Atlas
10-20-2005, 08:03 PM
Cox Relishes Utility Role
SoCAls link: http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4829
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Like a yo-yo, Curome Cox went up and down, back and forth and around the Broncos roster on the first weekend of this month.
One day he was promoted to the 53-man roster, placed among the 45 game-day actives and on the field at Jacksonville as a result of injuries to cornerbacks Darrent Williams and Champ Bailey and the temporary absence of fellow corner Lenny Walls due to cramps in the Florida humidity.
The next, he was back in limbo, waived by the team one day after playing against the Jaguars. One weekend later, he was back up again for the game against the Washington Redskins game.
That time, he stayed. But if the first week and a half of the month could bring a promotion, a demotion and a re-promotion, what could the weeks to follow provide? It's a regular part of the NFL existence for the rank-and-file players of the league, knowing that today's substantial playing time could be tomorrow's series of flights to complexes around the league for mid-week workouts.
It's something Cox knows he can't waste time considering.
"I can't get really caught up with that, the transactions and whether I'm up or down, because I have no control on that," Cox said. "The only thing I can control is going out there and contributing. What they decide to do is on them and hopefully that'll help benefit a team. So far they've kept me up and I've been able to help."
After contributing on special teams against the Redskins, Cox returned to the defensive side of the football against the New England Patriots as Nick Ferguson went to the sidelines with an ankle injury. With fellow safety Marques Anderson inactive, the only option behind John Lynch and Sam Brandon was Cox.
Cox was originally signed to the Broncos' practice squad as a cornerback late last season, but added safety to his résumé in training camp after season-ending injuries to Brandon Browner and Chris Young and a slight injury to Lynch. Cox had to fill in at safety just to help the Broncos get through practice.
Two months later, he lined up there against New England and broke up a pass -- his first in a regular-season game. It was appropriate that it came against the Patriots, since their 2004 world championship was built in large part on the contributions of previously unknown players who stepped in at crucial moments.
Sunday, Cox provided a boomerang effect to the Pats, particularly when he brought down Tim Dwight following a 62-yard Todd Sauerbrun punt that left some wide-open spaces as the explosive returner fielded the football. Cox's open-field tackle kept the return to 11 yards and saved the Broncos 10 or perhaps 20 yards of field position.
Such contributions were foretold by Head Coach Mike Shanahan in the spring and summer months.
"Coach harped on that all offseason -- that when a guy goes down, you have to step up," Cox said. "You had it with the rookies; they did it. Any position on this team. Not only starters, but any special-teams guy goes down, you've got to step up. We've been doing that and that's what helped to contribute to these wins."
And that's all Cox wants to do -- contribute. He doesn't care when or at what position; safety, corner -- it doesn't matter.
"I prefer whatever's going to help our team, honestly," he said. "If I can help at corner in a game, I came in and helped at corner, if I can help at safety, I'll come in and do that. If I can help on special teams, that's what I'm going to do.
"This is a very team-oriented team. No one's a selfish guy, so I want to go out and help like everyone else.
FERGUSON UPGRADED: Ferguson was shifted from questionable to probable on the Broncos' injury report after practicing for a second consecutive afternoon just days after he sprained his ankle against the New England Patriots.
"I'm surprised that it healed up as quickly as it did," Ferguson said, "but in this industry, you've got to be out there and you've got to play."
Ferguson wasn't fretting about the injury Thursday. When he incurred it Sunday, he was.
"Well, yeah, wouldn't you?" he said. "Something's not feeling right; you're lying on the ground grabbing your leg. Of course! That's just like you walking out of here right now and tripping and falling and then grabbing your leg. It's not going to feel right."
BRONCOS BYTES: Brandon remained the only player listed as worse than "probable" on the injury report, as he is out with a slight tear of the left pectoral muscle ... Division rival Kansas City will play its game at Miami on Friday night. The contest was moved up two days due to the projected path of Hurricane Wilma, which is forecast to impact South Florida sometime in the latter half of the weekend ... Denver is 3-2 against Tom Coughlin-coached teams, but the Broncos have only faced him once in a road game, at Jacksonville on Dec. 13, 1999. The Jaguars, bound for a 14-2 finish, beat the 6-10-destined Broncos 27-24 in that contest.
SoCAls link: http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=4829
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Like a yo-yo, Curome Cox went up and down, back and forth and around the Broncos roster on the first weekend of this month.
One day he was promoted to the 53-man roster, placed among the 45 game-day actives and on the field at Jacksonville as a result of injuries to cornerbacks Darrent Williams and Champ Bailey and the temporary absence of fellow corner Lenny Walls due to cramps in the Florida humidity.
The next, he was back in limbo, waived by the team one day after playing against the Jaguars. One weekend later, he was back up again for the game against the Washington Redskins game.
That time, he stayed. But if the first week and a half of the month could bring a promotion, a demotion and a re-promotion, what could the weeks to follow provide? It's a regular part of the NFL existence for the rank-and-file players of the league, knowing that today's substantial playing time could be tomorrow's series of flights to complexes around the league for mid-week workouts.
It's something Cox knows he can't waste time considering.
"I can't get really caught up with that, the transactions and whether I'm up or down, because I have no control on that," Cox said. "The only thing I can control is going out there and contributing. What they decide to do is on them and hopefully that'll help benefit a team. So far they've kept me up and I've been able to help."
After contributing on special teams against the Redskins, Cox returned to the defensive side of the football against the New England Patriots as Nick Ferguson went to the sidelines with an ankle injury. With fellow safety Marques Anderson inactive, the only option behind John Lynch and Sam Brandon was Cox.
Cox was originally signed to the Broncos' practice squad as a cornerback late last season, but added safety to his résumé in training camp after season-ending injuries to Brandon Browner and Chris Young and a slight injury to Lynch. Cox had to fill in at safety just to help the Broncos get through practice.
Two months later, he lined up there against New England and broke up a pass -- his first in a regular-season game. It was appropriate that it came against the Patriots, since their 2004 world championship was built in large part on the contributions of previously unknown players who stepped in at crucial moments.
Sunday, Cox provided a boomerang effect to the Pats, particularly when he brought down Tim Dwight following a 62-yard Todd Sauerbrun punt that left some wide-open spaces as the explosive returner fielded the football. Cox's open-field tackle kept the return to 11 yards and saved the Broncos 10 or perhaps 20 yards of field position.
Such contributions were foretold by Head Coach Mike Shanahan in the spring and summer months.
"Coach harped on that all offseason -- that when a guy goes down, you have to step up," Cox said. "You had it with the rookies; they did it. Any position on this team. Not only starters, but any special-teams guy goes down, you've got to step up. We've been doing that and that's what helped to contribute to these wins."
And that's all Cox wants to do -- contribute. He doesn't care when or at what position; safety, corner -- it doesn't matter.
"I prefer whatever's going to help our team, honestly," he said. "If I can help at corner in a game, I came in and helped at corner, if I can help at safety, I'll come in and do that. If I can help on special teams, that's what I'm going to do.
"This is a very team-oriented team. No one's a selfish guy, so I want to go out and help like everyone else.
FERGUSON UPGRADED: Ferguson was shifted from questionable to probable on the Broncos' injury report after practicing for a second consecutive afternoon just days after he sprained his ankle against the New England Patriots.
"I'm surprised that it healed up as quickly as it did," Ferguson said, "but in this industry, you've got to be out there and you've got to play."
Ferguson wasn't fretting about the injury Thursday. When he incurred it Sunday, he was.
"Well, yeah, wouldn't you?" he said. "Something's not feeling right; you're lying on the ground grabbing your leg. Of course! That's just like you walking out of here right now and tripping and falling and then grabbing your leg. It's not going to feel right."
BRONCOS BYTES: Brandon remained the only player listed as worse than "probable" on the injury report, as he is out with a slight tear of the left pectoral muscle ... Division rival Kansas City will play its game at Miami on Friday night. The contest was moved up two days due to the projected path of Hurricane Wilma, which is forecast to impact South Florida sometime in the latter half of the weekend ... Denver is 3-2 against Tom Coughlin-coached teams, but the Broncos have only faced him once in a road game, at Jacksonville on Dec. 13, 1999. The Jaguars, bound for a 14-2 finish, beat the 6-10-destined Broncos 27-24 in that contest.