BigPlayShay
08-16-2005, 03:39 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4449
Camp Day 16 Notebook: Slight Injury to Lynch
With Lynch Hurting, Brandon Works With First Team and Cox Moves from CB for Depth
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The collision of the terms "John Lynch" and "injury" in the same sentence are enough to send shivers pulsing up and down the spine of anyone who cares about the Denver Broncos.
Especially when the pain is in his neck. While Lynch has been durable in the nine seasons since tearing a posterior cruciate ligament late in the 1995 campaign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he remains less than two years removed from neck surgery following the 2003 campaign, a procedure that helped lead to the Bucs' decision to release him.
So when Head Coach Mike Shanahan said Tuesday that Lynch had "tweaked a little nerve in his neck," alarms rung. But while the injury forced Lynch out of the remainder of the morning session, the absence proved to be just a precautionary measure.
"I got hit in the head and it was a little silly," Lynch said. "My neck stiffened up a little bit."
Added Shanahan: "He should be all right."
The injury took place in goal-line drills midway through practice, and ironically was a result of the bruising safety's attempt tp avoid contact.
"I put a hit on Mike Anderson," Lynch said. "I didn't want to take him to the ground, so I let him go, and the rest of the pile came and got me. I'm fine."
The fact that he'd had neck surgery didn't weigh upon his mind. Lynch, in fact, stayed on the field after the play, removing his pads and watching from the sidelines.
"It's totally dissimilar, so I'm all right," Lynch said. "It's just one of those things that happens. If it were a game, I wouldn't have missed a snap."
And with that self-assessment, the Broncos breathed a sigh of relief.
SAFETY SWITCH: With Lynch out and Chris Young set to be placed on the reserve/injured list with the knee injury he incurred Saturday, the Broncos were forced to shift around their safety tandems for the second half of practice.
Backup Sam Brandon worked alongside Nick Ferguson on the first team, while Jeremy LeSueur handled work on the second unit. But it was cornerback Curome Cox who stood alongside LeSueur on the second team. Cox also lined up next to safety Brandon Browner on the third unit.
"Coaches (have) been telling me to learn some safety," Cox said. So I’ve been keeping my head in the books. Yesterday, they told we just want you to get some reps at safety. I like it. It’s a transition. It helps knowing everything before as a corner."
Cox, who said he'd never played safety before, actually enjoyed his extended work at the spot.
"I really like it," he said. "(It) allows you to see the whole defense and be more aggressive on some plays. I guess most people think it’s more thinking, but for some reason it seems like less thinking."
Cox's transition to safety is just part of a trend; both LeSueur and Browner were cornerbacks in college who are each going through their first training camps at the safety slot.
"We've had so many corners get moved from corner to safety," Ferguson said. "That's the type of depth in the secondary you need."
But the loss of Young hurts nonetheless.
"I really feel bad about Chris because at first it was like, 'Well, he's going to get a scope now and get the surgery later,'" Ferguson said. "But I told him, 'Go ahead and get the surgery now so you don’t have to go under the knife twice.'"
"It's going to put him on IR, and we’re going to miss him, but like I said, this league is one of those things where if someone goes down, it's an opportunity -- (like the one) to move Curome to safety."
TRAINER'S ROOM: Roc Alexander was back on the field Tuesday morning after missing Monday's practice with a right hamstring injury. Defensive end Courtney Brown (elbow), running back Maurice Clarett (groin), defensive tackle Mario Fatafehi (knee), tight end Nate Jackson (hamstring), cornerback Jeff Shoate (knee) missed practice.
Camp Day 16 Notebook: Slight Injury to Lynch
With Lynch Hurting, Brandon Works With First Team and Cox Moves from CB for Depth
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The collision of the terms "John Lynch" and "injury" in the same sentence are enough to send shivers pulsing up and down the spine of anyone who cares about the Denver Broncos.
Especially when the pain is in his neck. While Lynch has been durable in the nine seasons since tearing a posterior cruciate ligament late in the 1995 campaign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he remains less than two years removed from neck surgery following the 2003 campaign, a procedure that helped lead to the Bucs' decision to release him.
So when Head Coach Mike Shanahan said Tuesday that Lynch had "tweaked a little nerve in his neck," alarms rung. But while the injury forced Lynch out of the remainder of the morning session, the absence proved to be just a precautionary measure.
"I got hit in the head and it was a little silly," Lynch said. "My neck stiffened up a little bit."
Added Shanahan: "He should be all right."
The injury took place in goal-line drills midway through practice, and ironically was a result of the bruising safety's attempt tp avoid contact.
"I put a hit on Mike Anderson," Lynch said. "I didn't want to take him to the ground, so I let him go, and the rest of the pile came and got me. I'm fine."
The fact that he'd had neck surgery didn't weigh upon his mind. Lynch, in fact, stayed on the field after the play, removing his pads and watching from the sidelines.
"It's totally dissimilar, so I'm all right," Lynch said. "It's just one of those things that happens. If it were a game, I wouldn't have missed a snap."
And with that self-assessment, the Broncos breathed a sigh of relief.
SAFETY SWITCH: With Lynch out and Chris Young set to be placed on the reserve/injured list with the knee injury he incurred Saturday, the Broncos were forced to shift around their safety tandems for the second half of practice.
Backup Sam Brandon worked alongside Nick Ferguson on the first team, while Jeremy LeSueur handled work on the second unit. But it was cornerback Curome Cox who stood alongside LeSueur on the second team. Cox also lined up next to safety Brandon Browner on the third unit.
"Coaches (have) been telling me to learn some safety," Cox said. So I’ve been keeping my head in the books. Yesterday, they told we just want you to get some reps at safety. I like it. It’s a transition. It helps knowing everything before as a corner."
Cox, who said he'd never played safety before, actually enjoyed his extended work at the spot.
"I really like it," he said. "(It) allows you to see the whole defense and be more aggressive on some plays. I guess most people think it’s more thinking, but for some reason it seems like less thinking."
Cox's transition to safety is just part of a trend; both LeSueur and Browner were cornerbacks in college who are each going through their first training camps at the safety slot.
"We've had so many corners get moved from corner to safety," Ferguson said. "That's the type of depth in the secondary you need."
But the loss of Young hurts nonetheless.
"I really feel bad about Chris because at first it was like, 'Well, he's going to get a scope now and get the surgery later,'" Ferguson said. "But I told him, 'Go ahead and get the surgery now so you don’t have to go under the knife twice.'"
"It's going to put him on IR, and we’re going to miss him, but like I said, this league is one of those things where if someone goes down, it's an opportunity -- (like the one) to move Curome to safety."
TRAINER'S ROOM: Roc Alexander was back on the field Tuesday morning after missing Monday's practice with a right hamstring injury. Defensive end Courtney Brown (elbow), running back Maurice Clarett (groin), defensive tackle Mario Fatafehi (knee), tight end Nate Jackson (hamstring), cornerback Jeff Shoate (knee) missed practice.