WARHORSE
06-20-2009, 06:28 AM
Im liking Ayers more and more each day.
Ayers looks for deal to get done
By Brian Howell
© 2009
ENGLEWOOD — When rookies report to training camp in late July, Robert Ayers plans to be there.
The second of two first-round picks by the Denver Broncos, Ayers said he doesn’t anticipate missing any practices because of contract negotiations.
“Mr. (Pat) Bowlen and my agent (Tony Agnone), they’ll work together and I’m pretty sure they’ll have a good deal (in place),” Ayers said. “I feel confident about the fact that I’ll be here on time.”
Ayers, the 18th overall selection in April’s NFL Draft, said it’s important he shows up on time instead of holding out.
“I don’t want to lose any time,” he said. “Another thing I don’t want to do, I don’t want the team thinking I’m a money-first guy.
I’m here to play football and to win. Money is secondary. It’s going to be there. It’s just the fact of getting it done.”
Ayers was drafted out of Tennessee, where he had a great final season as a defensive end.
The 6-foot-3, 274-pounder is being counted on to boost the Broncos’ pass rush.
He played defensive end in Tennessee’s 4-3 system. Like the rest of the Broncos, he’s learning to adjust to a 3-4.
At the conclusion of Sunday’s mini-camp — the last time the Broncos will be on the field before training camp — Ayers was encouraged.
“I feel like I did a lot of good things,” he said. “I did a lot of bad things, too, but overall I feel like I learned a lot and I’m starting to fit in with the defense.
“I’m looking forward to coming back and getting on the pads and really seeing where I stand.”
Ayers is one of five players on the roster — joining veterans Tim Crowder, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Darrell Reid — listed as an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid. That means he’s learning to rush the passer from two starting points — standing up and with his hand on the ground.
“In college, I played mostly with my hand down,” he said. “The fact that I’m a little more comfortable with my hand down, I’m trying to learn how to rush standing up.”
Ayers said he’s done both in practices, but that the coaches have given him and the others in his group a choice of standing up or putting their hand down.
“I’m trying to learn how to rush standing up more,” he said. “When I’m supposed to put my hand down, I usually stand up just so I can get used to it more.”
Either way, he hopes to start polishing those skills even more from the first day of training camp.
“You’ve got a lot of working out to do, getting in shape and learning and studying,” he said of what he’ll be doing until camp. “Once training camp comes, hopefully I’ll be ready.
“I have confidence coming out of this mini-camp, but I think I’ve still got a long ways to go.”
http://www.timescall.com/sports_story.asp?id=16649 (http://www.timescall.com/sports_story.asp?id=16649)
Ayers looks for deal to get done
By Brian Howell
© 2009
ENGLEWOOD — When rookies report to training camp in late July, Robert Ayers plans to be there.
The second of two first-round picks by the Denver Broncos, Ayers said he doesn’t anticipate missing any practices because of contract negotiations.
“Mr. (Pat) Bowlen and my agent (Tony Agnone), they’ll work together and I’m pretty sure they’ll have a good deal (in place),” Ayers said. “I feel confident about the fact that I’ll be here on time.”
Ayers, the 18th overall selection in April’s NFL Draft, said it’s important he shows up on time instead of holding out.
“I don’t want to lose any time,” he said. “Another thing I don’t want to do, I don’t want the team thinking I’m a money-first guy.
I’m here to play football and to win. Money is secondary. It’s going to be there. It’s just the fact of getting it done.”
Ayers was drafted out of Tennessee, where he had a great final season as a defensive end.
The 6-foot-3, 274-pounder is being counted on to boost the Broncos’ pass rush.
He played defensive end in Tennessee’s 4-3 system. Like the rest of the Broncos, he’s learning to adjust to a 3-4.
At the conclusion of Sunday’s mini-camp — the last time the Broncos will be on the field before training camp — Ayers was encouraged.
“I feel like I did a lot of good things,” he said. “I did a lot of bad things, too, but overall I feel like I learned a lot and I’m starting to fit in with the defense.
“I’m looking forward to coming back and getting on the pads and really seeing where I stand.”
Ayers is one of five players on the roster — joining veterans Tim Crowder, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Darrell Reid — listed as an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid. That means he’s learning to rush the passer from two starting points — standing up and with his hand on the ground.
“In college, I played mostly with my hand down,” he said. “The fact that I’m a little more comfortable with my hand down, I’m trying to learn how to rush standing up.”
Ayers said he’s done both in practices, but that the coaches have given him and the others in his group a choice of standing up or putting their hand down.
“I’m trying to learn how to rush standing up more,” he said. “When I’m supposed to put my hand down, I usually stand up just so I can get used to it more.”
Either way, he hopes to start polishing those skills even more from the first day of training camp.
“You’ve got a lot of working out to do, getting in shape and learning and studying,” he said of what he’ll be doing until camp. “Once training camp comes, hopefully I’ll be ready.
“I have confidence coming out of this mini-camp, but I think I’ve still got a long ways to go.”
http://www.timescall.com/sports_story.asp?id=16649 (http://www.timescall.com/sports_story.asp?id=16649)