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Lonestar
07-22-2009, 11:29 PM
Editor's Note: In the days leading up to training camp, DenverBroncos.com will examine several key areas on the Broncos roster to give fans an idea of what to look for as the season approaches. Third in the eight-part series: the defensive line.

By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As Carlton Powell said, when it comes to a successful defense, "it all starts up front with the D-line."

And when the Broncos take the field to start the 2009 season, the defensive line will have an entirely different look.

For starters, there will most likely be only three linemen on the field.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan have brought with them a 3-4 defense designed to attack and confuse opposing offenses -- while at the same time allowing more freedom for defensive linemen.

What it means for some of the 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 said. "That's what I like -- just get up field, make plays in the backfield and create havoc."

With the addition of five linemen through free agency and the return of some playmakers across the line, creating havoc is exactly what the unit hopes to do this season.

THE NEW GUYS

Ronald Fields, the first defensive lineman to join the squad through free agency, also played under Nolan in San Francisco. The nose tackle candidate said that gives him a bit of an edge because he knows how Nolan wants the defense to be played, and can explain it to teammates.

"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."

Many of the linemen have spoken up about how that attacking style defense suits their style of play. Fields is no exception. He played all 16 games during each of the last two seasons with the 49ers, helping the club rank fifth in the NFL in yards per rush allowed over that period.

"I like being in the midst of it and being in the middle," he said. "I like the contact and being able to be in there."

Undrafted free agent Chris Baker is another player who doesn't mind mixing it up in the middle.

The rookie racked up 69 tackles, 8.5 sacks and one blocked kick in 11 games in his final collegiate year at Hampton University. Prior to that, he earned a starting role as a sopohomore at Penn State, recording 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 20 games over a two year career with the Nittany Lions.

He said he's willing to do "whatever the coaches as me to do" and line up "wherever I can contribute" in his first season as a professional, where he hopes those numbers can continue. It doesn't hurt that he practices against an offensive line that set a franchise record with only 12 sacks allowed last season.

"If you go against the best, you're going to make yourself better," he said.

The second of the three undrafted free agent defensive linemen is Rulon Davis, a former Marine and Cal standout. He played in 21 career games with 10 starts for the Golden Bears. In those three seasons he totaled 40 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, earning the Bob Tessier Award as Cal's most improved defensive lineman.

Davis said he hopes he can continue that improvement in his first season in Denver.

"My goal for this year would be an All-Rookie selection," he said. "That's my individual goal. As a team, I want to win of course. But in order to get there I've just got to keep improving every day and staying hungry."

Everette Pedescleaux is the third undrafted free agent defensive lineman picked up by the team.

The Minnesota native played in 51 career games with 21 starts at the University of Northern Iowa and totaled 112 tackles, 11 sacks and six blocked kicks. In 2005, 2007 and 2008, he helped lead his team to the postseason, picking up three conference titles along the way.

As a senior, Pedescleaux earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press awhen he registered 62 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks.

Rounding out the free agent acquisitions on the line is JVonne Parker. Parker has spent time with the Browns, Cowboys, Ravens and Panthers, seeing action in 12 games. His most recent action came in the Panthers' win at New Orleans in their regular-season finale last season -- his only game action of 2008.

He came into the league with the Browns in 2005 as a college free agent from Rutgers University, and he saw his most time on the field during the 2006 season, seeing time in four games with Cleveland after playing in two games with the Cowboys.

THE VETERANS

Even with all the new additions to the line, the team still sports six linemen who were with the club in 2008. Kenny Peterson, who re-signed with the team in early March, is one of the returnees. He said the reshaped unit is eager to improve on last season's effort.

"Change is always good," he said. "Any time you have new faces, there's new competition and there are new roles guys are going to bring to the team. So it's definitely going to be exciting."

Peterson also has to be excited about what the 2009 campaign could hold for him. The seventh-year pro had his best year statistically last season. He played in all 16 games for the team, earning one start, and recorded a career-high 39 tackles. He tied a personal best with three sacks, which ranked third on the team, and also forced a fumble and recorded a pass defensed.

Peterson has said he feels comfortable at any position along the line. Marcus Thomas, on the other hand, 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.

The third-year pro hasn't missed a game in two seasons with the Broncos, including the 2008 campaign in which he was a 16-game starter. In fact, he was one of two Broncos defenders to start every contest. He racked up a career-high 57 tackles, which led the defensive line.

He also grabbed an interception for the second consecutive year, making him the only defensive tackle in the league to do so. Those two interceptions also tie him for second in Broncos history among defensive linemen.

A returning lineman who didn't see any playing time last season due to injury is Powell. He spent his rookie season on the team's physically unable to perform list with an injury to his right Achilles tendon suffered in an offseason workout. But now he's another big, physical body ready to impose his will for the line in 2009.

"If the ball is coming in my direction, I'm either going to make the play behind the line of scrimmage or at the line of scrimmage," Powell said. "Not much gets past me."

His stats at Virginia Tech back that up. He started 13 games in each of his final two seasons with the Hokies, helping the team rank no worse than fourth in the nation in both total yards per game and points per game allowed during those years.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2008, Powell had career highs in tackles and sacks as a senior for a Virginia Tech defense that posted top-5 national rankings in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. Now he's excited to finally take some of that to the field in the NFL, and Nolan's new system has him licking his chops.

"Just with the guys we've got here now, I think it's going to be a pretty good fit," he said.

Nic Clemons is another returnee, fresh off appearing in a career-high 10 games for the club in 2008. He totaled a personal-best 24 tackles and recorded a pass breakup. He notched four tackles from the defensive line in two games last season, against both Miami and San Diego.

Prior to last season, Clemons appeared in 10 games, including two postseason games, for Washington in 2005, then competed in the Redskins' and Falcons' training camps in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

Matthias Askew also spent some time in Washington, competing in the team's training camp in 2007 and 2008 after seeing time on Cincinnati's roster from 2004-06. The third-year player is entering his first full season with the Broncos in 2009 after spending the final eight weeks of last season on the practice squad. His first two seasons in the league were his most active, playing in six games and recording six tackles along with one fumble recovery.

Ryan McBean returns as well after spending the entire 2008 regular season on the team's practice squad. He competed in Pittsburgh's training camp to begin the year. He was with the Steelers when he made his NFL debut as a rookie in the team's 2007 regular-season finale at Baltimore.

It's a bit of a new-look defensive line for the squad. Seven of the 11 linemen are listed at 300 pounds or more, and none are listed at smaller than 6-feet-2-inches. This season the unit has a chance to answer the critics and put together a dominant body of work.

Baker said the line will worry about what it can control, and go out and give its all every week.

"All you can do is work hard and just do the best that you can do," he said. "When the season comes, just work as hard as you can, do what you can do and let your play talk for itself."

MEET THE PLAYERS


Matthias Askew appeared in a career-high five games for Cincinnati as a rookie in 2004.
Chris Baker helped the Nittany Lions’ defense finish No. 7 in the nation against the run as a starter in 2007, allowing only 87.9 rushing yards per game, and led the defensive line with 37 tackles.
Nic Clemons played two seasons at the University of Georgia after transferring from Georgia Military College, where he earned honorable mention junior college All-America honors.
Rulon Davis was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 21 junior college prospect in the country after the 2005 season despite redshirting during that campaign.
Ronald Fields registered his first career sack and forced a fumble on the same play, taking down Kurt Warner at Arizona in 2007.
Ryan McBean started 23-of-24 career games played in two seasons at Oklahoma State University after beginning his collegiate career at Hinds Community College in Hinds, Miss.
J'Vonne Parker had a career-high four tackles -- 3 solo -- against Tampa Bay in 2006, but an ankle injury forced him onto injured reserve two days later.
Everette Pedescleaux was a member of Northern Iowa's basketball team during his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.
Kenny Peterson recorded three sacks in the Broncos' first six games last season.
Carlton Powell earned the President’s Award for his leadership on defense during offseason and spring workouts leading up to his junior campaign at Virginia Tech.
Marcus Thomas had a career-high seven tackles -- five solo -- on Monday Night Football at New England last season.


http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9155

Shazam!
07-23-2009, 12:14 AM
On paper at least, the DL doesn't seem that bad.

WARHORSE
07-23-2009, 12:32 AM
On paper at least, the DL doesn't seem that bad.

Im hoping Marcus can take that next jump in his third year.

OldschoolFreak
07-23-2009, 10:52 AM
How many of them make the squad?