Denver Native (Carol)
08-16-2009, 10:21 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_13132486
Jabar Gaffney didn't catch any balls in the Broncos' preseason opener. Omen or aberration?
It's hard to tell with Gaffney. He may be the ultimate mystery man on one of the NFL's pre-eminent mystery teams. He could be a man for all seasons, or he could be rendered an afterthought in the Broncos' offense.
At the moment, all we know is this — Josh McDaniels is glad to have him on the roster.
"He's got a role," McDaniels said. "He knows what his role is. He's going to go out there and play wherever we need him to play in certain situations. You know you're going to face injuries in this league. If somebody goes down, it's easy to say, 'Hey, Jab, go play that slot,' and he won't even blink. That's a great comfort to a coach."
Therein lies the real beauty of Gaffney. He doesn't have a role; he has every role. He doesn't know when or where he's going to play. All he knows is, when the need arises, he'll be ready.
"I can come in and fill a lot of holes," Gaffney said. "If anything happens with the receivers, I can pretty much go into that spot. That's the thing. No matter what, I can go in and be effective. That's what I go out there and do."
History suggests that he'll catch somewhere around 40 passes in his first season in a Broncos uniform. He has played seven NFL seasons. In the six seasons in which he stayed healthy, he has averaged 41 catches per season.
So how many will it be? For all anyone knows, he could catch 20 balls or 50. At the moment, he's listed No. 1 on the depth chart at wide receiver. Now for the fine print: He's ahead of, among others, Brandon Marshall.
"I'd like to try to keep it that way, but I know it's just the start," he said. "Josh said in the first team meeting that you have to earn your spot, your role on the team. So I just come out here every day working and trying to stay there on top. But in the end, it's about catching passes and helping the team win."
Imagine that, an NFL wideout talking team first. Did he miss the memo that all NFL receivers are supposed to be card-carrying divas? No. It just took him some time to get it out of his system.
"Part of you wants to be a star, but I'll take a win any day," he said. "That's still inside me. I still feel like I'm the Man, and I can go out there and, if they come to me, I'll make the play. As long as you have that feeling inside you, you'll be all right.
"The more you stick around, the more you learn. It comes with being a pro. You come to understand that you've got guys who are marquee players. And then you have other players, the role players. Everybody is a role player, even the 'star players.' What you've got to do is take your role and do it to the best of your abilities."
Gaffney was drafted to be a star, selected by Houston with the first pick in the second round in 2002. After averaging 43 catches a season with the Texans, he joined the Patriots during the 2006 season. He accounted for only 11 catches during the season, then proceeded to put up historic numbers in the playoffs.
He caught 21 passes in the Pats' three playoff games and became the first player in NFL history to rack up back-to-back postseason games with at least eight catches for 100-plus yards. His offensive coordinator that year? That would be Josh McDaniels.
"I've had a great deal of respect for him ever since he came to New England," McDaniels said. "He joined us in the middle of the season and learned our offense in six weeks. And then he goes out and catches 21 balls in the playoffs. There are so many things he does. He's versatile, he's smart and he's tough. That's what I like about him. He comes to work every day, and no matter what position you ask him to play, he can do it."
Good thing because there's no telling where the Broncos might need him. Sure, Marshall was acquitted of assault charges by an Atlanta jury, but that doesn't mean his issues are behind him. He still has to prove his hip is healthy and his head is screwed on tightly.
The uncertainty surrounding Marshall makes Gaffney's presence even more important than McDaniels envisioned when he signed him as a free agent. If Marshall catches 100-plus balls, as he did in the past two seasons, Gaffney could be a bit player in the Broncos' offense. But if Marshall continues his enigmatic ways, Gaffney could be a go-to guy.
"I'm ready for whatever role, whether it's catching 90 balls or 50," said Gaffney. "I'm all about helping the team get first downs and touchdowns. It's about helping us compete at a championship level. That was one of the things that was taught to us in New England, and it's been taught here as well.
"It's not an 'I' game; it's about the team. If one week you catch 10 balls and the next week you catch none, it's all good as long as you came out with a win both times."
Jabar Gaffney didn't catch any balls in the Broncos' preseason opener. Omen or aberration?
It's hard to tell with Gaffney. He may be the ultimate mystery man on one of the NFL's pre-eminent mystery teams. He could be a man for all seasons, or he could be rendered an afterthought in the Broncos' offense.
At the moment, all we know is this — Josh McDaniels is glad to have him on the roster.
"He's got a role," McDaniels said. "He knows what his role is. He's going to go out there and play wherever we need him to play in certain situations. You know you're going to face injuries in this league. If somebody goes down, it's easy to say, 'Hey, Jab, go play that slot,' and he won't even blink. That's a great comfort to a coach."
Therein lies the real beauty of Gaffney. He doesn't have a role; he has every role. He doesn't know when or where he's going to play. All he knows is, when the need arises, he'll be ready.
"I can come in and fill a lot of holes," Gaffney said. "If anything happens with the receivers, I can pretty much go into that spot. That's the thing. No matter what, I can go in and be effective. That's what I go out there and do."
History suggests that he'll catch somewhere around 40 passes in his first season in a Broncos uniform. He has played seven NFL seasons. In the six seasons in which he stayed healthy, he has averaged 41 catches per season.
So how many will it be? For all anyone knows, he could catch 20 balls or 50. At the moment, he's listed No. 1 on the depth chart at wide receiver. Now for the fine print: He's ahead of, among others, Brandon Marshall.
"I'd like to try to keep it that way, but I know it's just the start," he said. "Josh said in the first team meeting that you have to earn your spot, your role on the team. So I just come out here every day working and trying to stay there on top. But in the end, it's about catching passes and helping the team win."
Imagine that, an NFL wideout talking team first. Did he miss the memo that all NFL receivers are supposed to be card-carrying divas? No. It just took him some time to get it out of his system.
"Part of you wants to be a star, but I'll take a win any day," he said. "That's still inside me. I still feel like I'm the Man, and I can go out there and, if they come to me, I'll make the play. As long as you have that feeling inside you, you'll be all right.
"The more you stick around, the more you learn. It comes with being a pro. You come to understand that you've got guys who are marquee players. And then you have other players, the role players. Everybody is a role player, even the 'star players.' What you've got to do is take your role and do it to the best of your abilities."
Gaffney was drafted to be a star, selected by Houston with the first pick in the second round in 2002. After averaging 43 catches a season with the Texans, he joined the Patriots during the 2006 season. He accounted for only 11 catches during the season, then proceeded to put up historic numbers in the playoffs.
He caught 21 passes in the Pats' three playoff games and became the first player in NFL history to rack up back-to-back postseason games with at least eight catches for 100-plus yards. His offensive coordinator that year? That would be Josh McDaniels.
"I've had a great deal of respect for him ever since he came to New England," McDaniels said. "He joined us in the middle of the season and learned our offense in six weeks. And then he goes out and catches 21 balls in the playoffs. There are so many things he does. He's versatile, he's smart and he's tough. That's what I like about him. He comes to work every day, and no matter what position you ask him to play, he can do it."
Good thing because there's no telling where the Broncos might need him. Sure, Marshall was acquitted of assault charges by an Atlanta jury, but that doesn't mean his issues are behind him. He still has to prove his hip is healthy and his head is screwed on tightly.
The uncertainty surrounding Marshall makes Gaffney's presence even more important than McDaniels envisioned when he signed him as a free agent. If Marshall catches 100-plus balls, as he did in the past two seasons, Gaffney could be a bit player in the Broncos' offense. But if Marshall continues his enigmatic ways, Gaffney could be a go-to guy.
"I'm ready for whatever role, whether it's catching 90 balls or 50," said Gaffney. "I'm all about helping the team get first downs and touchdowns. It's about helping us compete at a championship level. That was one of the things that was taught to us in New England, and it's been taught here as well.
"It's not an 'I' game; it's about the team. If one week you catch 10 balls and the next week you catch none, it's all good as long as you came out with a win both times."