omac
12-13-2007, 11:25 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_7705133
Broncos no longer big on beef
Denver going with leaner defensive line after struggling up front
By Mike Klis The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 12/13/2007 12:50:57 AM MST
At 6-feet-2 and 275 pounds, Josh Mallard (98) is part of sleeker Denver defensive line that is faring much better against the run. (John Leyba, The Denver Post )
When this defensive line was herded together during the hot summer months of training camp, it was all about cheeseburgers.
Cheeseburgers and steaks, brisket, tenderloin, meat loaf and bologna. It was about beef.
"When I got here, all I was hearing was beef," said Alvin McKinley, a free-agent acquisition and rare defensive tackle who has stayed on the Broncos' roster from the start. "All these guys are 320, 330 (pounds). But maybe in the end they weren't looking for beef. They were looking for consistency. They could tell you they wanted beef. But what they really wanted was guys who could get the job done."
At first, the Broncos' front lined up belly to belly. Sam Adams. Jimmy Kennedy. Gerard Warren. Antwon Burton. Amon Gordon.
The idea was to pile up so much beef, a butcher's blade couldn't slice through it.
Then came the preseason and all these backup tailbacks would slice, slash and pound their way by. The trampling of the Broncos' run defense continued through the first five games of the regular season. The Broncos not only ranked last in the NFL against the run, they were last by a first down or two.
Tonight it will be a far sleeker, and noticeably improved, collection of Broncos who visit Reliant Stadium to play the Houston Texans in a game Denver (6-7) must win to keep its faint playoff hopes alive.
Where's the beef? It's all gone. Every single 300-pound defensive lineman, as listed on the Broncos' preseason roster, has been put out to pasture. Or in the case of Burton, transferred to the practice squad.
"I think that's because we changed the system and focus because it wasn't working," Broncos safety John Lynch said.
Recipe needed work
Warren and his 325 pounds was the first to go. He was traded to the only bidder, the Oakland Raiders, after barely breaking his first summer sweat. Adams, the largest of the lot at 350-something pounds, was the latest to leave. A starter in 11 of the first 12 games, he was cut before Game 13.
Kennedy was acquired for a draft choice during the offseason, but didn't make it out of training camp. Gordon went from surprise starter to street clothes quicker than a man can change his mind.
"At the time of (offseason) camps, some of those guys were just a little ahead of the others," said Bill Johnson, the Broncos' defensive line coach. "You had to pick somebody. The rookies weren't quite ready. It's just taken a little time to get it all sorted out. But I think with every move we've made we had some improvement. It's not as easy, especially when you have young guys and a lot of things are new, to go in and say, 'Boys, make it right.' It takes a little of this and a little of that to get the recipe right."
The only defensive tackles who have been around since summer, McKinley and rookie Marcus Thomas, had to put rocks in their pockets before their scale readings reached 300.
In what has been the most wildly inconsistent Broncos season in memory — a season of blowout losses and a blowout victory, of exhilarating, last-tick wins and demoralizing, final-play defeats — the defensive line shifts from foot to foot as its flag bearer. No unit was more unsettled.
The revisions weren't restricted to the trimming of the interior fat, either. The large swinging door at Dove Valley also welcomed, and exited, such proven defensive ends as Simeon Rice, Kenard Lang, John Browning — anyone remember John Browning? — and Kenny Peterson.
There have been so many defensive linemen coming and going, Peterson was able to sneak back into a meaningful role. He's played well, too, especially at Chicago where he had five solo tackles, a stuff and a pass deflection.
"I've seen changes but not like this," said Champ Bailey, the Broncos' star left cornerback. "Some of those guys had great careers. It was a little surprising they didn't pan out here because of what they've accomplished throughout their career. Maybe we caught them at the end of the road or something. I don't know."
Switch in system
Looking back, the most significant change to the defensive line wasn't in personnel. It was the system. When an old system was put into action in midseason, altering personnel became the reaction.
Jim Bates was hired in January to take over a Denver defense that wore down precipitously in the second half last season. He brought along a unique defensive philosophy with proven success. The Green Bay Packers are 11-2 using Bates' system. Here, the system worked about as well as dividing odd by even. The seven-man "box" didn't take, gouged for chunks of rushing yardage.
Among the residual effects from failing to stop the run is that the offense didn't get the ball as much. When the head coach is the offensive-minded Mike Shanahan, Bates' system had a real problem.
During the Broncos' bye week, which came in Week 6 after three consecutive defeats, a decision was made. The Broncos would put an eighth man in the defensive box. It was the beginning of the end for the beefier, push-and-hold defensive tackles such as Adams and Gordon, and simply the beginning for the more athletic linemen such as Peterson, Josh Mallard and Steven Harris, who recently was promoted from the practice squad.
"It's real simple for me," Johnson said of the changes. "The youth we had at the first of the year is not where it is right now. It has developed."
Allowing 187.6 rushing yards per game in the five games before the bye, the Broncos' defense has surrendered 108.4 per game in the eight games since. The defense consummated its improvement Sunday in Denver's 41-7 victory against Kansas City, which rushed for only 16 yards on 17 carries.
More proof, please
The performance was so impressive Sunday it provoked curiosity. Would Bates be coaching the eight-man box next season? Or will he be given another chance to implement his personal philosophy?
"What you do is at the end of year, you evaluate what you were doing well and what you were doing bad and work to improve it," Shanahan said.
Veterans such as Lynch and Bailey are encouraged by the progress, but want to see the run stopped in the final three games before they're convinced the defense has completed its transformation. After all, a week before their Kansas City masterpiece, the Broncos surrendered 175 yards rushing to Justin Fargas and the then 3-8 Raiders.
The defensive coaches and younger linemen such as Tim Crowder, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Thomas, whose futures are wedded, believe the corner is near, if not quite turned.
"We just played one of our best games, so it shows the coaching staff and the front office knew what it was doing," Dumervil said. "It showed all the moves they made were better for the team."
The moves exchanged past achievement in hopes of a better tomorrow.
"You make the decision to bring guys in like Sam and Simeon based on their past record, and unfortunately they didn't live up to expectations," said defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, whose preseason Achilles tendon tear was another factor in the Broncos' continuous search for a workable front. "It has to be a tough decision letting them go. Because I know as a coach you never want to be looked at as being wrong or not making the right decision. But Coach Shanahan doesn't care about any of that. He got rid of Daryl Gardner, Maurice Clarett. He's not afraid to say, 'Things didn't work out, you've got to go.' "
Meat of the matter
Since training camp, 13 defensive linemen have come off the Broncos' roster through cuts, injuries or trades. Some have been brought back.
Sam Adams: 3-time Pro Bowler cut last week.
John Browning: Former Chiefs mainstay signed final week of training camp. Cut a week later.
Antwon Burton: Cut, signed to practice squad.
Ebenezer Ekuban: Injured Achilles tendon in second preseason game. Put on injured reserve.
Amon Gordon: Started four of first five games. Then inactive. Then cut.
Steven Harris: Undrafted rookie cut from camp, re-signed to practice squad. Signed to roster last week.
Jimmy Kennedy: Rams' first-round pick in 2003, cut in camp. Signed Tuesday with Bears.
Kenard Lang: Cut in camp. Out of football.
Jarvis Moss: Broke fibula and injured ankle during midseason practice. Injured reserve.
Kenny Peterson: Suspended, waived, then re-signed. Playing regularly.
Simeon Rice: Signed with 121 career sacks, cut eight games later with 121 career sacks.
Demetrin Veal: Cut in camp. Picked up by Tennessee.
Gerard Warren: Traded to Oakland during preseason.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Broncos no longer big on beef
Denver going with leaner defensive line after struggling up front
By Mike Klis The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 12/13/2007 12:50:57 AM MST
At 6-feet-2 and 275 pounds, Josh Mallard (98) is part of sleeker Denver defensive line that is faring much better against the run. (John Leyba, The Denver Post )
When this defensive line was herded together during the hot summer months of training camp, it was all about cheeseburgers.
Cheeseburgers and steaks, brisket, tenderloin, meat loaf and bologna. It was about beef.
"When I got here, all I was hearing was beef," said Alvin McKinley, a free-agent acquisition and rare defensive tackle who has stayed on the Broncos' roster from the start. "All these guys are 320, 330 (pounds). But maybe in the end they weren't looking for beef. They were looking for consistency. They could tell you they wanted beef. But what they really wanted was guys who could get the job done."
At first, the Broncos' front lined up belly to belly. Sam Adams. Jimmy Kennedy. Gerard Warren. Antwon Burton. Amon Gordon.
The idea was to pile up so much beef, a butcher's blade couldn't slice through it.
Then came the preseason and all these backup tailbacks would slice, slash and pound their way by. The trampling of the Broncos' run defense continued through the first five games of the regular season. The Broncos not only ranked last in the NFL against the run, they were last by a first down or two.
Tonight it will be a far sleeker, and noticeably improved, collection of Broncos who visit Reliant Stadium to play the Houston Texans in a game Denver (6-7) must win to keep its faint playoff hopes alive.
Where's the beef? It's all gone. Every single 300-pound defensive lineman, as listed on the Broncos' preseason roster, has been put out to pasture. Or in the case of Burton, transferred to the practice squad.
"I think that's because we changed the system and focus because it wasn't working," Broncos safety John Lynch said.
Recipe needed work
Warren and his 325 pounds was the first to go. He was traded to the only bidder, the Oakland Raiders, after barely breaking his first summer sweat. Adams, the largest of the lot at 350-something pounds, was the latest to leave. A starter in 11 of the first 12 games, he was cut before Game 13.
Kennedy was acquired for a draft choice during the offseason, but didn't make it out of training camp. Gordon went from surprise starter to street clothes quicker than a man can change his mind.
"At the time of (offseason) camps, some of those guys were just a little ahead of the others," said Bill Johnson, the Broncos' defensive line coach. "You had to pick somebody. The rookies weren't quite ready. It's just taken a little time to get it all sorted out. But I think with every move we've made we had some improvement. It's not as easy, especially when you have young guys and a lot of things are new, to go in and say, 'Boys, make it right.' It takes a little of this and a little of that to get the recipe right."
The only defensive tackles who have been around since summer, McKinley and rookie Marcus Thomas, had to put rocks in their pockets before their scale readings reached 300.
In what has been the most wildly inconsistent Broncos season in memory — a season of blowout losses and a blowout victory, of exhilarating, last-tick wins and demoralizing, final-play defeats — the defensive line shifts from foot to foot as its flag bearer. No unit was more unsettled.
The revisions weren't restricted to the trimming of the interior fat, either. The large swinging door at Dove Valley also welcomed, and exited, such proven defensive ends as Simeon Rice, Kenard Lang, John Browning — anyone remember John Browning? — and Kenny Peterson.
There have been so many defensive linemen coming and going, Peterson was able to sneak back into a meaningful role. He's played well, too, especially at Chicago where he had five solo tackles, a stuff and a pass deflection.
"I've seen changes but not like this," said Champ Bailey, the Broncos' star left cornerback. "Some of those guys had great careers. It was a little surprising they didn't pan out here because of what they've accomplished throughout their career. Maybe we caught them at the end of the road or something. I don't know."
Switch in system
Looking back, the most significant change to the defensive line wasn't in personnel. It was the system. When an old system was put into action in midseason, altering personnel became the reaction.
Jim Bates was hired in January to take over a Denver defense that wore down precipitously in the second half last season. He brought along a unique defensive philosophy with proven success. The Green Bay Packers are 11-2 using Bates' system. Here, the system worked about as well as dividing odd by even. The seven-man "box" didn't take, gouged for chunks of rushing yardage.
Among the residual effects from failing to stop the run is that the offense didn't get the ball as much. When the head coach is the offensive-minded Mike Shanahan, Bates' system had a real problem.
During the Broncos' bye week, which came in Week 6 after three consecutive defeats, a decision was made. The Broncos would put an eighth man in the defensive box. It was the beginning of the end for the beefier, push-and-hold defensive tackles such as Adams and Gordon, and simply the beginning for the more athletic linemen such as Peterson, Josh Mallard and Steven Harris, who recently was promoted from the practice squad.
"It's real simple for me," Johnson said of the changes. "The youth we had at the first of the year is not where it is right now. It has developed."
Allowing 187.6 rushing yards per game in the five games before the bye, the Broncos' defense has surrendered 108.4 per game in the eight games since. The defense consummated its improvement Sunday in Denver's 41-7 victory against Kansas City, which rushed for only 16 yards on 17 carries.
More proof, please
The performance was so impressive Sunday it provoked curiosity. Would Bates be coaching the eight-man box next season? Or will he be given another chance to implement his personal philosophy?
"What you do is at the end of year, you evaluate what you were doing well and what you were doing bad and work to improve it," Shanahan said.
Veterans such as Lynch and Bailey are encouraged by the progress, but want to see the run stopped in the final three games before they're convinced the defense has completed its transformation. After all, a week before their Kansas City masterpiece, the Broncos surrendered 175 yards rushing to Justin Fargas and the then 3-8 Raiders.
The defensive coaches and younger linemen such as Tim Crowder, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Thomas, whose futures are wedded, believe the corner is near, if not quite turned.
"We just played one of our best games, so it shows the coaching staff and the front office knew what it was doing," Dumervil said. "It showed all the moves they made were better for the team."
The moves exchanged past achievement in hopes of a better tomorrow.
"You make the decision to bring guys in like Sam and Simeon based on their past record, and unfortunately they didn't live up to expectations," said defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, whose preseason Achilles tendon tear was another factor in the Broncos' continuous search for a workable front. "It has to be a tough decision letting them go. Because I know as a coach you never want to be looked at as being wrong or not making the right decision. But Coach Shanahan doesn't care about any of that. He got rid of Daryl Gardner, Maurice Clarett. He's not afraid to say, 'Things didn't work out, you've got to go.' "
Meat of the matter
Since training camp, 13 defensive linemen have come off the Broncos' roster through cuts, injuries or trades. Some have been brought back.
Sam Adams: 3-time Pro Bowler cut last week.
John Browning: Former Chiefs mainstay signed final week of training camp. Cut a week later.
Antwon Burton: Cut, signed to practice squad.
Ebenezer Ekuban: Injured Achilles tendon in second preseason game. Put on injured reserve.
Amon Gordon: Started four of first five games. Then inactive. Then cut.
Steven Harris: Undrafted rookie cut from camp, re-signed to practice squad. Signed to roster last week.
Jimmy Kennedy: Rams' first-round pick in 2003, cut in camp. Signed Tuesday with Bears.
Kenard Lang: Cut in camp. Out of football.
Jarvis Moss: Broke fibula and injured ankle during midseason practice. Injured reserve.
Kenny Peterson: Suspended, waived, then re-signed. Playing regularly.
Simeon Rice: Signed with 121 career sacks, cut eight games later with 121 career sacks.
Demetrin Veal: Cut in camp. Picked up by Tennessee.
Gerard Warren: Traded to Oakland during preseason.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com