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Posts Tagged ‘Defensive linemen’

Ernster Among Tuesday Departures

August 28th, 2007 - 2:33pm by AndrewOther posts by

Earlier in the morning, I wrote about the preseason numbers comparison between punters Paul Ernster and Todd Sauerbrun.

Bad timing.

By the time the Broncos took the field Tuesday, Ernster was not present. Nor was safety and fellow special-teamer Quentin Harris, as they joined eight other non-injured players who missed both practices the last two days.

“Paul’s worked extremely hard and hopefully he’ll catch on with another team,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “Theres not very many people that can both kick off and punt, so he brings a lot to the table.”

Ernster’s departure leaves Todd Sauerbrun to handle punts and kickoffs.

“I’m just happy with the way it turned out and I’m thankful for the opportunity Mike Shanahan and Scott O’Brien gave me,” Sauerbrun said. I’m very appreciative and I’m going to do the best to make the most of it.”

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Everyday Evaluation on the D-Line

August 22nd, 2007 - 5:16pm by AndrewOther posts by

John Browning

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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Broncos Sign Ex-Chiefs DL John Browning

August 22nd, 2007 - 11:09am by AndrewOther posts by

Two days after placing Ebenezer Ekuban on the injured-reserve list and trading Gerard Warren to the Oakland Raiders, the Broncos signed former Chiefs defensive lineman John Browning.

Browning — who was primarily a tackle but also filled in at end from time to time during his 11 seasons with the Chiefs — has been out of football since reaching an injury settlement with Kansas City last fall on Sept. 30. The Chiefs placed him on injured reserve with a back injury 28 days earlier.

The 12-year veteran started 12 games and played in all 16 as recently as the 2005 campaign, finishing that year with 35 tackles (31 solo), two sacks (14 yds.), four passes defensed and one forced fumble. He had been fairly durable prior to that, and was a starter on the Chiefs team that went 13-3 back in 2003. The question is — what will he have after missing the last year, and how does he feel? We’ll start learning the answer to that question this afternoon.

Browning will wear jersey No. 98 — which, coincidentally, last belonged to fellow ex-Chief defensive lineman Carlos Hall before he left the team just before the start of training camp.

What do you think of the signing? Will he help the Broncos’ front line? Sound off below (or, if you’re on the main blog page, click “Comments” and fire away) … and until next entry, vaya con Dios.

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Warren Dealt to Oakland

August 20th, 2007 - 8:44am by AndrewOther posts by

A week after leaving defensive tackle Gerard Warren off the road trips to San Francisco and Dallas, the Broncos traded the seventh-year veteran defensive tackle to the Oakland Raiders for an undisclosed draft pick.

The trade ends a two-year stint that began two years ago when the Broncos received the 2001 first-round pick from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2005 draft.

Until the last week, Warren had been running with the first team at Broncos training camp and was coming off two seasons in which he started all 31 games in which he played, logging 93 tackles and 5.5 sacks over his two years with Denver.

The trade with the arch-rival Raiders is rare. The Broncos’ 2007 media guide lists no trades with the Raiders since 1993, when they still called Los Angeles home. In that swap, the Broncos acquired a third-round pick in exchange for running back Gaston Green.

Also of note … even after the last week, Warren remained atop the depth chart at the right defensive tackle slot. The name right behind his at the position was fellow University of Florida product Marcus Thomas, whom the team selected in the fourth round of the April NFL Draft after making a deal with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire the selection.

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Ekuban Tears Achilles; Henry to Undergo MRI

August 18th, 2007 - 11:53pm by AndrewOther posts by

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.”

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Moss Injured in Morning Practice

August 6th, 2007 - 11:02am by AndrewOther posts by

Jarvis Moss
Another day, another injury for the Broncos as training camp continued to exact a toll on the roster Monday morning.

This time, the afflicted player was rookie defensive end Jarvis Moss, who hit the ground after making a spin move during a one-on-one drill midway through the two-and-a-quarter-hour session at Dove Valley.

Moss was treated on the field for several minutes by Broncos medical personnel and was eventually helped to the sidelines, although it appeared he was able to put some weight on the knee. After arriving at the sidelines, a cart was summoned, which transported him back to the headquarters building for further examination.

The extent of the injury was unclear at the end of practice.

“(The medical staff) really does not know,” Shanahan said. “They think it’s a twist(ed) knee. It’s not loose right now, which is a good sign. But until you look at that MRI, you’re not really sure.”

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Bigger — and Better?

June 8th, 2007 - 12:42pm by AndrewOther posts by

When Jim Bates first addressed Denver-area media after becoming assistant head coach/defense, he sounded a little like Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor when discussing his plans for the defensive line.

“More power,” Bates said.

“There won’t be as much movement up and down the line of scrimmage. We will play with much more power up front, taking on blocks and being much squarer than in the past.”

And he wanted that power — and bulk to go with it — up the middle.

“We were able to manage with 290, 285-pound defensive tackles, but it makes the defense work a lot better if we have big guys up the middle,” he said at the time.
Jimmy Kennedy
So in the last four days, the Broncos have signed Sam Adams and traded for Jimmy Kennedy. Adams arrived in Denver weighing 345 pounds; Kennedy checked in at 325 last year for the St. Louis Rams, when he started all 16 games at nose tackle — marking the first time in an injury-hindered career that he has started an entire season. Size-wise, Gerard Warren fits nicely alongside Kennedy and Adams; the seventh-year player is listed at 325 pounds.

Now, if you try and fit each of the Broncos’ defensive tackles into a large box, you’ll have room to spare in some instances. Returning tackle Demetrin Veal is 288 pounds, while fourth-round draft pick Marcus Thomas is 296 pounds and free-agent pickup Alvin McKinley is 294.

But the trend of this week is unmistakable. The Broncos haven’t been averse to having such massive tackles over the years — just not necessarily two of them on the field at the same time, as you can see with the season-opening, starting defensive-tackle couplings of recent years:

2006: Gerard Warren 325 lbs., Michael Myers 300 lbs.
Average: 312.5 lbs.

2005: Gerard Warren 325 lbs., Michael Myers 300 lbs.
Average: 312.5 lbs.

2004: Mario Fatafehi 300 lbs., Trevor Pryce 295 lbs.
Average: 297.5 lbs.

2003: Darius Holland 330 lbs., Monsanto Pope 300 lbs.
Average: 315.0 lbs.

2002: Chester McGlockton 334 lbs., Lional Dalton 309 lbs.
Average: 321.5 lbs.

If the Broncos start some combination of Kennedy, Warren and Adams, it would give them their heaviest defensive-tackle combination in recent memory, and what Bates surely hopes would be an effective one.

“It always starts up the middle,” Bates said. “and if you’re good in the run defense up the middle, it makes your whole team better.”

AND ONE MORE THING …

There’s a few number changes on the roster today. Adams now has No. 95, which had belonged to Jarvis Moss, who moves to No. 94, his number at the University of Florida. Amon Gordon, who previously donned No. 94, will now take the No. 63 jersey that Adams so snugly wore in the last three days of OTAs.

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OTA Day 13: The Answers Are Blowin’ in the Wind

June 6th, 2007 - 3:31pm by AndrewOther posts by

OTA Day 12
What turned out to be a slight groin injury has left Brandon Marshall sidelined throughout much of team camp. But Wednesday’s OTA closed with Marshall working out under the close watch of assistant athletic trainer Corey Oshikoya, practicing his lateral movement while tethered to the goal post.

A day earlier, it was fellow wide receiver Glenn Martinez who moved back and forth across the field.
Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
On the practice field, the story of the day was the weather.

Usually, practicing outside to prepare for the elements entails working out on a chilly day or with snowflakes falling. However, such meteorologically challenging workouts don’t usually take place until November or December.

That was not the case on Wednesday, as sustained winds of 32 miles per hour buffeted the Broncos, sending footballs flying all over creation and wide of their targets.

“Sometimes you’d see the ball go to the left goal post and it would go far wide right and almost in the parking lot,” defensive end Kenard Lang said.

Although the stiff breezes wreaked havoc with the field-goal attempts of Brandon Pace and Jason Elam — as well as the passes of Denver’s four quarterbacks — some tosses remained on the money, most spectacularly being a deep, 50-yard pass up the right sideline from Darrell Hackney to David Kircus during one-on-one drills.

Other notes …

… Jeff Shoate intercepted one of Jay Cutler’s passes in one-on-one work …

… Champ Bailey and Domonique Foxworth exchanged jerseys during the practice …

… And courtesy of J. Michael Moore, some more photos:
OTA Day 13
OTA Day 13
OTA Day 13
OTA Day 13
OTA Day 13
OTA Day 13
And in honor of Bob Barker’s last day in The Price Is Right‘s studios, I’ll sign off by reminding you to help control the pet population; have your pets spayed or neutered.

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Leaping into Day 3

May 18th, 2007 - 11:18am by AndrewOther posts by

I haven’t ever seen Broncos defensive linemen do a drill quite like the one shown below. Defensive line coaches Bill Johnson and Jacob Burney had each of their linemen stand in place during warmups and broad-jump their way forward with successive leaps covering about 10 yards. The drill certainly builds and rewards explosiveness, as shown below with the sequence of photos chronicling defensive tackle Marcus Thomas’ burst forward.

Marcus Thomas takes a leap

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The ‘Quiet Storm’ Dissipates in Denver

March 20th, 2007 - 12:21am by AndrewOther posts by

It was early in the 2005 season when Gerard Warren described Courtney Brown perfectly.

“I call him ‘The Quiet Storm,’” Warren said. “When he’s on the field, he’s causing havoc and making things happen without speaking a word.”

This was after Brown’s Broncos debut, when he sacked Drew Brees and recovered a fumble in helping the Broncos turn a 14-3 halftime deficit to the San Diego Chargers into a 20-17 win that jolted their season to alive and started a run of 14 wins in 16 games.

Brown helped make that win happen in his return from a dislocated elbow — which, in itself, meant the game encapsulated his career. He was capable of the spectacular, but always existed under injury’s shadow — which finally caught up to him last year when a training-camp knee injury torpedoed his season before it began.

Back in September 2005, though, Brown had just played like the No. 1 overall pick he was in 2000. Yet he remained characteristically reticent about his accomplishments in that game, which was his first in nearly a full year.

“I was glad I had the opportunity to contribute,” he said at the time.

Brown seemed all the more placid compared with the majority of his fellow ex-Browns, who are loquacious — but in different ways.

Gerard Warren is blunt, as unvarnished as a tree in the north Florida woods he knows so well. Kenard Lang is boisterous, but his often-outrageous statements are varnished with a layer of common sense. Ebenezer Ekuban, meanwhile, is the tactician of the group; his offerings are more analytical, but unfailingly honest all the same.

Michael Myers rounded out the group, but he wasn’t a former first-round pick like Ekuban, Warren, Lang and Brown. Each had a redwood of expectations dropped upon them upon entering the NFL. Each carved out his own niche.

But just as Brown was the quiet one of the group, he was also the one most ignored by good fortune, evidenced by the fact that he missed more games than he actually played between 2001 and 2006. Just when it seemed as if the litany of injuries would stop, something arose anew — a left knee injury last summer that was ultimately the death knell on his Denver career.

Brown gave the Broncos all he had, doing so quietly and efficiently. Yet as he proved in helping the Broncos notch the No. 2 run defense in 2005, he also did it effectively — when he was on the field. The spirit was willing. The effort was strong. But the body betrayed him.

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