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Shazam!
02-20-2009, 09:49 PM
Broncos plan to move Moss to LB
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
2/20/2009
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/20/bronocs-plan-move-moss-linebacker/

Defensive end Jarvis Moss will be taking a couple of steps back.

Now that the Broncos will use more of a 3-4 defensive alignment, Moss, the Broncos' first-round pick in the 2007 draft, has learned he'll be moving to outside linebacker in Mike Nolan's new scheme.

"They feel like it could be good for Jarvis, because he hasn't put on the weight you would expect a defensive end to have. And he's athletic enough to do it," Moss' agent, Pat Dye Jr., said on Friday. "My sense is, he'll be an outside linebacker and a big pass rusher, primarily."

The team previously had alerted Elvis Dumervil of the possibility of making the transition from a down lineman to a stand-up defender.

Moss has vowed to add 10 pounds this offseason while working with a nutritionist and strength coaches in Gainesville, Fla. But he has had difficulty moving north of the 255 pounds he carried at season's end.

The key challenge for Moss in his new position will be proving he can backpedal and turn in coverage. In the past, he has dropped periodically in zone- blitz situations.

"We actually did some of that before the draft because the 3- 4 teams obviously didn't see him as a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme," Dye said. "So the 3-4 teams put him through linebacker drills and he did fine.

"He's plenty athletic. My hope was, at this point, he'd weigh 265, 270 and be a prototypical defensive end, but that hasn't happened. So this could kind of be a rebirth for him."

ETC- The Broncos are expected to meet with the agent for center Casey Wiegmann in the next 48 hours about a restructured contract. Wiegmann wants to play a couple of more years but is seeking a pay hike after a Pro Bowl season. He's slated to make $845,000 in base salary next season.

The Broncos aren't expected to retain many of their free agents. But one player they're at least going to discuss bringing back is lineman Kenny Peterson, who, at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, can play defensive end in a three- man front.

Shazam!
02-20-2009, 09:54 PM
I know it's been confirmed already and mentioned here. But I'll post it.

Broncos will use more 3-4 defense in '09, McDaniels confirms
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
2/20/2009
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/20/broncos-will-use-more-3-4-defense-09-mcdaniels-con/

INDIANAPOLIS — Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said Friday the team would play a 3-4 alignment on defense at least some this season, answering one of the bigger offseason questions as the team prepares for the opening of free agency next week and the April draft.

“You’re going to see some 3-4 from us,” McDaniels said. “I’m not going to say we’re going to be all 3-4, but it’s going to be some combination thereof. I think the 3-4 defense presents some unique challenges to an offense …

“And without getting too technical, there’s some bigger bodies out there you have to block properly.”

McDaniels, having cut his coaching teeth under the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, has certainly spent plenty of time with one of the league’s leading practitioners of the defense. But until Friday, McDaniels had not said if the 3-4 would be part of the Broncos' defensive strategy in the upcoming season and beyond.

It also means the Broncos will be on the hunt for the personnel to fill that defense, including a nose tackle, as well as outside linebackers.

In a wide-ranging interview -– it was McDaniels’ first in a public forum since he was introduced as the team’s head coach – he also said he was consulted by team officials on the decision to promote Brian Xanders to general manager.

When Xanders was promoted, former executive vice president of football operations Jim Goodman and assistant general manager Jeff Goodman were fired.

“I was definitely part of the conversation,” McDaniels said. “I think that’s the only way to do it. If you’re going to make a decision like that you want to make sure everybody in the organization, particularly the head coach, is on board with what we’re doing.

“We’re going to move forward and we’re going to do it right. Brian and I, the way we approached this and the way we’re going to approach it, is we’re going to be heavily involved in the evaluation of the players … and we’re going to work toward a consensus. He hears everything I have to say about a player and I hear everything he has to say about a player … I think it’s very important and vital when you’re making a decision about the team.”

Free agency opens Feb. 27. The Broncos are currently well under the $123 million salary cap per team, and McDaniels said they would pursue any player he believed could fit into a specific role on the roster and be productive.

But he also said the team wanted to make sure it was getting the best value on the money spent for salaries.

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02-20-2009, 09:57 PM
OLB is where I thought Moss should have been all along.

"We actually did some of that [drop back and backpedal] before the draft
because the 3- 4 teams obviously didn't see him as a defensive end in a 3-4
scheme," Dye said. "So the 3-4 teams put him through linebacker drills and he
did fine."

I like the sound of that . . .

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Shazam!
02-20-2009, 09:59 PM
It says little about the state of our DLinemen that many of them can be converted into LBs, Doom and Moss. Pathetic. I'm not saying they can't be successful Starters, just saying WHY Draft guys built physically like that? Hey if we can get a few more good LBs, Draft/FA some DLine and Ss, Denver won't be too far away. Better than a rag-tag bunch of melonheads in years past.

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02-20-2009, 10:11 PM
It says little about the state of our DLinemen that many of them can be converted into LBs, Doom and Moss. Pathetic. I'm not saying they can't be successful Starters, just saying WHY Draft guys built physically like that? Hey if we can get a few more good LBs, Draft/FA some DLine and Ss, Denver won't be too far away. Better than a rag-tag bunch of melonheads in years past.

Actually, if one of those two--Moss and Dumervil--can make a good LB (maybe
both!), that will give the Broncos one heck of a LB corps, IMO. I believe that
D.J. will have found his niche in WILB, and Larsen was proving he was pretty
good there until they shoved him back to the FB spot. :mad:

In addition, Boss is better than most here seem to think. Remember, he played
with a high ankle sprain last year, until he had the season-ending injury, and
he did pretty good, anyway. He's coming back healthy.

So just imagine: Dumervil, Boss, and Moss on the outside, D.J., Larsen, and
Maualuga on the inside (rotating, of course). :drool:

Okay, so that begs the question: what will happen to Woodyard?

Safety, perhaps? http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh256/AZDynamics/Smilies/thdrink.gif

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SmilinAssasSin27
02-20-2009, 10:15 PM
I've been saying this for a while now...Shanny drated like he wanted to run a 3-4...only he stuck w/ the 4-3. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think Moss and Doom can succeed at OLB. Moss was getting love at 3-4 OLB pre-draft and at worst, Doom can be a situational guy.

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02-20-2009, 10:22 PM
I've been saying this for a while now...Shanny drated like he wanted to run a 3-4...only he stuck w/ the 4-3. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think Moss and Doom can succeed at OLB. Moss was getting love at 3-4 OLB pre-draft and at worst, Doom can be a situational guy.

Well, as you know, they actually tried to run the 3-4, which indicates to me
that Shanny indeed wanted to do it. Problem is, perhaps he didn't account for
the lack of brain cells among the defensive coaches?

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TXBRONC
02-20-2009, 10:26 PM
I'm all for seeing if Moss can make the switch. If he has the needed fluidness in his hips that the position requires he just might be solid player for us.

xzn
02-20-2009, 10:37 PM
This is good confirmation of what has been widely speculated on before. Now that the new regime has had time to really evaluate players it appears that they think guys like Moss, Doom, Marcus Thomas and Crowder are worth keeping around for a longer look. It still doesn't mean that they might not end up sucking but the current staff seems to have seen enough to at least take a longer look. Those four could possibly be our starting four on the edges of a 3-4.

Now let's sign Big Albert and draft Rey Maul!!

... and sign an above average CB too...

... and cross our fingers about Josh B and Wood...

honz
02-20-2009, 10:40 PM
It's the only way he was gonna stick when we made the move to the 3-4. Hopefully it lets him play to his strengths and allows him to just make plays using his athleticism on the edge.

Shazam!
02-21-2009, 01:43 AM
A new DC even with a different approach and an aggressive scheme could breathe life into even the most mediocre players by playing with what you have and not forcing them into situations that are unrealistic.

Like playing 10 yards off every WR the whole season, and not bringing help for your DLine when it clearly can't generate pressure on it's own. Adjusting and learning from your mistakes. Not allowing the Offense to dictate the tempo and be comfortable, something we've seen WAY TOO MUCH of the last two seasons.

I know many wouldn't believe this, but with an actual bonafide DC and a Shanahan not running on ego alone, Denver's defense could have been better. Not top 10 or even close because things would have been done with mirrors, but they would have won games that they lost the last two seasons.

Superchop 7
02-21-2009, 02:06 AM
Hmmmm, it sure gets interesting.

According to Mayock:

Aaron Curry is #1 (up and my favorite)

Raji is #14 (down and "not" my favorite) Rather get Grady Jackson now and make a big play for Cody next year.

I feel like the amazing Kreskin.

BUT James L is impressing.....big time.......starting to lean that direction at #12....

Stay tuned.