Blitz book may become thinner; Duke out 9 months

[SoCalBronco]

denver broncos notes
Blitz book may become thinner
Shanahan desires more balance
By Mike Klis
Denver Post Staff Writer





Shanahan: "We have to put in a little more balance in our defense this year." (Post file)

Like most competitive stratagems, the football blitz is most effective when it's not expected.

The Broncos blitzed like never before in 2005, and the result was a plus-20 turnover margin, one off the franchise record set in 1984. Only the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who line up in a blitz-friendly three-lineman, four-linebacker set, blitzed more often last year in passing situations than the Broncos, who use a more traditional 4-3 alignment.

Knowing film is available and that NFL coaches love to watch it, Mike Shanahan acknowledged Thursday the element of surprise may not be with his Broncos as they consider the blitz for 2006.

"We have to put in a little more balance in our defense this year," said Shanahan, who is entering his 12th season as the Broncos' head coach. "Probably won't blitz quite as much. And when you don't, you have to get pressure from your front four. We will still blitz, but probably not to the extent we did last year."

Priorities, priorities

During their 14 voluntary offseason practices, which ended Thursday, Shanahan said he placed an offensive emphasis on third-down and red-zone conversion. The Broncos ranked 22nd in the NFL last year by converting 36.2 percent




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of their third downs. And although the team improved from 29th in 2004 to seventh last year in red-zone touchdown efficiency, Shanahan apparently is never satisfied when it comes to producing from inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Footnotes

The prognosis for tight end Wesley Duke is worse than feared. After surgery Tuesday on his left knee, Duke was told recovery would be nine months. The Broncos waived Duke last week. ... Shanahan said the departure of assistant general manager Rick Smith likely would be filled in-house next month. Smith was named the Houston Texans' general manager Monday. ... Tyler Everett, an undrafted rookie safety from Ohio State, was unable to participate by NFL rule in the Broncos' workouts because his school's graduation isn't until this weekend.


http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_3916044

[SoCalBronco]

I'm sorry but without blitzing, we aren't going to get any pressure. Not with this group. And I don't want to hear about "letting loose the DL". We've heard that 4,5 years in a row in offseason articles. I know Trevor complained a little about it last summer and we probably do have a more read and react defensive line scheme than most teams (which would make sense, as its important to keep the OL off the speedy LBs so they can do their thing against the run), but we've been suffering from pass rush issues for a long time and we have heard each year all this crap about opening it up for the DL. They have undoubtedly tried that style before, but you still have to have the guys who can execute it. They might have a few less reads sure, and might be a little more free to attack their gap without reading for run, but the difference cannot be that stark (and if it is, the run D will start to suffer greatly). At the end of the day, youve got to have the horses for that kind of approach and I dont think we've got them.

We will have to continue playing the high risk/high reward game if we want to get pressure.

[Kaylore]

Well unlike SoCal I have a more optimistic view. I think this line will be better than the one last year. I like what Shanahan said in his interview today about being a great defense in your base scheme. Clever scheming will get you some plays now and again, but ultimately your defense just needs to be good playing good old fashioned, hard nose, solid tackling, un-chief-like defense.

I don't think we'll be at the top of the pack in sacks, but I think what we'll be is a combination of the best aspects of the '04 and '05 defenses.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Well unlike SoCal I have a more optimistic view. I think this line will be better than the one last year. I like what Shanahan said in his interview today about being a great defense in your base scheme. Clever scheming will get you some plays now and again, but ultimately your defense just needs to be good playing good old fashioned, hard nose, solid tackling, un-chief-like defense.

I don't think we'll be at the top of the pack in sacks, but I think what we'll be is a combination of the best aspects of the '04 and '05 defenses.

That's the problem though Khan....if we have to get the desired pressure just playing good old fashioned beat your guy to the gap football, we are going to lose most battles. The horses aren't there for pass rushing. Warren is great against the run, good against the pass but he will continue to get doubled because Myers can't really take heat off him. Brown could be a good pass rusher, but he is more of a force against the run. Ekuban, Engelberger are adequate guys but not really scary to anyone. We can't get it done just in base defense asking you to beat the other man, we're outgunned against most OLs we will face so far as pass rushing goes. You have to get creative. You've got to predict pass protection schemes better so that your DL is dropping into the exact place where the hot route is on Zone Blitzes. More CB blitzes with D-Will from the slot. These are unblocked by nature, and there is no sight adjustment unlike Safety Blitzes. Gotta run that alot more, especially when the ball is as near as possible to the hash on D-Will's side so you can cut down the distance the CB has to run to get there. Delayed LB blitzes....so the blocking backs can initially check the LBs and then release on their route seeing no blitz, right as the delayed blitz comes with no protectors. I liked Coyer's creativity last year. It didnt always work ofcourse, but it was necessary to get pressure. We shouldn't restrict him. The guys upfront just aren't good enough to just beat their man straight up.

[Kaylore]

Brown has been healthy and is completing his first full off-season training program in years. Then there's guys like Dumervil and Lang, and that NFL Europe kid who could step up. Continuity is an added bonus as well. I think we'll see improvement.

[Taco John]

In this new age of free agency, everyone always makes the worst case assumptions if we don't immediately run out and get more free agents to fill perceived gaps.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Brown has been healthy and is completing his first full off-season training program in years. Then there's guys like Dumervil and Lang, and that NFL Europe kid who could step up. Continuity is as added bonus as well. I think we'll see improvement.

I look forward to what Brown can do after a full offseason program for the first time, but the rest are completely unproven (or in Lang's case, aged) and therefore give us no reason to plausibly believe that they will substantially cure our pass rush ills.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by Taco John

In this new age of free agency, everyone always makes the worst case assumptions if we don't immediately run out and get more free agents to fill perceived gaps.

If by everyone you mean SoCal, then yes.

(I still love you SoCal, though you do get pretty funny during the offseason.)

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

If by everyone you mean SoCal, then yes.

(I still love you SoCal, though you do get pretty funny during the offseason.)

Honestly, I dont think of myself as a negative person in the sense of always going to the worst case scenario. I just think its realistic. Whether it ends up being true or false, we will see.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

Honestly, I dont think of myself as a negative person. I just think its realistic. Whether it ends up being true or false, we will see.

I think you are a shade on the negative side. If throwing money at new hot players was the tried and true answer to every hole on a team, then the Yankees and Redskins would be world champions every single year.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

I think you are a shade on the negative side. If throwing money at new hot players was the tried and true answer to every hole on a team, then the Yankees and Redskins would be world champions every single year.

I agree with you on the problems of the Dan Snyder approach. I don't necessarily think thats the solution, although certainly investments have to be made on the line (and I am glad they carried through with the Warren investment). Perhaps instead of monetary commitments, the proper investment this offseason would have been to continue to try and accumulate picks through trades (trading down, or failing in that, simply keeping the extra 2 and 3) and invest in a few talented youngsters on the DL on Day 1. We have not invested a single Day 1 pick in the draft on a Defensive Lineman since 2002 and 2001, in both those cases, that was at the tail end of Day 1, in Round Three. That was a long time ago. You've got to get some talented youngsters there who can get to the passer. We do a fine job of sometimes finding some treasures here and there, but its very hard to avoid addressing the entire DL on Day 1 for several years in a row and succeed there.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

I agree with you on the problems of the Dan Snyder approach. I don't necessarily think thats the solution, although certainly investments have to be made on the line (and I am glad they carried through with the Warren investment). Perhaps instead of monetary commitments, the proper investment this offseason would have been to continue to try and accumulate picks through trades (trading down, or failing in that, simply keeping the extra 2 and 3) and invest in a few talented youngsters on the DL on Day 1. We have not invested a single Day 1 pick in the draft on a Defensive Lineman since 2002 and 2001, in both those cases, that was at the tail end of Day 1, in Round Three. That was a long time ago. You've got to get some talented youngsters there who can get to the passer. We do a fine job of sometimes finding some treasures here and there, but its very hard to avoid addressing the entire DL on Day 1 for several years in a row and succeed there.

I think that might be a viable option. There are a few unknowns on this squad that could really step up. Let me make a bold statement: I'm not worried about this defense even a little bit. This defense is the most talented it's been in the last four or five years and a lot of the best players are young.

You're right that the new guys, including Dumervil, could be nothing. Worst case is the D-line is worse because they are average and average minus Pryce equals suck.

It doesn't work that way though.

We have some talented guys up front and some guys that could make some noise. I'm not saying that I'm expecting a Giants D-line with 30+ sacks among just two of the players, but I'd be willing to bet that we get quite a few more sacks this season and by draft time we'll have a better idea of the kind of players we need to fill in.

[elsid13]

I fear that Denver coaching staff is going to try to outsmart everyone again by putting in weird combination on the defense line to create pressure. Warren in is press conference talked about the fact that they now had the ability to move multipy players thru all the positions on the line, similiar to Pryce last year. I can see it now = Dumervil, Brown (DT), Ekuban (DT_, Engelberger on passing downs

[x123z]

The team that stays togather plays better togather.

[OrangeShadow]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

I think you are a shade on the negative side. If throwing money at new hot players was the tried and true answer to every hole on a team, then the Yankees and Redskins would be world champions every single year.

[Rascal]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

I think you are a shade on the negative side. If throwing money at new hot players was the tried and true answer to every hole on a team, then the Yankees and Redskins would be world champions every single year.

And I'd say you are a shade on the homer side. Outside of Warren and more then likely Brown, none of our other starters would start for a large % of the teams in the NFL.

[Archie]

I'm more encouraged this year then last year. We finally have a set of DB's that can play and now the group will be in it's second year. Our D-Line was weak last year and I don't see it getting worse. I honestly don't see us losing much of anything with out Pryce. He really only had one good game last year despite being healthy all season long.

Now - D line is our weakest spot and if they can't get pressure then we'll have the same problems against the pass we had last season but I'm at least hopeful we can improve here. IF we can get any pressure at all and drop 7 I think we'll be looking very good.

[Hotrod]

Well if Shanny says we will blitz less this year then by golly we will be the most blitz happy team in the NFL

[TotallyScrewed]

Whats wrong with a read and react DL? What's worse...letting a team run all over you? Or forcing a team to pass against Champ, Dwill, Fregy and Lynch (and three speedy 'backers)?

I don't have a problem with frustrating offenses into being more one-dimensional. Last year Denver was 15th in yards per game. Yep, middle of the pack. 29th against the pass and second against the run (something like 85 yards rushing per game). *They have more than a few good backs in their conference.* What's even more important is they were 3rd oveall in points allowed.

If it all starts up front, given the results, it couldn't have been as bad as some are seeing it.

They may not have a loaded DL but I think they've gotten better at depth along the line. If you're going read and react, explosive gives way to strength and great first line gives way to great depth.

[BroncoInferno]

Originally Posted by Taco John

In this new age of free agency, everyone always makes the worst case assumptions if we don't immediately run out and get more free agents to fill perceived gaps.

No doubt. We went 13-3 last season playing a tough schedule and are returning most of the key cogs plus a few improvements, and you have people making posts stating we need upgrades at four or five positions or we're in trouble. We heard this same crap last season. Every team, including the Super Bowl champion, has holes in the free agency,salary cap era. We will be fine.

I agree with Khan; I think between Lang, Dumervil and Jackson coupled with a scheme that gives them more freedom, we are going to see improvement in the front four pressure .

[BroncoInferno]

Originally Posted by Rascal

And I'd say you are a shade on the homer side. Outside of Warren and more then likely Brown, none of our other starters would start for a large % of the teams in the NFL.

Khan was among the few who last off season who kept their cool and did not panic. He and others were accused of homerism, and at the end of the day the team actually exceded what even the most optimistic expected. The line is the same except you trade Lang for Pryce and add Dumervil. The two lines will at least be a push, as I don't see Lang as a big downgrade from Pryce at this stage of Trevor's career, and if just one of the two between Jackson and Dumervil makes an impact, you've got improvement. That viewpoint is no less realistic than the doomsday predictions; it's just a more positive realism.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

The guys upfront just aren't good enough to just beat their man straight up.

This is the crux (damn, I've used that word twice already this morning) of the issue. Broncs have quantity at DE, but none of those guys are in the top 50 DEs in the league. At DT, Broncs don't even have quantity and only Warren is a legit starter in the league.

[12th man]

We'll be alright as long as the front four can get to the qb. I think they will. we will still be blitzing, just not as much. Like Shanny saide, we need to mix it up. Blitzing most of the time is too predictable and maybe we become to one dimensional. Teams look at tapes and can realy be prepared for us. We realy do need to mix it up.

[doof]

I think what Shanny is alluding to is that we are going to run more of a tampa-2 scheme and pull the ends out wider to give them more room to get to the quarterback. But, I personally don't think we have the personnel to run this scheme consistently. I think after a few games they're going to realize that the scheme isn't getting enough pressure and we'll see Coyer go back to the all-out blitz packages again.

With the personnel we have I think a Jim Johnson-esque man-cover blitz defense is our best option. The D-line is not going to get to the QB on its own and we have the corners to play man-to-man effectively.

[Jetmeck]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Brown has been healthy and is completing his first full off-season training program in years. Then there's guys like Dumervil and Lang, and that NFL Europe kid who could step up. Continuity is an added bonus as well. I think we'll see improvement.

This defense could be just one DL stud away from the best D Denver has ever had. Where will this stud come from ? From within or FA ?