High bar set for Broncos' Clady - The Orange Mane

DukeWoody · 08-08-2008, 12:21 PM

High bar set for Broncos' Clady
Boise State rookie's focus on early impact for Broncos
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Thursday, August 7, 2008

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...private-idaho/

Thanks a lot, Joe Thomas.

All you did for the Cleveland Browns last season as their No. 1 pick is start 16 games at left tackle, help transform their offense to eighth overall in yardage, finish second in voting for the NFL's offensive rookie of the year and make the Pro Bowl.

So, Ryan Clady, there's your bar. Get in there and try not to disappoint for the Broncos as a rookie first-rounder, OK?

"He made it look real easy," Clady said with a laugh recently. "So there are a lot of expectations in the first round coming in to make an immediate impact."

It isn't always such a seamless transition, especially protecting the quarterback's blind side.

Robert Gallery, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Kenyatta Walker and Kwame Harris all came in with lofty reputations and produced less-than-desired results, especially immediately, as first-round picks.

There's so much to learn and so little time.

* Memorizing the playbook and quickly distinguishing play calls that might only have slight variations in terminology.

* Learning techniques taught by the new offensive line coach.

* Combating the knowledge base of veterans while having only a few months of pro experience.

* Catching up with the speed of the game and of pro life.

Most of all, it's using abundant talent in the best way possible until experience takes hold, while not letting the low moments drag you down.

"I think you just have to have the mentality that you're going to make some mistakes and have real tough skin because the coaches are going to be yelling at you and trying to get you on the right path," said Clady, selected 12th overall out of Boise State and one of a record six offensive tackles picked in the first round in April.

"You're not going to come in and completely dominate. Joe Thomas did well. But it wasn't lights-out craziness. So you have to come in with the mentality that, every day, you're going to get better."

But make no mistake, the most diligent of film study and on-field preparation won't insulate Clady from having his eventual "welcome to the NFL" moment.

Like it or not, that's coming.

'In rookie awe'

For Joe Staley, that instant came right after 1 o'clock Eastern time on Oct. 21.

The 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Staley had reached the bye week relatively unscathed before heading to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants and a head-to-head meeting with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan.

It was the same Michael Strahan that Staley had put on a pedestal as a youth.

At halftime and with 3 1/2 sacks allowed, Staley wasn't liking Strahan quite as much.

"I got caught up in, 'Oh, my God, it's Michael Strahan,' " said Staley, who also yielded a sack to Giants lineman Justin Tuck in that game. "In my head, I was kind of in rookie awe and played really passive. He beat me pretty bad in the first half. But I came back saying, 'I don't care who this guy is, I'm going to play my game.' And I went out and shut him out in the second half.

"But I feel like I needed that game to raise my level of play," Staley said. "I learned so much from that game. And, from that point on, I gave up one sack the rest of the year."

Levi Brown, the No. 5 pick in the 2007 draft by the Arizona Cardinals and the first tackle taken after Thomas, was lulled to sleep in a different fashion.

Having already played Seattle earlier in the season, Brown thought he was prepared for his December rematch with Patrick Kearney.

"I gave up three sacks," Brown said. "During the game, I was like, 'Man, I can't stop him.' And the first time we played them, I didn't give up any sacks at all, so I was like, 'What happened? Am I coming out of my stance slower or something like that?'

"And later, watching film, it was just little things. It was like I was lackadaisical, not punching and things like that. I didn't attack him."

Like Staley, Brown learned from his mistakes.

The Cardinals revised their thinking, too, giving their rookie tackle more help after that game by aligning a tight end on his side and chipping defensive ends with running backs.

"I just had to let it go," Brown said. "After the game, maybe the plane ride back, maybe I dwelled on it. But that was it."

The NFL schedule continues to roll along, regardless.

"You have to have the mentality that it's not going to affect your confidence level," Staley said. "A lot of players start playing bad or having a bad practice, and they start turning that into two bad practices and then a whole week of them. Then it's a bad game, and the confidence level goes down and has to be built back up."

If either player has friendly advice to Clady, it's honing in on the mental aspects of the game to allow the game to slow down.

"There's that transition of going from basically knowing 10 plays going into a game in college to knowing a 500-page playbook," Staley said.

That process begins in organized training activities, but after the Broncos broke minicamp in June, Clady had only his offseason notes on which to rely because the team collects the playbooks before reissuing them in training camp.

Once two-a-days begin, multiple daily meetings serve as more than a refresher course. But it's also the beginning of more complicated defenses, and rookies have to assimilate the information quickly on the field.

There's continual teaching of technical aspects, too, where, if you're not sharp with footwork within the first few steps, the results can be disastrous because of the speed of opposing linemen.

"The first thing is trusting the technique they've been taught because it's going to be different than college and uncomfortable for them," said veteran offensive line coach George Warhop, who has tutored lines in St. Louis, Arizona, Dallas and now San Francisco during the past 12 years.

"What happens is, they won't have as much success early as later on, and the tendency is to want to go back to the way they used to do it. But once they trust the different technique, progress comes a little faster."

The daily grind of competition can be overwhelming for rookie tackles.

"These guys are used to being the best player on the field. And now they're facing players who know how to take advantage of their mistakes, and it's a source of frustration," Warhop said. "It's up to us, as coaches, to get them through that."

Time to learn

The Broncos normally have afforded their homegrown, first- year offensive linemen a waiting period to get accustomed to the synchronization skills necessary in their zone blocking system.

Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper each went without an offensive snap as rookies. Ryan Harris played sparingly. Even the last No. 1 tackle drafted, the since-departed George Foster, made his lone appearance in Year 1 in the regular-season finale.

Clady was unaware of that historical backdrop, which makes his task "a little more challenging." But he also feels as if he was drafted to play immediately.

"I think I'm up to it," he said.

Matt Lepsis, the Broncos' starting left tackle from 2004 to 2007 until his retirement in January, said Clady will need to get used to firing out quicker on the snap.

But the toughest adjustment in Lepsis' view, figures to be cutting off the back side in the running game. The two concepts are intertwined.

"A lot of teams have these gigantic guys and just tell them to get to a spot. If there's somebody in that area, block him," Lepsis said. "But the Broncos kind of ask you to be very athletic and run down the line to cut off a defensive tackle."

Lepsis predicted the Broncos initially will give help to Clady in the passing game, but he also knows coach Mike Shanahan wants as many receivers downfield as possible without needing to use extra players to block.

The terminology also figures to be challenging.

"The thing he really has going for him is he's got Tom Nalen at center, who makes all the calls on the lines. He's not going to have to make any calls with Tom there," Lepsis said. "He'll learn it, eventually, but in the beginning, he'll rely on Tom and Ben (Hamilton), who have been doing it forever and know their stuff in their sleep. They'll help him out."

And once Clady learns the scheme, he'll have an advantage because the Broncos running game doesn't stray much from its base concepts.

Stretch right. Stretch left.

Though the Broncos system is more complex, many of the elements Clady ran at Boise State are similar, with outside and inside zone schemes.

The rookie got a further jump-start by studying the system on tape in the offseason and watching individual tape of players, ranging from Seattle's Walter Jones to San Diego's Marcus McNeill and Thomas.

"Clady's so capable, it's almost unbelievable," Broncos second-year tackle Ryan Harris said. "He's really been on top of his game. I mean, he probably gets the least coaching because I think he needs it the least. He knows what he's doing and always has great effort. That's a great kid. It's like he almost practiced before we came out here because he's always doing the right things and, in meetings, he knows all the answers."

So much for the notion that a low Wonderlic score might be a signal Clady wouldn't assimilate well to the pro game.

Clady has explained that a pectoral injury during the weight-lifting portion at the combine got him sidetracked come quiz time.

"I tell you what, whenever a defensive end asks you a logic question, we'll start worrying about the Wonderlic test," Harris said.

Focus on technique

Truth be told, Thomas never was as settled as he might have seemed.

Cleveland's Pro Bowl rookie had an adjustment period - just like everyone else.

"I think, if you ever get in a comfort zone on the offensive line, that's when you are going to get beat," Thomas said. "I think for me, it took a couple games in the regular season - finding out, 'Boy, I can block these guys' - before I felt confident to go out there and play."

The best advice Thomas received last season: Don't listen to what others say about you, good or bad.

And follow technique tips to the letter.

"Every little thing that you do, players are so good and study so much, they know what you are going to do before you do it, based upon presnap alignment, formation and how your stance is,"

Thomas said. "If you study the game, you are going to be able to help pick up on those things, too."

Physically, Clady must get stronger, particularly in the upper body, and guard against the bull rush. He has already demonstrated mobility to contest speed rushers.

His long arms, footwork and agility are his chief weapons entering Denver's first preseason game Saturday in Houston.

And, like training camp, he's fine if you don't notice him, which is actually a huge compliment.

"I just want to get on the field, learn the plays, start all the games and play consistently. That's all I'm trying to do," Clady said of embarking on his first season. "I don't have to be all-rookie team and all that."

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News

DukeWoody · 08-08-2008, 12:26 PM

Another good read by Lee Rasizor...Gonna be fun watching this kid do-work on Sat. night...GO CLADY, GO BRONCOS!!!

Kaylore · 08-08-2008, 12:27 PM

That's cool to read all those quotes from all those different players.

Beantown Bronco · 08-08-2008, 12:29 PM

What a misleading thread title. I got excited thinking Clady had entered the Olympics there for a second. Dammit!

Man-Goblin · 08-08-2008, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beantown Bronco

What a misleading thread title. I got excited thinking Clady had entered the Olympics there for a second. Dammit!

The high jump is Travis Henry's competition.

Broncosfreak_56 · 08-08-2008, 12:38 PM

Good article. Im exited for Clady.

Smiling Assassin27 · 08-08-2008, 12:51 PM

I hope the guy has that old school element where he comes out of the huddle looking to punish people, not just block them.

RaiderH8r · 08-08-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smiling Assassin27

I hope the guy has that old school element where he comes out of the huddle looking to punish people, not just block them.

If he doesn't have that mentality, Nails will get his **** set straight in short order.

ZONA · 08-08-2008, 02:00 PM

I'll take the smart guy over the mean guy any day of the week. If you have a stretch play for example, the mean guy might just want to pancake the guy in front of him while the smart guy is thinking if I can get this first guy far enough out of the way or if I can seal him fast and at least get in front of the guy at the next level, this run play could net 25 yards instead of 5 yards.

Not saying don't play with an edge but you want a thinker out there but I've seen guys so intent on "punishing" a defender that they take themselves out of position to possibly get to an additional defender. We've all seen the tapes before of the guy who smashes into his DE enough where he kicks him outside and seals him just as the RB starts to go through his hole, he releases and gets enough of a safety of LB that allows the RB to gain more yardage. That's they guy I want.

Inkana7 · 08-08-2008, 02:14 PM

That's one hell of an article. Very well written.

kmonty · 08-08-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZONA

I'll take the smart guy over the mean guy any day of the week. If you have a stretch play for example, the mean guy might just want to pancake the guy in front of him while the smart guy is thinking if I can get this first guy far enough out of the way or if I can seal him fast and at least get in front of the guy at the next level, this run play could net 25 yards instead of 5 yards.

Not saying don't play with an edge but you want a thinker out there but I've seen guys so intent on "punishing" a defender that they take themselves out of position to possibly get to an additional defender. We've all seen the tapes before of the guy who smashes into his DE enough where he kicks him outside and seals him just as the RB starts to go through his hole, he releases and gets enough of a safety of LB that allows the RB to gain more yardage. That's they guy I want.

Have you seen any of the tape or highlights on Clady? I know everyone has their panties in a twist over his Wonderlic, but the guy understands football. His blocks in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back were incredible.

On tape I've seen him block two guys, I've seen him knock a guy on his ass then move on to the LB, I've seen him completely seal the left side of the field. He has that potential and knowledge of the game. I can't be more excited about Ryan Clady.

s0phr0syne · 08-08-2008, 02:20 PM

Impressive article in its scope of sources.

broncofan2438 · 08-08-2008, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broncosfreak_56

Good article. Im exited for Clady.

I am as well, he just needs to feel less pressure

epicSocialism4tw · 08-08-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

"You're not going to come in and completely dominate. Joe Thomas did well. But it wasn't lights-out craziness. So you have to come in with the mentality that, every day, you're going to get better."

"...lights-out craziness..."

How could a phrase have so little meaning and be so funny at the same time?

worm · 08-08-2008, 02:50 PM

He looks to have been the right pick at #12.

If you are going to bash Shanny for his horrible picks, then you need to give him credit for when he does it right. People might forget in years to come that this wasn't a no-brainer pick at the time.

Anybody want to trade him for Chris Williams or Brandon Albert right now?

A wonderlic-challenged LT might not be the sexy 1st round pick...but I am REALLY excited for him to have Cutlers back for the next decade and a half.

Dedhed · 08-08-2008, 03:49 PM

Seeing his first live action against one of the best DEs in the league should be interesting. If he can hold his own against Mario, it will be very encouraging. Improved OL play will make a huge difference for the offense this year.

WoodMan · 08-08-2008, 03:54 PM

Is Clady going to see any of Mario Williams on Saturday, or is Williams on the opposite side from him? It will be a good test in his first NFL game.

kmonty · 08-08-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodMan

Is Clady going to see any of Mario Williams on Saturday, or is Williams on the opposite side from him? It will be a good test in his first NFL game.

Williams has played on both sides in his two years, but right now the NFL.com depth chart has him lining up across the LT.

broncosteven · 08-08-2008, 04:16 PM

Didn't Indy have a Rookie LT last year also?

Manning was in trouble when he went down vs KFC I think. I can't remember the guys name and am too lazy to google.

PRBronco · 08-08-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Didn't Indy have a Rookie LT last year also?

Manning was in trouble when he went down vs KFC I think. I can't remember the guys name and am too lazy to google.

Tony Ugoh

Florida_Bronco · 08-08-2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Didn't Indy have a Rookie LT last year also?

Manning was in trouble when he went down vs KFC I think. I can't remember the guys name and am too lazy to google.

Tony Ugoh. I picked him in our mock draft.

kupesdad · 08-08-2008, 07:04 PM

Mario moved around last year...when we were at Houston he and Chris had a couple of scuffles because Chris locked him up a couple of plays and he felt he was being held but didn't get the call. I'm pretty sure he was being held

Bladerunner · 08-08-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kupesdad

Mario moved around last year...when we were at Houston he and Chris had a couple of scuffles because Chris locked him up a couple of plays and he felt he was being held but didn't get the call. I'm pretty sure he was being held

That made me laugh...dad, keeping it real. Maybe on Saturday, Chris can introduce him to the club instead...

kmonty · 08-08-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kupesdad

Mario moved around last year...when we were at Houston he and Chris had a couple of scuffles because Chris locked him up a couple of plays and he felt he was being held but didn't get the call. I'm pretty sure he was being held

Haha! That's too funny. Hey, better than giving up the sacks like the tackles did!

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08-08-2008, 12:21 PM	#1
DukeWoody Happenin Homer Homie Back to the drawing board Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In The Loft / Dog House Posts: 1,151 Adopt-a-Bronco: NEXT BIG STAR	High bar set for Broncos' Clady High bar set for Broncos' Clady Boise State rookie's focus on early impact for Broncos By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact) Thursday, August 7, 2008 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...private-idaho/ Thanks a lot, Joe Thomas. All you did for the Cleveland Browns last season as their No. 1 pick is start 16 games at left tackle, help transform their offense to eighth overall in yardage, finish second in voting for the NFL's offensive rookie of the year and make the Pro Bowl. So, Ryan Clady, there's your bar. Get in there and try not to disappoint for the Broncos as a rookie first-rounder, OK? "He made it look real easy," Clady said with a laugh recently. "So there are a lot of expectations in the first round coming in to make an immediate impact." It isn't always such a seamless transition, especially protecting the quarterback's blind side. Robert Gallery, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Kenyatta Walker and Kwame Harris all came in with lofty reputations and produced less-than-desired results, especially immediately, as first-round picks. There's so much to learn and so little time. * Memorizing the playbook and quickly distinguishing play calls that might only have slight variations in terminology. * Learning techniques taught by the new offensive line coach. * Combating the knowledge base of veterans while having only a few months of pro experience. * Catching up with the speed of the game and of pro life. Most of all, it's using abundant talent in the best way possible until experience takes hold, while not letting the low moments drag you down. "I think you just have to have the mentality that you're going to make some mistakes and have real tough skin because the coaches are going to be yelling at you and trying to get you on the right path," said Clady, selected 12th overall out of Boise State and one of a record six offensive tackles picked in the first round in April. "You're not going to come in and completely dominate. Joe Thomas did well. But it wasn't lights-out craziness. So you have to come in with the mentality that, every day, you're going to get better." But make no mistake, the most diligent of film study and on-field preparation won't insulate Clady from having his eventual "welcome to the NFL" moment. Like it or not, that's coming. 'In rookie awe' For Joe Staley, that instant came right after 1 o'clock Eastern time on Oct. 21. The 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Staley had reached the bye week relatively unscathed before heading to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants and a head-to-head meeting with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan. It was the same Michael Strahan that Staley had put on a pedestal as a youth. At halftime and with 3 1/2 sacks allowed, Staley wasn't liking Strahan quite as much. "I got caught up in, 'Oh, my God, it's Michael Strahan,' " said Staley, who also yielded a sack to Giants lineman Justin Tuck in that game. "In my head, I was kind of in rookie awe and played really passive. He beat me pretty bad in the first half. But I came back saying, 'I don't care who this guy is, I'm going to play my game.' And I went out and shut him out in the second half. "But I feel like I needed that game to raise my level of play," Staley said. "I learned so much from that game. And, from that point on, I gave up one sack the rest of the year." Levi Brown, the No. 5 pick in the 2007 draft by the Arizona Cardinals and the first tackle taken after Thomas, was lulled to sleep in a different fashion. Having already played Seattle earlier in the season, Brown thought he was prepared for his December rematch with Patrick Kearney. "I gave up three sacks," Brown said. "During the game, I was like, 'Man, I can't stop him.' And the first time we played them, I didn't give up any sacks at all, so I was like, 'What happened? Am I coming out of my stance slower or something like that?' "And later, watching film, it was just little things. It was like I was lackadaisical, not punching and things like that. I didn't attack him." Like Staley, Brown learned from his mistakes. The Cardinals revised their thinking, too, giving their rookie tackle more help after that game by aligning a tight end on his side and chipping defensive ends with running backs. "I just had to let it go," Brown said. "After the game, maybe the plane ride back, maybe I dwelled on it. But that was it." The NFL schedule continues to roll along, regardless. "You have to have the mentality that it's not going to affect your confidence level," Staley said. "A lot of players start playing bad or having a bad practice, and they start turning that into two bad practices and then a whole week of them. Then it's a bad game, and the confidence level goes down and has to be built back up." If either player has friendly advice to Clady, it's honing in on the mental aspects of the game to allow the game to slow down. "There's that transition of going from basically knowing 10 plays going into a game in college to knowing a 500-page playbook," Staley said. That process begins in organized training activities, but after the Broncos broke minicamp in June, Clady had only his offseason notes on which to rely because the team collects the playbooks before reissuing them in training camp. Once two-a-days begin, multiple daily meetings serve as more than a refresher course. But it's also the beginning of more complicated defenses, and rookies have to assimilate the information quickly on the field. There's continual teaching of technical aspects, too, where, if you're not sharp with footwork within the first few steps, the results can be disastrous because of the speed of opposing linemen. "The first thing is trusting the technique they've been taught because it's going to be different than college and uncomfortable for them," said veteran offensive line coach George Warhop, who has tutored lines in St. Louis, Arizona, Dallas and now San Francisco during the past 12 years. "What happens is, they won't have as much success early as later on, and the tendency is to want to go back to the way they used to do it. But once they trust the different technique, progress comes a little faster." The daily grind of competition can be overwhelming for rookie tackles. "These guys are used to being the best player on the field. And now they're facing players who know how to take advantage of their mistakes, and it's a source of frustration," Warhop said. "It's up to us, as coaches, to get them through that." Time to learn The Broncos normally have afforded their homegrown, first- year offensive linemen a waiting period to get accustomed to the synchronization skills necessary in their zone blocking system. Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper each went without an offensive snap as rookies. Ryan Harris played sparingly. Even the last No. 1 tackle drafted, the since-departed George Foster, made his lone appearance in Year 1 in the regular-season finale. Clady was unaware of that historical backdrop, which makes his task "a little more challenging." But he also feels as if he was drafted to play immediately. "I think I'm up to it," he said. Matt Lepsis, the Broncos' starting left tackle from 2004 to 2007 until his retirement in January, said Clady will need to get used to firing out quicker on the snap. But the toughest adjustment in Lepsis' view, figures to be cutting off the back side in the running game. The two concepts are intertwined. "A lot of teams have these gigantic guys and just tell them to get to a spot. If there's somebody in that area, block him," Lepsis said. "But the Broncos kind of ask you to be very athletic and run down the line to cut off a defensive tackle." Lepsis predicted the Broncos initially will give help to Clady in the passing game, but he also knows coach Mike Shanahan wants as many receivers downfield as possible without needing to use extra players to block. The terminology also figures to be challenging. "The thing he really has going for him is he's got Tom Nalen at center, who makes all the calls on the lines. He's not going to have to make any calls with Tom there," Lepsis said. "He'll learn it, eventually, but in the beginning, he'll rely on Tom and Ben (Hamilton), who have been doing it forever and know their stuff in their sleep. They'll help him out." And once Clady learns the scheme, he'll have an advantage because the Broncos running game doesn't stray much from its base concepts. Stretch right. Stretch left. Though the Broncos system is more complex, many of the elements Clady ran at Boise State are similar, with outside and inside zone schemes. The rookie got a further jump-start by studying the system on tape in the offseason and watching individual tape of players, ranging from Seattle's Walter Jones to San Diego's Marcus McNeill and Thomas. "Clady's so capable, it's almost unbelievable," Broncos second-year tackle Ryan Harris said. "He's really been on top of his game. I mean, he probably gets the least coaching because I think he needs it the least. He knows what he's doing and always has great effort. That's a great kid. It's like he almost practiced before we came out here because he's always doing the right things and, in meetings, he knows all the answers." So much for the notion that a low Wonderlic score might be a signal Clady wouldn't assimilate well to the pro game. Clady has explained that a pectoral injury during the weight-lifting portion at the combine got him sidetracked come quiz time. "I tell you what, whenever a defensive end asks you a logic question, we'll start worrying about the Wonderlic test," Harris said. Focus on technique Truth be told, Thomas never was as settled as he might have seemed. Cleveland's Pro Bowl rookie had an adjustment period - just like everyone else. "I think, if you ever get in a comfort zone on the offensive line, that's when you are going to get beat," Thomas said. "I think for me, it took a couple games in the regular season - finding out, 'Boy, I can block these guys' - before I felt confident to go out there and play." The best advice Thomas received last season: Don't listen to what others say about you, good or bad. And follow technique tips to the letter. "Every little thing that you do, players are so good and study so much, they know what you are going to do before you do it, based upon presnap alignment, formation and how your stance is," Thomas said. "If you study the game, you are going to be able to help pick up on those things, too." Physically, Clady must get stronger, particularly in the upper body, and guard against the bull rush. He has already demonstrated mobility to contest speed rushers. His long arms, footwork and agility are his chief weapons entering Denver's first preseason game Saturday in Houston. And, like training camp, he's fine if you don't notice him, which is actually a huge compliment. "I just want to get on the field, learn the plays, start all the games and play consistently. That's all I'm trying to do," Clady said of embarking on his first season. "I don't have to be all-rookie team and all that." Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News

08-08-2008, 12:26 PM	#2
DukeWoody Happenin Homer Homie Back to the drawing board Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In The Loft / Dog House Posts: 1,151 Adopt-a-Bronco: NEXT BIG STAR	Another good read by Lee Rasizor...Gonna be fun watching this kid do-work on Sat. night...GO CLADY, GO BRONCOS!!!

08-08-2008, 12:27 PM	#3
Kaylore 6-37, Raider fans. Yummy birds and snow! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ceti Alpha V Posts: 41,008 Adopt-a-Bronco: Wesley Duke	That's cool to read all those quotes from all those different players.

08-08-2008, 12:29 PM	#4
Beantown Bronco Athletic Supporter Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mass Posts: 19,039 Adopt-a-Bronco: Matt Prater	What a misleading thread title. I got excited thinking Clady had entered the Olympics there for a second. Dammit!

08-08-2008, 12:38 PM	#6
Broncosfreak_56 Concrete Cyanide Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lakewood Posts: 1,559 Adopt-a-Bronco: Knowshon Moreno	Good article. Im exited for Clady.

08-08-2008, 12:51 PM	#7
Smiling Assassin27 STOP! KIPER TIME! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: In a van down by the river Posts: 10,955 Adopt-a-Bronco: Von Miller	I hope the guy has that old school element where he comes out of the huddle looking to punish people, not just block them.

08-08-2008, 02:00 PM	#9
ZONA Ring of Famer Liquid greatness in every packet Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,358 Adopt-a-Bronco: Chris Harris	I'll take the smart guy over the mean guy any day of the week. If you have a stretch play for example, the mean guy might just want to pancake the guy in front of him while the smart guy is thinking if I can get this first guy far enough out of the way or if I can seal him fast and at least get in front of the guy at the next level, this run play could net 25 yards instead of 5 yards. Not saying don't play with an edge but you want a thinker out there but I've seen guys so intent on "punishing" a defender that they take themselves out of position to possibly get to an additional defender. We've all seen the tapes before of the guy who smashes into his DE enough where he kicks him outside and seals him just as the RB starts to go through his hole, he releases and gets enough of a safety of LB that allows the RB to gain more yardage. That's they guy I want.

08-08-2008, 02:14 PM	#10
Inkana7 Ring of Famer Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8,229 Adopt-a-Bronco: Derek Wolfe	That's one hell of an article. Very well written.

08-08-2008, 02:20 PM	#12
s0phr0syne Symbiotic Absorb and Redirect Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,592 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Impressive article in its scope of sources.

08-08-2008, 02:50 PM	#15
worm Great moments are born... ...from great opportunity Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,947 Adopt-a-Bronco: #20	He looks to have been the right pick at #12. If you are going to bash Shanny for his horrible picks, then you need to give him credit for when he does it right. People might forget in years to come that this wasn't a no-brainer pick at the time. Anybody want to trade him for Chris Williams or Brandon Albert right now? A wonderlic-challenged LT might not be the sexy 1st round pick...but I am REALLY excited for him to have Cutlers back for the next decade and a half.

08-08-2008, 03:49 PM	#16
Dedhed Ring of Famer Fare thee well Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Earth Posts: 9,701 Adopt-a-Bronco: Elvis	Seeing his first live action against one of the best DEs in the league should be interesting. If he can hold his own against Mario, it will be very encouraging. Improved OL play will make a huge difference for the offense this year.

08-08-2008, 03:54 PM	#17
WoodMan Ring of Famer Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Gulf Coast of Mississippi Posts: 1,327	Is Clady going to see any of Mario Williams on Saturday, or is Williams on the opposite side from him? It will be a good test in his first NFL game.

08-08-2008, 04:16 PM	#19
broncosteven The Kranz Dictum MWA: Flight Director Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tranquility Base Posts: 29,006 Adopt-a-Bronco: MONEYBALL #38	Didn't Indy have a Rookie LT last year also? Manning was in trouble when he went down vs KFC I think. I can't remember the guys name and am too lazy to google.

08-08-2008, 07:04 PM	#22
kupesdad Pro Bowler New to the Forum Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 578 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Mario moved around last year...when we were at Houston he and Chris had a couple of scuffles because Chris locked him up a couple of plays and he felt he was being held but didn't get the call. I'm pretty sure he was being held