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T.K.O.
10-24-2010, 10:25 AM
broncos
McDaniels' Broncos: Right time, place for Brandon Lloyd
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/24/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT



http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2010/1023/20101023__20101024_CC01_SP24FBNBRONX~p2.JPG
Brandon Lloyd is reaching his potential after seven seasons and four teams in coach Josh McDaniels' offense. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post )
Deep down, he always believed he had the speed and the hands, and that, no matter what he had said or what had been said about him, he had heart.

Yet Brandon Lloyd went to work each day, frustration and bitterness enveloping his career, believing he was missing the one thing he could not give himself.

"Opportunity, man," the Broncos wide receiver said. "I call this a league of opportunity, and when you don't have the opportunity, I can't even lie, you feel like 'screw this.' But my competitive nature wouldn't let me accept that somebody else was better than me, wouldn't let me accept I couldn't be a guy a coach saw as one of his guys. You can quit, or you can keep working and hope you find your place."

Lloyd has

found his time, and place, one that took seven seasons and four teams to discover. It was a maddening journey that has the 29-year-old headed to stardom. Lloyd is leading the NFL in reception yardage with 663 as the season nears the halfway point.

He has good company among late bloomers.

Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, whom many consider the greatest quarterback ever, was once cut by the Steelers. The Colts found him playing semipro ball.

The Raiders, who will be at Invesco Field at Mile High today, made a legacy for themselves long ago as a haven for castoffs. Quarterback Jim Plunkett led Oakland to two Super Bowls after having been labeled a failure in New England. More recently, quarterback Rich Gannon had a journeyman's career until winning a league MVP award for Oakland in his 12th season, and for his fourth team, in 2002.

And the current Broncos, with Lloyd putting up huge numbers (34 catches) and quarterback Kyle Orton second in passing, have their own players who have found the intersection of opportunity and timing.

"I've grown as a player, no question about it," Orton said. "But in a skill position, on offense, at some point you have to find the right combination of system, players around you and then go out and play good football. Do I think I'm that much better compared to what I was? No, but I think I fit right in the system, I fit right in the players around me, and I have a lot better chance of being successful and showing the kind of player I am than I did before."

Defining his role

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels didn't know exactly what he was getting when he signed the 6-foot, 194-pound Lloyd a year ago.

"We feel like we look at players for how they fit what we do," McDaniels said. "They start here with a clean slate. If we believe they can fit specific jobs with our team, they can come in and make their own role."

Still, neither Lloyd nor Orton exactly found the red carpet rolled

out upon their arrival in Denver last summer.

Lloyd flashed big-play ability in his time with the 49ers (who drafted him in the fourth round in 2003), Washington and Chicago but never reached a level of consistency. He also developed a reputation from some of his former coaches and teammates as somewhat of a malcontent, a brooder at times.

His mood didn't brighten any when he was declared inactive for the first 14 games last season.

"I just kept going, kept practicing hard even though I was unhappy," Lloyd said. "I think Josh recognized the talent was there, the desire was there, the competitiveness was there. There just wasn't room for me last year. But I didn't accept that I wasn't playing.

"My competitive nature is not going to allow me to sit here and let you tell me anybody else is better than me. Period. It's not. It's not me being a crybaby, me being a sore loser or me being a poor teammate. When I'm not allowed to get a chance, I act out of character."

Lloyd added that he continually pestered receivers coach Adam Gase a year ago, asking why he wasn't playing, not always in polite language.

He was finally activated for the final two games and caught four passes for 95 yards in the season finale against Kansas City.

The turning point in his Broncos' career came last March, when McDan- iels called him on the first day of free agency to say the team would sign him to a new deal. From that moment, Lloyd has gone from an afterthought to a big-play receiver in the pass-happy McDaniels attack.

Following the game plan

Orton, meanwhile, who often heard who else should be playing quarterback in his time with the Bears, has four 300-yard-plus passing games this season.

"There's always a chance for doubt to creep in at some point," Orton said. "Early in my career, though, I felt like I wasn't struggling like maybe everybody else thought. I thought I had a successful early part of my career. I executed the game plan they wanted me to execute. The numbers didn't look great, but I was asked to throw for 150 yards and no turnovers. It worked, and we won a lot of games.

"I felt like I was doing what the coaches asked me to do, and that I could do more if I was asked to do more. Same thing now. I'm throwing for a lot of yards, but I still think all I'm doing is executing the game plan that's given to me."

Or, as Lloyd said: "Coaches and personnel people have guys they see as their guys. At some point, to be one of those guys, they have to take a chance on you and you have to be ready for it."

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com


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Waiting is the hardest part
A look at current Broncos who have been waiting for their chance to shine.

QB Kyle Orton

On track for record-setting passing season and has contract extension.

WR Brandon Lloyd

With 663 yards receiving, already nearing a career high.

G Stanley Daniels

Languished on Jets' and Packers' practice squads.

LB Mario Haggan

Didn't start a game in five years with Buffalo; has started every game the past two years with Denver.

LB Jason Hunter

Didn't start a game in four seasons in Green Bay and Detroit but has started five games this year.


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What a catch!
The NFL's top receivers this season, ranked by yards:

Yds. per Yds. per
Rk. Player Team Yds. Rec. catch game
1. Brandon Lloyd Broncos 663 34 19.5 110.5
2. Reggie Wayne Colts 602 45 13.4 100.3
3. Roddy White Falcons 546 43 12.7 91.0
4. Malcom Floyd Chargers 513 24 21.4 85.5
5. Austin Collie Colts 503 44 11.4 83.8



Read more: McDaniels' Broncos: Right time, place for Brandon Lloyd - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16418879?source=rss#ixzz13I3D1PMU

Elevation inc
10-24-2010, 10:49 AM
very good article knew this guy was legit and would step up when marshall left...guy has skills.....

Northman
10-24-2010, 10:50 AM
Im happy for him, hope he can continue improving.

topscribe
10-24-2010, 12:10 PM
What are the chances of two cast-offs coming in and becoming stars? And I
believe we can also throw Gaffney into that equation . . .

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Edmonton Bronco Fan
10-24-2010, 12:43 PM
He's been nothing short of exceptional so far this season. Hope he continues going strong.

BroncoBJ
10-24-2010, 12:49 PM
What are the chances of two cast-offs coming in and becoming stars? And I
believe we can also throw Gaffney into that equation . . .

-----

I think its awesome. We trade Jay Cutler who had a pro bowl season here. And Marshall who had 2 pro bowl seasos here.

And we get players who were basically nothing and turned them both in to something special. I hope it continues for the whole season. But I would love for both Lloyd and Orton to be in the pro bowl. I've always been a fan of Lloyd so I'm glad hes finally suceeding with us. I know a lot of 49er, Bears, and Skins fans that hate Lloyd :lol:

I feel like last year week 17 vs the Chiefs was the start of our offense. No Hillis, No Marshall, No Scheffler. Lloyd, Gaffney, and Royal were the main 3 WR's. Kyle passed for over 400 yards. It was mainly a preview of this year. :salute:

MasterShake
10-24-2010, 01:16 PM
I never thought much of Lloyd before he came here, and once we got him I thought he'd be a good compliment nothing more. Boy was I wrong! After a few weeks, he quickly became my favorite player. Hope he and the rest of our receiving corps light up the Raiders today! :salute:

PAINTERDAVE
10-24-2010, 01:30 PM
The article notes... the big turning point was last season.

Opportunity knocked.

Marshall got his nose bent out of shape...
refused to play...
conspired with TE Sheffler against the coach...


all Loyd did was go out and put up huge numbers...
even if it was a loss.

Just goes to show....

Fate/chance/opportunity is a funny thing.

Joel
10-24-2010, 02:45 PM
At the risk of flogging a deceased Bronco, the way I heard it Marshall was benched, so I don't see how he "refused" to play. I also find it interesting that the article all but says Lloyd was cussing at coaches for not playing him at the very same time Marshall displayed the "attitude" that cost him his job. Not that it matters now, but if we must dredge up the past, we should at least be factually accurate. Anyway....

Lloyd looks a lot better now as the replacement for Marshall than Thomas does. Don't get me wrong, I like the little I've seen from Thomas, but it is still very little, and Lloyd is producing right now, has been since his first start as a Bronco. I'd much rather have him AND Marshall, but that acquisition means we may not have really LOST much; it could well be a zero sum, except Lloyds price tag is much lower (which was probably part of the problem with Marshall, too).

Regarding the comment on Gaffney, having watched him with the Texans I think he's underperforming right now. He's a good receiver, but that was easy to miss when he was competing for the ball with guys like Welker and Moss in NE. Personally, I think he's underutilized in Denver; I had to watch last weeks game as a play by play on NFL.com, but for most of the second half I kept thinking, Why doesn't he go to Gaffneys speed instead of trying to throw EVERY pass to Royal? Didn't we learn this lesson with Cutler and Marshall? SOMEONE seems to have made that connection on the last drive, but by then it was too late.

I'm very leery of "we got him because he can play in this system" because it sounds too much like "and he's worthless in any other". Does that mean that if McDaniels is gone in a couple years he'll be as useless as on his previous teams? I hope not. Give me FOOTBALL PLAYERS, not 53 prima donnas who all want $10 mill/year and the ball on every down. Oh, and I sincerely hope Lloyd isn't the one year wonder Rich Gannon was. ;)

Lonestar
10-24-2010, 03:18 PM
Hmmmm Josh can't judge personnel?

Just maybe this will slow the lynching posse down.
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