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Lonestar
07-31-2010, 02:57 PM
Reid tough to replace on Broncos' line
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
POSTED: 07/31/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT


Versatile Broncos defender Darrell Reid feels he'll be ready for the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery in February. (Joe Amon, Denver Post file photo )
As opposing AFC West running backs Jamaal Charles and Michael Bush can attest, there were gaping holes on the defensive front, but the Broncos believe they have filled them all.

Enhancing the quarterback position was considered a priority, and the Broncos upgraded the competition, and then some, by adding Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow to starter Kyle Orton.

The draft was used to replace star receiver Brandon Marshall and interior linemen Casey Wiegmann and Ben Hamilton. For the second consecutive year, the Broncos brought in a new wave of defensive backs. And they appeared to have fixed their underrated problem of punter.

The Broncos addressed nearly every potential deficiency for the 2010 season except one — they didn't get a player who can adequately replace the injured Darrell Reid.

"Right now, it looks like I won't be participating in training camp," said Reid, who had left knee surgery in February. "But I'm confident I'll be ready for the season. I don't want to miss any games."

Happy to help

It's been a while since Reid has been found in a starting lineup, but he's one of those guys who seems to be everywhere else. This offseason, he ran one football camp for approximately 120 kids in his hometown of Freehold, N.J., then helped out at Ed McCaffrey's Dare to Play football camp for kids with special needs in Highlands Ranch.

"We actually played a football game," Reid said. "I never would have thought of the idea. They had a scoreboard and touchdowns and, of course, the game ended in a tie. So everybody wins.

"I don't give back as much as I would like, but to be able to give back to the kids in my community and give them some hope and give them someone to look up to and keep them encouraged to stay on the right path, it's always good to do that."

Reid also is a special player, a rare player who played defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts, pass-rushing outside linebacker for the Broncos and was a special teams' standout wherever he's been.

No wonder the Broncos decided to wait for Reid's knee to heal. One-of-a-kinds are always the most difficult to replace.

"They double-team him on every special-teams play," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "You're trying to single-block him, he's 275 pounds running down there at a pretty high rate of speed, and usually it's going to take two people to stay in front of him."

It also can be argued that Reid is the Broncos' second- best pass rusher, behind only Elvis Dumervil, the league's reigning sack king. Vonnie Holliday left for free agency and Washington. The next sack for 2009 first-round pick Robert Ayers will be his first. Akin Ayodele was a solid linebacker pickup from free agency, but he hasn't had a sack since 2006. And 2007 first-round pick Jarvis Moss has 3 1/2 sacks in three seasons.

"Don't write him off," Reid said of Moss. "I think one player who's going to surprise this year is Jarvis Moss. Last year at this time, he questioned whether he wanted to play football anymore. I think he worked very hard this offseason, and he really surprised me how well he picked up the defensive philosophies. I think this might be the year it happens for him."

Bearing the pain

Just the same, the Broncos could use Reid to get healthy. He has been placed on the physically unable to perform list with a tentative plan of returning to the field before the Broncos' third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 29.

It was against the Steelers in Game 8 of the regular season last year that Reid's left knee was clipped by the cleats of an opposing player.

Reid got treatment on the knee the rest of the season, but he never revealed the severity of his pain to the Broncos' training staff.

"A lot of guys take pride in not being a so-called soft guy," Reid said. "I guess I consider myself one of those guys."

A postseason MRI revealed a hole in his cartilage similar to the injury that has bothered Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin in recent years.

Martin had micro fracture surgery. The research conducted by Reid and his agent Blake Baratz led them to an alternative, more cutting-edge, surgery by a New York physician. The cartilage replacement technique had been performed in Israel, Germany and Canada, but only in recent months received clearance in the United States.

"Micro fracture is a decent procedure, but the results are mixed," Reid said. "My agent felt that with my size and what I do on the field with special teams that micro fracture wouldn't be the best thing for me.

"I'm very pleased with the procedure we chose. I'm working hard to get back on the field. I hate missing games."

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15645133

dogfish
07-31-2010, 03:18 PM
i've said a number of times that this situation bears a closer watch than people think. . . he was one of our most effective wave rushers last year, one of a few guys other than doom who were actually able to close a few times. . . our pass rush tapered off some down the stretch, and reid being hurt might have had something to do with it. . .

besides, he's really our only other legit starting option if ayers can't hack it. . . . it hasn't gotten much play here, but he went through a very invasive surgery in the offseason, and his availability is an open question that doesn't look good at all so far. . . if we don't get some good news on the front, we really need to keep our eyes open for a chance to add a vet OLB during cutdowns. . .