Yardbarker: Ian Gold

Champ Bailey wins Broncos' Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:10:10 -0500

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP 2 months ago: Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey takes part in drills during a football training camp session conducted in Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Browse more photos » Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style D...

NFL SWOT Analysis: AFC East

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:27:00 -0500

Buffalo Bills

Strengths – Leave it to T.O. to possibly be an Addition-by-Subtraction for one team, while also being a nice addition to another. Owens should be the best thing that could have happened to Lee Evans. While Evans has somewhat come into his own, he’s always lacked that running mate who can free him of the double-teams. Behind the line, Marshawn Lynch should have less pressure as he now has two backups that can step in at any time. Fred Jackson was there, but adding Dominic Rhodes could be a big win. The defensive line is underrated and goes deeper than most would realize. The fresh legs will be a huge help in the 4th Quarter.

Weaknesses – The offensive line has completely re-shuffled. Gone is All-Pro LT Jason Peters. Langston Walker moves from the right side to fill in. Brad Butler slides over from guard to RT. There will be battles at both guard spots. Finally, free agent Geoff Hangartner will be making the line calls from the middle. The defensive backfield has a lot of question marks. Donte Whitner is on the verge of losing his job. Bryan Scott has a ceiling, and it’s not high. Terrence McGee plays with heart, but isn’t built to take on #1’s like Moss, Fitz and Andre Johnson.

Opportunities – Langston Walker takes on some really big shoes, that may not be as big as they seem. If Walker stays away from giving up double-digit sacks, he’s already outdone Peters, because Walker is just as good (if not better) at run blocking. On the other side of the ball, after watching Dominique Rogers-Cromartie’s success in Arizona last year, it’s time for Leodis McKelvin to step into the starting role and show why he was drafted ahead of DRC.

Threats – For a team that made moves that a team makes to put themselves over the top (e.g. Terrell Owens), they have a lot of rookies vying for significant playing time. Aaron Maybin could be a mainstay on passing downs. Both guards, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre are challenging a couple of journeymen. Shawn Nelson has the most potential at TE. Jairus Byrd could push Whitner to start at FS.

Passing/Receiving the Torch – Trent Edwards takes the reigns as the unquestioned QB of this team. He didn’t really receive the torch from anyone other than the shell of himself who was constantly looking over his shoulder.

Position Battle – Both OG spots where Eric Wood will battle Kirk Chambers on the left side and Andy Levitre will battle Seth McKinney on the right. There will also be a battle at FS where Whitner will fend off Ko Simpson and Jairus Byrd.

Rookie Contributor – Several, due to good drafting. Wood, Levitre, Nelson, Maybin and Byrd have been mentioned. However, keep an eye on LB Nic Harris, who will mostly be a special teamer. He has “Ian Gold” written all over him.

Miami Dolphins

Strengths – One of the strengths that I always stress is continuity. With the Dolphins returning 20 starters (one will switch positions), this is almost as good as it gets. With C and FS the two new faces, the Dolphins can build on last year’s success without having to re-invent the wheel. At QB, they have the comeback player of the year. Pennington is one of the highest football IQs and is a great game manager. The running game should once again be a strength, running behind a line that was built for smash mouth football.

Weaknesses – Why did they choose to ignore upgrading at WR again? Sure, Ted Ginn is a flyer and Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo are big targets, but are any of these guys turning into Go-To receivers? The DBs have a lot of question marks as well. Yeremiah Bell has been an asset, but how confident can you be in Gibril Wilson when the Raiders gave up on him? The Allen duo at CB isn’t awe inspiring either. Will Allen needs to scour Florida for the fountain of youth while Jason Allen needs to tap into some of that potential that made him a first round pick.

Opportunities – Back to the running game. A healthy Ronnie Brown, who claims that he is 100%, and a rejuvenated Ricky Williams, who claims that he feels younger than he’s ever felt, could do some major damage behind that offensive line. Before Brown went down to a season ending injury two years ago, he was the top performing back in the league at the time. Now that they have the running game, and the comeback QB in place together, this team could be a contender.

Threats – Here’s where the Dolphins should worry. They have one of the worst kinds of threats to have. They are not a very deep team. Holes created by injuries to starters won’t easily be patched up. If the team can stay healthy, they will do well. If the injury bug hits, it will be a long season.

Passing/Receiving the Torch – This is a team where many of the players are caught in the middle. Not many are ready to pass the torch. Not many are ready to receive it. Is that a good thing? Is it bad? Hard to tell this early.

Position Battle - QB2: Pat White vs. Chad Henne. With Pennington’s injury history, the backup QB is extra important in Miami.

Rookie Contributor – Pat White will probably take the Wildcat snaps. While there are three DBs that have potential, don’t expect to see them much this season. WR Patrick Turner could get a look or two as well.

New England Patriots

Strengths – When you have Tom Brady throwing passes to this veteran receiving corps, there isn’t much to worry about. Randy Moss and Wes Welker will catch the lion’s share of passes. Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis are the wild cards. Galloway, who plays younger than his age, could be a diamond in the rough for this team. This offensive line is completely intact and has Super Bowl experience. Oh…and…let’s not forget, they’re the Patriots. (Ok…that almost made me sick…but the truth does ring there)

Weaknesses – While the CBs are deep, they have a lot to prove. Two of the three potential top contributors had the Lions and the Redskins give up on them (Leigh Bodden & Shawn Springs respectively). Couple that with the fact that the OLB spot is a weakness outside of Audalius Thomas, and you have a formula for disaster. If there is a lack of pressure on the opposing QB, these CBs will be spending too much time in coverage, and will be exploited.

Opportunities – Fred Taylor could step up and be what Corey Dillon was to the Patriots a few years back. Taylor could be the workhorse that opens things up for Kevin Faulk to do his damage. This is a deep, versatile set of backs that the team can do a lot with. From a coaching standpoint, Belichick has taken full control of the offense once again. Can he prove that he is the reason this team dominates on offense, or will he prove that Weis and McDanials were the geniuses?

Threats – Will Tom Brady start to hear footsteps? An injury like that has changed some careers for the worse, regardless of what condition the player comes back in. If Brady goes down to another injury, there isn’t another Matt Cassel type to take over again. This offense also thrives on the play of its TEs in the red zone. If nobody steps up, things could clam up pretty quick on the red zone offense.

Passing/Receiving the Torch – Ty Warren from Richard Seymour as the dominant 3-4 DE on the team. Warren was an absolute beast last year (coming off a down year). Another will be Gary Guyton from Tedy Bruschi (unless Paris Lenon beats him out). Guyton was a great college free agent find last year.

Position Battle – LOLB: Pierre Woods vs. Tully Banta-Cain. Woods is penciled in to start, but Banta-Cain is in his second stint with the club, and could use that experience to help win the job. RT: Nick Kaczur vs. Sebastian Vollmer. Kaczur is in the dog house with his legal troubles. That is why they drafted Vollmer, who is a great pick.

Rookie Contributor – Minor contribution at best, unless Vollmer beats out Kaczur. Darius Butler could get some looks if the CB injury bug hits the Patriots for the umpteenth season in a row. Ron Brace should get some time, spelling Vince Wilfork.

New York Jets

Strengths – The defense is the major strength of this team, especially with Rex Ryan aboard. This is an underrated defense that could find themselves ranked highly by the end of the season. The defense is led by talented set of DBs. Kerry Rhodes and Jim Leonhard will roam the center fields, while a foursome of CBs led by Darrelle Revis keeps receivers in check. An offensive line with a lot of potential returns this season completely intact (yet another team that will benefit from this “phenomena”).

Weaknesses – Any time you start a rookie QB (unless it’s Peyton Manning), it’s a weakness. Mark Sanchez will hit bumps in the road. The question is: Can the rest of the team step up when he needs them? If there is one spot on defense that I would focus on as a weakness, it’s the most important component of a 3-4 defense: The OLBs. Bryan Thomas and Calvin Pace are serviceable, but not dominant, like a James Harrison, Shawne Merriman or DeMarcus Ware. Both OLBs combined for 11 sacks last year. A pitiful number when you consider this defense is designed for those players to rack up the sacks. Also, with Pace suspended for the first four games, the team turns to 2008 6th overall pick Vernon Gholston, who was non-existent last season.

Opportunities – Chansi Stuckey could pick up where Laveranues Coles left off. Stuckey is no stranger to making a big catch. Now all he has to do is build chemistry with Sanchez as the #2 receiver. Dustin Keller, on the other hand, needs to become the safety-valve that will be extremely valuable to Sanchez. On the other side, Bart Scott and David Harris have the opportunity to be the next Ray Lewis and Bart Scott. Scott steps into the limelight, in a position meant to make plays, as David Harris will play an equally important, yet less spectacular role of taking on the blockers.

Threats – Age comes into question here. How old are Thomas Jones’s wheels? While he is in great condition, and Leon Washington’s presence eases the load, Jones is getting up there in years and in RB years, he’s ancient. Will contract woes for Jones and Washington cause drama? For a relatively elderly defensive line, there are too few backups to speak highly of. Maybe the Kareem Brown to TE project won’t last that long. When Kris Jenkins went down last year, it was nearly as devastating as losing Favre.

Passing/Receiving the Torch – This one is obvious. This went from Chad Pennington’s team, to Brett Favre’s team, and now it’s Mark Sanchez’s team. Maybe Sanchez can prove that just being a USC QB gives you the credentials to be an NFL starter.

Position Battle – WR: While Stuckey should win the WR2 spot, he’ll get pushed by Brad Smith and David Clowney. If you could take the strengths of each player and put them into one player, you would have your ideal WR. The two that lose out on the WR2 battle will end up entrenched in a battle for WR3. Not too shabby, considering this team will probably put more Three WR Sets out there.

Rookie Contributor – Obviously Sanchez, but don’t be surprised if Shonn Greene steals some goal line carries from Jones and Washington.

2009 Recruiting: Brandin Hawthorne

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:56:28 -0500

Previously: S Vlad Emilien, S Thomas Gordon, CB Justin Turner, CB Adrian Witty, LB Isaiah Bell, and LB Mike Jones.Pahokee, Florida - 6'0" 181 Scout3*, #33 WLBRivals3*, #35 OLBESPN78, #39 OLBOthers--Other SuitorsTennessee, WVU, USF, LouisvilleYMRMFSPAIan Gold(?)Previously On ...

Upon Further Review: Defense vs Northwestern

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:07:16 -0500

Again, no video because Viddler has blocked my account. I'll work on a locally hosted solution for next year. Ln Dn Ds O Form D Form Type Play Player Yards O19 1 10 Shotgun 3-wide Nickel Penalty False Start -- -5 Hooray O14 1 15 Shotgun 3-wide Nickel Penalty Hitch Ezeh 5 Running backa?"wearing 80, more of a TE they've ...

Ian Gold is not Brett Favre

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:11:09 -0500

Longtime Denver Broncos linebacker Ian Gold is retiring from the NFL, but before he leaves, he's got this to say: "When people here I'm retiring, they're going to be like, 'Ian who?.

Broncos Ready For Big Day

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:00:55 -0500

I could not be more excited for the Broncos to?start camp. It's almost like when you tell?a 4 year-old?that his/her birthday is in three days.?The child knows that?the big event is?coming, but?the?balloons, cake, and presents feel so?far?away. Let's hope that the Broncos balloons (rookies that could float?away), cake (Jay Cutler's sweet arm), and presents (new addition?free agents) come ready to?give fans something to cheer?about.?? The Broncos organization is getting ready for th...

Training Camp 2008: Breakdown of the Saints Weakside Linebackers

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:32:14 -0500

2007 Summary: Scott Shanle did such a great job in 2006 that he got a nice contract before the 2007 season. Unfortunately, his tackle totals went down and had no sacks (3 in 2006) in 2007. Shanle had a tendency to disappear in games. Some could attribute it to bad D-line play, but then why didn't Fujita's numbers go down? Some could attribute it to a change in scheme. It's been discussed that Gibbs went from an attack defense to a read-and-react defense, not sending players like Shanle in on blitzes. 2008 Offseason: During the initial free agency period the Saints only major linebacker brought in was Vilma via a trade with the Jets. Some expected a WLB to be picked up in the draft or a lingering veteran (such as Takeo Spikes or Ian Gold) to hold things down, but Sean Payton has said that they want to bring in young talent rather than older veterans at LB. To that end the Saints have brought in UDFA Jo-Lonn Dunbar and 1 year journeyman William Kershaw. Player summary: LBs on roster as of today (in the order listed on the Saints website when sorting by position): William Kershaw (52) Scott Fujita (55) - Starting SLB Mark Simoneau (53) Troy Evans (54) Scott Shanle (58) Jo-Lonn Dunbar (56) Marvin Mitchell (50) Jonathan Vilma (51) ? Assumed staring MLB William Kershaw: Jersey Number: 52 School: Maryland Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2006 (Chiefs) Experience: 2 years Height: 6-3 Weight: 240 40-Time: 4.63 (Combine) Kershaw started his career by being signed as an UDFA by the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent most of his first year on the practice squad, being activated for the final regular season game and a subsequent playoff game. He stayed with the Chiefs into 2007, but was cut and picked up by the Eagles for their practice squad. He went back and forth to the Texans and Eagle, before finally signing with the Broncos this offseason. For some reason the Broncos waived him soon after and the Saints signed him. Kershaw has no statistics attributed to him for any of the games he was activated for. Kershaw has the measurable that you would want from a LB in the NFL, but has not been able to get on the field with three teams, and has been quickly waived by two teams who have signed him so far. That leaves the question of why? What is wrong to cause this player to have been on 5 teams in essentially a 12 month time frame? Whatever it is, he could be a wildcard in the WLB race at Saints camp. Coming out of no where and producing. Or he could be a camp body that will be cut. Mark Simoneau: Jersey Number: 53 School: Kansas State Year: Senior Drafted: 3rd round 2000 (Falcons) Experience: 9 years Height: 6-0 Weight: 245 40-Time: 4.61 (Combine) Simoneau was acquired via a draft day trade in 2006 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He had been drafted by the Falcons, but was never able to produce for them and after an injury riddled 2002 season, was traded to the Eagles. At the WLB position in Philadelphia, he had the most tackles in a season in his career with 100 in 2003. The injury bug returned in the 2004 season and never returned to the starting line-up for the Eagles even in 2005. Known as a smart player, he was put in the MLB spot for the last two years, even though his talents are considered to be more suited for the WLB spot. Simoneau wasn't spectacular for the Saints in 2006, gathering 61 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception. Considering the MLB slot is usually a high traffic position, and the Saints acquired a few mid-grade free agents in an attempt to replace him, but none were able to. In 2007, Simoneau only improved to 70 tackles, 1 sack and no INTs, which is apparently not what the Saints want from their MLB. With the acquisition of Jonathan Vilma, it is assumed that Simoneau will slide behind Vilma in the depth charts, but instead it may mean a move to WLB. With a true thumper of a MLB in Marvin Mitchell on the team, it may give the Saints the freedom to move him over. That makes the most sense for Simoneau and could be a boon for his production and the Saints. It will be interesting to see what happens with Mark through TC. He may even end up as the SLB (Strongside Linebacker) backup behind Fujita. It is highly unlikely that Simoneau will not be on the final roster somewhere. Troy Evans: Jersey Number: 54 School: Cinncinati Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2001 (Rams) Experience: 7 years Height: 6-3 Weight: 238 40-Time: 4.85 (Combine) Troy Evans is mostly a special teams player. He is not generally considered to be a potential starter at the LB position. Evans created his special teams pedigree over 5 years with the Texans, often leading the team in special teams tackles. He has an interesting career statistic, which is two special teams fumble recoveries in his career. Evans may end up being a backup LB, but more than likely will be purely a special teams player if he makes the roster. Scott Shanle: Jersey Number: School: Nebraska Year: Senior Drafted: 7th Round 2003 (Rams) Experience: 6 years Height: 6-2 Weight: 245 40-Time: 4.72 (Combine) Shanle came out of college as a projected 7th round pick in 2003 with the Rams making the projections correct. He finished fourth on the Huskers defense his senior year with 71 total tackles and wasn't overly impressive. The Rams dropped him midway through his first year with the Cowboys picking him up, but never playing him. He started in three games in 2004 and eight games in 2005, but never captured the full time starting role. The Saints scooped up Shanle when Sean Payton left Dallas for the Saints in 2006. As his first year as a full time starter in the NFL, Scott Shanle had a team high 97 tackles and 4 sacks in 2006. He was rewarded with a $12 Million dollar contract before the 2007 season and expectations were high. Unfortunately, Shanle seemed to disappear in games in 2007 and landed only 68 tackles and no sacks. That performance has a lot of people wondering if he will be replaced in 2008. But Shanle may well be the best WLB on the team and could prove that by winning the starting job and having another year like 2006. Even if he does do that, Shanle probably will not be a super-star LB, simply because he lacks the athletic prowess needed to do so. But this could be said about any of the other contenders for WLB. Last year could have been a product of a wider issue throughout the defense. Just like the other players being considered to replace him, Shanle will have to rely on others performing well in order to make good plays and have a good year. With an improved D-line and better overall more aggressive scheme, Shanle (or whoever wins the WLB spot) will probably look better than he did in 2007, if he's starting in 2008. Jo-Lonn Dunbar: Jersey Number: 56 School: Boston College Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2008 (Saints) Experience: Rookie Height: 6-0 Weight: 226 40-Time: 4.85 (Combine) Jo-Lonn Dunbar entered Boston College as a running back, but was converted to a LB as a red-shirt freshman and took to the new position quickly. He was the captain of the Eagle's defense in the last two years he played there, giving him the leadership experience that a coach likes to have in a player. While leading that BC defense, he was never physically dominant, but he always seemed to be in the right place and making plays. In both 2006 and 2007, Dunbar had over 90 total tackles, several tackles for loss and an interception in each year. That shows he has great instincts and awareness, an intangible that a LB needs to succeed. Dunbar had a poor performance at the combine, however, falling behind in not just the 40 yard dash, but in most athletic drills. An interesting note though is that he was listed at 231 lbs at the combine, despite playing at BC at 226 and being listed at 226 by the Saints now. That could mean that Dunbar tried to put on too much weight to fit into the "ideal" linebacker size, which is usually around 240 lbs. Or it could mean nothing and Dunbar will be another UDFA fans pull for who ends on special teams or cut altogether. Just to get Saints fan's hopes up though, the buzz around Saints camp is that Jo-Lonn Dunbar is looking good. He is, after all, one of those over-achievers types Sean Payton likes. He's just "a football player" as the clich? goes. Don't take that as a sign he is in good shape for stealing the WLB spot from Scott Shanle just yet, but it certainly could help him make the roster if he doesn't start. And it may make him that guy the Saints will wince and think hard about if they try to cut him and sneak him onto the practice squad. Marvin Mitchell: Jersey Number: 50 School: Tennessee Year: Senior Drafted: 7th Round 2008 (Saints) Experience: 1 year Height: 6-3 Weight: 249 40-Time: 4.87 (Combine) In college, Mitchell had always been a promising LB, but never really was able to show it, either because of injuries or other issues that kept him off the football field until his final year at Tennessee. In his senior year (2006), Mitchell had 104 tackles, including 10 for a loss, and was a team captain for the Volunteers. Prior to 2006 he had only 50 tackles, starting in two games out of twenty-seven games that he played in over three seasons for the Volunteers. He also performed poorly at the 2007 combine with no weight variations like Dunbar had in 08' as possible explanations. So Mitchell comes in with some questions. Was he a one year wonder at Tennessee? Is he best suited to be a special teams player and a short yardage thumper? Is he going to be the starter the Saints need at one of the linebacker positions? Mitchell is the ideal size for a linebacker and has one year under his belt with the Saints, making it through the entire 2007 season. That gives him an advantage over Dunbar and Kershaw, both of whom will be just getting used to the Saints scheme, language and chemistry. Mitchell seems well suited to be Vilma's backup at middle linebacker, so he probably has a good shot at making the final roster even if he gets beat out at the WLB position. Competition Summary: With only eight players for probably six positions to fill on the roster, the Saints seem light at linebacker going into training camp. There has been speculation about several veteran linebackers still available as free agents as this article is written. They include Takeo Spikes, Ian Gold, Al Wilson, Junior Seau, Jeremiah Trotter and a host more. It seems that at both linebacker and running back, there are a lot of older NFL players who were good veterans still on the market. The Saints have said publicly though that they want to get younger at linebacker, not older. So bringing in one of these veteran linebackers does not appear to be what the Saints are publicly saying they will do. Don't be surprised though if one of the aging veterans does end up on the roster before the opening game against the Bucs. With that said, Shanle will be hard pressed to return to 2006 form or face being dropped in the depth charts or cut. It is doubtful that he will be cut unless some of the rookies and maybe Simoneau really shine and make him expendable. The Saints showed a willingness to play rookies and wild cards on defense in 2006, but seemed unwilling to do so in 2007. Many of the same veterans from 2006 played in 2007, despite some fans thinking that they were outperformed by their backup. One would expect that Shanle, Vilma, Simoneau and Fujita will end up on the final roster, even if one or two of them isn't starting. Assuming six LB spots that leaves two spots open and two players out in the cold. Mitchell could be locked into the backup MLB role if he can fill Troy Evan's spot as the special teams guy. Otherwise Evans may eat up a backup roll, leaving Dunbar and Kershaw off the roster. Expect to see a hardy battle between Shanle, Simoneau, Dunbar and Mitchell for the open WLB starting role. If either Mitchell or Simoneau win the starting WLB, the other will most likely be the backup MLB, Shanle being the generic OLB backup and only one spot will be open for Evans, Dunbar or Kershaw. However, if Dunbar wins the starting WLB role, it could really shake up the roster. Could Shanle and Simoneau stick as the backup OLBs with Mitchell as the backup MLB? Or could that mean that one of the vets will be dropped from the roster all together? As mentioned before, the scheme and personnel changes to the defense will probably make whoever wins the starting WLB job look better than Shanle did in 2007. Another very interesting battle to watch in training camp!