Skinny
08-29-2007, 11:24 AM
Receiver role overlooked in tight end's production
By Mike Klis
Denver Post Staff Writer
08/29/2007
Tight end Daniel Graham's versatility makes him a key player in the running or passing game. (Post / John Leyba)So this is why the New England Patriots stopped throwing the ball to Daniel Graham.
Now that his first preseason with the Broncos is finished, Colorado's football fans have a better understanding why Graham's pass-catching totals shrunk in recent years.
The man is too good a blocker, cursed by his own versatility.
"Any tight end wants the ball," Graham said. "But I've always felt that because of my blocking abilities, it's had an effect on me in the passing game. Plus, I've always been a player who will do what they ask me to do."
The preseason stats say Graham had two catches in three games. Both were for first downs that led to scores. The first was a beauty - a body- twisting correction on a tipped pass for a 21-yard gain against the Dallas Cowboys. The second was an 11-yard catch in traffic during the Broncos' successful two-minute drive against the Cleveland Browns.
"He's definitely not just a run blocker," said Nate Jackson, one of the Broncos' backup tight ends. "He's got soft hands, he's deceptively fast and he runs good routes. He's a really good athlete."
There is another stat, though, that isn't made available to the public. Blocking stats. The Broncos' coaching staff keeps close track of blocks, and not just in games. Since training camp opened a month ago, the Broncos estimate Graham has missed one block.
That's one missed assignment through two-a-day practices and three preseason games, all of which are filmed and dissected by the coaching staff. That one missed block?
"I don't remember it," Graham said.
Supposedly, it was during a practice against the Cowboys two weeks ago in Irving, Texas. No doubt, the Cowboys blitzed. With Graham putting the strong in the strong side of the offensive line, the Broncos' first-string offense rushed for 43 yards on six carries against San Francisco and 66 yards on 15 carries while using backup tailbacks against
All Things Broncos
Post reporter Bill Williamson posts entries on this blog devoted to the Denver Broncos. Visit it here.
Cleveland.
As a starter, Graham won't play in the Broncos' final preseason game, Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals at Invesco Field at Mile High, so to sum up his first preseason in Denver, he has had two catches and one lousy missed block.
Maybe if he pulled a Shannon Sharpe and slacked up on his blocking, Graham might get more catches.
"I won't do that," Graham said. "Blocking's part of my game."
Colorado football fans remember a not-so- distant time when pass catching was a more prominent part of Graham's game. In fact, as a senior at the University of the Colorado, Graham was the top receiving tight end in the nation.
Numero uno. The best.
He led the country with 753 receiving yards and six touchdown catches, and his 51 receptions finished second. He came out of college running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and earned the John Mackey Award.
John Mackey was a tight end who caught passes. After the Patriots selected Graham in the first round of the 2002 draft, they threw him the ball for a few years. Then they fell in love with watching him knock those supposedly ferocious pass-rushing defensive ends and outside linebackers on their keisters.
Next thing fantasy football players knew, Graham disappeared into the Patriots' underappreciated group of Super Bowl champion players. If the Patriots needed a tight end to run a route, they could always send out Ben Watson.
"The more glamorous tight end guys are those who catch the ball and score a lot of touchdowns," said Tom Mills, Graham's agent. "And Dan has done that, maybe not as much as some other guys, but he hasn't complained about that. He's so proficient as a blocker that on some of the more obvious passing situations, instead of going out on patterns, he was back there taking on defensive ends. He's always had a meaningful role in the passing game, but sometimes he's been acting like an offensive tackle as opposed to a receiving threat."
When Graham became a free agent in March, though, the Broncos did not give him a tight end-record contract with the idea of getting a one-dimensional player in return. For starters, the Broncos will get some of that $15 million guaranteed money back in sheer number of plays. On offense, the Broncos figure to have just seven players participate in every down - quarterback Jay Cutler, the five offensive linemen and Graham, their two-way tight end.
Travis Henry will need the occasional blow at running back. There are short-yardage packages that will send wide receivers Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall to the sidelines.
But regardless of whether it's third-and-1 or third-and-15, or the play calls for a pass or run, the Broncos will want Graham to be part of it.
"A guy like that you don't want to take off the field," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "The only reason he didn't catch much in New England is they have a guy in Watson who's a freak of nature."
Graham didn't catch many passes in his first preseason with the Broncos, either, but that doesn't mean he won't set a career high with 40 receptions during the regular season. All it means is the Broncos found out for themselves why New England became enamored with keeping him in to block.
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6744537
By Mike Klis
Denver Post Staff Writer
08/29/2007
Tight end Daniel Graham's versatility makes him a key player in the running or passing game. (Post / John Leyba)So this is why the New England Patriots stopped throwing the ball to Daniel Graham.
Now that his first preseason with the Broncos is finished, Colorado's football fans have a better understanding why Graham's pass-catching totals shrunk in recent years.
The man is too good a blocker, cursed by his own versatility.
"Any tight end wants the ball," Graham said. "But I've always felt that because of my blocking abilities, it's had an effect on me in the passing game. Plus, I've always been a player who will do what they ask me to do."
The preseason stats say Graham had two catches in three games. Both were for first downs that led to scores. The first was a beauty - a body- twisting correction on a tipped pass for a 21-yard gain against the Dallas Cowboys. The second was an 11-yard catch in traffic during the Broncos' successful two-minute drive against the Cleveland Browns.
"He's definitely not just a run blocker," said Nate Jackson, one of the Broncos' backup tight ends. "He's got soft hands, he's deceptively fast and he runs good routes. He's a really good athlete."
There is another stat, though, that isn't made available to the public. Blocking stats. The Broncos' coaching staff keeps close track of blocks, and not just in games. Since training camp opened a month ago, the Broncos estimate Graham has missed one block.
That's one missed assignment through two-a-day practices and three preseason games, all of which are filmed and dissected by the coaching staff. That one missed block?
"I don't remember it," Graham said.
Supposedly, it was during a practice against the Cowboys two weeks ago in Irving, Texas. No doubt, the Cowboys blitzed. With Graham putting the strong in the strong side of the offensive line, the Broncos' first-string offense rushed for 43 yards on six carries against San Francisco and 66 yards on 15 carries while using backup tailbacks against
All Things Broncos
Post reporter Bill Williamson posts entries on this blog devoted to the Denver Broncos. Visit it here.
Cleveland.
As a starter, Graham won't play in the Broncos' final preseason game, Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals at Invesco Field at Mile High, so to sum up his first preseason in Denver, he has had two catches and one lousy missed block.
Maybe if he pulled a Shannon Sharpe and slacked up on his blocking, Graham might get more catches.
"I won't do that," Graham said. "Blocking's part of my game."
Colorado football fans remember a not-so- distant time when pass catching was a more prominent part of Graham's game. In fact, as a senior at the University of the Colorado, Graham was the top receiving tight end in the nation.
Numero uno. The best.
He led the country with 753 receiving yards and six touchdown catches, and his 51 receptions finished second. He came out of college running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds and earned the John Mackey Award.
John Mackey was a tight end who caught passes. After the Patriots selected Graham in the first round of the 2002 draft, they threw him the ball for a few years. Then they fell in love with watching him knock those supposedly ferocious pass-rushing defensive ends and outside linebackers on their keisters.
Next thing fantasy football players knew, Graham disappeared into the Patriots' underappreciated group of Super Bowl champion players. If the Patriots needed a tight end to run a route, they could always send out Ben Watson.
"The more glamorous tight end guys are those who catch the ball and score a lot of touchdowns," said Tom Mills, Graham's agent. "And Dan has done that, maybe not as much as some other guys, but he hasn't complained about that. He's so proficient as a blocker that on some of the more obvious passing situations, instead of going out on patterns, he was back there taking on defensive ends. He's always had a meaningful role in the passing game, but sometimes he's been acting like an offensive tackle as opposed to a receiving threat."
When Graham became a free agent in March, though, the Broncos did not give him a tight end-record contract with the idea of getting a one-dimensional player in return. For starters, the Broncos will get some of that $15 million guaranteed money back in sheer number of plays. On offense, the Broncos figure to have just seven players participate in every down - quarterback Jay Cutler, the five offensive linemen and Graham, their two-way tight end.
Travis Henry will need the occasional blow at running back. There are short-yardage packages that will send wide receivers Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall to the sidelines.
But regardless of whether it's third-and-1 or third-and-15, or the play calls for a pass or run, the Broncos will want Graham to be part of it.
"A guy like that you don't want to take off the field," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "The only reason he didn't catch much in New England is they have a guy in Watson who's a freak of nature."
Graham didn't catch many passes in his first preseason with the Broncos, either, but that doesn't mean he won't set a career high with 40 receptions during the regular season. All it means is the Broncos found out for themselves why New England became enamored with keeping him in to block.
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6744537