elsid13
08-16-2006, 03:50 PM
I didn't see this posted in 4 pages so enjoy
Players batter rookie
Defense readies RB Bell for NFL
http://www.longmontfyi.com/sports-story.asp?id=9345
By Bill Wilson
The Daily Times-Call
ENGLEWOOD — Mike Bell spent Tuesday morning getting acquainted with the Dove Valley turf.
First it was linebacker D.J. Williams, who less-than-gently drove the Denver Broncos tailback to the ground. Then came big hitting safety John Lynch, who leveled Bell in the open field.
Finally it was veteran Al Wilson, who hit Bell so hard near the sideline, his back struck the ground first.
Nothing personal, they insisted. But the message was clear. If the undrafted rookie is to start for the Broncos this year, he will have to earn every carry.
“We have to break him in, because game day is no place to get broke in,” Wilson said. “The guy is a rookie, man, and he’s starting. If he’s not prepared on game day, everything else will go downhill.
“It’s up to us on the defensive side to give him some licks every now and then. We’re not trying to hurt him, but we want to let him know what it’s going to be like on Sundays.”
Last week, Bell came from nowhere to leapfrog experienced tailbacks Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne on Denver’s depth chart. It was a dramatic leap for the Arizona alumnus, whose only goal at the beginning of camp was to make the team.
Mike Bell had a rough awakening in the team’s preseason opener against Detroit, when a hard hit from Lions linebacker Paris Lenon jarred the ball from Bell’s grasp, costing the Broncos a turnover.
Although it’s impossible for the team to simulate in practice the kind of aggressiveness Bell will see from defenders in the regular season, the Denver veterans have no problem doing their best to make it feel close.
“Everybody’s got to pay their dues,” Broncos safety Nick Ferguson said.
Bell, whose downhill style and upright positioning makes him prone to big hits, said he has been working to lower his pad level to avoid such punishment.
He also claims to be OK with the bull’s-eye he’s worn on his helmet lately.
“I’m prepared. I like it, man,” he said. “Come game time it’s going to be a breeze, because I’m used to playing against one of the best defenses in the league.”
If Bell can’t stand up under the punishment, however, he won’t hold the top position for long. Head coach Mike Shanahan has been giving Tatum Bell the odd repetition with the first team, meaning Mike Bell has every opportunity to lose what he’s so quickly gained in camp.
“We have a lot of competition at a lot of positions,” Shanahan said. “The depth chart changes; that’s why we look at it after every game. Tatum has a lot of ability.”
What’s kept Tatum Bell from grabbing the No. 1 spot, however, has been a lack of toughness. That’s why the Broncos want to make sure Mike Bell can hold up before they rely on him during the regular season.
“You take shots on everybody, but it’s a little different with him because he’s a guy you expect a lot out of,” Ferguson said. “We’re not trying to hurt our guys. It’s the pressure that’s associated with being number one.”
And for now, it’s upon the Broncos defense to apply that pressure — physically. It’s a right of passage they hope he can withstand.
“We’re all in this together. My family needs to eat, too,” Wilson said. “I hope he understands it’s not personal, but at the same time we have a job to do, and whatever it takes for us to get that done, we’re going to have to do it.”
Bill Wilson can be reached at wwilson@times-call.com
Players batter rookie
Defense readies RB Bell for NFL
http://www.longmontfyi.com/sports-story.asp?id=9345
By Bill Wilson
The Daily Times-Call
ENGLEWOOD — Mike Bell spent Tuesday morning getting acquainted with the Dove Valley turf.
First it was linebacker D.J. Williams, who less-than-gently drove the Denver Broncos tailback to the ground. Then came big hitting safety John Lynch, who leveled Bell in the open field.
Finally it was veteran Al Wilson, who hit Bell so hard near the sideline, his back struck the ground first.
Nothing personal, they insisted. But the message was clear. If the undrafted rookie is to start for the Broncos this year, he will have to earn every carry.
“We have to break him in, because game day is no place to get broke in,” Wilson said. “The guy is a rookie, man, and he’s starting. If he’s not prepared on game day, everything else will go downhill.
“It’s up to us on the defensive side to give him some licks every now and then. We’re not trying to hurt him, but we want to let him know what it’s going to be like on Sundays.”
Last week, Bell came from nowhere to leapfrog experienced tailbacks Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne on Denver’s depth chart. It was a dramatic leap for the Arizona alumnus, whose only goal at the beginning of camp was to make the team.
Mike Bell had a rough awakening in the team’s preseason opener against Detroit, when a hard hit from Lions linebacker Paris Lenon jarred the ball from Bell’s grasp, costing the Broncos a turnover.
Although it’s impossible for the team to simulate in practice the kind of aggressiveness Bell will see from defenders in the regular season, the Denver veterans have no problem doing their best to make it feel close.
“Everybody’s got to pay their dues,” Broncos safety Nick Ferguson said.
Bell, whose downhill style and upright positioning makes him prone to big hits, said he has been working to lower his pad level to avoid such punishment.
He also claims to be OK with the bull’s-eye he’s worn on his helmet lately.
“I’m prepared. I like it, man,” he said. “Come game time it’s going to be a breeze, because I’m used to playing against one of the best defenses in the league.”
If Bell can’t stand up under the punishment, however, he won’t hold the top position for long. Head coach Mike Shanahan has been giving Tatum Bell the odd repetition with the first team, meaning Mike Bell has every opportunity to lose what he’s so quickly gained in camp.
“We have a lot of competition at a lot of positions,” Shanahan said. “The depth chart changes; that’s why we look at it after every game. Tatum has a lot of ability.”
What’s kept Tatum Bell from grabbing the No. 1 spot, however, has been a lack of toughness. That’s why the Broncos want to make sure Mike Bell can hold up before they rely on him during the regular season.
“You take shots on everybody, but it’s a little different with him because he’s a guy you expect a lot out of,” Ferguson said. “We’re not trying to hurt our guys. It’s the pressure that’s associated with being number one.”
And for now, it’s upon the Broncos defense to apply that pressure — physically. It’s a right of passage they hope he can withstand.
“We’re all in this together. My family needs to eat, too,” Wilson said. “I hope he understands it’s not personal, but at the same time we have a job to do, and whatever it takes for us to get that done, we’re going to have to do it.”
Bill Wilson can be reached at wwilson@times-call.com