Broncos Press ~ Feb 25-27

[Needa Pass Rush]

http://www.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/mediaroom/clippings/February%2025-27,%202006.pdf

:pimp:

[eddie mac]

Search always comes to end
Broncos look for pass rushers
By FRANK SCHWAB THE GAZETTE
INDIANAPOLIS c At last year’s NFL scouting combine, the Denver Broncos were trying to
figure out who might play on their defensive line.
The Broncos addressed the problem by adding four former Cleveland Browns, but they still
have questions about their defensive line.
Tackle Gerard Warren is a free agent, and defensive ends Courtney Brown and Trevor Pryce
have large salary-cap numbers that need to be dealt with. All three started last season.
“We’d love to have everybody back, but that’s not possible in this day and age,” defensive
coordinator Larry Coyer said. “But we’ll be very good out there.”If the Broncos lose one or two starting linemen, they likely will look to replace them with their
depth or free agency. Denver has two firstround draft picks, Nos. 22 and 29, but most top
defensive linemen go in the first half of the first round of the draft. The draft class is thin at
tackle but there are some intriguing pass-rushing ends.
The Broncos have resigned end John Engelberger and have end Ebenezer Ekuban under
contract, but both might be suited for parttime roles.
The Broncos said they are hopeful they can re-sign Warren, who had a good season after a
disappointing stint in Cleveland. Warren was the third pick of the 2001 draft.
Pryce, who will turn 31 in August, is an interesting case. He has a $10.3 million salarycap
number this season, the highest on the team. Last year Pryce had four sacks and 41 tackles —
the lowest numbers he’s posted since his rookie season besides his injuryplagued 2004 season
— and likely will be asked to take a pay cut.
Agent Peter Schaffer said Pryce was willing to help out Denver but it had to be a smart
financial decision. Pryce could be released if he balks at the pay cut, but Schaffer said he thinks
Pryce will return.
“Right now the plan is he’s a Bronco and he’s going to play for the Broncos,” Schaffer said.
Brown has a significant option bonus due soon and his base salary increases to $1.4 million
so the Broncos might also need to restructure his contract to get under the salary cap.
One player who might help Denver’s line depth is end Corey Jackson, who spent all of last
season on the practice squad.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson played basketball for most of his college career at Nevada. He walked
on to the football team his final college season and participated in 12 plays — six at tight end,
six at defensive end.
Broncos assistant defensive line coach Andre Patterson was working with the Cleveland
Browns when Jackson came out of school in 2003 and convinced the Browns to sign him. He
was NFL Europe’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and played one game with the Browns
that year.
“He did an excellent job on the practice squad and he’s got all the things you look for — he’s
tall, he’s fast and he’s physical,” Patterson said. “He’s got all the things you look for in a
defensive end.”
“You don’t know, but if a Corey Jackson makes the moves you think maybe he can make,
that’s somebody nobody has heard of but that’s a big addition to your football team,” Coyer
said.

For me that's the 1st official hint that either Pryce or Brown will not be back next season.

[WABronco]

For me that's the 1st official hint that either Pryce or Brown will not be back next season.

We can survive without them, especially if it means bringing Abraham on board...

[Mile High Shack]

We can survive without them, especially if it means bringing Abraham on board...

it'd also help if Coyer was replaced too :giggle:

[Requiem]

Meh, to hell with all this Corey Jackson talk. I'm willing to see what he can do, but no way in hell is he the solution to any of our problems. I'm confident we'll draft a lineman on the first day, and have a very good feeling it'll be in round one. I was happy to see that a while ago, the Broncos added George Gause, who played for the Gamecocks and surprisingly didn't get drafted. (If memory serves me correctly.)

He's not too fast, but was a good rusher off the edge. If he could improve his ball locating skills and explosiveness off the snap, he could become a decent player. I don't think he'd ever be elite, but he could be a guy who could get 5-7 sacks a year if earning the starting role. I had a late day one, early day two grade on this kid and I'm glad he's on our practice squad, and hopefully he'll make the starting roster.

[chrisp]

Signing Warren is the key, he's the anchor for the line and as long as he's there we can shuffle the pack around him if needs be. I think that on the ends there was a case for more playing time from both Engelberger and Ekuban, so I reckon we can cope with losing Pryce or Brown but not both (I think they had pretty even years). Mind you, Pryce's cap number is huge this year, so if his agent is making positive signs about staying then mayeb he's committed to taking a cut - after all, at his age and coming off the season he's had he can't be thinking that there's a huge contract on the open market for him.

I AM intrigued by Corey Jackson as he does seem to be generating a lot of hype and he's a bit of an unknown given his lack of experience. Then again, untill he plays in a real game we won't know if any of that hype is justified or not.

Remember, we may not have got decent sack numbers this year but we were extremely solid against the run, and whilst that doesn't draw the headlines as much it tends to help you get to the postseason.......

Here's another though - maybe its time to think about moving Pryce back inside again, now he doesn't appear to be the pass-rush force he was in the past?

[Requiem]

The only move good for Denver is to cut him off the team, he doesn't seem willing to take a pay cut and with his injury, he'll probably never play DT again, which is probably why he played end this year since it's not as much wear and tear on your lower back as playing DT is.

[eddie mac]

This time last year we didn't want rid of him unless we got a 2nd/3rd rd pick or higher this year most on here just want rid of him no matter the compensation.

[Needa Pass Rush]

Here are the news results when you google 'combine'. Plenty to sift through here.

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE%2CRNWE%3A2005-39%2CRNWE%3Aen&tab=wn&q=combine+nfl

[Lestat]

sounds to me like it' Pryce who's gonna get the axe, he doesn't want a pay cut & coming off a very poor season


definitely sounds like a DE will be taken in the top 2 rounds & Brown likely to stay at a reworked deal

[fontaine]

Every year there's talk of some nobody who'll come through at DL and most of it is just BS spouted off for the benefit of Pryce's agent.

Last year it was Palepoi, this year it's Corey Jackson to convince Pryce and his agent that the team can move on without him.

[Needa Pass Rush]

Every year there's talk of some nobody who'll come through at DL and most of it is just BS spouted off for the benefit of Pryce's agent.

Last year it was Palepoi, this year it's Corey Jackson to convince Pryce and his agent that the team can move on without him.

Al Wilson was singing Jackson's praises. Seems unlikely that this is simply front office posturing, Fontaine. Time will tell.


News: The Broncos have a need for a speed-rusher on the outside.
Impact: Denver already has Ebenezer Ekuban, who registered 4 sacks in 2005. But the 6-7 Jackson flashed potential in NFL Europe last year and Pro Bowl LB Al Wilson likes him. "He can be a difference-maker," Wilson said. "I really think that. He can be special. He's a guy who can fill a role for us." (Wed. Feb 15, 2006)

[fontaine]

Al Wilson was singing Jackson's praises. Seems unlikely that this is simply front office posturing, Fontaine. Time will tell.



Glad you have faith in him and from your username I would expect no less!

I guess I heard it before about Palepoi so I'm a bit skeptical. But we've got a number of promising nobodies in Terrell, Browner, Duke, PJ, Cornell Green and Jackson. So going by numbers one of these guys will probably pan out given our history in finding talent from undrafted/journeyman players.

[Needa Pass Rush]

Glad you have faith in him and from your username I would expect no less!

I guess I heard it before about Palepoi so I'm a bit skeptical. But we've got a number of promising nobodies in Terrell, Browner, Duke, PJ, Cornell Green and Jackson. So going by numbers one of these guys will probably pan out given our history in finding talent from undrafted/journeyman players.

I don't know enough about him to have faith in him. It just seems like it isn't just a front office ploy for Pryce if Wilson is in there giving him props. That was my main point.