Denver Native (Carol)
08-02-2009, 10:11 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9188
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Tim Crowder hasn't had the easiest road since entering the league in 2007.
He got off to a quick start. Four sacks, 22 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown isn't too shabby for a defensive lineman in a season. When Crowder put up those numbers, he was a rookie, only playing in 13 games with one start.
But that production fell sharply in 2008, a year he admits was tough to swallow. He was inactive for more games than he played, finishing the season with four tackles.
"I think all bad things happen for a reason, and it's to help you get better in the long run and know how to handle situations," Crowder said. "It made me tougher mentally and I got stronger in the offseason. I kind of used it as an early offseason. That's why I'm just so ready to go now."
Now, Crowder is ready to make an impact again. He has taken occasional reps with the first unit defense as he transitions to his new position -- outside linebacker/defensive end. The former defensive lineman said he feels a little bit like a rookie all over again, having to learn everything from ground zero.
"I've been playing with my hand in the dirt for many, many years, but it's starting to come more and more natural to me in a two-point stance," he said. "The more I keep working at it, the better I'll be."
And he's already begun making strides. The third-year pro said he has lost about 12 pounds to get to 258 pounds, what he considers an ideal weight for his new hybrid position.
"I can run now -- run all day," he said.
That's one of the traits that Head Coach Josh McDaniels has noticed in the former second-round pick.
"He is big, he is thick, he can move and he can drop into some zone coverage, which is about all we are asking those guys to do," McDaniels said. "He has shown up in the running game some, and he has made some plays getting into the pocket in the passing game as a pass rusher."
The head coach said he has been happy with the progress of the rest of Crowder's position group as well. Elvis Dumervil, Darrell Reid, Jarvis Moss and rookie Robert Ayers are all transitioning from playing solely on the line to having far more freedom -- and responsibilities -- on defense.
The process is a long one, but McDaniels said the players have progressed throughout the offseason and are continuing to do so thus far in training camp.
"They are doing a lot of little things better each day," he said. "There are still some things that, obviously, they have got to improve. The biggest thing with that position is you have to do everything and be physical at the same time. There are some plays where they are real physical, but they do not necessarily perform the technique perfectly or vice-versa. Then there are certainly plays where they are looking really good. They are playing hard, trying to learn every single day and they are really making strides in each practice, which is good to see."
"The linebacker thing, I think, is starting to grow in every single one of them."
THOMAS ON HIS TEAMMATE
Moss was excused from the past two days of practice for what McDaniels referred to as "a very personal reason," and Marcus Thomas, who also played with Moss at the University of Florida, spoke about the outside linebacker/defensive end's situation after practice on Sunday.
"Just basically he feels like he's not out there, everybody's on him saying he's a bust and all that, and he just wants to prove to everybody that he's good," Thomas said. "I'm just talking to him to get back out here, and you'll see him tomorrow. He'll be out here."
Thomas spoke to Moss on the phone Sunday morning before practice and told him he understands how he feels.
"I was just putting in his head how he's going to feel in the long run, because nobody wants to be sitting there watching everybody playing," he said. "I went through that same thing in college, just watching all my teammates play, and I know he's going to be feeling the same way."
Thomas said he feels like Moss has faced a lot of adversity since being drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, so he feels he can get through this rough patch as well.
"He's going to be back," he said, "and I'm just going to be there to support him no matter what he does."
PLAYMAKING POTENTIAL
When the Broncos selected Alphonso Smith in the second round of this year's draft, they knew they were getting a playmaker.
Smith's collegiate success has been well-documented -- an ACC-best 21 career interceptions, four returned for touchdowns, five blocked punts and numerous All-America honors. But now he's no longer the big man on campus. He's a rookie at Dove Valley, and McDaniels said Smith has made some typical rookie mistakes.
"But he is also making some plays on the ball," he said. "He is fixing things. He was here quite a little bit in the summer, and that is quite a credit to him."
"He is competing every day, he is working on the little things and he has definitely showed up," McDaniels continued. "He is around the ball -- he made an interception today and got his hands on a few balls the last couple days. He had a lot of ball production coming out (of college). That is one of the things that we really liked about him, and it is starting to show its face here in training camp."
Brian Dawkins has noticed some of those flashes. But the veteran safety said the rookie has a ways to go.
"He definitely has some learning to do, but you can see the playmaking potential that he has," he said. "It's all about him learning his role, learning the scheme and understanding 100 percent what he has to do so he can let his athletic ability shine through."
QUOTABLES
"I'm not really good at being a shifty kind of guy who likes to make moves -- I like to be a straight-line guy and run over somebody if I can."
-Peyton Hillis
The team will be back on the field for two practices on Monday. The first begins at 8:45 a.m. and the second commences at 5:30 p.m. MDT.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Tim Crowder hasn't had the easiest road since entering the league in 2007.
He got off to a quick start. Four sacks, 22 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown isn't too shabby for a defensive lineman in a season. When Crowder put up those numbers, he was a rookie, only playing in 13 games with one start.
But that production fell sharply in 2008, a year he admits was tough to swallow. He was inactive for more games than he played, finishing the season with four tackles.
"I think all bad things happen for a reason, and it's to help you get better in the long run and know how to handle situations," Crowder said. "It made me tougher mentally and I got stronger in the offseason. I kind of used it as an early offseason. That's why I'm just so ready to go now."
Now, Crowder is ready to make an impact again. He has taken occasional reps with the first unit defense as he transitions to his new position -- outside linebacker/defensive end. The former defensive lineman said he feels a little bit like a rookie all over again, having to learn everything from ground zero.
"I've been playing with my hand in the dirt for many, many years, but it's starting to come more and more natural to me in a two-point stance," he said. "The more I keep working at it, the better I'll be."
And he's already begun making strides. The third-year pro said he has lost about 12 pounds to get to 258 pounds, what he considers an ideal weight for his new hybrid position.
"I can run now -- run all day," he said.
That's one of the traits that Head Coach Josh McDaniels has noticed in the former second-round pick.
"He is big, he is thick, he can move and he can drop into some zone coverage, which is about all we are asking those guys to do," McDaniels said. "He has shown up in the running game some, and he has made some plays getting into the pocket in the passing game as a pass rusher."
The head coach said he has been happy with the progress of the rest of Crowder's position group as well. Elvis Dumervil, Darrell Reid, Jarvis Moss and rookie Robert Ayers are all transitioning from playing solely on the line to having far more freedom -- and responsibilities -- on defense.
The process is a long one, but McDaniels said the players have progressed throughout the offseason and are continuing to do so thus far in training camp.
"They are doing a lot of little things better each day," he said. "There are still some things that, obviously, they have got to improve. The biggest thing with that position is you have to do everything and be physical at the same time. There are some plays where they are real physical, but they do not necessarily perform the technique perfectly or vice-versa. Then there are certainly plays where they are looking really good. They are playing hard, trying to learn every single day and they are really making strides in each practice, which is good to see."
"The linebacker thing, I think, is starting to grow in every single one of them."
THOMAS ON HIS TEAMMATE
Moss was excused from the past two days of practice for what McDaniels referred to as "a very personal reason," and Marcus Thomas, who also played with Moss at the University of Florida, spoke about the outside linebacker/defensive end's situation after practice on Sunday.
"Just basically he feels like he's not out there, everybody's on him saying he's a bust and all that, and he just wants to prove to everybody that he's good," Thomas said. "I'm just talking to him to get back out here, and you'll see him tomorrow. He'll be out here."
Thomas spoke to Moss on the phone Sunday morning before practice and told him he understands how he feels.
"I was just putting in his head how he's going to feel in the long run, because nobody wants to be sitting there watching everybody playing," he said. "I went through that same thing in college, just watching all my teammates play, and I know he's going to be feeling the same way."
Thomas said he feels like Moss has faced a lot of adversity since being drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, so he feels he can get through this rough patch as well.
"He's going to be back," he said, "and I'm just going to be there to support him no matter what he does."
PLAYMAKING POTENTIAL
When the Broncos selected Alphonso Smith in the second round of this year's draft, they knew they were getting a playmaker.
Smith's collegiate success has been well-documented -- an ACC-best 21 career interceptions, four returned for touchdowns, five blocked punts and numerous All-America honors. But now he's no longer the big man on campus. He's a rookie at Dove Valley, and McDaniels said Smith has made some typical rookie mistakes.
"But he is also making some plays on the ball," he said. "He is fixing things. He was here quite a little bit in the summer, and that is quite a credit to him."
"He is competing every day, he is working on the little things and he has definitely showed up," McDaniels continued. "He is around the ball -- he made an interception today and got his hands on a few balls the last couple days. He had a lot of ball production coming out (of college). That is one of the things that we really liked about him, and it is starting to show its face here in training camp."
Brian Dawkins has noticed some of those flashes. But the veteran safety said the rookie has a ways to go.
"He definitely has some learning to do, but you can see the playmaking potential that he has," he said. "It's all about him learning his role, learning the scheme and understanding 100 percent what he has to do so he can let his athletic ability shine through."
QUOTABLES
"I'm not really good at being a shifty kind of guy who likes to make moves -- I like to be a straight-line guy and run over somebody if I can."
-Peyton Hillis
The team will be back on the field for two practices on Monday. The first begins at 8:45 a.m. and the second commences at 5:30 p.m. MDT.