shrugs his shoulders a little bit and replies humbly “It’s my job man”.
He definitely seems to fit the role of leading by example, so this may be a great move for him. Thanks for thinking of Us fans Gray and Chris, and keeping our appetites whetted.
Finally someone sees what I see. His Philosophy of the speedy “Merriman style hybrid LB/DE” I believe has been there on our team, however certain personnel were just out of position. So hold Bronco Nation, with this draft and competition we are about to assemble and have the best ‘complete at that position w depth’ Line Backing Corp in the History of Our Franchise! That’s right I said it!
But defensively we must pick up Cofield(NYG) or Mebane(SEA), along with Kiwanuka(NYG) and Lawson(SF).
No defense will be able to plan or scheme with the likes of Dumervil, Mebane/Cofield, V. Miller, Kiwanuka and even an inspired Ayers. That’s an avg of 5.3 sacks per game..guaranteed! J. FOX is Indeed Smart as A Fox! He’s disguising “3-4 personnel” packaged in a 4-3 look..Ingenious..by George I think we’ve got it!
I see Mike Mohammad, not Nate Irving, starting at MLB however. I think moving Champ to RCB and letting Cox hold down LCB will prove to be the stoutest secondary our Franchise’s History! Can you picture Moore backing up Champ, and B. ‘Dawk’/Carter backing up Perrish Cox??
Now that’s a pass-deflecting, tight coverage having, run-stuffing, backfield penetrating, hungry ‘ball-hawking’, swarming defense scoring unit! Capable of an avg. of 3 Int’s/Fum or turnovers per game, 6-7 sacks pg, and at least 10 Defensive TD for the Season!!!!!! That’s A Super Bowl caliber defense! I already know the offense will be threatening, especially with the signing of FB Vontae Leach, and RB DeAngelo Williams! Thats another instant 1,000 + yds per season!!!!!
LETS GO BRONCO’S..Let’s WIN the Super Bowl NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hold On*
We’re licking our chops all right, we want some football. No just any football, Denver Bronco football! I seldom ever watch a game anymore unless the Broncos are playing. I very seldom have missed a game for the last 10-15 years. However, I did miss a few with Josh McDaniels as head coach. LOL It’s the only way I could remain a fan. If Mr. Bolen hadn’t fired him I don’t know what might have happened, I might have even become a Raider fan, god forbid!
I am beginning to wonder if Ayers is going to be the starter next year, he better show up or itmight be Haggan or Hunter starting over him.
If speed is what they want, I`m all for it but we need to plug the gap up the middle and have sure handed tacklers, every last one of them. Tackle, tackle, tackle, and if we can, tackle the opposition for a loss. Thats what I`m talking about.
Imready, how can you say such a thing, thats blasphmay.
I’m glad to hear we are going to try Haggan at another position on a different line because as an ILB or OLB I certainly wasn’t impressed.
And as would be the case on any Arabian nights, Broncos SB win on the horizon NOW, LOL.
And Gray, thanks for the blog and looking forward to the next couple you are referring to, however it has been like forever that anyone has posted a blog, I like videos and top stories but it’s nothing like opening up a discussion with a post on a blog, keep these coming please, the last blog lasted 8 days… .
Also hoping Coop comes back and posts something for us, I still feel awful for the disgusting treatment he got here for his last fishing trip, thanks glasxnax or whatever for nothing since you are AWOL too. Hope they just shut you up! No offense, but the way your attack was delivered was absolutely classless. Come back Coop!
Nope no way Mohammed starts at ILB over Irving,he was rated as the best ILB on our board,just saying.
imready,shame on you for saying what you said!
Bay I agree,Haggan has talent,but not enough speed to play LB,but plenty of speed to play DE.
Mikey,I wouldn’t worry too much about Ayers,I think once he gets back into a rythem at his old position,he’ll flourish.
BFE
Yea Baylinocrush, I believe strandoftds is right as well. All we’ve really needed in addition to more speed, were “sure tacklers”! I truly believe that was the central target focus of the draft: was to grab un-intimidated “sure tacklers”.
It seems we have that in a variety of pass-rushers that can run side-line to side-line, and threaten the backfield all day long..and now with a solid secondary! Yea..I recognize a good defense when I see one. I’m more excited about this group than I have been in 13 years! You all know what type of group we had then, that’s right Back to Back SB Champs! Defense Wins Championships and I’m glad Champ and Doom got some real help. Just waiting on “chemistry to gel quickly” and we are going to stun the nation! How sweet it will be to go from Last to First!! Can you all see it?? I can see it:
’98 SB Champs
Then/Now QB – Elway/Tebow= Heart of a Champion w Will to Win
RB – TDavis~Gary/D. Williams/Moreno= bruisn fast backfield
TE – Sharp/ Thomas= savvy fast strong athletic pass catcher
WR- Smith~McCffrey/Lloyd~Decker= dynamic possession
DT – A. Williams~Smith/ Cofield~Vickerson=relentless
DB’s- Atwater~ Smith/ Dawkins~Moore=HardHittin/Ballhawks
CB- (no comparison)/ Bailey~Cox & Co.=locked down
LB’s- Gold~Mobley~Romo/ Mohammad~V. Miller~DJ Williams
= Run Stuffing (Sure Tacklers)
DE – T.Pryce/ Dumervil(Kiwanuka) = Game Changers
please tell me I’m not the only one who remembers and certainly not the only one to see the similarities I just mentioned!
TRANSLATION: AFC SUPER BOWL BOUND Champs!!
I think it’s great you are that psyched about the team, but just to bring you down a notch, it’s Bronco Country, The Nation thing is a Raider thing and kind of frown upon in these parts.
About our chances NOW, they are minimal since this new team and coaching staff has had no chance at any off season to implement anything, it’s like the blind leading the blind and unfortunately in that case the better teams will remain better and the bad teams will remain worse. However after this “try out” year we are facing I will be glad to raise up my expectations for 2012, maybe not to your level, haha, but thinking possibly playoffs then.
You got to learn to walk before you can run away with the whole thing!
I didn’t want to take your comparaisons down line by line since it just would of riled you up, LOL.
You can’t be serious about the 98 broncos and this years team. Champ is the only player now that is better. Price was a DT and Williams and Smith were DEs.
Oh and D. Smith was retired years b/4. Braxton was the other safety
BFE, ROCK ON DUDE! FTR`S!!!!!!
Moreno and Ayers, both of McD’s first round picks from 2009 have underachieved. Moreno now most likely slotted to play as a 3rd down reciever out of the backfield like Bush and Sproles except with less speed. Looking at Moreno’s numbers for the 40 yd dash…..4.60?? Slow for a light RB.
Ayers lined up plenty as a down lineman in 3-4, with different disguises, but could never get to the QB. Granted injury may have played a big part last year.
I sure you’re right about Ayers, BFE. He needs to come out and take his game to the next level as a pass rusher as well. Just something we haven’t seen yet.
I have to say that Bay you might be a litte pessimistic on our defense I think we tend to forget that most our players have played in a 4-3 in college or in the NFL so the must be somewhat familiar with it, also Doom will be returning and he made a name for himself at DE in the 4-3. Also I like Miller working with his linebacker coach I think he will learn quick once he gets started here. Also our offense will be pretty close to the same as last year as stated by McCoy. All in all I think our team will improve and maybe compete for the division this year.
Thanks for the upside Mikey, but if we do end up being in the running for the division title at year end, whatever knowledge of NFL fooftball I have acquired over the years will have completely failed me, and believe me when I say I hope it does. Go Broncos! Nothing like being pleasantly surprised rather than being sorely disappointed, decades of caring for the game has tought me that much, not enough room for big disappointments left in my life, just the easier way for me to look at it, to each his own, and when I was your age I would of been all over the we’re going to the SB every year train.
Sorry,
I thought i read it the other way! Please forgive: Bronco’s Country!! lol
No need to be sorry, I just know many guys here don’t like it when we call ourselves Nation anything.
T. Pryce was a DE used as a DT, but was a LE originally! Well thanks for the real down to earth observance..but I smell nostalgia and for the first time in a looonngg time, I see this defense having character and identity!!
One that’s gonna Kick Asphalt!!
Who do you guys think will fit our system and locker room better, Mebane, Cofield, or Jenkins at DT??
Anyhow I hope Mikey and Arabian are correct when they say our D wil get there this year, quite a tall order considering we finished dead last in the league as a defense with 390.8 yards per game allowed, just about 120 more yards allowed per game than the Chargers!
We were also last in the league as far as points scored against per game, 29.4, or twice as many than the Steelers and Packers allowed. But with enthusiasm galore, a new coaching staff, Elway and a handful of new players, that outta do the trick this season to get us competing for the division title and maybe even the SB, or most likely not. But it will be fun all the same!
Answer: Whoever we sign, LOL.
Lol Bay I am in no way thinking we are going to the SB but I however see us going 8-8 with the best in our division being 9-7 with the divisions we have to play. Our divisions has to play two of the Superbowl contenders and 3 of the 4 conference contenders. So I could see us making a run at it.
hey, any news on Cox? I’ve been away for a while. I hate this lockout mess, all of our young players that we’re wanting to be starters, we ain’t gonna want em’ to be starters cause they’ll play like crap if they can’t get in a proper off-season.
It`s gonna take a few years to be realistic about doing any damage to the AFC West and I`m alright with that just as long as we keep getting better the next year or two. It`s obvious we are at least two to three years away. Our D needs to improved dramatically and we all know that, it doesn`t take a rocket scientist to see the old formula. We need a new concoction, especially up the middle against the run. Lets bring back the Orange Crush on DEFENSE!!
Samarai713, Cox`s trial has been set for some time in October if I remember correctly. So thats during the 2nd quarter of the season.
thanks, I lost track of the situation, thought it was supposed to happen sooner. I hope he’s innocent cause he could be decent under Champ’s tutelage. We could have one dang good and young secondary in a few years with Cox, Thompson, Moore, and Carter. Assuming they don’t bust and stay out of trouble.
I believe he pleaded not guilty so thats why a trial is set for October. These things take time and might even be prolonged as lawyers aways like to hang things up for months, even years. It just goe`s with the territory.
It’s a nice idea, but I just do not see Mario Haggan as a guy who plays with his hand in the dirt as a 4-3 DE. Haggan fits nicely as both an ILB and OLB in a 3-4 system and played decently in 2008 as a linebacker in the 4-3. I realize that there may not be room for him at linebacker in the 4-3, but moving him to the defensive line just for the sake of keeping Haggan around seems a bit of a reach to me.
If Haggan can’t earn a spot I won’t lose any sleep over it, that’s for sure.
The days of corporate NFL at work:
What was originally known as Seahawks Stadium when it opened in 2002, then renamed Qwest Field in 2004, has a new name — CenturyLink Field.
Here is a total NFL player idiot, only good thing is he is not on our team:
Isn’t social media just a bundle of fun?
Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt briefly – very briefly – raised eyebrows around the NFL world this afternoon when he allegedly posted on his Facebook account that he was retiring from the NFL, cursing out league commissioner Roger Goodell for good measure: “Retiring from the NFL. (Expletive, actually one letter and three asterisks) You Goddell.”
Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger reporter Brendan Prunty started an uproar when he sent that post out on Twitter. But Britt’s Facebook account (which is private) soon posted a string of apologetic messages, according to Prunty: “Change of HEart.. My family is always here for me. I made mistakes and i am sorry i am going to change … and become a better person and mentor for all my young fans.. I will accept any penalty like a man … The road beings Sept 11 in Jacksonville.. ill be ready!!!”
And then came the final touch, as Britt’s original retirement post was deleted and essentially replaced with this: “my fbook was hacked with those past 2 status’s.. i am not retiring and do not have any hate toward the commissioner.”
Some of these players really think we are all just a bunch of idiots to buy crap like that, and they are right we buy all kinds of tickets to see idiots like him play, LOL.
We play Tennessee on September 25th, hopefully we will lay the wood hard on that punk!
BIG day today for the League starting in just a couple of hours:
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The NFL will stage a crucial owners meeting near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday, with the lockout now well into its fourth month.
Accordingly, a number of league executives, owners and members of the NFL’s legal team arrived for prep work on Monday afternoon. The league’s labor committee had a late afternoon meeting that lasted for two hours, with Tuesday’s general session set to kick off at 10 a.m.
In attendance were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, general counsel Jeff Pash, and outside counsel Bob Batterman, as well as labor committee co-chairmen Jerry Richardson and Pat Bowlen, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Giants owner John Mara, Bengals owner Mike Brown, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Steelers president Art Rooney, Chargers president Dean Spanos and Packers CEO Mark Murphy.
Tuesday’s meeting was originally scheduled as a one-day session, but clubs were advised last week to be prepared for the proceedings to spill into Wednesday. No formal votes are scheduled for the meetings, with the labor committee and Goodell having completed three sets of clandestine negotiations with the players.
“We’re giving the clubs a briefing on the status of the labor discussions,” Pash told NFL Network. “And we’ll allow them to ask any questions, give them a legal update on the status of the various court actions, and just make sure they fully understand everything that’s happened over the last month and make sure they’re fully informed as we proceed through the end of this month and into July.”
The last owners meeting happened in Indianapolis the week before the “secret” sessions between the players and owners commenced. The parties held talks in suburban Chicago from May 31 – June 2, running up to the June 3 injunction appeal hearing before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, then met again on June 7 and 8 on Long Island, N.Y., and June 14 and 15 on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
So much has occurred since the 32 clubs last met under the same roof.
Pash said that on Tuesday, “They get a chance to ask questions, and more importantly, they get a chance to talk to each other and hear from other owners. I think that’s always valuable.”
Pash added that the idea isn’t necessarily to have everyone thinking the same way, but to have a full understanding of where things stand.
“It’s at least leaving here with the same information,” Pash said. “People will have different views on things, I think that’s inevitable. But at least they’ll have common information.”
Obviously Mr. Bowlen is still in the heart of things and that’s great news to me!
It`s good to see Pat Bowlen in Chicago to attend this weeks meetings, very good news.
In the denver post John Fox is reiteratating that the starting QB position is still an open compitition between Tebow, Quinn, and Orton.
Go Brady Go!
Many ways to interpret that, LOL.
This is just a guess but I bet that Kyle Orton will be traded somewhere, Quinn will be cut and not make the roster, Tim Tebow will be the starter in week 1 of the season, and we`ll have a veteran QB of someone of the likes of Jake Delhomme.
Orton for Haynesworth was thrown around a while back, that’d be something like our Portis for Bailey trade. I would rather Tebow start because he’s clutch in the second half, a little slow to warm up, but he played best in the 4th I think. I don’t know if that will happen however because of the short or non pre-season. Fox may decide to play it safe and go with Orton who has more experience, and our other rookies may not get to be full starters for now either. This lockout bull**** makes it harder for teams in transition to be fairly competitive with teams that are not, especially since the plan moving forward was to lean more on rookies and younger players to start. The owners and players are so locked up in trying to get richer they are ignorant to the fact that the game is suffering, this keeps up long enough, it will be easy to guess the teams that’ll make the playoffs year: the same ones as last, the ones with no major changes, the Steelers, Packers, Patriots…etc. They better get this done with this meeting or soon at least, this is beyond ridiculous.
Sorry guys. Don’t look for this thing to end any time soon. Seems some of them are enjoying their golf game a bit to much! Besides, they are in it for them and not for us fams anyway.