Warren situation still up in the air

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5672840,00.html

DALLAS -- He was once must-see TV.

That was how Gerard Warren became a Denver Broncos defensive tackle, how he found a $36 million contract on the table in front of him just a little over a year ago.

And that's how he now finds himself on the trading block with the possibility of being a former No. 3 pick of the draft traded for the second time in a two-year span or even released if no deal can be struck soon.

"All you have to do is look at the film, the film speaks for itself,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said when the Broncos gladly traded a fourth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Warren in 2005.

And by most accounts that same video, just over two years later, is why the Broncos were poised to either ship him to another team or release him outright.

[Deacon Blue]

The Broncos were still talking to two teams Tuesday -- one is believed to be the Washington Redskins -- about dealing Warren, but those prospective deals had not heated up to a point to finish one off as of early Tuesday evening.

:wiggle:

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Assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates wants his defensive tackles to engage the blocker in front of them, anchor and cover the two gaps on each side of the blocker. Warren has traditionally preferred to pick a gap and be a get-up-the-field player looking to penetrate rather than anchor.

The result has been Warren, according to some in the Broncos organization, has been slower to adapt to Bates' scheme. Bates' desire for more beef in the middle is also why the Broncos traded for Kennedy in July, why Sam Adams was signed and why Amon Gordon has moved up the depth chart when he did not under former coordinator Larry Coyer.


This paragraph say's all we need to know.

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http://www.gazette.com/sports/gordon_26055___article.html/broncos_warren.html

Defensive tackles lining up to start for Denver
BY FRANK SCHWAB
THE GAZETTE
August 14, 2007 - 5:41PM

The Denver Broncos made no official move Tuesday regarding the future of defensive tackle Gerard Warren, who is being shopped for a trade.

Coach Mike Shanahan said after Monday’s game in San Francisco that the team thought it had a trade finalized, which is why Warren didn’t make the trip.

If Warren is dealt or released, one of the reasons is the coaches are comfortable with their defensive tackles.

“Some of these guys have really stepped up,” Shanahan said.

Sam Adams, who started against the 49ers, and Jimmy Kennedy were acquired during the offseason and have made an immediate impact. The other starting tackle was Amon Gordon.

In April, Shanahan touted Gordon as a player who might adapt well to the new scheme of assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates. Gordon worked his way up the depth chart in training camp and had a nice stop Monday on a first-and-goal run at the 1-yard line.

“I think I obviously have something to give,” said Gordon, who is among the group of former Cleveland Browns linemen acquired by the Broncos in recent years.

Gordon was an afterthought last year after playing in six games for the Browns in 2004 and missing 2005 because of a knee injury. The Broncos claimed him off waivers, but his knee continued to bother him and he spent last season on the practice squad.

“I do feel healthy,” Gordon said. “Hopefully, I can help in any way possible.”
Gordon, who started playing alongside Warren in 2004 as a rookie in Cleveland, said Warren has been a mentor.

“He’s a good guy and I learned a tremendous amount about this game from Gerard Warren,” Gordon said. “He pretty much took me under his wing and showed me things he knows. It helped me out in a tremendous way, and I owe some of my game to him.”

The Broncos are content with the depth they have at tackle. Kennedy was a former first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams. Alvin McKinley started 30 games the past two years for Cleveland. Marcus Thomas was a fourth-round pick this season after slipping in the draft because of character issues. The Broncos felt he had first-round talent. Antwon Burton and Demetrin Veal each played for the Broncos last year, but were listed as fourth string last week.

“Right now in terms of the depth we have at defensive tackle, we all have something great, we all have something we specialize in,” Kennedy said. “We’re making it tough on the coaching staff, as far as picking us.”

Added Gordon: “We’re deep. We got some guys that can play and some guys that are hungry.”