MVN - Most Valuable Network

What To Expect: Garrett Hartley and Brett Kern

It’ll be a unique training in Denver come the end of July in that the players will report with neither the kicker nor the punter position set in stone.  This was expected upon the departure of Jason Elam, and I had predicted that the Broncos would use at least one of the two seventh rounders they had in the draft to select a kicker and/or a punter.

I was wrong, and once again, it was probably good that I was wrong, as the team was able to acquire two rookies as free agents: Garrett Hartley of Oklahoma and Brett Kern of Toledo.  As I reflect, another reason why it was likely wise not to burn a draft pick on a kicker or punter is that the positions can be such crapshoots for rookies.  Just look at last year’s draft, in which the Chiefs drafted Justin Medlock in the fifth round.  He didn’t even make it past Week 1.  Meanwhile, the Packers drafted Mason Crosby a little later in the sixth round, and he looks like a keeper for the city of Green Bay.

It’s always difficult to profile kickers and punters because there’s so little to detect with a simple glance.  They need to have strong legs, right?  That would be the case with both Hartley and Kern.  But there’s more, they need to be accurate as well, obviously.  Kern looks to be good in that department, and it would be nice to get some punts back inside the 20 in Denver again.

There was uncertainty around Hartley due to a poor senior season, but there’s reason to believe it was an aberration.  My pal David Skipper over at the Sooners page informed me that he was playing hurt last season and that in 2006, the only kick that Hartley missed was one that probably should not have happened in the first place—the blocked kick in the controversial loss to Oregon.

Probably the best news about Hartley is that his leg should be strong enough to be a solid kickoff man.  As I said several times last year, the one major liability of the beloved Elam was his inability to continue to contribute in this department, and the list of players that succeeded Elam is a serious trainwreck.

The best news at this point is that both positions will have some fierce competition, and that should only make the winners stronger in the end.  I have to say, however, that I’ll be rooting for the youngsters to win out over the slightly less youngsters.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ll be enjoying the Fourth of July weekend out of town and out of Internet access until Sunday at the earliest.  My goal before the beginning of training camp is to finish up the remaining players in the What To Expect series (Eddie Royal, Ryan Torain, Carlton Powell, Spencer Larsen, and Josh Barrett), as well as give my annual prediction of who will make the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad at the end of the preseason.

What To Expect: Jack Williams

In an earlier article, I stressed the importance of keeping the nickelback position strong on an NFL team.  With all the third wide receivers and pass catching tight ends that other teams are throwing out there with great effectiveness, the defense has to evolve in order to get off the field as soon as possible.

The Broncos exercised this belief by drafting three cornerbacks in the first three rounds in 2005.  Two of them, Domonique Foxworth and Karl Paymah, will be unrestricted free agents in 2009.  Foxworth in particular has been able to fulfill the nickelback requirements, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets offered a starter’s contract at that time.

Therefore, I was hoping that at least one rookie corner would be brought to Denver, and that wish was fulfilled with Jack Williams from Kent State.  When I take a look at his stature (5’9”, 180), undersized a bit for cornerbacks, I have to think that perhaps the Broncos scouts saw a bit of Darrent Williams in this player.

A draft profile by Scott Wright would indicate similar traits, such as “Is very strong…Tough and physical […] Willing to come up and support the run” (Darrent Williams was a very good tackler and likely got some tips from Champ Bailey in that department) and “Good hands and ball skills” (Darrent Williams had six interceptions in two seasons, my favorite being the famous “Fro-hawk” pick against the Ravens).

The weight will be the big question mark for Jack Williams.  He will need to be able to bulk up without losing speed and quickness.  Foxworth has had that challenge throughout his career, and it showed when he was forced to play safety due to injuries.  It’s impossible to predict what kind of success Williams will have in doing so.  However, he’ll have a bit more pressure on him to produce quicker than some of the other rookies, given that his responsibilities could vastly increase in 2009 if Foxworth and Paymah depart.

What To Expect: Anthony Alridge

There were two undrafted free agents that caught my eye when the Broncos announced their respective slate.  One, of course, was Wesley Woodyard, who appeared in the Senior Bowl and was expected to be a mid level draftee. 

The other was Houston’s Anthony Alridge, and there were two things in particular that I noted with interest.  The first was the fact that he started off playing wide receiver, only to shift to running back later in his college career.  Versatility is always appreciated when you’re an undrafted free agent.  The second is a 40 yard dash time of 4.36 combined with a 3 cone drill of 6.88 at the combine.  I’m not a guy that puts a lot of faith in measurables alone, but the combination of speed and quickness is tantalizing in this case.  Of course, you’re grounded a bit with the fact that he’s only 5’9” and 170 pounds.

Given this description, there is one player that I just can’t help making a comparison to regarding Alridge: the Rams’ Dante Hall.  However, Hall was much more well known for his prior role as a returner for the Chiefs, a role in which he tortured Broncos fans in 2003 and 2004  It is in the returner role that I foresee Alridge making an impact in the NFL.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “But the team drafted Eddie Royal with the primary intention of being the returner!”  To this statement, I counter with the example of Darrent Williams.  He was drafted in 2005 with a similar intention—to be used as a returner first and a reserve cornerback second.  What happened, however, was that Williams proved to be better than expected, and quickly outpaced Lenny Walls to become a starter.  That was great news, but the tradeoff is that the Broncos were still left without a legitimate threat in the return game, as Williams had to use his energy on the defense.

I’m not going to automatically predict that Royal will follow the same path of Williams, although I’ll be rooting for it.  However, this time I feel that the Broncos may have a contingency plan in case such a scenario plays out again.  In fact, I think he could even give Royal some still competition for returning duties in training camp.

The prevailing wisdom is that Alridge is classic practice squad material for his rookie year.  I’d probably bet on that thought, but it would not surprise me one bit if he made the main roster.  As an aside, he’ll need to gain about 15 pounds to reach the weight of the likes of Hall to stay healthy in the pros.  The funny thing is that according to the Broncos’ official website, he may have already done so.  Then again, isn’t there always a bit of exaggeration in measurables?

What to Expect: Ryan Clady

In the past month, I’ve given you an opinion of how three of the Broncos’ incoming rookies could impact on the team (and when) by watching footage of the Senior Bowl.  From now until training camp, I’ll attempt to take a stab at how some of the other newcomers could play a role.  I don’t have a crystal ball to tell you how they will perform, nor do I have extensive history of the players’ performance on and off the field readily at hand.  Nevertheless, I’ll give an educated guess with what’s at hand, and as always, your guess could be as good as mine.

In the case of Ryan Clady, I do have the advantage in that I live less than a mile from the campus where he played his college games, and as such I have seen many of his performances before my eyes.  Boise State has run a spread offense for several years, and part of its system does require athletic offensive linemen that can get in position to make a block in a wide range on the field.  As I saw the offense work, I said that I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a breeding ground for NFL zone blocking lines.

Two years ago, my prediction came true when Clady’s predecessor at left tackle in Daryn Colledge was drafted 47th overall by the zone blocking Green Bay Packers.  In fact, the Packers were able to select Colledge by trading Javon Walker to the Broncos.  In hindsight, maybe the Broncos should have just stayed put and drafted Colledge…

You can’t turn back the clock, however, and with the way the cards have played out, the Denver Broncos may have found themselves an even better specimen from the Boise State Broncos.  What is it about Clady that puts him a rung above Colledge and other linemen?

Let Mike Shanahan himself confirm one of the special traits: “The thing that impresses you is his feet. I haven’t been around a tackle that has that type of feet.”  His teammates quickly agreed–in minicamps, he earned the nickname “Sweet Feet”. Now, all good zone blocking linemen need nimble feet, but for that compliment to come from a man who has been around numerous zone blockers for years speaks volumes.  As we all know, one aspect of the NFL that can startle rookies is the speed of the game.  If Clady can partly counter that, it will be to great benefit.

The second unique element relative to the system is his size.  Now, it is a common misconception that the Broncos have targeted smaller linemen because the larger ones are inherently not athletic enough to fit the scheme.  Zone blockers have to be athletic, but they can also have good size.  The roadblock is that O-linemen that fit both those traits are usually highly prized and become top ten picks, something the Broncos have gone without holding longer than any other team.

Indeed, Shanahan said that he didn’t think Clady would be available at #12.  I also had serious fears that he might go to a division rival (the Raiders at #4 or the Chiefs at #5).

It’s rare that Shanahan has planted a rookie immediately in the starting lineup.  However, I think the placement is well reasoned.  There’s no reason to immediately dismiss the thought of Clady as the protector of Jay Cutler’s blindside in Week 1.  If Clady can provide a couple more seconds of time, that’s critical time for Brandon Marshall and crew to gain separation from the secondary.