Carlton Powell wants to play NT - The Orange Mane

footstepsfrom#27 · 05-19-2009, 01:25 AM

Powell hopes to hold ground on Broncos' new line

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/powe...oncos-new-line

Tom Robinson
The Virginian-Pilot
May 19, 2009

For someone who's yet to play in an NFL game, Chesapeake's Carlton Powell has seen a career's worth of NFL drama play out before him.

One year with the Denver Broncos has brought Powell, a defensive tackle who attended Virginia Tech, a torn Achilles tendon that cost him his first shot at a rookie season. His team, once 8-5 and easily atop the AFC West, lost three straight at the end and missed the playoffs.

His coach Mike Shanahan, a presumed Denver untouchable, was canned and replaced by peach-fuzzed Josh McDaniels, who immediately clashed with high-producing/high-maintenance quarterback Jay Cutler, who wound up traded to Chicago.

Still following? Good. The plot thickens...

The new defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, brought a new defensive scheme, ditching Denver's 4-3 base for a 3-4 alignment foreign to Powell. Then Denver's defensive line, routinely abused by running attacks last season, was virtually ignored in the college draft, which sparked a grumbling maelstrom in the Bronco-fan blogosphere.

Into this roiling swirl again steps Powell, mended and actually more insulated than most Broncos from the franchise's seismic shifts.

"My advantage was, although I was in film sessions and watching practice, I didn't really go through the same regimen as the rest of the players," Powell said Monday from Denver. "I wasn't as acclimated to the old way, so the change-over probably isn't going to affect me as much as it affects other players that were used to the way things were."

The things that can be are what drive Powell, 23, through his offseason workouts at the Broncos' training complex. Fully healed since January, Powell compares the specter of his NFL debut to a wandering soul in the desert.

"I'm waiting to get that first cup of water," he says, "and it's going to go down."

Powell's ultimate place, however, will be determined more by sips than gulps. Uncertainty surrounds him. He's a fifth-round draft choice coming off surgery, but with a reputation as a solid run-stuffer at Virginia Tech. He's also among a nondescript gaggle of veterans and rookie free agents, one of whom is Hampton University's Chris Baker, on a defensive line that sorely needs to raise its collective game.

"We're gonna get the job done this year, definitely," Powell says. "I'm not worried about it at all."

Powell admits to initial concern over the regime change, though. He's a Shanahan holdover, an unproven one at that. But Powell, who trains five days a week at Denver's complex, says he's been pro-active getting to know McDaniels and his staff by introducing himself around the training facility.

Powell, who Denver lists at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds - Powell says he's closer to 315 - figures to compete for the nose-tackle job rather than either defensive end in coordinator Mike Nolan's new 3-4.

While Powell prides himself on versatility, the priority of a 3-4 nose tackle - holding ground even against double-team blocking - plays to his talents.

"You're right over the center, and if there's a double team it'll be on you real quick," he says. "You cannot give up any movement at all and allow them to get up to the linebackers in a 3-4."

That trench battle is where it really gets dramatic for a guy like Powell on the field. He can't wait, because he's had his fill of the other kind, thanks.

"It just shows you how the league is definitely a business, and that a lot of things can change in a small amount of time," he says of the Broncos' recent past. "You've just got to be able to adjust and roll with it."

Tom Robinson, (757) 446-2518, tom.robinson@pilotonline.com

BroncoBuff · 05-19-2009, 01:35 AM

I've already posted my exclusive interview with Powell about where he's gonna play: http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=79753

Bronco Yoda · 05-19-2009, 01:47 AM

Throw him in and see what happens. We're going to need someone to step up.

BroncoBuff · 05-19-2009, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronco Yoda

Throw him in and see what happens. We're going to need someone to step up.

Yeah ... if he's really 315, that's good news.

Cool avatar Yoda

Bronco Yoda · 05-19-2009, 02:15 AM

I can't remember now where I lifted it from... but I liked it too

Good stuff Buff.

I wonder if that's playing weight. We now need a legit NT in the worst way. IMO the front 3-4 will be the key to any kind of success for us this year.

BroncoBuff · 05-19-2009, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronco Yoda

I can't remember now where I lifted it from... but I liked it too

Good stuff Buff.

I wonder if that's playing weight. We now need a legit NT in the worst way. IMO the front 3-4 will be the key to any kind of success for us this year.

I agree, we need a legit NT or we're gonna get run on like it's 2007 all over again. Ron Fields has just 5 career starts and weighs just 315 ... not exactly numbers that inspire confidence.

Next NT in line is Powell I guess, and then CFA Chris Baker ... although there was some chatter just recently that Marcus Thomas might give NT a shot. I like Thomas as a 3-4 DE, he has the quickness.

Bronco Yoda · 05-19-2009, 02:33 AM

Do you think any of these guys will pan out? I respect your judgment on this. Our LB's will not hold up without a stout front center. I don't even see how we'll even try a 3-4 at this point.

I'm debating on buying one of those 1960 throwback jerseys today online. Anyone else going to buy one of those mustard and brown uni's?

NYBronco · 05-19-2009, 02:58 AM

"It just shows you how the league is definitely a business, and that a lot of things can change in a small amount of time," he says of the Broncos' recent past. "You've just got to be able to adjust and roll with it."

He seems to get it.

footstepsfrom#27 · 05-19-2009, 04:41 AM

Any of these guys at 315 are probably rotation solutions, not starters at the NT spot. If he can play at that weight he might be a factor there but it just seems hard to envision them starting that light.

gyldenlove · 05-19-2009, 05:52 AM

I want him to make it, I really want him to make it. He seems like a genuinely good guy.

Premier-Ace55 · 05-19-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Any of these guys at 315 are probably rotation solutions, not starters at the NT spot. If he can play at that weight he might be a factor there but it just seems hard to envision them starting that light.

I'm not a great expert on the 3-4 but does the nose have to be 330lbs if they are rotating shouldn't be be okay. The dallas nt isn't much bigger than 315lbs and does fine. I would prefer a bigger nose but if the player is stout and strong and quick off the snap he should be fine in a rotation situtation where he wouldn't wear down i would think.

SoDak Bronco · 05-19-2009, 06:58 AM

i think the away jerseys look better

Garcia Bronco · 05-19-2009, 07:02 AM

Of course he does. He's a Hokie.

Schism · 05-19-2009, 07:34 AM

If it's a more penetrative 3-4 then maybe we'll see Powell and Thomas rotating at the NT spot, with Fields or Baker brought in for short yardage situations where we need a big fatso in there.

The D-Line scares me though, really hope we can get something out of these guys or we're in for another long year.

Garcia Bronco · 05-19-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McSchism

If it's a more penetrative 3-4 then maybe we'll see Powell and Thomas rotating at the NT spot, with Fields or Baker brought in for short yardage situations where we need a big fatso in there.

The D-Line scares me though, really hope we can get something out of these guys or we're in for another long year.

Our d-line os going to be better just for the sake of new coaches with something to prove.

BroncoBuff · 05-19-2009, 07:56 AM

Let's take a look at NT weights around the 3-4 league:

DALLAS:
Tim Anderson 315
Jay Ratliff 302

SAN DIEGO
Jamal Wiliiams 348
Ian Scott 302

PITTSBURGH
Casey Hampton 325
Chris Hoke 305

NEW ENGLAND
Vince Wilfork 325
Titus Adams 305
Ron Brace 330

NY JETS
Kris Jenkins 349
Howard Green 320

CLEVELAND
Shaun Rogers 350
Robaire Smith 310

BALTIMORE
Haloti Ngata 330
Justin Bannan 305

Not all that many jumbos in the league after all ...

meangene · 05-19-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Premier-Ace55

I'm not a great expert on the 3-4 but does the nose have to be 330lbs if they are rotating shouldn't be be okay. The dallas nt isn't much bigger than 315lbs and does fine. I would prefer a bigger nose but if the player is stout and strong and quick off the snap he should be fine in a rotation situtation where he wouldn't wear down i would think.

I agree. There are plenty of effective nose tackles in this league in the 310-315 range. It is clear we are going to have three big guys in the front three. Who will play where is not going to be determined until they put the pads on in training camp. I think Fields and Baker are pretty clearly NT's. Powell and Thomas I think can play either NT or DE. A front three of Powell, Thomas and Fields is not going to get pushed around. Throw in Peterson, Reid and McBean and we have some depth. We are young and big up front which is a big change from the past. I'm willing to wait and see how these young guys develop with some excellent coaching before pushing the panic button.

Gcver2ver3 · 05-19-2009, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Let's take a look at NT weights around the 3-4 league:

DALLAS:
Tim Anderson 315
Jay Ratliff 302

SAN DIEGO
Jamal Wiliiams 348
Ian Scott 302

PITTSBURGH
Casey Hampton 325
Chris Hoke 305

NEW ENGLAND
Vince Wilfork 325
Titus Adams 305
Ron Brace 330

NY JETS
Kris Jenkins 349
Howard Green 320

CLEVELAND
Shaun Rogers 350
Robaire Smith 310

BALTIMORE
Haloti Ngata 330
Justin Bannan 305

Not all that many jumbos in the league after all ...

that's actually more jumbos than i anticipated...

i thought Hampton was lighter than that, interesting...and Ngata isn't the Raven's starting NT, Kelly Gregg is...Gregg weighs 315 lbs...

Popps · 05-19-2009, 08:22 AM

Keep in mind, folks... we're going to be seeing a rotating front and I believe we'll see 4 down linemen about 25% of the time, but that's just a guess.

azbroncfan · 05-19-2009, 09:06 AM

Get him on the Michael Phelps 10,000 calorie a day diet and turn him into a big fat slob that can clog up the middle even though there won't be much of a 2 gapping system this year.

Conklin · 05-19-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

I've already posted my exclusive interview with Powell about where he's gonna play: http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=79753

still posting as if this was new when you posted it? i posted the same information DAYS ahead w/out feeling the need to start a thread about my awesomeness but instead in an existing thread about the subject.

kamakazi_kal · 05-19-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azbroncfan

Get him on the Michael Phelps 10,000 calorie a day diet and turn him into a big fat slob that can clog up the middle even though there won't be much of a 2 gapping system this year.

the Phelps diet?

gyldenlove · 05-19-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Let's take a look at NT weights around the 3-4 league:

DALLAS:
Tim Anderson 315
Jay Ratliff 302

SAN DIEGO
Jamal Wiliiams 348
Ian Scott 302

PITTSBURGH
Casey Hampton 325
Chris Hoke 305

NEW ENGLAND
Vince Wilfork 325
Titus Adams 305
Ron Brace 330

NY JETS
Kris Jenkins 349
Howard Green 320

CLEVELAND
Shaun Rogers 350
Robaire Smith 310

BALTIMORE
Haloti Ngata 330
Justin Bannan 305

Not all that many jumbos in the league after all ...

I want the scale they weighed Jenkins on, if it has him at 349, I will be a trim 210. I don't think he has been 350 since his senior year, he played at nearly 400 for a while.

gyldenlove · 05-19-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Popps

Keep in mind, folks... we're going to be seeing a rotating front and I believe we'll see 4 down linemen about 25% of the time, but that's just a guess.

25% sounds conservative to me, I would say more like 40%.

footstepsfrom#27 · 05-19-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Let's take a look at NT weights around the 3-4 league:

DALLAS:
Tim Anderson 315
Jay Ratliff 302

SAN DIEGO
Jamal Wiliiams 348
Ian Scott 302

PITTSBURGH
Casey Hampton 325
Chris Hoke 305

NEW ENGLAND
Vince Wilfork 325
Titus Adams 305
Ron Brace 330

NY JETS
Kris Jenkins 349
Howard Green 320

CLEVELAND
Shaun Rogers 350
Robaire Smith 310

BALTIMORE
Haloti Ngata 330
Justin Bannan 305

Not all that many jumbos in the league after all ...

Well the best ones are all bigger than 315. Williams, and Jenkins are 350 and Hampton and Wilfork 325. Think about what it's like for our line when we play these guys. I know we could play Baker at 325 but since he's a rookie it would be nice if Powell put on a few more pounds. Maybe he can get to 325? I still wonder though if he wouldnt be better at the DE spot because if you want your best 3 on the field starting it might be necessary for him, Thomas and Baker to be in there. Of course Baker might not be ready so that could be all be a moot point.

05-19-2009, 01:25 AM	#1
footstepsfrom#27 helmet to helmet hitter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 16,117 Adopt-a-Bronco: Joe Mays	Carlton Powell wants to play NT Powell hopes to hold ground on Broncos' new line http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/powe...oncos-new-line Tom Robinson The Virginian-Pilot May 19, 2009 For someone who's yet to play in an NFL game, Chesapeake's Carlton Powell has seen a career's worth of NFL drama play out before him. One year with the Denver Broncos has brought Powell, a defensive tackle who attended Virginia Tech, a torn Achilles tendon that cost him his first shot at a rookie season. His team, once 8-5 and easily atop the AFC West, lost three straight at the end and missed the playoffs. His coach Mike Shanahan, a presumed Denver untouchable, was canned and replaced by peach-fuzzed Josh McDaniels, who immediately clashed with high-producing/high-maintenance quarterback Jay Cutler, who wound up traded to Chicago. Still following? Good. The plot thickens... The new defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, brought a new defensive scheme, ditching Denver's 4-3 base for a 3-4 alignment foreign to Powell. Then Denver's defensive line, routinely abused by running attacks last season, was virtually ignored in the college draft, which sparked a grumbling maelstrom in the Bronco-fan blogosphere. Into this roiling swirl again steps Powell, mended and actually more insulated than most Broncos from the franchise's seismic shifts. "My advantage was, although I was in film sessions and watching practice, I didn't really go through the same regimen as the rest of the players," Powell said Monday from Denver. "I wasn't as acclimated to the old way, so the change-over probably isn't going to affect me as much as it affects other players that were used to the way things were." The things that can be are what drive Powell, 23, through his offseason workouts at the Broncos' training complex. Fully healed since January, Powell compares the specter of his NFL debut to a wandering soul in the desert. "I'm waiting to get that first cup of water," he says, "and it's going to go down." Powell's ultimate place, however, will be determined more by sips than gulps. Uncertainty surrounds him. He's a fifth-round draft choice coming off surgery, but with a reputation as a solid run-stuffer at Virginia Tech. He's also among a nondescript gaggle of veterans and rookie free agents, one of whom is Hampton University's Chris Baker, on a defensive line that sorely needs to raise its collective game. "We're gonna get the job done this year, definitely," Powell says. "I'm not worried about it at all." Powell admits to initial concern over the regime change, though. He's a Shanahan holdover, an unproven one at that. But Powell, who trains five days a week at Denver's complex, says he's been pro-active getting to know McDaniels and his staff by introducing himself around the training facility. Powell, who Denver lists at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds - Powell says he's closer to 315 - figures to compete for the nose-tackle job rather than either defensive end in coordinator Mike Nolan's new 3-4. While Powell prides himself on versatility, the priority of a 3-4 nose tackle - holding ground even against double-team blocking - plays to his talents. "You're right over the center, and if there's a double team it'll be on you real quick," he says. "You cannot give up any movement at all and allow them to get up to the linebackers in a 3-4." That trench battle is where it really gets dramatic for a guy like Powell on the field. He can't wait, because he's had his fill of the other kind, thanks. "It just shows you how the league is definitely a business, and that a lot of things can change in a small amount of time," he says of the Broncos' recent past. "You've just got to be able to adjust and roll with it." Tom Robinson, (757) 446-2518, tom.robinson@pilotonline.com

05-19-2009, 07:56 AM	#16
BroncoBuff *************** Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 25,435 Adopt-a-Bronco: QUANTERUS SMITH	Let's take a look at NT weights around the 3-4 league: DALLAS: Tim Anderson 315 Jay Ratliff 302 SAN DIEGO Jamal Wiliiams 348 Ian Scott 302 PITTSBURGH Casey Hampton 325 Chris Hoke 305 NEW ENGLAND Vince Wilfork 325 Titus Adams 305 Ron Brace 330 NY JETS Kris Jenkins 349 Howard Green 320 CLEVELAND Shaun Rogers 350 Robaire Smith 310 BALTIMORE Haloti Ngata 330 Justin Bannan 305 Not all that many jumbos in the league after all ...

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05-19-2009, 01:35 AM	#2
BroncoBuff *************** Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 25,435 Adopt-a-Bronco: QUANTERUS SMITH	I've already posted my exclusive interview with Powell about where he's gonna play: http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=79753

05-19-2009, 01:47 AM	#3
Bronco Yoda Stokley once... ...saved me from a beating Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,244	Throw him in and see what happens. We're going to need someone to step up.

05-19-2009, 02:15 AM	#5
Bronco Yoda Stokley once... ...saved me from a beating Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,244	I can't remember now where I lifted it from... but I liked it too Good stuff Buff. I wonder if that's playing weight. We now need a legit NT in the worst way. IMO the front 3-4 will be the key to any kind of success for us this year.

05-19-2009, 02:33 AM	#7
Bronco Yoda Stokley once... ...saved me from a beating Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,244	Do you think any of these guys will pan out? I respect your judgment on this. Our LB's will not hold up without a stout front center. I don't even see how we'll even try a 3-4 at this point. I'm debating on buying one of those 1960 throwback jerseys today online. Anyone else going to buy one of those mustard and brown uni's?

05-19-2009, 02:58 AM	#8
NYBronco Ring of Famer Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 2,994	"It just shows you how the league is definitely a business, and that a lot of things can change in a small amount of time," he says of the Broncos' recent past. "You've just got to be able to adjust and roll with it." He seems to get it.

05-19-2009, 04:41 AM	#9
footstepsfrom#27 helmet to helmet hitter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 16,117 Adopt-a-Bronco: Joe Mays	Any of these guys at 315 are probably rotation solutions, not starters at the NT spot. If he can play at that weight he might be a factor there but it just seems hard to envision them starting that light.

05-19-2009, 05:52 AM	#10
gyldenlove Ring of Famer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: London, ON Posts: 10,034 Adopt-a-Bronco: Spencer Larsen	I want him to make it, I really want him to make it. He seems like a genuinely good guy.

05-19-2009, 06:58 AM	#12
SoDak Bronco Lace em' up and lets go!! Von Miller aka QB Killa Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Dakota Posts: 4,132 Adopt-a-Bronco: Robert Ayers	i think the away jerseys look better

05-19-2009, 07:02 AM	#13
Garcia Bronco Hokie since 1993 Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 45,991 Adopt-a-Bronco: Tom Jackson	Of course he does. He's a Hokie.

05-19-2009, 07:34 AM	#14
Schism Ring of Famer New to the Forum Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,920 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	If it's a more penetrative 3-4 then maybe we'll see Powell and Thomas rotating at the NT spot, with Fields or Baker brought in for short yardage situations where we need a big fatso in there. The D-Line scares me though, really hope we can get something out of these guys or we're in for another long year.

05-19-2009, 08:22 AM	#19
Popps TEAM FIRST. Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 29,785	Keep in mind, folks... we're going to be seeing a rotating front and I believe we'll see 4 down linemen about 25% of the time, but that's just a guess.

05-19-2009, 09:06 AM	#20
azbroncfan Ring of Famer Angry guntoting,meateating AMERICAN Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Scottsdale Posts: 8,669 Adopt-a-Bronco: TEBOW	Get him on the Michael Phelps 10,000 calorie a day diet and turn him into a big fat slob that can clog up the middle even though there won't be much of a 2 gapping system this year.