Broncos’ pass rush boosted with DE Rice

[dragondawg]

Ex-Tampa Bay star second among active players with 121 career sack

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Nobody’s more excited about Denver’s signing of free agent sacks specialist Simeon Rice than Broncos safety John Lynch.

The two won a Super Bowl together in Tampa Bay in 2002, and both believe this reunion in the Rockies could lead to a second ring.

“He’s a teammate who I loved playing with and one of the great pass-rushers of all-time. So, we’d be — anyone would be — fortunate to get him,” Lynch said Monday while the sides were signing the one-year deal at Broncos headquarters

Rice, whose 121 career sacks rank second to Michael Strahan among active players, was released by Tampa Bay this summer after the Buccaneers signed first-round draft pick Gaines Adams.

Rice had failed a physical earlier in the day after reporting to camp, but has since passed his medical tests. The 33-year-old started the first eight games last year before being sidelined by a shoulder injury.

Lynch said Rice told him he was fine: “He told me his shoulder’s feeling good and he feels like he’s ready to play.”

Coach Mike Shanahan courted Rice, who ranks 13th all-time in sacks, to bring experience and pressure to a young defensive line.

“He’s a big-time pass rusher, he’s been in the league for a while, he’s got a lot of talent,” Shanahan said.

And he’ll be expected to lead by example when it comes to showing the Broncos’ rookie class of Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder and Marcus Thomas the NFL ropes.

Strahan, among others, has been critical of Rice in recent years, claiming that he gets sacks but doesn’t play the run well, something Lynch said was an overstated observation.

“He’s a terrific football player all-around. A lot of people like to give him a hard time about his run defense. It doesn’t always look pretty, but he gets the job done,” Lynch said. “He and Strahan are right there in terms of sacks.

“And the thing I always loved about Simeon is his sacks came in big times. Fourth-quarter, third downs, fourth downs. He’s just got a flair for the dramatic. When your team needs a play, he makes it,” Lynch said. “He’s one of the great ones ever at stripping the ball. He doesn’t just sack the quarterback.”

The Broncos are loaded with youth along the defensive line, where they are led by veteran John Engelberger and two free agents; the three rookies; two players with just a year’s experience; one with two years in the league; and one who’s been suspended for the first month of the season.

hey lost Ebenezer Ekuban for the season to an Achilles’ tendon injury and jettisoned starters Gerard Warren and Kenard Lang last month.

While the contract was being completed, Moss said he would welcome the addition of Rice even though it would undoubtedly cut into his playing time as a rookie.

“There would be no envy or jealousy,” said Moss, the Broncos’ first-round draft pick out of Florida. “I think it would be a great situation for him and a great opportunity for me to get the chance to learn from a Hall of Fame-caliber defensive end. I can’t think of one negative.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20577484/

[Paladin]

Moss is growing up.....

[ohiobronco2]

Originally Posted by dragondawg

Ex-Tampa Bay star second among active players with 121 career sack

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Nobody’s more excited about Denver’s signing of free agent sacks specialist Simeon Rice than Broncos safety John Lynch.

The two won a Super Bowl together in Tampa Bay in 2002, and both believe this reunion in the Rockies could lead to a second ring.

“He’s a teammate who I loved playing with and one of the great pass-rushers of all-time. So, we’d be — anyone would be — fortunate to get him,” Lynch said Monday while the sides were signing the one-year deal at Broncos headquarters

Rice, whose 121 career sacks rank second to Michael Strahan among active players, was released by Tampa Bay this summer after the Buccaneers signed first-round draft pick Gaines Adams.

Rice had failed a physical earlier in the day after reporting to camp, but has since passed his medical tests. The 33-year-old started the first eight games last year before being sidelined by a shoulder injury.

Lynch said Rice told him he was fine: “He told me his shoulder’s feeling good and he feels like he’s ready to play.”

Coach Mike Shanahan courted Rice, who ranks 13th all-time in sacks, to bring experience and pressure to a young defensive line.

“He’s a big-time pass rusher, he’s been in the league for a while, he’s got a lot of talent,” Shanahan said.

And he’ll be expected to lead by example when it comes to showing the Broncos’ rookie class of Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder and Marcus Thomas the NFL ropes.

Strahan, among others, has been critical of Rice in recent years, claiming that he gets sacks but doesn’t play the run well, something Lynch said was an overstated observation.

“He’s a terrific football player all-around. A lot of people like to give him a hard time about his run defense. It doesn’t always look pretty, but he gets the job done,” Lynch said. “He and Strahan are right there in terms of sacks.

“And the thing I always loved about Simeon is his sacks came in big times. Fourth-quarter, third downs, fourth downs. He’s just got a flair for the dramatic. When your team needs a play, he makes it,” Lynch said. “He’s one of the great ones ever at stripping the ball. He doesn’t just sack the quarterback.”

The Broncos are loaded with youth along the defensive line, where they are led by veteran John Engelberger and two free agents; the three rookies; two players with just a year’s experience; one with two years in the league; and one who’s been suspended for the first month of the season.
hey lost Ebenezer Ekuban for the season to an Achilles’ tendon injury and jettisoned starters Gerard Warren and Kenard Lang last month.

While the contract was being completed, Moss said he would welcome the addition of Rice even though it would undoubtedly cut into his playing time as a rookie.

“There would be no envy or jealousy,” said Moss, the Broncos’ first-round draft pick out of Florida. “I think it would be a great situation for him and a great opportunity for me to get the chance to learn from a Hall of Fame-caliber defensive end. I can’t think of one negative.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20577484/

We are on our way. Not only do we finally have somewhat of a youth movement on our DL, but we also have young players who seem to have the right idea. The greatest impact Rice can have on our team in my opinion is tutoring our younger DL players. I don't know if our D will gel this season, but I feel we are really close to having a dominant D, regardless of what I've seen this pre season. The true test will come against the Bills and we will see if we have just been running a vanilla D or if our D really isn't as good as we'd like. I hope we can pick up another DT, Linebacker (where depends on how well DJ plays) and a safety before the start of the season next year and we will be set for dominance for years to come.

[Popps]

Someone mentioned the Neil Smith signing. I wouldn't say this is the same thing, but could have a lesser... but similar effect on our defense.

Broncos fans probably can't even remember what it's like to have an ass kicker up front, having to be accounted for on every play. It makes things very difficult for a opposing offenses.

[Cito Pelon]

Rice has always been a mild liability against the run because he's aggressive upfield all the time. But the sacks outweigh the mild liability as long as you have cleanup LB's.

[BroncoBuff]

Another good Lynch/Rice article from Andrew Mason:

Selling Rice on the Broncos
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Instead of carrying a briefcase and wearing a tie, John Lynch totes his shoulder pads and dons a helmet.
Aside from that, there's little that separates the safety from a successful salesman.

His tools? Quick thinking, a friendly nature and the ability to build a relationship with a potential customer. In Lynch's case, crafting that relationship with Simeon Rice was simple; all he had to do was call upon their four years as teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But Lynch had something more to offer Rice -- evidence that going from Tampa Bay to Denver can provide that second act that is all too rare in life and in football. That ultimately helped sway Rice to join the Broncos, as the 12-year veteran defensive end agreed to terms with Denver on Monday afternoon.

Rice's arrival, of course, evokes memories of Lynch's decision to spurn other offers and sign with the Broncos in March 2004. In that case, though, the timeline was truncated; Lynch was only on the market a few days, while Rice lingered unclaimed for over a month as he explored his options.

Simeon Rice and John Lynch shared some good
times together with the Bucs -- including a
Super Bowl and a Pro Bowl in their three
seasons together. PHOTO: AP

But a player with 121 career sacks -- more than all but one active NFL player -- wasn't going to linger on the shelf forever.

"He's got a lot of talent," Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. Now, his team hopes for lightning to strike twice when it comes to Bucs-turned-Broncos.
When the Bucs jettisoned Lynch in 2004, many thought that the safety would never be the same, that he would never recover from the injuries that had dogged him the previous year. Three seasons, three Pro Bowls and just two missed games later, Lynch erased all doubt about whether he still possessed the skills, prowess and durability that made him so valuable on Florida's west coast.

Three years and nearly five months after the Bucs parted ways with Lynch, they said goodbye to Rice. Lynch subsequently wasted little time calling his old teammate on the phone.

"I've talked to him a lot from the day he was cut," Lynch said. "I was proactive in calling him and saying, 'Hey, keep us in mind.'"

As Lynch worked his old friend on the phone, he tried to convince the 12-year veteran defensive end that Denver was the place to be. But he didn't have to use the other tool in the salesman's satchel -- a polished, varnished spiel that is often summarized with a two-syllable profanity that is also a popular sports chant.

Instead, Lynch merely had to be honest about his own experience. "You just tell them the truth when you tell people about this organization," Lynch said. "They do things right (in Denver). You're never guaranteed anything in this league, but you're going to have a chance to compete every year, and that's all you can ask for."

Obviously, it worked, giving the Broncos an adrenaline boost to a defensive line that 16 days earlier absorbed the loss of one of its most integral parts when Ebenezer Ekuban tore an Achilles tendon during the preseason loss at Dallas.

"When Eb went down, (Rice in Denver) became more of a reality, and hopefully it works out," Lynch said shortly before the news of Rice's arrival broke. "We'd be extremely fortunate to get him."

Less than an hour later, Lynch's hopes became reality. "We won a Super Bowl together and played on one of the great defenses of all-time, and he was a huge part of that," Lynch said. "He's a terrific player."

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...4&storyID=7127

[Willynowei]

This organization has done everything it could've this offseason to address the D-line. Awesome job.

Now lets hope that they take it from the paper to the field.

[Los Broncos]

Lynch made a smooth transition from TB to Denver, im sure he will do everything to help Rice do the same.

[RunSilentRunDeep]

Aside from the sacks, the guy has forced 23 fumbles in the last five seasons.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Popps

Someone mentioned the Neil Smith signing. I wouldn't say this is the same thing, but could have a lesser... but similar effect on our defense.

Broncos fans probably can't even remember what it's like to have an ass kicker up front, having to be accounted for on every play. It makes things very difficult for a opposing offenses.

After all your off-season D-Line hand-wringing (which I joined) ... now with the Drafted Trio plus Simeon Rice, are you ready to hang up the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner Popps?

I sure am

[Broncojef]

God what a relief, this season is gonna be so much fun. I love this team and Pat Bowlen!!!!

[Marshall is Beast]

im so excited abou rice, he could be crucial to the development of our 2 young ends, and hopefully he make a huge positive impact on them

this is also my first post here, ive been on bronco country for a while but its dieing over there because of stupid rules and change . . .oh well its good to still be around bronco fans

also who are the mods around here my old profile needs to be deleted anything helps thanks everybody

[El Guapo]

Only one word sums this up; AWESOME!

Cant wait for sunday!! (too bad I'll be driving back from the Texas Tech game )

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Maverick_7

Only one word sums this up; AWESOME!

Cant wait for sunday!! (too bad I'll be driving back from the Texas Tech game )

Come on, Mav, Lubbock to Dallas is three, four hours tops. Pull an all-nighter!


BTW - I just saw Tech clubbing SMU there in Dallas a few hours ago. That Mustangs stadium they dug into the ground there on Mockingbird is very cool. I saw it for the first time in '04 ... but the time before that (95?) it was just a flat soccer field with bleachers on each side. The new SMU unis look cool too.

[Vegas_Bronco]

Updated: September 3, 2007, 10:34 PM ET




Free-agent defensive end Simeon Rice, one of the few potential impact players remaining in free agency and a guy who enters 2007 as the second-leading active sacker in the league, signed with the Denver Broncos on Monday evening.


Clayton: Rice Ready

Mike Shanahan obviously didn't think his young defensive ends were ready for prime time, John Clayton writes. Blog



Rice, 33, arrived in Denver on Sunday, dined that evening with team officials, and then chose the Broncos' contract offer over the proposal the St. Louis Rams submitted.
According to ESPN.com's John Clayton, Rice's deal with the Broncos is for one year and $3 million. He accepted the terms once the Broncos decided to guarantee the contract. Along with the $3 million, the Broncos gave him the chance to make another $1 million through performance-based incentives.
The addition of Rice, who was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the outset of training camp in July, continues the near-wholesale overhaul of the Denver defensive line. Even before adding Rice, the Broncos were projected to have four new defensive line starters. Only two of the defensive linemen who dressed for Denver in the 2006 season opener remain on the active roster.
"He's a big-time pass rusher, he's been in the league for a while, he's got a lot of talent," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said, according to The Associated Press.
It is not yet known if Rice will play in Denver's season opener at Buffalo on Sunday, but he left little doubt that he wants to suit up.
"I'm anxious to play," Rice said. "It's what I do. I'm not [accustomed] to sitting around."
An 11-year veteran, Rice should provide the Broncos with the upfield pass-rush threat the team has lacked for the last several seasons. Denver had 35 sacks in 2006, slightly below the NFL average of 36.3, and its top sacker was then-rookie Elvis Dumervil, with 8½. The Broncos haven't had a player with double-digit sacks since end Reggie Hayward recorded 10½ in 2004.
Rice has posted eight seasons with 10 or more sacks and only four players in league history have more double-digit sack years than him. He had a string of five straight double-digit sack seasons snapped last year, when a shoulder injury limited him to eight appearances and two sacks, both career lows. Rice is 13th on the all-time sack list and needs eight to move into the top 10 in NFL history.
"He's a teammate who I loved playing with and one of the great pass rushers of all-time. So, we'd be -- anyone would be -- fortunate to get him,'' Broncos defensive back John Lynch said, according to AP.
There have been questions since Rice's release about the status of his left shoulder, which required surgery in the offseason, and most teams with whom he visited administered a physical examination. The Rams even put Rice through a short workout of sorts, which included a weightlifting session.
Lynch said Rice told him he was fine: "He told me his shoulder's feeling good and he feels like he's ready to play."
Rice also visited with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans after his release.
Before the shoulder injury, Rice never missed a game because of injury in his first 10 NFL seasons. The former University of Illinois star has played in 166 games, 160 as a starter, and has 460 tackles, 35 forced fumbles, eight recoveries, five interceptions and 51 pass deflections.
He was a first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 1996, then signed with the Bucs as an unrestricted free agent in 2001.
Rice's departure from Tampa Bay was a controversial one. Team officials allowed him to report to camp, then announced he had failed his physical exam. Rice insisted the divorce from the Bucs, where he was scheduled to have a base salary of $7.25 million in 2007 and a salary cap charge of more than $10 million, was financially motivated.
The release came, Rice said, after he rejected a proposed salary reduction of $2.5 million.

"Everybody knows it was a money thing," Rice said. Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton are senior NFL writers for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Come on, Mav, Lubbock to Dallas is three, four hours tops. Pull an all-nighter!


BTW - I just saw Tech clubbing SMU there in Dallas a few hours ago. That Mustangs stadium they dug into the ground there on Mockingbird is very cool. I saw it for the first time in '04 ... but the time before that (95?) it was just a flat soccer field with bleachers on each side. The new SMU unis look cool too.

Unfortunately Im carpooling with 5 other people, so majority rules... and Im not in the majority.

[dragondawg]

i only remember lynch missing one game

[Popps]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

After all your off-season D-Line hand-wringing (which I joined) ... now with the Drafted Trio plus Simeon Rice, are you ready to hang up the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner Popps?

I sure am

Football-wise, pretty close. He's potentially the disruptive force we've needed.
Not sure about the guys lined up next to him, but from strictly a football standpoint, he'll make us much better. I'm excited to see the impact it has on this defense.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

After all your off-season D-Line hand-wringing (which I joined) ... now with the Drafted Trio plus Simeon Rice, are you ready to hang up the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner Popps?

I sure am

Controlling the LOS is "mission accomplished".

[azbroncfan]

Can't wait to see him go up against KC's joke of OT's.

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Willynowei

This organization has done everything it could've this offseason to address the D-line.

Yep.

You've been as vocal about it as I have. They've moved up in the draft, used two first day picks on the DL, signed Adams and others, and now this.

If it doesn't work out this year... we cant' say they didn't try, and that's all we can ask.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by Popps

Yep.

You've been as vocal about it as I have. They've moved up in the draft, used two first day picks on the DL, signed Adams and others, and now this.

If it doesn't work out this year... we cant' say they didn't try, and that's all we can ask.

True. There was finally an effort made to correct what has been the downfall of this team for years.

It's a shame that Pryce isnt around this season. I would feel comfortable calling us the best team in the West with another DT that could contribute regularly with some form of dominance at the position.

[NW Bolt Fan]

Originally Posted by Popps

Someone mentioned the Neil Smith signing. I wouldn't say this is the same thing, but could have a lesser... but similar effect on our defense.

Broncos fans probably can't even remember what it's like to have an ass kicker up front, having to be accounted for on every play. It makes things very difficult for a opposing offenses.

Donkey fans can't remember past Pryce?

[NW Bolt Fan]

Originally Posted by angryllama

Controlling the LOS is "mission accomplished".

Yeah, Rice is a BEAST on the line. One trick pony, who oughta be glue by now.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

After all your off-season D-Line hand-wringing (which I joined) ... now with the Drafted Trio plus Simeon Rice, are you ready to hang up the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner Popps?

I sure am

Thats all well and good for the DEs, nice youth movement and all that, it'd be perfect if Eb was still healthy, but at DT we still look pretty soft. We won't go very far if we can't stop teams from running up the gut. That requires Sam Adams to get back to form and either Gordon, Burton, McKinley, or Thomas to step up and take over the DT role next to him.

Excellent deal though. 1 year, $3M, $1M in performance bonuses. He'll be highly motivated and we have no long term commitment.