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Denver Native (Carol)
08-06-2009, 12:36 PM
http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/dawkins.bailey.secondary.2.1116298.html

The Denver Broncos defense now boasts two almost certain future Hall-of-Famers in the team's secondary. Champ Bailey is currently considered the best lock-down cornerback in the NFL and should be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. But now Bailey is playing alongside another perennial Pro-Bowler, free safety Brian Dawkins, who has quickly become the vocal leader of the team.

Bailey has had the rare chance to play with two potential Hall of Fame safeties in John Lynch, and now Dawkins. He says they play a somewhat similarly but he thinks Dawkins is a little bit more athletic than Lynch.

"At the same time, off the field, they are the calmest and coolest guys to kick it with," Bailey said. "But on the field, you don't want to be on the other team."

Dawkins saw something in the Broncos as a free agent during the off-season that made him want to sign with the team. Since then there has been a lot of turmoil with the Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall sagas. But he says he hasn't had any second thoughts about signing.

"Because I played 14 years in Philadelphia," Dawkins said. "I've seen a little bit of everything in Philly. Almost every other year the media is into it, for whatever reason, with Donovan … there was always something going on."

On every NFL team there seems to be a "diva." Some say Brandon Marshall is fitting that role for the Broncos. On the Eagles Dawkins played with the controversial Terrell Owens in Philadelphia.

"I'll tell you what T.O. brought to the football field in practice. You can have whatever opinion you want to have about him off the field, but on the football field, practice habits, game, he knew what he was going to bring.

"The thing about (Marshall) is the same; he's big, physical; work ethic is where it needs to be and we're counting on him."

The key to any defense in football is the ability to force turnovers and the Broncos didn't have that last year.

"One thing I've learned is that it's not about the guys in the secondary, you know, the guys up front are so important," Bailey said. "I've always praised a good day on defense -- I've always praised the front guys. On the bad days, I tell the front guys, 'You've got to get better.' Because it's really all about them."

"He's right and to me that is not new news as far as football is concerned," Dawkins said. "Everything starts with up front -- offense and defense. If the offensive line is dominating then that quarterback can sit in the pocket and do what he wants … defensively, if that defensive line is getting pressure, we don't have to blitz. We can just sit back watch the ball come to us as a secondary."

The Broncos secondary potentially has four starters over the age of 30. Do they think it's a problem?

"I turned 30 five years ago and every year since then everybody keeps saying that I've lost a step. By this time I shouldn't be walking if I lost that many steps," Dawkins said. "At this point, it is what it is. I look at it as an absolute blessing. It's my 14th year. I'm blessed to play at a high level and I'm going to continue to do it as long as the good Lord gives me the ability to do it."

"I feel the same way he feels. As long as you've got it, you've got it, no matter the age. But it does feel good to have a 35-year-old come in here and make me feel young," the 31-year-old Bailey joked. "It feels good, you know."

Bailey has been named to eight consecutive Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams.

Dawkins has been elected to seven Pro Bowls -- in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Dawkins was missing from practice on Wednesday. Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels wouldn't divulge the exact nature of the injury, but he did say it was "not devastating" and that hopefully Dawkins would return in a few days.

The Broncos will play their first preseason game against the 49ers in San Francisco at Candlestick Park on Friday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. The game can be seen live on CBS4.

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