SoCalBronco
06-02-2005, 05:44 PM
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Team Camp, Day 2: Adjusting to a New Teammate
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It's not that Jerry Rice's accomplishments aren't meaningful to cornerback Champ Bailey. Nothing could be further from the truth.
BRONCOS TV: RICE'S FIRST PRACTICE
JERRY RICE PRESS CONFERENCE
PHOTO GALLERY: RICE'S FIRST DENVER DAY
But when Bailey catches a glance of Rice running his routes and working at the Broncos' team camp, he sees a man who is just another receiver -- for now.
"Right now, he looks kind of like everybody else running the routes," Bailey said. "The guy’s going to pick it up real quick and then you'll start seeing the real Jerry Rice."
But just knowing that it's the NFL's all-time leading receiver lurking behind that No. 19 blue jersey gives fellow starting cornerback Lenny Walls pause.
"When you cover Jerry (compared to when) you cover D-Watts (Darius Watts), it's just a bit different," Walls said. "You can never have too many leaders, and hopefully he can come in and help us win games and help the younger guys out. It's always a positive to have the best in the game on your team, no matter if he's lost a step or not."
And, as Walls discovered Thursday, it's still a bit tough to corral Rice on the practice field.
"He did catch a ball on me today," Walls said. "I told him, 'Good job.' I lost my leverage -- which was my mistake -- but you give him credit; he caught the ball.
But not without a challenge.
"(Rice) said, 'You made me work for hard for that one,'" Walls said.
It's one thing for a young cornerback or wide receiver to be a little awestruck by the sight of the most prolific receiver in NFL history barreling downfield in his direction. But even Bailey remained stunned at the turn of events that brought Rice to Denver.
"I've played with some great players, but the greatest of all time? Who would've ever thought?"
HORSING AROUND: It seems to be a rite of spring -- the NFL either passing new rules or re-emphasizing old ones to put defensive players at a disadvantage.
Last year, it was an increased emphasis on illegal contact. This year, it's the banning of the "horse-collar" tackle made popular by Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams.
"Well, here we go," said Bailey, an exasperated look crossing his face. "They've got to stay consistent. They do it every year. They got to make it harder for us every year. I don’t know you going to prevent that. In the heat of the battle, anything can happen. (It's) unfortunate people get hurt, but that’s the risk you take when you play this game."
And it doesn't necessarily mean the horse-collar tackle will vanish. If it's a choice between grabbing the top of an offensive player's jersey from behind or allowing a touchdown, Walls would choose to make the tackle and accept the infraction.
"If you have to take a penalty to save a touchdown, I think that's worth it," Walls said. "Obviously, you can get them down the best way you can; nobody's trying to hurt anyone. You chase a guy from behind and obviously he's on his way to the end zone or to a big play."
Going for the legs isn't an option to Bailey.
"That usually never works," he said. "You end up being on the highlight film."
Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban isn't directly affected by the rules tweaks or emphases in recent years; they've been more often about the defensive backfield than the front. But playing on the same side of the ball means he sympathizes with those two lines behind him on the field.
"I don't understand it," Ekuban said. "It seems like they're just trying everything in their power to get the offense in the end zone as much as possible, keep the revenue coming in, keep the fans happy. That's what it boils down to -- fans want to see touchdowns. They want to see Kansas City and the St. Louis Rams scoring 45, 50 points."
Bailey is out of ideas for solving the issue.
"Tell us to tuck our shirts in so you can't grab those," he said. "If you’re playing Ricky Williams you can grab a braid or something. I don’t know. I have no idea. You tell me."
EKUBAN STILL OUT: Saying that he is now at "90 percent" of full health, Ekuban said he's been working in individual drills and expects to participate in some of the team drills when the second week of team camp commences next Tuesday morning.
"This week, I'm working in individual drills," Ekuban said. "By next week, maybe I'll get a little bit of action, then by the (July) mini-camp I should be good to go. I would say (that) by July, I should be 100 percent."
Recovery from knee and shoulder injuries that hampered but never sidelined him last year has kept him from full-scale work to this point in the offseason.
Team Camp, Day 2: Adjusting to a New Teammate
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It's not that Jerry Rice's accomplishments aren't meaningful to cornerback Champ Bailey. Nothing could be further from the truth.
BRONCOS TV: RICE'S FIRST PRACTICE
JERRY RICE PRESS CONFERENCE
PHOTO GALLERY: RICE'S FIRST DENVER DAY
But when Bailey catches a glance of Rice running his routes and working at the Broncos' team camp, he sees a man who is just another receiver -- for now.
"Right now, he looks kind of like everybody else running the routes," Bailey said. "The guy’s going to pick it up real quick and then you'll start seeing the real Jerry Rice."
But just knowing that it's the NFL's all-time leading receiver lurking behind that No. 19 blue jersey gives fellow starting cornerback Lenny Walls pause.
"When you cover Jerry (compared to when) you cover D-Watts (Darius Watts), it's just a bit different," Walls said. "You can never have too many leaders, and hopefully he can come in and help us win games and help the younger guys out. It's always a positive to have the best in the game on your team, no matter if he's lost a step or not."
And, as Walls discovered Thursday, it's still a bit tough to corral Rice on the practice field.
"He did catch a ball on me today," Walls said. "I told him, 'Good job.' I lost my leverage -- which was my mistake -- but you give him credit; he caught the ball.
But not without a challenge.
"(Rice) said, 'You made me work for hard for that one,'" Walls said.
It's one thing for a young cornerback or wide receiver to be a little awestruck by the sight of the most prolific receiver in NFL history barreling downfield in his direction. But even Bailey remained stunned at the turn of events that brought Rice to Denver.
"I've played with some great players, but the greatest of all time? Who would've ever thought?"
HORSING AROUND: It seems to be a rite of spring -- the NFL either passing new rules or re-emphasizing old ones to put defensive players at a disadvantage.
Last year, it was an increased emphasis on illegal contact. This year, it's the banning of the "horse-collar" tackle made popular by Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams.
"Well, here we go," said Bailey, an exasperated look crossing his face. "They've got to stay consistent. They do it every year. They got to make it harder for us every year. I don’t know you going to prevent that. In the heat of the battle, anything can happen. (It's) unfortunate people get hurt, but that’s the risk you take when you play this game."
And it doesn't necessarily mean the horse-collar tackle will vanish. If it's a choice between grabbing the top of an offensive player's jersey from behind or allowing a touchdown, Walls would choose to make the tackle and accept the infraction.
"If you have to take a penalty to save a touchdown, I think that's worth it," Walls said. "Obviously, you can get them down the best way you can; nobody's trying to hurt anyone. You chase a guy from behind and obviously he's on his way to the end zone or to a big play."
Going for the legs isn't an option to Bailey.
"That usually never works," he said. "You end up being on the highlight film."
Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban isn't directly affected by the rules tweaks or emphases in recent years; they've been more often about the defensive backfield than the front. But playing on the same side of the ball means he sympathizes with those two lines behind him on the field.
"I don't understand it," Ekuban said. "It seems like they're just trying everything in their power to get the offense in the end zone as much as possible, keep the revenue coming in, keep the fans happy. That's what it boils down to -- fans want to see touchdowns. They want to see Kansas City and the St. Louis Rams scoring 45, 50 points."
Bailey is out of ideas for solving the issue.
"Tell us to tuck our shirts in so you can't grab those," he said. "If you’re playing Ricky Williams you can grab a braid or something. I don’t know. I have no idea. You tell me."
EKUBAN STILL OUT: Saying that he is now at "90 percent" of full health, Ekuban said he's been working in individual drills and expects to participate in some of the team drills when the second week of team camp commences next Tuesday morning.
"This week, I'm working in individual drills," Ekuban said. "By next week, maybe I'll get a little bit of action, then by the (July) mini-camp I should be good to go. I would say (that) by July, I should be 100 percent."
Recovery from knee and shoulder injuries that hampered but never sidelined him last year has kept him from full-scale work to this point in the offseason.