Mason's Morsels

With John Browning making his practice debut Wednesday afternoon, the defensive line remained the focal point as the Broncos moved a day closer to what could well be a revealing preseason game against Cleveland on Saturday night.

But how much that game shows about Browning remains to be seen. It has been nearly 20 months since he played in a regular-season game, and after leaving the Chiefs with an injury settlement on Sept. 30 of last year after suffering a back injury, it has been nearly 11 months since he had a team to call his own. Wednesday afternoon represented his first session, and his coaches were pleased with his work, although there’s little that could be gauged from a practice that took place just hours after his signing.

“For what we did today, he looked like he did just fine,” defensive line coach Bill Johnson said. “But it takes time. We’ll get him some game time and see how it goes. It’s hard to tell after one practice when you’re in a game-week situation, but, he did show some striking ability and some firmness in there, and that’s a good start.”

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A bad night for the Broncos turned worse with the news that defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban will likely miss the rest of the 2007 season because of a torn Achilles tendon.

Ekuban suffered the injury midway through the second quarter.

Running back Travis Henry also suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He will undergo an MRI examination back in Denver. If it comes back negative, Head Coach Mike Shanahan said that Henry could return to game action as early as next week.

Needless to say, Ekuban’s teammates were saddened by the injury. Here’s a sampling of their thoughts from the locker room:

JOHN LYNCH:
“Eb’s a warrior. He goes out there every week and gives his heart. He played at a high level … It seemed like his legs had come underneath him this year. When he came here, it looked like his knee was still bothering him, but now, his legs were great. He was playing outside and inside. He was going to be a key contributor. We’ve certainly hit some adversity with the way we’ve played, with some key guys (injured). Every team goes through that at some point. We’ll see how we respond.”

NICK FERGUSON:
“Oh, man. … I know he was looking forward to the season and doing something with this scheme. To have a guy like him go down and lose him for the remainder of the season is difficult, but at the same time it could have happened to any of us, so (it’s a chance) for all of these guys who are drafted to come in play.”

CHAMP BAILEY:
“Oh, you hate to hear that. A guy that we definitely depended on up front and now it’s just time for guys to step up. He’s a veteran, he’s leader on our team, and we’re going to miss him.  But with all that said, we’ve got to keep playing football and hopefully some of these young guys will step up.”

DRE’ BLY:
“Eb was one of the sack leaders last year leading the team in sacks. Personally, we were college mates, we came into college together and came out together, so I’m going to be disappointed because I was looking forward to playing with Eb and reuniting with him, but that’s part of the game. Guys have to step up. Injuries are something that we have to deal with. That just gives an opportunity for one of the younger guys to step up in his place and try to fill the void.”

The Valley Ranch practice fields were finely manicured as dawn broke over north Texas; the playing surface looked more like a putting green or a pool table than a place where 160 players were about to wallop each other for over an hour.

But it didn’t take long for the Broncos and Dallas Cowboys to dig in, get to work and begin chewing up the field during a 90-minute session in conditions that became more stifling with each passing second.

“I think I lost 10 pounds today, it’s that hot,” defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said, “but we’ll get used to it. By Saturday we’ll be ready.”

Defensive end Tim Crowder — who saw action throughout the practice after suffering a shoulder stinger Monday night — was equally prepared after growing up in the state and attending the University of Texas the past four years.

“I told (teammates) it was going to be bad,” he said. “I watched the news last night and they said it was going to be 103 degrees and I said, ‘Man, get ready for it.’ Luckily I’m used to it so it really didn’t bother me that bad.”

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The bad news Saturday morning? Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos and training lieutenants Corey Oshikoya and Trae Tashiro were busy once again, attending to three players who incurred injuries during the full-pads practice.

The good news? The injuries to running back Travis Henry, defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban and weakside linebacker Louis Green were not serious, and Green managed to return to practice a half-hour after he fell to the grass on the final play of the goal-line period of practice.

“We lost a few guys the last few years to injuries in our goal-line period, and I thought we’d snuck away without an injury, but Lou Green stayed on the ground,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “I thought the worst at first, but it looks like he’s all right. He got back to practice. He got a little bruise on his knee, so hopefully there’s no setback but for a guy to come back like he did, that’s a good sign.”

Henry, meanwhile, was bothered by a hip pointer that he initially incurred Friday. He made it through the first few periods, but then received treatment after it flared up.

“It just didn’t feel right,” he said.

He briefly returned for another play in nine-on-seven before heading to the sidelines for good.

“I probably could have finished if it was a game, but I want to be healthy when this thing starts, so they decided to pull me.”

“It’s normal — especially at the running back position. Any play, you can get nicked up, and unfortunately I got nicked up. I sucked it up and finished yesterday, and today did it again, and unfortunately I couldn’t go like I wanted to, so I just sat out.

Missing a few periods of practice usually isn’t a big deal to a player who is the clear starter at his position, but for Henry, this practice was going to be his opportunity to show why the Broncos invested in him, since it was heavily tilted towards goal-line plays — a point of emphasis that was one of the reasons why the Broncos sought him in March.

It was real disappointing. This is our first goal line, and I felt great at the beginning of practice. Then in nine-on-seven, I tweaked the hip pointer again,” he said. “We’ll have another chance in goal line, so I’ll get my looks.”

Ekuban, meanwhile, fell to the grass during the move-the-ball period at the end of practice, but he rose and walked to the sideline under his own power.

“He’s fine,” Shanahan said. “He just got a little banged up and got the wind knocked out of him, but he’s fine.”

Even with those injuries, the heavy hitting of the day nevertheless exacted a far smaller toll than last year’s full-pads practice, when the Broncos lost Gerard Warren for the remainder of the preseason with a dislocated toe. Warren was never quite the same that year, fighting through pain the entire season.

By comparison, the Broncos emerged barely scathed from the intense two-and-a-half-hour session this year — and that was the best news they could receive before heading into a one-day respite.

More to come, including a breakdown of the top plays of practice, some notes from the one-on-one line drills and plenty of photos.

This was about as much athleticism as the Broncos would display on Tuesday morning, as Head Coach Mike Shanahan called his team together after pre-practice stretching, said a few words and then dismissed them for the day.

“We stretched well,” he said.

Most players couldn’t leave the field quickly enough, sprinting as though there was a loose football sitting in the end zone, waiting for someone to claim it for a touchdown.

“Everybody was amped up,” running back Travis Henry said. “I thought he was going to talk about the wind because it was really windy yesterday and we kind of lost focus in some areas. It was a surprise.

“He gave us a bone, and we’re going to take care of our responsibility, enjoy this time off and come back in July (for minicamp).”

So there’s not much in the way of notes from the day. Wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Glenn Martinez, Rod Smith and Brandon Stokley were all out of uniform, continuing their rehabilitation. Today, it was Martinez’s turn to be tethered to the goalpost for some conditioning work; on Wednesday, it was Brandon Marshall who went through that session after practice concluded.

And just as Shanahan shook up the schedule by calling off practice, some players threw a curveball to onlookers by switching jersey numbers:






A slew of other Broncos changed jerseys a group that included including safety/linebacker Steve Cargile (from No. 38 to No. 97), linebacker Ian Gold (from No. 52 to No. 91), linebacker D.J. Williams (from No. 55 to No. 60) and defensive tackle Demetrin Veal (from No. 97 to No. 38), among others.

And here’s a few more photos from the short session:







It felt like the last day of school here at Dove Valley, and in a way, it is, although the players will continue in offseason conditioning for the next few weeks. For the coaches, the end of OTAs commences their longest respite of the year. And for your humble blogger, the close of this practice means vacation is in sight … but still a few days away. I’ve got plenty of stories to write and Broncos TV pieces to edit over the next few days, so we can keep bringing you something new each weekday, even while I’m away.

Back with more over the next few days … until then, vaya con dios.

(Oh, by the way … my long-lasting respect to anyone who in the comments section can identify which cartoon character said “unfettered hurly-burly” and under what circumstance he or she said it.)

Going from defensive end to tackle isn’t the most jarring transition Ebenezer Ekuban has made in his football career. This is, after all, the man who shifted from tight end to defensive end at the University of North Carolina a decade ago after lingering behind future Chargers and Cardinals tight end Freddie Jones on the depth chart. (To top it off, future Falcons Pro Bowler Alge Crumpler arrived in Chapel Hill just as Ekuban made the switch.)

Nevertheless, having to add tackle duties to his repertoire left Ekuban scrambling to adjust in the season’s final month.

“I ain’t going to lie to you, it’s definitely taking some time getting adjusted to the physical nature of being pounded every play,” Ekuban said in December, “but, I think my greatest asset is my speed, and that helps me out in there.”

The result was a revival of fortunes for the eight-year veteran. He played more in Weeks 15-17 than he did at any other point during the season and logged more tackles in those three weeks than anyone else on the defensive line, with 15 solo stops and four assists, including nine tackles in the Dec. 24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

But what was perhaps most promising of all was how Ekuban increased his pass-rush output in the dual tackle/end role, logging 2.5 sacks in the last three games and forcing a Matt Leinart fumble early in the Dec. 17 win at Arizona.

Not bad for someone who was trying to discern how to rush the passer from tackle after playing end almost exclusively for nine years.

“At end, you can narrow your base and put your tail up, and you can go get that quarterback, but inside, man, you have to make sure you have a good, wide base and know that you’re going to face two guys most of the time,” Ekuban said.

“Your mentality is just different. Instead of just saying, ‘Hey, let’s get to the quarterback,’ I’m thinking more of using my power rushes to try to let things open up.”

Just like new possibilities opened up for Ekuban in the last three games.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Saw more snaps than any other Broncos defensive end in 2006 … Finished second among defensive linemen behind Michael Myers with 78 total tackles (61 solo, 17 assists) … Also finished second on the team in sacks with seven, which was one off his career high in 2004 with Cleveland … Has more sacks (11) in the last two seasons than anyone else on the Broncos roster.

NEXT: Placekicker Jason Elam.

One could say that Ebenezer Ekuban’s occasional work at defensive tackle was the final stage of a transformation that began a decade ago at the University of North Carolina.

Early in his Chapel Hill matriculation, Ekuban lined up at tight end before moving to the defensive side of the football. The leap from tight end to defensive end is a gargantuan one in terms of game play, but the size of players at the two positions is fairly similar, and the players at these positions often face off against each other on a given play.

Recently, though, Ekuban’s career took another detour, with the starting end spending more time working as a defensive tackle.

“It’s a speed factor thing, trying to create speed in our defense and getting our best guys in different situations, different areas,” defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. “It’s just a matter of adjustment through the course of time.”

“I’m getting comfortable with it,” Ekuban said. ” I ain’t going to lie to you, it’s definitely taking some time getting adjusted to it — moreso just the physical nature of being pounded every play. That’s the only part that’s getting adjusted to, but, I think my greatest asset is my speed, and that helps me out in there.”

With 5.5 sacks this year, he’s already exceeded his team-leading total of four from last year, although he ranks behind fellow defensive ends Kenard Lang and Elvis Dumervil on the team’s 2006 sack log.

But Ekuban’s managed to keep pace with his teammates while learning a new way to play — one more reflective of his new position.

“At end, you can narrow your base and put your tail up, and you can go get that quarterback, but inside, man, you have to make sure you have a good, wide base and know that you’re going to face two guys most of the time and your mentality is just different,” Ekuban said.

“Instead of just saying, ‘Hey, let’s get to the quarterback,’ I’m thinking more of using my power rushes to try to let things open up.”

And Coyer feels that Ekuban’s skills will serve him well in his work on the inside.

“It’s different, but not so much different,” Coyer said. “Sometimes quickness is a great advantage there.”

Even if his journey from tight end to work as a defensive tackle involved a lengthy path.

If practice performance is any indication, safety John Lynch believes the Broncos will be back on track by Sunday.

“You know what, we’ve had a real good week of practice,” he said Thursday. “Sometimes when you’re really struggling, you just go back to the basics, and I think that’s what we’ve done this week. I think we’re focused on effort and fundamentals, and that’s made for some real good practices.”

If the adage of playing like one practices is true, then Lynch’s assessment would seem to indicate the Broncos are working back up to speed.

“When you’re in the midst of a losing streak, I think the initial reaction is that everything is broke,” Lynch said. “That’s what the perception is out there. Then if you really study it, it’s just fundamental things, and those are what you work on. Part of the thing is getting the guys back and upbeat, believing that we can be the team that we set out to be.

“I think we’ve gotten that accomplished thus far this week; now we’ve just got to go do it in the game.”

Few Broncos knew what it was like to come to Dove Valley in the throes of a four-game losing streak; prior to this moment, the team hadn’t experienced such a skid since 1999, and only Tom Nalen, Matt Lepsis, Rod Smith, Al Wilson and Jason Elam were on the team’s roster back then.

For the vast majority of the team, such a skid was something foreign — at least for their careers as Broncos.

“It makes everything harder,” cornerback Darrent Williams said after Sunday’s game. “It makes practice harder; it makes going to meetings harder; coaches are harder on you because you’re losing, so it’s hard when you’re losing.”

But Williams, like his teammates, had to rise and get back to work.

“As a professional, you can never get too high or too low,” defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. “It’s our job to be focused. It’s our job to go out there and practice hard, whether we’re on a five-game winning streak or a five-game losing streak. It doesn’t matter.

“As a professional, you know that’s part of the game, and the only way to get out of this losing streak is to keep practicing hard.”

That part, the Broncos have done. Now it’s a matter of applying it to a Sunday afternoon revival.

With seven sacks in the last four games, Elvis Dumervil has quickly become one of the NFL’s most lethal pass-rushing threats. So you’d think that as he watched the Raiders allow nine sacks to the Seattle Seahawks last Monday night — including three in succession during one disastrous first-quarter possession — that the rookie would be licking his chops.

Not so.

“It makes me mad, because now the offensive coordinator (Tom Walsh) is going to put in a max-protection scheme,” Dumervil said.

Even if the Raiders’ pass blocking hadn’t endured such a problematic evening on Nov. 6, it’s likely they would have been tweaking their schemes to account for the rookie’s performance. Dumervil found out first-hand at Pittsburgh that the double-teams that are typcially the purview of his veteran linemates were now directed at him after he got to Ben Roethlisberger for a first-possession sack. (more…)

Sam Brandon’s season is over.

A Monday MRI confirmed the Broncos’ worst fears — that the fifth-year safety tore his anterior cruciate ligament on a collision with Demetrin Veal late in Sunday’s 31-20 win at Pittsburgh.

“You could see it happen right in front of you,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “It was just a freak injury and it’s really a shame, because he’s really been playing well.”

Brandon knew immeditately that the injury was severe. (more…)