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Lonestar
03-31-2010, 03:57 AM
Broncos defense: some call it old, McDaniels calls it experienced
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
POSTED: 03/31/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT


The Broncos' defense is not made up entirely of veteran players. Safety David Bruton, left, and cornerback Alphonso Smith both entering their second season in the NFL represent the younger contingent. (John Leyba, Denver Post file photo )
When the Broncos take the field for their first defensive series of 2010, still some five months away, there is a chance they will do so with nine of 11 starters over the age of 30.

On the defensive line, there are two 31-year-old defensive ends and a 34-year-old nose tackle. In the secondary, both cornerbacks will turn 32 this summer, and the safeties are 31 and 36.

So go ahead, call the Broncos' defense old. But while you do, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels — who is only 33 years old himself — is thinking of different adjectives to use, words like "experienced" and "wise."

"You can spin it either way," McDaniels said. "You can say we've got a lot of younger players that have great mentors that can help bring them along so they can play a bigger role on our football team, or you can say we're old. To me, we've got a great blend."
To McDaniels, finding the right mix of older and younger players is the key to building a successful franchise long-term. It is fine if the starters are older, just as long as the next guy on the depth chart is young, talented and ready to learn.

"If every player on your offense or defense is real young, you could have real problems. If every player is old, you could have real problems," McDaniels said. "I don't know what real old is, though."

He clearly didn't think Brian Dawkins, who signed his contract at age 35 and made the Pro Bowl at age 36, or Jamal Williams, the 34-year-old nose tackle, is too old now.

"I've seen a lot of players play a lot of good football at 34, 36, 37," McDaniels said. "We had guys last year in their 30s go to the Pro Bowl, and that didn't surprise me."

So whenever it is pointed out to McDaniels that his safeties are Dawkins and 31-year-old Renaldo Hill, he will point out that their backups are Darcel McBath and David Bruton, who are both going into their second year in the NFL.

McDaniels saw it work in New England earlier this decade, when the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning defenses were led by veterans such as Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel.
Jarvis Green was one of the young guys on those New England championship teams and knows now — at age 31 — he's considered among the old men on the Broncos' defense.

"We're a lot of older guys," Green said. "They're saying we're at the back of our careers, but for me, this is a fresh start that does a lot for the individual."

The Broncos' youngest defensive unit will be its linebackers, where Mario Haggan is the only projected starter in his 30s, and he celebrated his 30th birthday just this month. Inside linebacker D.J. Williams is 27, and projected outside linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers are 26 and 24 years old, respectively. Haggan, who started all of 2009 at outside linebacker, is expected to move inside to replace Andra Davis, who was released earlier this month.

"I think you get better with experience," Haggan said Tuesday, adding that he thinks the team will benefit from veteran additions such as Green and Jamal Williams, who have significant playoff experience.

"They have all been on proven teams, proven defenses. I think that's a good thing for the type of team that we have," Haggan said. "People seem to overlook that we have a really young team and they only look at the age."

Lindsay Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com



Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14789571#ixzz0jk6VsMiI

Bosco
03-31-2010, 05:34 AM
You gotta love the way McD is building the defense.