dragondawg
09-22-2007, 05:13 AM
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
ENGLEWOOD - As a cornerback, Dré Bly is used to doing the picking.
But here he was this offseason, getting picked himself: not of the ball, but his brain.
Bly's new Broncos teammate, Javon Walker, wanted to know all about rubbing elbows with some of the best NFL wide receivers in Bly's previous pro stops in St. Louis and Detroit.
What made Torry Holt of the Rams and Roy Williams of the Lions among the best at their craft? What made them tick?
Bly had gone against each on a daily basis in practice for years and had a ready answer.
"It's because of work ethic," Bly said he told Walker. "It was nothing that he didn't already know. But he was just asking me because I'd been with those guys. I just gave my opinions of what I thought. And to be great, you have to put in the time. It's something Javon's been doing.
"He works extremely hard," Bly added. "And I know he wants to be considered among the best. That's why he's put forth the effort to be the best. And it's showing on Sundays."
Walker is the first Broncos receiver to start the season with consecutive 100-yard games since Rod Smith in 2001. He's only one triple-digit performance short of his season total last season, when he made his Broncos debut after a draft-day trade from the Green Bay Packers.
It's how Walker has accumulated his yards that has been most eye-opening. Big chunks were the norm last year. His 15.7-yard average per catch was tied for second in the AFC and third in the league. Much of that output came on the strength of 16 catches of 20-plus yards. And while Walker already has four receptions of 20- yard plus, it's the timing and toughness of his catches that have stood out.
Seven of his league-high-tying 17 overall catches have come in the first three quarters of games, for 116 yards. The other 10, for 104 yards, have occurred in the fourth quarter and overtime.
He has made more than one- third of his catches on third- and-6 or longer.
"I made those plays in Green Bay, so coming here and making them, it's not like I'm playing football for the first time," Walker said. "I caught 89 balls (in 2004), and those catches are the same catches I'm making out there."
Yet in Denver, those receptions largely were Smith's domain.
Walker is doing his best impression after a severe hip injury landed Smith on the physically unable to perform list for at least the first six weeks.
"His deep balls, if you go back and watch Javon last year, came off play action and the keepers and things we were doing with Jake (Plummer), which gives you a chance to get on the edge," Broncos assistant head coach/offense Mike
Heimerdinger said. "Now with the dropback, he's making plays with the slants and underneath stuff. He's always had the ability. We didn't do a lot of that last year."
It has helped Walker that his right knee, which cost him nearly the entire 2005 season, is back to full strength. A second year in Denver's offensive system has been just as critical, allowing him to refine his game without having to also master the playbook.
"Now it's not learning anymore," Walker said. "You're taking everything you learned, and now you're just critiquing your routes to get open and play against other defenses. . . . So I feel 10 times more comfortable and am just going out and playing. And when you've got a group of receivers like we've got, you want to make plays."
In the season-opening win at Buffalo, Walker twisted his neck awkwardly after a 21-yard catch to start Denver's final drive. He shook it off and came back to haul in receptions of 11, 8 and 11 yards before scrambling off the field for Jason Elam's winning kick.
He had two more catches on the game-tying drive the next week against Oakland, elevating him behind only San Diego's Antonio Gates in third- down receiving yardage.
All that's missing is his first trip to the end zone.
"I think it's opportunities," Smith said about Walker rounding out his game. "Some receivers in this league are dedicated to one certain thing. On this team, you play football, period, whether we need you to catch a third-down slant or a deep ball in the first quarter. The opportunities are different for him this time around and he's got to be able to do that - get those third-and-4, third-and-5s or fourth downs. And he's made huge plays."
And Smith has been helping Walker along the way, offering his takes as to what will elevate his teammate even further toward the top of the league's elite.
"He's told me if there's anything that I know that could make him better or more efficient, to let him know," Smith said. "I'm not on him constantly, because he's doing a lot of great things and you don't want to take away from what he's doing. But if I can offer advice at certain times, I do. And they're always justified. He'll go out there and do it and say, 'I like that.' "
Walker's focus on fine-tuning his game has been made all the more impressive by the circumstances he faced this offseason, when he was along for the ride and faced the devastation of having Darrent Williams die in his lap. After initially trying to distance himself from that horrible night publicly, Walker recently has embraced Williams' memory. He has cleats with the late cornerback's image stitched on the back. He has been hauling to games a championship-style belt with photos of Williams and Damien Nash, another offseason casualty.
And on Tuesday, Walker donated $30,000 toward the building of a memorial teen center in Williams' honor.
"That's self-explanatory," he said of his reasoning behind his gift. "Darrent Williams was one of my good friends, and that's something that needs to be done."
It could be a motto for Walker's entire season - doing what's needed.
He stressed the long pass will make an appearance again, perhaps as soon as the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
And he'll continue to seek outside counsel in an effort to keep improving.
"That's the only way you learn and get better in this league," Walker said, "is finding out what some of the best do."
On the wild side
Broncos receiver Javon Walker's current NFL ranks in various receiving categories:
Category No. Ranking
Receptions 17 Tie 1st
Receiving yardage 220 6th
Third-down catches 6 Tie 2nd
First downs 10 Tie 11th
Jaguars at Broncos
• The game: 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Invesco Field at Mile High.
• The records: Jacksonville is 1-1; Denver is 2-0.
• The series: Broncos lead 3-2 (postseason tied 1-1).
• TV/radio: CBS 4; KOA-AM (850), KBNO-AM (1280-Spanish).
• Who's favored: Broncos by 3.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5704545,00.html
ENGLEWOOD - As a cornerback, Dré Bly is used to doing the picking.
But here he was this offseason, getting picked himself: not of the ball, but his brain.
Bly's new Broncos teammate, Javon Walker, wanted to know all about rubbing elbows with some of the best NFL wide receivers in Bly's previous pro stops in St. Louis and Detroit.
What made Torry Holt of the Rams and Roy Williams of the Lions among the best at their craft? What made them tick?
Bly had gone against each on a daily basis in practice for years and had a ready answer.
"It's because of work ethic," Bly said he told Walker. "It was nothing that he didn't already know. But he was just asking me because I'd been with those guys. I just gave my opinions of what I thought. And to be great, you have to put in the time. It's something Javon's been doing.
"He works extremely hard," Bly added. "And I know he wants to be considered among the best. That's why he's put forth the effort to be the best. And it's showing on Sundays."
Walker is the first Broncos receiver to start the season with consecutive 100-yard games since Rod Smith in 2001. He's only one triple-digit performance short of his season total last season, when he made his Broncos debut after a draft-day trade from the Green Bay Packers.
It's how Walker has accumulated his yards that has been most eye-opening. Big chunks were the norm last year. His 15.7-yard average per catch was tied for second in the AFC and third in the league. Much of that output came on the strength of 16 catches of 20-plus yards. And while Walker already has four receptions of 20- yard plus, it's the timing and toughness of his catches that have stood out.
Seven of his league-high-tying 17 overall catches have come in the first three quarters of games, for 116 yards. The other 10, for 104 yards, have occurred in the fourth quarter and overtime.
He has made more than one- third of his catches on third- and-6 or longer.
"I made those plays in Green Bay, so coming here and making them, it's not like I'm playing football for the first time," Walker said. "I caught 89 balls (in 2004), and those catches are the same catches I'm making out there."
Yet in Denver, those receptions largely were Smith's domain.
Walker is doing his best impression after a severe hip injury landed Smith on the physically unable to perform list for at least the first six weeks.
"His deep balls, if you go back and watch Javon last year, came off play action and the keepers and things we were doing with Jake (Plummer), which gives you a chance to get on the edge," Broncos assistant head coach/offense Mike
Heimerdinger said. "Now with the dropback, he's making plays with the slants and underneath stuff. He's always had the ability. We didn't do a lot of that last year."
It has helped Walker that his right knee, which cost him nearly the entire 2005 season, is back to full strength. A second year in Denver's offensive system has been just as critical, allowing him to refine his game without having to also master the playbook.
"Now it's not learning anymore," Walker said. "You're taking everything you learned, and now you're just critiquing your routes to get open and play against other defenses. . . . So I feel 10 times more comfortable and am just going out and playing. And when you've got a group of receivers like we've got, you want to make plays."
In the season-opening win at Buffalo, Walker twisted his neck awkwardly after a 21-yard catch to start Denver's final drive. He shook it off and came back to haul in receptions of 11, 8 and 11 yards before scrambling off the field for Jason Elam's winning kick.
He had two more catches on the game-tying drive the next week against Oakland, elevating him behind only San Diego's Antonio Gates in third- down receiving yardage.
All that's missing is his first trip to the end zone.
"I think it's opportunities," Smith said about Walker rounding out his game. "Some receivers in this league are dedicated to one certain thing. On this team, you play football, period, whether we need you to catch a third-down slant or a deep ball in the first quarter. The opportunities are different for him this time around and he's got to be able to do that - get those third-and-4, third-and-5s or fourth downs. And he's made huge plays."
And Smith has been helping Walker along the way, offering his takes as to what will elevate his teammate even further toward the top of the league's elite.
"He's told me if there's anything that I know that could make him better or more efficient, to let him know," Smith said. "I'm not on him constantly, because he's doing a lot of great things and you don't want to take away from what he's doing. But if I can offer advice at certain times, I do. And they're always justified. He'll go out there and do it and say, 'I like that.' "
Walker's focus on fine-tuning his game has been made all the more impressive by the circumstances he faced this offseason, when he was along for the ride and faced the devastation of having Darrent Williams die in his lap. After initially trying to distance himself from that horrible night publicly, Walker recently has embraced Williams' memory. He has cleats with the late cornerback's image stitched on the back. He has been hauling to games a championship-style belt with photos of Williams and Damien Nash, another offseason casualty.
And on Tuesday, Walker donated $30,000 toward the building of a memorial teen center in Williams' honor.
"That's self-explanatory," he said of his reasoning behind his gift. "Darrent Williams was one of my good friends, and that's something that needs to be done."
It could be a motto for Walker's entire season - doing what's needed.
He stressed the long pass will make an appearance again, perhaps as soon as the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
And he'll continue to seek outside counsel in an effort to keep improving.
"That's the only way you learn and get better in this league," Walker said, "is finding out what some of the best do."
On the wild side
Broncos receiver Javon Walker's current NFL ranks in various receiving categories:
Category No. Ranking
Receptions 17 Tie 1st
Receiving yardage 220 6th
Third-down catches 6 Tie 2nd
First downs 10 Tie 11th
Jaguars at Broncos
• The game: 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Invesco Field at Mile High.
• The records: Jacksonville is 1-1; Denver is 2-0.
• The series: Broncos lead 3-2 (postseason tied 1-1).
• TV/radio: CBS 4; KOA-AM (850), KBNO-AM (1280-Spanish).
• Who's favored: Broncos by 3.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5704545,00.html