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WARHORSE
07-16-2010, 02:17 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Training-Camp-Primer-Running-Backs/b9919f9c-1c73-4a52-b69c-8bce3e0619b1

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Correll Buckhalter has reason to get excited when discussing his first season in Denver.
After eight years in Philadelphia, the running back responded to the new environment by producing his best statistical season in 2009.
Sharing the workload with Knowshon Moreno, who led all rookies in rushing yards and touchdowns, Buckhalter helped spearhead one of the league's most balanced rushing attacks.
What's more surprising is that Buckhalter gets even more passionate when discussing the upcoming season.
Buoyed by a year to grasp the offensive system and time for coaches to understand the returning players' strengths, Buckhalter doesn't hesitate displaying even more confidence entering 2010.
While the running back corps has been tweaked with several additions and departures, the duo of Moreno and Buckhalter expect to see much of the action and produce even better results in their second season together.
"I feel great in this offense," Buckhalter said recently. "We do a lot of great things. I think (Head) Coach (Josh) McDaniels is a genius, and as long as everybody is doing their job, we'll be OK this year."
Last season the rotation proved beneficial for both of the Broncos' primary ball carriers.
Buckhalter, who battled injuries at times with the Eagles, finished with career highs in rushing yards (642), yards per carry (5.4) and receptions (31), while playing at least 14 games for the fourth straight season.
Moreno, the 2009 draft's 12th overall pick, handled the bulk of the attempts, bursting onto the NFL scene with 947 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns as part of the league's No. 18 rushing attack.
The buzz around Dove Valley this offseason has centered on Moreno building off a debut season in which he became just the fifth Bronco to lead all rookies in rushing.
The young back spent the past few months working out to better handle the rigors of a professional season and watching tape of his rookie campaign. Moreno said as much as it has pained him to watch himself miss running lanes and bungle passing protections, he's sure the process has only made him better.
"(Moreno's) in his second year and he knows more what to do," McDaniels said when assessing Moreno's offseason progress. "He's able to communicate with other players if something's not right, and he can help us get it right."
Moreno, who is still seeking his first NFL 100-yard rushing game, hopes to bump up his 3.8 yards per carry average. But even after breaking off just two runs longer than 20 yards last season, he said he feels no additional pressure to set specific performance goals in his second year.
"You really can't plan for (big running plays)," Moreno said. "That was last year, and it's a new slate now. Let's just start something new and get better."
Buckhalter said the time for running backs to adjust to a new offense can be especially beneficial.
The 6-foot, 223-pound back no longer has to rack his mind to remember assignments on individual plays. He said during the June minicamp that his pre-snap routine is now becoming more natural, which gives him more time to analyze the defense.
McDaniels said the game will continue to slow down for Moreno, leading to fewer mental mistakes and more consistent play. During OTAs, the head coach has been particularly impressed with Moreno's improvements in the receiving game -- another sign the Georgia product's game is becoming more well-rounded.
Behind them are less proven commodities, including J.J. Arrington, who hopes to prove his value as a third-down back and kick returner after being out of football last season. McDaniels has said he will use more two-back sets this season, which likely means more action for Spencer Larsen, the roster's lone fullback.
As training camp approaches, it's clear that balance remains one of the group's greatest assets.
That's particularly exciting at this time of year.
Buckhalter said the running backs' mix of competition and camaraderie will only make everyone better going forward.
"We're a tight group," Buckhalter said. "Whenever you're a running back, you have to be part of a cohesive group. I think we're just going to have a good game plan for teams this year with me and (Moreno) in the backfield."
MEET THE RUNNING BACKS
J.J. Arrington - The fifth-year back signed with the Broncos before last season but missed the entire year recovering from knee surgery.
Lance Ball - Ball rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries for Indianapolis in his only regular season NFL appearance on Dec. 28, 2008.
Toney Baker - The undrafted rookie received the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award as the conference's most courageous player for bouncing back from a knee injury that cost him nearly two full seasons.
Correll Buckhalter - The 10th-year veteran has 10 career postseason appearances, including three NFC Championship games.
Bruce Hall - Hall joined the Broncos in February after spending much of the last two seasons on Buffalo's practice squad.
Spencer Larsen - The fullback/linebacker is the only Bronco to start on both offense and defense in the same game.
Knowshon Moreno - Moreno led all rookies in 2009 by garnering Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors four times.
Kolby Smith - The former 5th round pick of Kansas City has amassed 540 rushing yards and three touchdowns in three NFL seasons.

T.K.O.
07-16-2010, 02:59 PM
i really think many people don't understand the combination of "the rookie wall" and the fact that the entire offense was in transition.had a serious effect on moreno's play.
he did pretty well but i expect a much improved running game in denver this year.
the fact that both buck and moreno suffered injuries did'nt help ,but the thinking instead of just playing thing can't be overstated....it's critical that everyone knows their assignment and executes it.
we should see a much more fluid offense this year in both the running and passing game.:salute::elefant:
and if we can have a :defense: that plays strong for the whole season .....look out afcw,the broncos gonna be back on top !:beer:

Dean
07-16-2010, 03:12 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Training-Camp-Primer-Running-Backs/b9919f9c-1c73-4a52-b69c-8bce3e0619b1

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- . . . The young back spent the past few months working out to better handle the rigors of a professional season and watching tape of his rookie campaign. Moreno said as much as it has pained him to watch himself miss running lanes and bungle passing protections, he's sure the process has only made him better. . .

He must be confused. I have read over and over again how it was the O-lines' fault.:confused:

Tempus Fugit
07-16-2010, 03:26 PM
He must be confused. I have read over and over again how it was the O-lines' fault.:confused:

With 11 players moving on every play, I'm sure there's plenty of 'fault' to go around.

Grover
07-16-2010, 03:59 PM
Originally posted by Tempus Fugit:
With 11 players moving on every play, I'm sure there's plenty of 'fault' to go around.


In all fairness, Orton doesn't move much so it's really more like ten.

topscribe
07-16-2010, 04:10 PM
Moreno earned "Rookie of the Week" honors four times last year.

I don't know what the problem is that some people have with him . . . :confused:

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The Glue Factory
07-16-2010, 04:18 PM
Moreno earned "Rookie of the Week" honors four times last year.

I don't know what the problem is that some people have with him . . . :confused:

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Drafted 12th overall and didn't have a 2,00 yard season I think. :listen:

T.K.O.
07-16-2010, 04:27 PM
Moreno earned "Rookie of the Week" honors four times last year.

I don't know what the problem is that some people have with him . . . :confused:

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was also the league leader for rook rb's missed the 1000 yd mark by 53 yds had 7 td's and 213 recieving yds....not bad for a rook who tore a tendon in the preseason !
like i said i expect him to be a much more nfl ready back this year.
i'm guessing 1500ish yds and 12-15 td's in 2010:salute:

TXBRONC
07-16-2010, 04:49 PM
Drafted 12th overall and didn't have a 2,00 yard season I think. :listen:

There were two things about Moreno that were disappointing.

He fumbled several times, and he missed some running. Both of those things are correctable. Other than that there is a lot to like about the kid.

Ravage!!!
07-16-2010, 05:00 PM
I was disappointed in what I saw of him... but I certainly haven't given up hope. He was young, but we've seen a LOT of young RBs in the NFL. I think being that high of a pick, and having as much hype around his RB abilities, I hoped/expected to see more than I did on the field. But certainly hoping to see more from the youngster. :beer:

Dean
07-16-2010, 05:03 PM
I was disappointed that a high first round running back (a position that usually doesn't require much bench time) and a very accomplished college back more often than I wanted him to ran into blockers and tacklers. I think he can be a player but I expected more from him than what he produced last year, but I have strayed from the point I was trying to make.

My previous post was a reaction to the myriad of times that eveything was blamed on the O-line in regard to Moreno's and Orton's play. The line became the sacrificial lamb for all offensive mistakes both when they were to blame and when they weren't. :rockon:

TXBRONC
07-16-2010, 05:08 PM
I was disappointed that a high first round running back (a position that usually doesn't require much bench time) and a very accomplished college back more often than I wanted him to ran into blockers and tacklers. I think he can be a player but I expected more from him than what he produced last year, but I have strayed from the point I was trying to make.

My previous post was a reaction to the myriad of times that eveything was blamed on the O-line in regard to Moreno's and Orton's play. The line became the sacrificial lamb for all offensive mistakes both when they were to blame and when they weren't. :rockon:

Even Moreno admitted he missed running lanes something that was pointed out numerous times.

Tempus Fugit
07-16-2010, 05:46 PM
I was disappointed that a high first round running back (a position that usually doesn't require much bench time) and a very accomplished college back more often than I wanted him to ran into blockers and tacklers. I think he can be a player but I expected more from him than what he produced last year, but I have strayed from the point I was trying to make.

My previous post was a reaction to the myriad of times that eveything was blamed on the O-line in regard to Moreno's and Orton's play. The line became the sacrificial lamb for all offensive mistakes both when they were to blame and when they weren't. :rockon:

The line was a large part of the problem. The actions of the team make it pretty clear where the coaching staff looked to when apportioning blame.

Dean
07-16-2010, 06:48 PM
The line was a large part of the problem. The actions of the team make it pretty clear where the coaching staff looked to when apportioning blame.

The coaching staff wanted a change from a zone blocking scheme to a drive blocking scheme. Therefore, bigger players.

broncohead
07-16-2010, 07:45 PM
The coaching staff wanted a change from a zone blocking scheme to a drive blocking scheme. Therefore, bigger players.

We were running a power scheme with zone players. That was an issue. Hopefully fixed now. Not to Moreno doesn't have room to grow but you can't really expect more from a rookie imo

Tempus Fugit
07-16-2010, 08:01 PM
The coaching staff wanted a change from a zone blocking scheme to a drive blocking scheme. Therefore, bigger players.

Had the zone blocking worked better, it would still be in use. McDaniels saw the same thing happening in New England, and he probably knew that he'd have to switch over eventually. Last year just made it obvious that the switch would have to take place sooner rather than later.

The Glue Factory
07-17-2010, 08:38 AM
We were running a power scheme with zone players. That was an issue. Hopefully fixed now. Not to Moreno doesn't have room to grow but you can't really expect more from a rookie imo

True, but to place all of the blame for Moreno's poor running on the line (as many have done) is just plain naive (just as placing all of the blame on him is equaly naive.)

TXBRONC
07-17-2010, 08:20 PM
True, but to place all of the blame for Moreno's poor running on the line (as many have done) is just plain naive (just as placing all of the blame on him is equaly naive.)

When Buckhalter was healthy he ran through the same line and had a y.p.c. 5.0.

BroncoWave
07-17-2010, 09:14 PM
I know many of you will downplay this and say "well McD is his boss, what's he supposed to say?", but I really like this quote from Buckhalter:

"I think (Head) Coach (Josh) McDaniels is a genius, and as long as everybody is doing their job, we'll be OK this year."

TXBRONC
07-18-2010, 08:51 AM
I know many of you will downplay this and say "well McD is his boss, what's he supposed to say?", but I really like this quote from Buckhalter:

"I think (Head) Coach (Josh) McDaniels is a genius, and as long as everybody is doing their job, we'll be OK this year."

A lot of people outside the team have said bright.

You and many other can't stand Woody Paige he also said that is very bright and will eventually make a very good coach.

Softskull
07-18-2010, 09:45 AM
We have a new coach working with the RBs

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/Blog/Richardobert/90472

BroncoWave
07-18-2010, 10:38 AM
A lot of people outside the team have said bright.

You and many other can't stand Woody Paige he also said that is very bright and will eventually make a very good coach.

Learn who you're talking about man, I've never once said I don't like Woody Paige.

Poet
07-18-2010, 02:08 PM
Moreno earned "Rookie of the Week" honors four times last year.

I don't know what the problem is that some people have with him . . . :confused:

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Incredibly high expectations combined with a lot of love/malice towards the man.

Lonestar
07-18-2010, 05:53 PM
Had the zone blocking worked better, it would still be in use. McDaniels saw the same thing happening in New England, and he probably knew that he'd have to switch over eventually. Last year just made it obvious that the switch would have to take place sooner rather than later.

When Josh came to town he stated we would get bigger, stronger, faster and meaner.

The oline could not evolve with existing players, although I'm sure Dennison thought he could change them.

There is only so much you can do with a 285 pound OLG that ONLY knows ZBS in the pros.

Thus Dennison, casey, hamilton are gone perhaps a couple more before every thing shakes out. No bad rap on them other than they can't handle PBS. They played well for us in years past just could not evolve.

Wish them well in their future games.

Now we have MORE size in the rookies lets see how fast they can meld together with the old starters WHEN and IF they get back this year.

TXBRONC
07-18-2010, 10:47 PM
Learn who you're talking about man, I've never once said I don't like Woody Paige.

If you're not one those that doesn't like so be it. The point is that if Paige's says it there some people who will blow it because it's Woody.