WARHORSE
05-14-2009, 07:26 PM
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With all of the changes the Broncos have undergone this offseason, much of the talk has been about the installation of a new offensive system brought by Head Coach Josh McDaniels (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=357&contentID=9591).
But the defense is undergoing plenty of changes as well.
McDaniels confirmed before the draft that the defensive side of the ball is transitioning to a 3-4 alignment. That means right off the bat that the team will have a nose tackle position and there are going to be a group of hybrid defensive end/linebackers on the roster.
McDaniels said that first-round draft pick Robert Ayers (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=9871), Tim Crowder (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7253), Elvis Dumervil (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5911), Jarvis Moss (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7252) and Darrell Reid (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=9698) are part of that hybrid group.
Moss, for one, said he's extremely excited about the way the new position allows him to utilize his speed and athleticism.
"I think this is something I could have been -- and maybe should have been -- doing since I got into the league," he said. "But this is a whole new chapter for me. This 3-4 defense, you know a lot of teams were looking for me to be a 3-4 player when I was coming out, so I'm excited about it. It will give me a chance to show that I'm versatile, and kind of a new beginning. I get to start all over with the new staff and coach in here."
What it means for some of the bigger defensive linemen is that they will have to start transitioning from a one-gap assigment to a two-gap. Essentially that means the nose tackle, for example, can either go to the left or right of the center, rather than being assigned to one gap or the other.
"In the two-gap, you have a little bit of freedom," Marcus Thomas (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7256) said, demonstrating some of his juking ability. "That's what I like -- just get up field, make plays in the backfield and create havoc."
Thomas said he has gained some weight to try to fit the mold of a nose tackle, a position where he feels he could excel because of his athleticism.
Ronald Fields is another candidate for the nose tackle position. He played under Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=357&contentID=9625) at San Francisco, so he said he has a little bit of an edge because he knows how Nolan wants the defense to be played.
"It's not really the usual 3-4," Fields explained. "It's an attack 3-4, it's like an offensive mindset. Some people play the 3-4 different, they're more like sit back and wait. But as far as us, we attack. It's kind of mixed-up with a 4-3. There are a lot of good things in there for linemen instead of just sitting there and catching the blocker and being passive and waiting."
It's that attacking style that has players at all positions excited about the defensive prospects for the 2009 season.
Wesley Woodyard (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8678) said it was shocking at first to see former defensive linemen like Crowder and Dumervil floating back with the linebackers, but once he saw how well they've been adapting, he realized the type of dangers they present to opposing offenses.
"It's an exciting defense -- it allows the players to run around and basically do something that was back in the day, and that's just having fun," Woodyard said. "I think that's what our defense is based on -- having fun, flying around and making plays."
So the transition to the attacking 3-4 could help breathe some life into the defense. But McDaniels was quick to point out that he and the rest of the coaching staff are always evaluating players, and they will work to put everyone in the best position possible, even if that means altering the scheme.
"If we get to any week in the season, ever, and we don't feel comfortable with the 3-4 or what we did last week on offense or what we did last week on the punt team, we're changing it," he said. "So if that means you're going to look out there and see five defensive linemen, you may see five. We're going to do whatever we feel every week is in the best interest of beating that team."
Moss said the players respect the fact that their head coach is willing to see what they do best and find ways to utilize those skills on the football field.
"I think that's awesome to coach like that," he said. "It lets your players be more comfortable with what they're doing as opposed to making a guy do something that he's not so comfortable with or used to doing, or can't get his job done as well. I think it's awesome to coach this defense the way that they coach it.
"It's pretty sweet."
http://football.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=football&cdn=sports&tm=5&gps=92_101_1020_563&f=22&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//denverbroncos.com/
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With all of the changes the Broncos have undergone this offseason, much of the talk has been about the installation of a new offensive system brought by Head Coach Josh McDaniels (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=357&contentID=9591).
But the defense is undergoing plenty of changes as well.
McDaniels confirmed before the draft that the defensive side of the ball is transitioning to a 3-4 alignment. That means right off the bat that the team will have a nose tackle position and there are going to be a group of hybrid defensive end/linebackers on the roster.
McDaniels said that first-round draft pick Robert Ayers (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=9871), Tim Crowder (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7253), Elvis Dumervil (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5911), Jarvis Moss (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7252) and Darrell Reid (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=9698) are part of that hybrid group.
Moss, for one, said he's extremely excited about the way the new position allows him to utilize his speed and athleticism.
"I think this is something I could have been -- and maybe should have been -- doing since I got into the league," he said. "But this is a whole new chapter for me. This 3-4 defense, you know a lot of teams were looking for me to be a 3-4 player when I was coming out, so I'm excited about it. It will give me a chance to show that I'm versatile, and kind of a new beginning. I get to start all over with the new staff and coach in here."
What it means for some of the bigger defensive linemen is that they will have to start transitioning from a one-gap assigment to a two-gap. Essentially that means the nose tackle, for example, can either go to the left or right of the center, rather than being assigned to one gap or the other.
"In the two-gap, you have a little bit of freedom," Marcus Thomas (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=7256) said, demonstrating some of his juking ability. "That's what I like -- just get up field, make plays in the backfield and create havoc."
Thomas said he has gained some weight to try to fit the mold of a nose tackle, a position where he feels he could excel because of his athleticism.
Ronald Fields is another candidate for the nose tackle position. He played under Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=357&contentID=9625) at San Francisco, so he said he has a little bit of an edge because he knows how Nolan wants the defense to be played.
"It's not really the usual 3-4," Fields explained. "It's an attack 3-4, it's like an offensive mindset. Some people play the 3-4 different, they're more like sit back and wait. But as far as us, we attack. It's kind of mixed-up with a 4-3. There are a lot of good things in there for linemen instead of just sitting there and catching the blocker and being passive and waiting."
It's that attacking style that has players at all positions excited about the defensive prospects for the 2009 season.
Wesley Woodyard (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8678) said it was shocking at first to see former defensive linemen like Crowder and Dumervil floating back with the linebackers, but once he saw how well they've been adapting, he realized the type of dangers they present to opposing offenses.
"It's an exciting defense -- it allows the players to run around and basically do something that was back in the day, and that's just having fun," Woodyard said. "I think that's what our defense is based on -- having fun, flying around and making plays."
So the transition to the attacking 3-4 could help breathe some life into the defense. But McDaniels was quick to point out that he and the rest of the coaching staff are always evaluating players, and they will work to put everyone in the best position possible, even if that means altering the scheme.
"If we get to any week in the season, ever, and we don't feel comfortable with the 3-4 or what we did last week on offense or what we did last week on the punt team, we're changing it," he said. "So if that means you're going to look out there and see five defensive linemen, you may see five. We're going to do whatever we feel every week is in the best interest of beating that team."
Moss said the players respect the fact that their head coach is willing to see what they do best and find ways to utilize those skills on the football field.
"I think that's awesome to coach like that," he said. "It lets your players be more comfortable with what they're doing as opposed to making a guy do something that he's not so comfortable with or used to doing, or can't get his job done as well. I think it's awesome to coach this defense the way that they coach it.
"It's pretty sweet."
http://football.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=football&cdn=sports&tm=5&gps=92_101_1020_563&f=22&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//denverbroncos.com/