Lonestar
05-07-2009, 02:47 PM
McDaniels won't give up fort for fortifying defensive line The Broncos have major question marks up front, but that isn't all that different from recent seasons. by Jim Armstrong The Denver Post , The Denver Post
A certain Hall of Fame quarterback (Tom Brady) wasn't the only one who helped Josh McDaniels become the NFL's youngest head coach. During his days in New England, the Patriots had three No. 1 draft choices on the defensive line.
For years, Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork served as the foundation of the Pats' defensive line, the rock upon which the team's trophy case was built.
McDaniels hasn't just moved over a couple of time zones. He has entered a new world, one that includes three starting defensive linemen who, for all anyone knows, will be backups by September. Their names? Since no one is quite certain, we'll have to get back to you on that one.
If recent history is any indication, the Broncos' defensive line is a disaster waiting to happen. But since it's May and they're among the ranks of the undefeated, let's call it a, ahem, work in progress.
"We're not going to be able to snap our fingers and magically have three first-round draft picks up there," McDaniels said. "But you know, that's one team you're talking about out of 32 that has that. There are teams that are successful that don't have that. Our goal is to try to coach them all and get them better, improve them and play good defense."
Fair enough. But that's been the goal of every recent Broncos defensive coordinator and, well, we all know what happened to them. In January, former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan became the team's sixth coordinator since the dawn of the 21st century, the third in three years.
The Broncos' defensive issues were lengthy in the latter years of the Mike Shanahan regime, but the biggest problem was the defensive line. When he wasn't drafting defensive linemen, Shanahan was signing every former Browns lineman with a pulse and a helmet. When that didn't work, he resorted to change for the sake of change, switching to a 3-4 alignment from a 4-3 midway through the 2008 season.
A few months later, Shanahan was gone, leaving behind back-to-back 400-plus-point seasons in the damage-control department, a first since the franchise's laughingstock days of the early 1960s. What to do about it?
Early speculation had the Broncos signing a free-agent nose tackle for McDaniels' 3-4 base defense. Didn't happen. Instead, the Broncos used the bulk of their free-agent dollars on the secondary, where they signed three projected starters in safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill and cornerback Andre Goodman.
Two defensive linemen came aboard: former 49ers tackle Ronald Fields and former Colts defensive end/linebacker Darrell Reid.
So where does the line go from here?
"It's the hardest position to identify how we're doing," McDaniels said. "Until we start to do something in August, that's going to be a difficult position for us to say, 'Boy, we've got a solid three that we feel comfortable with.' We've got a lot of big bodies in there, and a lot of guys working at a lot of spots. We're going to give them the opportunity to win a job."
McDaniels had 10 draft picks at his disposal last month, two in the first round, but used only one on a defensive lineman. The Broncos had zeroed in on LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson and Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji, but when both were gone, McDaniels switched to Plan B, selecting Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno and Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers in the first round.
"When the board gets picked clean, you don't start reaching for players in the first round or second round that you don't feel equals the value you're taking the selection at," McDaniels said. "You go into this knowing you're not going to fix everything you may want to fix."
So, with the book virtually closed on offseason player acquisitions, the Broncos will get by on the defensive line with the players they have. And question marks invariably arise when you allow 448 points and finish 26th in the league in sacks (26) and 30th in run defense (5.0 yards per).
Elvis Dumervil, a starter at defensive end in 2008, will attempt to make the switch to outside linebacker. Former first-rounder Jarvis Moss, who was potential trade bait on draft weekend, may not make the team if he can't pull off the same transition. And he's not alone. Tim Crowder, a second-rounder in 2007, could be gone, too, if he doesn't show enough versatility to play standing up or with a hand on the ground.
Like Dumervil, Moss and Crowder, Reid could wind up at end or outside linebacker. Marcus Thomas, another Shana-
han draft choice, could play end or on the nose. Same goes for another Shanahan holdover, Kenny Peterson. Then there's 326-pound rookie nose tackle Chris Baker, signed as an undrafted free agent.
As we speak, Ryan McBean, a fourth-
rounder by Pittsburgh in 2007 who has played in one NFL game, is a projected starter at one of the defensive end spots.
"We keep getting bashed," Dumervil said. "I don't know what's going to happen. That's why we go through these minicamps and battle it out. It's a fresh start for everybody. I can see guys are stronger and faster. I think we'll shock a lot of people."
Said Reid: "I don't know the whole history of the D-line here. I just think it's going to bring out the best of this team, whoever ends up at what spots. There's a lot of competition."
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9545074/McDaniels-won't-give-up-fort-for-fortifying-defensive-line-The-Broncos-have-major-question-marks-up-front,-but-that-isn't-all-that-different-from-recent-seasons.-
A certain Hall of Fame quarterback (Tom Brady) wasn't the only one who helped Josh McDaniels become the NFL's youngest head coach. During his days in New England, the Patriots had three No. 1 draft choices on the defensive line.
For years, Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork served as the foundation of the Pats' defensive line, the rock upon which the team's trophy case was built.
McDaniels hasn't just moved over a couple of time zones. He has entered a new world, one that includes three starting defensive linemen who, for all anyone knows, will be backups by September. Their names? Since no one is quite certain, we'll have to get back to you on that one.
If recent history is any indication, the Broncos' defensive line is a disaster waiting to happen. But since it's May and they're among the ranks of the undefeated, let's call it a, ahem, work in progress.
"We're not going to be able to snap our fingers and magically have three first-round draft picks up there," McDaniels said. "But you know, that's one team you're talking about out of 32 that has that. There are teams that are successful that don't have that. Our goal is to try to coach them all and get them better, improve them and play good defense."
Fair enough. But that's been the goal of every recent Broncos defensive coordinator and, well, we all know what happened to them. In January, former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan became the team's sixth coordinator since the dawn of the 21st century, the third in three years.
The Broncos' defensive issues were lengthy in the latter years of the Mike Shanahan regime, but the biggest problem was the defensive line. When he wasn't drafting defensive linemen, Shanahan was signing every former Browns lineman with a pulse and a helmet. When that didn't work, he resorted to change for the sake of change, switching to a 3-4 alignment from a 4-3 midway through the 2008 season.
A few months later, Shanahan was gone, leaving behind back-to-back 400-plus-point seasons in the damage-control department, a first since the franchise's laughingstock days of the early 1960s. What to do about it?
Early speculation had the Broncos signing a free-agent nose tackle for McDaniels' 3-4 base defense. Didn't happen. Instead, the Broncos used the bulk of their free-agent dollars on the secondary, where they signed three projected starters in safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill and cornerback Andre Goodman.
Two defensive linemen came aboard: former 49ers tackle Ronald Fields and former Colts defensive end/linebacker Darrell Reid.
So where does the line go from here?
"It's the hardest position to identify how we're doing," McDaniels said. "Until we start to do something in August, that's going to be a difficult position for us to say, 'Boy, we've got a solid three that we feel comfortable with.' We've got a lot of big bodies in there, and a lot of guys working at a lot of spots. We're going to give them the opportunity to win a job."
McDaniels had 10 draft picks at his disposal last month, two in the first round, but used only one on a defensive lineman. The Broncos had zeroed in on LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson and Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji, but when both were gone, McDaniels switched to Plan B, selecting Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno and Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers in the first round.
"When the board gets picked clean, you don't start reaching for players in the first round or second round that you don't feel equals the value you're taking the selection at," McDaniels said. "You go into this knowing you're not going to fix everything you may want to fix."
So, with the book virtually closed on offseason player acquisitions, the Broncos will get by on the defensive line with the players they have. And question marks invariably arise when you allow 448 points and finish 26th in the league in sacks (26) and 30th in run defense (5.0 yards per).
Elvis Dumervil, a starter at defensive end in 2008, will attempt to make the switch to outside linebacker. Former first-rounder Jarvis Moss, who was potential trade bait on draft weekend, may not make the team if he can't pull off the same transition. And he's not alone. Tim Crowder, a second-rounder in 2007, could be gone, too, if he doesn't show enough versatility to play standing up or with a hand on the ground.
Like Dumervil, Moss and Crowder, Reid could wind up at end or outside linebacker. Marcus Thomas, another Shana-
han draft choice, could play end or on the nose. Same goes for another Shanahan holdover, Kenny Peterson. Then there's 326-pound rookie nose tackle Chris Baker, signed as an undrafted free agent.
As we speak, Ryan McBean, a fourth-
rounder by Pittsburgh in 2007 who has played in one NFL game, is a projected starter at one of the defensive end spots.
"We keep getting bashed," Dumervil said. "I don't know what's going to happen. That's why we go through these minicamps and battle it out. It's a fresh start for everybody. I can see guys are stronger and faster. I think we'll shock a lot of people."
Said Reid: "I don't know the whole history of the D-line here. I just think it's going to bring out the best of this team, whoever ends up at what spots. There's a lot of competition."
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9545074/McDaniels-won't-give-up-fort-for-fortifying-defensive-line-The-Broncos-have-major-question-marks-up-front,-but-that-isn't-all-that-different-from-recent-seasons.-