Tned
08-31-2008, 08:43 PM
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/31/broncos-continue-get-younger/
Broncos continue to get younger
By Jeff Legwold
Originally published 05:22 p.m., August 31, 2008
Updated 05:22 p.m., August 31, 2008
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been dropping hints for months about what the team's roster may look like as it made the turn toward the regular season.
Dropping hints that a franchise that had leaned decidedly toward veteran players in its construction for more than a decade, would look to the draft and would look to take some of football gray out of the locker room.
"And you could see that," said guard/center P.J. Alexander, who was one of 17 players waived Saturday as the Broncos cut the roster to 53. "They have a lot of young guys, you could see it going that way. Especially since those young guys can play."
And when the Broncos trot out for an afternoon practice Monday in preparation for their season opener in Oakland a week later they will have 24 players among the 53 who have less than three full seasons of experience. That's 45.3 percent of the roster and a decided departure from the way the Broncos have done their business for the most part during Shanahan's tenure.
The Broncos opened last season with the fourth-oldest starting lineup in the league, but after injuries and quality of play had jumbled things on the depth chart, they finished '07 with five second-year players starting on offense in the season finale against Minnesota to go with then-rookie Selvin Young.
Defensively they started one second-year player in that season finale (Elvis Dumervil) to go with then-rookie Marcus Thomas.
In 2006, the Broncos opened the season with the oldest starting lineup in the league with 10 players who were at least 30 years old at the time and in 2005 — their last playoff year — they opened the year with the second-oldest starting lineup in the league.
"But talk is cheap, I always say that," Shanahan said this past week when asked about the potential of youth being served in the final roster cuts. "But we like the way a lot of the younger guys have gone through the offseason, the OTAs and training camp."
And this year some of the youngest Broncos can now be found poised to play along the offensive line, a place where Denver has long taken the slow-and-steady, wait-and-watch approach. But after the dust settled in this year's roster moves, rookie Ryan Clady will start at left tackle, second-year tackle Ryan Harris will start on the right side while rookie Tyler Polumbus is serving as Clady's backup and third-year tackle Erik Pears will back up Harris.
That is to go with Chris Kuper, in his third season, starting at right guard and rookie Kory Lichtensteiger backing up at center.
Polumbus, a Cherry Creek High School graduate, started 26 games at tackle for the University of Coloraod and steadily worked his way up the depth chart throughout the offseason. Some teams were concerned about his shoulder before the draft — he had surgery following spring practice in '06 — but he did not miss a down in his last two seasons for the Buffs.
"Tyler's done a good job," Shanahan said. "He's competed and we've gotten a good look at him in the workouts and the exhibition games."
And after selecting 20 players in the 2003 and 2004 drafts combined only to keep linebacker D.J. Williams from that group — a group that at least part of which would be in its pre-free agency prime at the moment — the Broncos now sport 16 players from their last three drafts on the current 53-man roster.
That total includes seven of this year's nine-player class. Defensive end Carlton Powell is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a season-ending Achilles' injury in offseason workouts so is not among the final 53 while safety Josh Barrett was waived Saturday.
Barrett was signed to the practice squad Sunday.
"As a young guy you always want to show you can come in a contribute," said rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal, the Broncos' second-round pick this past April. "You want to do as much as you can to get as much playing time as you can."
"You like to see young guys where the game isn't too big for them," Shanahan said. "Some guys, it's nerves or whatever, they don't show all of what they can do. Some guys can't handle the pressure. We feel like we have some young guys who have shown they may be able to. We'll see when we play, but we like how they've handled themselves."
This year will also be the first time in Shanahan's tenure where three undrafted rookies have a chance to be on the roster for the season's opening game. Polumbus, punter Brett Kern and linebacker Wesley Woodyard all survived Saturday's cutdown.
Perhaps one of the few positions that did not get younger was wide receiver. With Brandon Marshall, in his third year, set to start the season on reserve/suspended for a week, the Broncos kept Brandon Stokley (10th year), Darrell Jackson (9th year) and Keary Colbert (5th year) along with Royal.
"So, for me I knew it was coming," said Glenn Martinez, who was waived Saturday. "They got a lot of vets out there. You just hope you can work hard and somebody else sees you working hard."
The Broncos also leaned toward experience at linebacker — six players there are entering at least their fifth season — but Woodyard and rookie Spencer Larsen, who can also play fullback, did enough the team was forced to keep an uncharacteristic eight players at the position.
"I know I just wanted to make it as hard on them as possible, do everything you can to make the team," Larsen said.
ETC: In addition to Barrett, guard Mitch Erickson, quarterback Darrell Hackney and defensive tackle Steven Harris were signed to the Broncos' practice squad Sunday. They still have three slots open. Practice squad players can only work through the week and can't suit up for games. . . . The Broncos also claimed safety Calvin Lowry off waivers Sunday. If no team that finished below the Broncos in '07 claimed him as well, Lowry will be awarded to the Broncos and the team would have to make a roster move to fit him in. Lowry was a fourth-round pick by the Titans in the 2006 draft and had been waived by the team Saturday.
Broncos continue to get younger
By Jeff Legwold
Originally published 05:22 p.m., August 31, 2008
Updated 05:22 p.m., August 31, 2008
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been dropping hints for months about what the team's roster may look like as it made the turn toward the regular season.
Dropping hints that a franchise that had leaned decidedly toward veteran players in its construction for more than a decade, would look to the draft and would look to take some of football gray out of the locker room.
"And you could see that," said guard/center P.J. Alexander, who was one of 17 players waived Saturday as the Broncos cut the roster to 53. "They have a lot of young guys, you could see it going that way. Especially since those young guys can play."
And when the Broncos trot out for an afternoon practice Monday in preparation for their season opener in Oakland a week later they will have 24 players among the 53 who have less than three full seasons of experience. That's 45.3 percent of the roster and a decided departure from the way the Broncos have done their business for the most part during Shanahan's tenure.
The Broncos opened last season with the fourth-oldest starting lineup in the league, but after injuries and quality of play had jumbled things on the depth chart, they finished '07 with five second-year players starting on offense in the season finale against Minnesota to go with then-rookie Selvin Young.
Defensively they started one second-year player in that season finale (Elvis Dumervil) to go with then-rookie Marcus Thomas.
In 2006, the Broncos opened the season with the oldest starting lineup in the league with 10 players who were at least 30 years old at the time and in 2005 — their last playoff year — they opened the year with the second-oldest starting lineup in the league.
"But talk is cheap, I always say that," Shanahan said this past week when asked about the potential of youth being served in the final roster cuts. "But we like the way a lot of the younger guys have gone through the offseason, the OTAs and training camp."
And this year some of the youngest Broncos can now be found poised to play along the offensive line, a place where Denver has long taken the slow-and-steady, wait-and-watch approach. But after the dust settled in this year's roster moves, rookie Ryan Clady will start at left tackle, second-year tackle Ryan Harris will start on the right side while rookie Tyler Polumbus is serving as Clady's backup and third-year tackle Erik Pears will back up Harris.
That is to go with Chris Kuper, in his third season, starting at right guard and rookie Kory Lichtensteiger backing up at center.
Polumbus, a Cherry Creek High School graduate, started 26 games at tackle for the University of Coloraod and steadily worked his way up the depth chart throughout the offseason. Some teams were concerned about his shoulder before the draft — he had surgery following spring practice in '06 — but he did not miss a down in his last two seasons for the Buffs.
"Tyler's done a good job," Shanahan said. "He's competed and we've gotten a good look at him in the workouts and the exhibition games."
And after selecting 20 players in the 2003 and 2004 drafts combined only to keep linebacker D.J. Williams from that group — a group that at least part of which would be in its pre-free agency prime at the moment — the Broncos now sport 16 players from their last three drafts on the current 53-man roster.
That total includes seven of this year's nine-player class. Defensive end Carlton Powell is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a season-ending Achilles' injury in offseason workouts so is not among the final 53 while safety Josh Barrett was waived Saturday.
Barrett was signed to the practice squad Sunday.
"As a young guy you always want to show you can come in a contribute," said rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal, the Broncos' second-round pick this past April. "You want to do as much as you can to get as much playing time as you can."
"You like to see young guys where the game isn't too big for them," Shanahan said. "Some guys, it's nerves or whatever, they don't show all of what they can do. Some guys can't handle the pressure. We feel like we have some young guys who have shown they may be able to. We'll see when we play, but we like how they've handled themselves."
This year will also be the first time in Shanahan's tenure where three undrafted rookies have a chance to be on the roster for the season's opening game. Polumbus, punter Brett Kern and linebacker Wesley Woodyard all survived Saturday's cutdown.
Perhaps one of the few positions that did not get younger was wide receiver. With Brandon Marshall, in his third year, set to start the season on reserve/suspended for a week, the Broncos kept Brandon Stokley (10th year), Darrell Jackson (9th year) and Keary Colbert (5th year) along with Royal.
"So, for me I knew it was coming," said Glenn Martinez, who was waived Saturday. "They got a lot of vets out there. You just hope you can work hard and somebody else sees you working hard."
The Broncos also leaned toward experience at linebacker — six players there are entering at least their fifth season — but Woodyard and rookie Spencer Larsen, who can also play fullback, did enough the team was forced to keep an uncharacteristic eight players at the position.
"I know I just wanted to make it as hard on them as possible, do everything you can to make the team," Larsen said.
ETC: In addition to Barrett, guard Mitch Erickson, quarterback Darrell Hackney and defensive tackle Steven Harris were signed to the Broncos' practice squad Sunday. They still have three slots open. Practice squad players can only work through the week and can't suit up for games. . . . The Broncos also claimed safety Calvin Lowry off waivers Sunday. If no team that finished below the Broncos in '07 claimed him as well, Lowry will be awarded to the Broncos and the team would have to make a roster move to fit him in. Lowry was a fourth-round pick by the Titans in the 2006 draft and had been waived by the team Saturday.