Thread: In blocking, Ryan Clady ready to zone out

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Last week, Ryan Clady's past became his present -- and his future.

As the linchpin left tackle headed to Arizona to start in the 2015 Pro Bowl following his fifth selection to the NFL's all-star game in his seven-year career, Gary Kubiak took the Broncos' reins as their 15th head coach. His arrival augurs a return to the zone-blocking scheme that defined Denver's offense for a generation, up to Clady's rookie season of 2008.

"That's what (former head coach Mike) Shanahan drafted me to do, and I'm good at it," Clady said. "So I'm definitely down for the zone scheme."

Before that, Clady spent Pro Bowl week practicing and playing for Team Carter, which was coached by the Baltimore Ravens' staff. That included quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison, Clady's first position coach in the NFL with the Broncos in 2008 and 2009, who followed Kubiak to Baltimore last year and returned to the Broncos Monday.

"He definitely helped me learn the game of football better," Clady said of Dennison. "Just learning the game and cutting out a lot of mental mistakes. That's one thing he got on me a lot about, is just mental mistakes. I had that ability; I just had to put it on the field.

"He's a great offensive line coach … He definitely got my technique right and my footwork and stuff like that."

rest - http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-an...7-fc2649b6ed17

Excited to see if he can get back to who he was.

I think these guys have always fit a zone scheme better. Was funny when McD said we had to transition to a power scheme and then went out and drafted two undersized athletic linemen who fit zone much better. I never really understood why Magazu wasn't able to turn this line around. his track record in Carolina was pretty impressive.

Can he take a major paycut as well?

Won't read because the headline is so turrible.

Ryan Clady can be ready for anything...but he better prove it, he was something like the 31st overall graded tackle last season - can not get much worse then that, especially considering his salary.

Originally Posted by Buff

Won't read because the headline is so turrible.

Yeah, that was pretty bad. I bet whatever editor wrote that was feeling super proud of himself for his clever headline, too.

I think Clady goes back to being the beast he was before all of the injuries. He's a 325 pound terror in a ZBS.

Originally Posted by Ziggy

I think Clady goes back to being the beast he was before all of the injuries. He's a 325 pound terror in a ZBS.

Hope you're right Zigs...but if not he could end up being a huge liability to the success of the offense. While the Zone Blocking Scheme can cover deficiencies, it takes some serious athletic ability to be proficient in and one fubar block could see Manning as the 19 million dollar IR dummy.