Why we need to go bigger in 07...

[OrangeShadow]

On the offensive line especially.

Supporting facts
• The rules are becoming more and more geared towards the QB and the offense.
• In turn teams are becoming a little smaller and faster on defense to combat this change and keep up with the offense.
• When you have a big offensive line like SDs or KCs for example it makes it easy to push the opponent around.

I know it helps having backs like LT or LJ but the line is a undeniably huge aspect. Im not saying necissarily change the scheme we run. More suggesting/wondering, if its possible to successfuly run the current scheme with bigger lineman.

[sirhcyennek81]

Harder to find a bigger lineman who can run like smaller lineman do. I agree with you tho, we do need more size on both lines. Its great that our LB's can run, but not when they have to take on linemen who can get by our d line.

[jmz313]

I completely agree with going bigger. Shanny has shown this season where he wants the O to go. We need bigger, better pass blocking.

[Garcia Bronco]

We went bigger....and he's a puss.

[Paladin]

Don't they have that in the wings now? Kuper and Myers are 300+ pounders, I believe. Eslinger is a bit small at Center. I had said the Broncos might well be moving towards a bigger Oline, but whether they will be as mobile may be questionable. Cutler can pass from thh pocket with good strength and accuracy. Now the Broncos need to build a pocket and consider a big RB and go to a single RB scheme which puts more WRs out there. The new O would feature athletic TEs (Sheff and Graham?) and big strong WRs (Walker and Marshall) and a huge RB (a draft pick?) and an extra speedy WR or H-back (Kircus, Hixson?). You will have to build the D. All I ask is that you remove Coyer and DWill.

STs will be improved with better coaching.

There you have it. Next year's Broncos!

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

We went bigger....and he's a puss.

Yeah, but the Broncos can go bigger better.

[bronco militia]

just get better, period.

[ludo21]

Our line did a decent job vs SD actually.

But I agree, we even can still run our scheme with bigger guys.

Guys are BIGGER and still FAST, we gotta change if we wanna help out Cutler for the future.

Kuper is good size, but besides him, we would have to revamp the whole OL.

[glennst]

Consider this:

Our biggest o-lineman is also our worst in pass protection (Foster).

[Spider]

reason why Shanny likes small Oline men is the 4 th quarter , Smaller guys seem to be fresher , then bigger guys , of course this is when we had TD , so our offense was on the field alot more ...............

[Dos Rios]

I think it's more of an either/or proposition than we'd want to admit. The linemen that fit the great zone-blocking run scheme of the last decade don't necessarily work well in a traditional drop back pocket scheme. The team chose run blocking and it's worked great. One underrated impact of Plummer - his ability to avoid sacks and mask the pass blocking weakness of the current offensive philosophy. Check the change in sacks from Griese to Plummer, with the same line.

Cutler's not immobile, but likely his best results will come out of a traditional pocket. If rumors are true, the team also liked Lienert in the draft, who is even more of a pocket passer.

Pass protection and power blocking in the red zone has always been two knocks on the zone blocking scheme, but to date it has reaped incredible benefits. Still, no offensive philosophy lasts forever, and Alex Gibbs left years ago. It will be interesting to see if the next few years brings an entirely new offensive approach.

[skpac1001]

Couldn't you make the same argument in '96? Isn't Indy's line undersized? Isn't our line's performance since Elway retired probably the biggest reason we are one of the top offenses over that timespan? Lets not get out the Hari-Kari knife after one off year. That said, here is hoping we find another couple Kupers.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by skpac1001

Couldn't you make the same argument in '96? Isn't Indy's line undersized? Isn't our line's performance since Elway retired probably the biggest reason we are one of the top offenses over that timespan? Lets not get out the Hari-Kari knife after one off year. That said, here is hoping we find another couple Kupers.

look this is the mane , Elway never threw a pick , never missed a pass , we go balistic when Cutler or plummer screw up , that is our right here , we go way overboard , we want to do this , being a drama queen is more fun then being rational .................

[skpac1001]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

look this is the mane , Elway never threw a pick , never missed a pass , we go balistic when Cutler or plummer screw up , that is our right here , we go way overboard , we want to do this , being a drama queen is more fun then being rational .................

haha, good point. My apologies, carry on everyone.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by skpac1001

haha, good point. My apologies, carry on everyone.

of course think you are right ,but alot less drama ...........

[alkemical]

It's not for lack of shanny not trying to beef up the OL. Foster didn't pan out. We all know it's a head/heart issue. But that's how it goes. They are people just like us. man imagine if they had fantasy work stats for our jobs.

Anyway back on track - I'd like to have more power for the redzone - but i understand the way to structure the running game with our zone blocking scheme - but sometimes when it's like 3rd & 3 - i'd like to have a G & T that you can just bulldoze with.

The D wasn't going to hold up all year with the line we have. We have role players playing starting jobs on some positions on the DL. The OL we have guys who fit the scheme - but we don't have guys who fit the scheme that have top talent (or that aren't starting yet).

[-Slap-]

I've been begging the Broncos to get bigger and more physical on both sides of the football, but it never seems to happen.

I like the notion that Foster didn't work out, so we should never try and go big again.

Hopefully our front office is infused with the same intrepid spirit.

[OrangeShadow]

Originally Posted by Paladin

Don't they have that in the wings now? Kuper and Myers are 300+ pounders, I believe. Eslinger is a bit small at Center. I had said the Broncos might well be moving towards a bigger Oline, but whether they will be as mobile may be questionable.

You raise a very good point, i didnt remember that kuper and myers were that big. I think they have the ability to fit this system.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

I've been begging the Broncos to get bigger and more physical on both sides of the football, but it never seems to happen.

I like the notion that Foster didn't work out, so we should never try and go big again.

Hopefully our front office is infused with the same intrepid spirit.

For the record slap i don't think we 'shouldn't try again'. I think i'd try it again - infact i wanted to use a 1st rounder on steinbach when he was in the draft.

I have no problem with talent taken high for the OL.

[Barry Ramey]

I don't buy bigger is better on the OL. The Cards have one of the biggest OL in the NFL and have been unable to run the ball at all most of the season despite James at RB. They have big, but slower guys on their o-line. Finding big, quick guys is hard, much less finding five of them.

As for the DL, I think we all agree the DL needs revamping and more size there. Well, just more talent in general is needed there.

[Traveler]

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/d...e_rushing.html

And finally Anthony Marshall in Atlanta asks . . .

Q: Is there any thought within the organization about scraping (the Broncos') penchant for smaller offensive linemen? Where's the beef?

A: The natural progression, because college linemen are getting bigger as the years go by, will mean the Broncos offensive line gets bigger as well.

That said their emphasis, in their current run scheme, which is on track to another top 5 finish in the league's rankings, will continue to be on footwork and movement. That's not always easy to find in bigger players.

But the pool of players to choose from, should they not use a former tight end at tackle like they did with Matt Lepsis -- Chad Mustard was also switched to tackle in training camp before going back to tight end because of injuries -- consists of fewer 285-pound guys than it once did.

But of the 50 offensive linemen invited to the scouting combine last February, just three were under 300 pounds and none of them weighed less that 292. The lightest there? Greg Eslinger, the Minnesota center who won the Outland and Rimington trophies and also happened to be the Broncos' sixth-round pick this past April.

But Erik Pears, who is playing at left tackle right now and looks like he could be a long-term solution at right tackle, is 6-8, 305 pounds, while rookie Chris Kuper, who is expected to make a run at a starting guard spot in the coming years, is 6-4, 302. Kuper was a fifth-round pick this past April. Chris Myers, a 2005 draft pick, is also 300 pounds. The three are among the team's biggest linemen and they are the youngest as well.

So again the Broncos will likely get a little bigger because that's the way players are going in general, but they will always, under the current coaching staff, covet movement skills first.

All the better, in their minds, if the player is powerful as well.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by Barry Ramey

I don't buy bigger is better on the OL. The Cards have one of the biggest OL in the NFL and have been unable to run the ball at all most of the season despite James at RB. They have big, but slower guys on their o-line. Finding big, quick guys is hard, much less finding five of them.

As for the DL, I think we all agree the DL needs revamping and more size there. Well, just more talent in general is needed there.

I didn't mean to infer bigger is better for the OL - i just want more power.

[Mile High Shack]

I like how our lineman are more athletic, they don't wear out as easy, if we get Lepsis back and a true RT, we will be fine on Oline

we need to get bigger in 2 areas though

Dline and Linebacker

[Paladin]

Good find, Traveller. Thanks.

Point is that if the Broncos' Oline gets bigger, then the opposing Dline might get bigger, and the cycle continues. The Hogs with Jacoby were the first "big" line I saw, and now, the RT is small if he is less than 310! Or so.

With the possibility of Kuper getting in for, say, Hamilton, and maybe Myers for Nalen, that right side - with Lepsis - would be huge. I don't know what Meadows could do, and if Carlise is big enough or not, so there are two positions that need some attention on the Oline. I am given to understand that Kuper and Myers are both mobile in addition to being big. Maybe help is on the way, to coin a phrase....

I am in dispair of the Dline. Maybe putting a few bucks out and enticing a speed rusher FA would make sense, but that still doesn't address the middle run stopper. I am also of the opinion that Patterson just may be in need of a recycle..... Frankly, I do not know enough about Dline play to make any kind of judgment there. I will leave that to others. All I know is that the front four are rather anemic in getting sacks and more pressure on the QB who is able to wait until DWill falls down......

[skpac1001]

Originally Posted by Mile High Shack

I like how our lineman are more athletic, they don't wear out as easy, if we get Lepsis back and a true RT, we will be fine on Oline

we need to get bigger in 2 areas though

Dline and Linebacker

At linebacker we need more size but without sacrificing athleticism much. On D line, we need more athleticism just as much as we need more size. In other words, we need rare freaks. Trade up for Alan Branch.