Tony Scheffler: Impressing Denver’s Coaches

Player: Tony Scheffler

Height: 6′ 5″

Weight: 255 lbs.

Age: 26

College: Western Michigan

Acquired: Draft, Second Round (61st overall), 2006

Pro Year: Fourth

Combine Numbers:

• 4.54 seconds – 40 yard dash
• 17 reps of 225 lbs. – Bench press
• 33½” – Vertical jump
• 9’7″ – Broad jump
• 6.82 seconds – Three cone drill
• 4.04 seconds – Short shuttle

Scheffler led the NFL and set a Denver single-season record for the tight end position with a 16.1 yards-per-reception average in 2008. This helped him register a career-high 645 receiving yards (40 rec.), which ranked eighth in the league among tight ends.

Scheffler is known as a receiving tight end in the National Football League. His speed and his sure hands have allowed him to attain a certain level of success thus far in his career, but he will need to become a better blocker if he wants to take his game to the next level, especially in new Head Coach Josh McDaniels’s offensive system.

“All of our guys have got to be able to do everything; they cannot just be one-sided players,” said Denver Broncos tight ends coach Clancy Barone.  “They have got to be tough and smart and Tony certainly is both of those things.”

Barone certainly knows how to evaluate talent and get the best out of his players.  He has coached a Pro Bowl tight end each of last four years—the Chargers’ Antonio Gates (2007-08) and the Falcons’ Alge Crumpler (2005-06).

With such an impressive résumé of experience, it is clear that Barone is one of the best tight end coaches in the business.

And the intriguing part is that he has coveted the ability to work with Tony Scheffler for a while.

“[Tony] is such a talented guy, I knew that way back when he was in college.  I was with the Falcons and he was a guy that I wanted to draft.  Of course, the Broncos got him first,” Barone said.  “He is a guy that I would always keep in touch with when I’d see him after games when I was with the Chargers and we’d kind of talk.  [Tony] is such a talent and I’m just happy to have another one like that to coach.”

Coach Barone, who coached Gates and Crumpler to Pro Bowl seasons with their respective teams, believes that Scheffler is a guy who belongs in that same class of players talent-wise.

Barone is not the only coach who recognizes Scheffler’s abilities either. 

“He can do a lot of things. Tony is very versatile.  He obviously has very good speed and hands in the passing game,” said McDaniels

When coaching for New England, McDaniels used to split tight end Ben Watson out as a receiver to create a mismatch on the defense backs. I would imagine, given Scheffler’s abilities, he would use him in a similar capacity here in Denver this season.

McDaniels continued by saying, “[Scheffler] has also shown a good solid toughness in our running game for us here in training camp and that will be important when we are in those two tight end sets and want to try to run the ball.  We ask [our tight ends] to do a lot in our offense and Tony showed up and worked hard every day and he is getting better.”

Scheffler’s marked blocking improvement in camp, under coach Barone’s tutelage, has not gone unnoticed.

This will allow McDaniels to use Scheffler in his two-tight end formations, which will allow the Broncos to run the ball with power, and disguise some passing plays with this heavy formation.

Scheffler continues to get better and increase his versatility as a tight end and is just one of many very potent weapons on the Denver Broncos’ offense.

Scheffler will need to keep his wits about him and make the most out of the opportunities he gets to make a play this season.

This will be Scheffler’s fourth year in the league and, at 26 years old, if he continues to hone his craft, listen to coach Barone and impress Coach McDaniels, he will certainly take his place among the NFL elite tight ends in the next few years.

***Update***  I found some interesting Statistics in another article about Scheffler that are worth checking out:

http://broncotalk.net/2008/11/respect-tony-scheffler/

They may be irrelivant now, with the offensive overhaul, but interesting nonetheless.

Broncos Sign RB Marcus Thomas As Ryan Torain Goes Down Again

Bill Williamson of ESPN.com is reporting that Denver Broncos second year running back Ryan Torain has suffered yet another injury.

Torain, who injured his elbow and tore ligaments in his knee in 2008, suffered a strained knee ligament in practice on Wednesday.

Per Williamson, Torain is expected to miss the preseason, a time that would have been very valuable for his chances of making the Broncos’ final roster.

The Denver Post’s website is reporting that Torain is “done with Denver,” but the team has not issued a statement or made any roster move concerning Torain directly.

The Broncos did announce the signing of former Chargers running back Marcus Thomas, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2008 out of UTEP.

Thomas was at practice on Wednesday.

Torain’s tenure in Denver, if it comes to a close, will be remembered for the potential he brought to the table for being dubbed the next Terrell Davis by former head coach Mike Shanahan.

The second-year player out of Arizona State has showed flashes of greatness with the Broncos, completely dominating the Browns’ defense for one half and having a solid training camp. Unfortunately, it may not work out the way he wanted it to.

In other injury news, running back LaMont Jordan returned to the practice field after suffering a leg injury.

Broncos Sign RB Marcus Thomas As Ryan Torain Goes Down Again

Bill Williamson of ESPN.com is reporting that Denver Broncos second year running back Ryan Torain has suffered yet another injury.

Torain, who injured his elbow and tore ligaments in his knee in 2008, suffered a strained knee ligament in practice on Wednesday.

Per Williamson, Torain is expected to miss the preseason, a time that would have been very valuable for his chances of making the Broncos’ final roster.

The Denver Post’s website is reporting that Torain is “done with Denver,” but the team has not issued a statement or made any roster move concerning Torain directly.

The Broncos did announce the signing of former Chargers running back Marcus Thomas, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2008 out of UTEP.

Thomas was at practice on Wednesday.

Torain’s tenure in Denver, if it comes to a close, will be remembered for the potential he brought to the table for being dubbed the next Terrell Davis by former head coach Mike Shanahan.

The second-year player out of Arizona State has showed flashes of greatness with the Broncos, completely dominating the Browns’ defense for one half and having a solid training camp. Unfortunately, it may not work out the way he wanted it to.

In other injury news, running back LaMont Jordan returned to the practice field after suffering a leg injury.

Denver Broncos Training Camp Notes: Moss Not Going down without Fight

As the Denver Broncos prepare for the first game in the Josh McDaniels era, it appears that former first round pick Jarvis Moss is finally finding a niche as an outside linebacker.

Since I am not in Denver, I am only reporting what was offered on the Denver Broncos’ official training camp blog, but it appears as though No. 94 is one of the team’s most improved players in camp. 

The site reports that before practice last night, Moss was working diligently with defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely on his hand technique (pictured) with the focus of the session being fending off blockers.

Per Gray Caldwell, Moss was “all over” the practice field, making plays left and right.  During 11-on-11 drills, Moss quickly made his way to the backfield to wrap up running back Darius Walker for a loss, and during a two-minute drill, the linebacker blitzed and sacked quarterback Kyle Orton.  He also had multiple sacks during one-on-one drills.

Many analysts, namely Bill Williamson of ESPN.com feel Moss’ days with the team are numbered, but due to the high praise he has received the last week or so I think this team will be hard pressed to not find a roster spot for him.

In addition to Moss, rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno continues to prove why the Broncos picked him up with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

The Georgia product showed great speed when he broke through the defensive backfield and sprinted past everyone for a touchdown, and later in the practice, he hurdled wide receiver Brandon Stokley after the wide receiver scored a touchdown during two-minute drills.

I do not know that I would want him doing too much of the latter though.

Moreno also sported for the first time his “rookie hairdo.”  Have a look.

It should also be noted that with the release of the Broncos’ first depth chart, head coach Josh McDaniels was not lying when he said “That is not our depth chart.”  Seeing time with the first unit last night that were not listed were Robert Ayers, Wesley Woodyard, Darrell Reid, Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath, and Jack Williams.

Woodyard also played the role of Patrick Willis at times during practice, sporting a sleeveless, red, No. 52 practice jersey.  Other players posing as 49ers were Ryan Torain (Frank Gore, No. 21) and Marquez Branson (Vernon Davis, No. 85).

“We started talking about San Francisco last night,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “We put some specific players in jerseys today to kind of simulate some of the things that (San Francisco) does. This is like a game week for (the team).”

McDaniels also had some profound words for the team’s current starting running back, former Philadelphia Eagle Correll Buckhalter.

“Buck, he is kind of like the rest of our backs. He has got a lot of versatility. He can, certainly, run the ball. He has got a great, great burst. (He) may be our fastest back. He probably is. We aren’t ever going to time them and run them out here, but he is probably our fastest back. He is very good in pass protection, catches the ball very well (and) comes from a program where they don’t accept anything other than winning. A lot of those things are very positive. Buck has been a great influence on some of our younger players. There is really nothing that disappoints you about Correll. He shows up every day ready to work.”

More from Broncos camp including a preview of Friday night’s game to come.

Denver Broncos Training Camp Notes: Moss Not Going down without Fight

As the Denver Broncos prepare for the first game in the Josh McDaniels era, it appears that former first round pick Jarvis Moss is finally finding a niche as an outside linebacker.

Since I am not in Denver, I am only reporting what was offered on the Denver Broncos’ official training camp blog, but it appears as though No. 94 is one of the team’s most improved players in camp. 

The site reports that before practice last night, Moss was working diligently with defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely on his hand technique (pictured) with the focus of the session being fending off blockers.

Per Gray Caldwell, Moss was “all over” the practice field, making plays left and right.  During 11-on-11 drills, Moss quickly made his way to the backfield to wrap up running back Darius Walker for a loss, and during a two-minute drill, the linebacker blitzed and sacked quarterback Kyle Orton.  He also had multiple sacks during one-on-one drills.

Many analysts, namely Bill Williamson of ESPN.com feel Moss’ days with the team are numbered, but due to the high praise he has received the last week or so I think this team will be hard pressed to not find a roster spot for him.

In addition to Moss, rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno continues to prove why the Broncos picked him up with the 12th overall pick in the draft.

The Georgia product showed great speed when he broke through the defensive backfield and sprinted past everyone for a touchdown, and later in the practice, he hurdled wide receiver Brandon Stokley after the wide receiver scored a touchdown during two-minute drills.

I do not know that I would want him doing too much of the latter though.

Moreno also sported for the first time his “rookie hairdo.”  Have a look.

It should also be noted that with the release of the Broncos’ first depth chart, head coach Josh McDaniels was not lying when he said “That is not our depth chart.”  Seeing time with the first unit last night that were not listed were Robert Ayers, Wesley Woodyard, Darrell Reid, Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath, and Jack Williams.

Woodyard also played the role of Patrick Willis at times during practice, sporting a sleeveless, red, No. 52 practice jersey.  Other players posing as 49ers were Ryan Torain (Frank Gore, No. 21) and Marquez Branson (Vernon Davis, No. 85).

“We started talking about San Francisco last night,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said. “We put some specific players in jerseys today to kind of simulate some of the things that (San Francisco) does. This is like a game week for (the team).”

McDaniels also had some profound words for the team’s current starting running back, former Philadelphia Eagle Correll Buckhalter.

“Buck, he is kind of like the rest of our backs. He has got a lot of versatility. He can, certainly, run the ball. He has got a great, great burst. (He) may be our fastest back. He probably is. We aren’t ever going to time them and run them out here, but he is probably our fastest back. He is very good in pass protection, catches the ball very well (and) comes from a program where they don’t accept anything other than winning. A lot of those things are very positive. Buck has been a great influence on some of our younger players. There is really nothing that disappoints you about Correll. He shows up every day ready to work.”

More from Broncos camp including a preview of Friday night’s game to come.

Madden NFL ’10 Rankings: An Insult to Many Denver Players

Each August, EA Sports releases it’s annual edition of the well-known Madden franchise.

Madden has long been regarded as the best NFL video game out there, in many ways simply because it has been the only game that includes rosters of real players for a number of years now.

Each edition includes updated “ratings” for players and teams.

Each player is given an overall rating on a scale of 0—100, which is complied using more specific rankings of various skills.

Common skills include speed, acceleration, awareness, and strength, as well as specific skills for each position. For example, a cornerback is rated on his “shutdown” ability and a linebacker is rated on his “big hit” ability.

These numbers, especially for rookies, are almost entirely subjective. Real NFL statistics do not play an important role in determining ratings.

That means the developers and analysts who work for EA are the ones dishing out the ratings. That fact has led to some insulting results, in the eyes of a Broncos fan.

For starters, the Broncos received a team rating of 70. The offense alone is rated at a very respectable 88. While many fans would argue for at least a 90, 88 is acceptable.

The defense, on the other hand, is given a lowly 62, above only the Chiefs, Rams, and Lions. Back in grade school, that would translate to a D.

Champ Bailey is fairly ranked second among corner backs with a 96. He is the highest-rated Bronco.

On the other end, Matt Prater is insulted with a rating of 58. The EA developers essentially gave him a big fat F as an NFL kicker.

The majority of the team is underrated across the board, but no group so much as the offensive line.

The Denver offensive line was regarded as the premier group of the NFL in 2008. Jay Cutler was sacked merely eleven times…in over 600 pass attempts.

If there was one player who absolutely held down the line, it was Ryan Clady.

Clady had an outstanding season, absolutely shutting down the likes of Julius Peppers, John Abraham, Luis Castillo, and Derrick Burgess.

For these efforts, EA rewarded him with a ranking of 88, good for 12th among left tackles.

In comparison, Joe Thomas is the top rated at the position, followed by the likes of Jordan Gross, Jason Peters, Matt Light, and Jake Long.

Although these are all very respectable linemen, quite honestly they are not on the same level as Clady.

When the camera was focused on him, fans could see the opposing lineman or linebacker attempt to bull rush Clady, be knocked back, then attempt a spin move, only to be overpowered and fall to the turf.

That is the mark of a dominant left tackle, not a B+ left tackle.

As for the rest of the offensive line, Ryan Harris receives a 73, Chris Kuper a 78, Casey Wiegmann an 87, and Ben Hamilton an 81.

No player on the offensive line is graded above B+, and Ryan Harris, one of the better right tackles in the game, has a lowly C—.

In retrospect, none of this really matters. We, as fans, know that Clady and the offensive line will continue to be the best. Matt Prater will continue to improve, and the Broncos may surprise a lot of doubters around the NFL this season.

Although they might not be the best group of guys to play as against your friends on your Xbox, they might be a great team to watch in real life.

The EA ratings do not really matter, however it would be nice for Bronco fans to be able to see their favorite players perform as they actually do when they are playing a video game.

Kind of like how Patriots fans are treated to a team ranked 92 overall that will dominate any Madden online match-up.

Peyton Hillis: The Next A-Train

Bronco’s fullback has some kick….

We Loathe Marshall: Does Depth Chart Drop Mean Brandon Marshall’s Denver Exit?

Brandon Marshall, after missing the first two days of full-team practice with a hamstring injury he sustained during his second day in Dove Valley, has been moved on the depth chart.

Marshall is no longer the No. 1 receiver on the Broncos, heck he’s not even on the first team now.

Second year phenom Eddie Royal has taken the No. 1 receiver spot, with veterans Brandon Stokely and Jabar Gaffney following him respectively.

This move may not just be due to injury though, it may act as a precursor, to the very near future.

Foreshadowing in the drama blockbuster that is Brandon Marshall’s playing career, and really, whole life. 

Marshall was moved off the starting string yesterday, which could be seen in a few different ways.

First, he’s just injured, and since he won’t be practicing, it’s a good way to get the other guys comfortable in those spots. Especially if Marshall misses significant time during the season.

Second, Marshall was taken off the roster because he’s hurt and has a court date coming up on Thursday. If Marshall is found guilty, he will likely miss a good part of the season, up to eight games, which again gets the next guys in line playing time at their new positions—and learning the new routes and formations that come with McDaniels’ arrival.

Third, and most intriguing, this move of Marshall from No. 1 overall receiver to second-stringer signifies the Broncos possibly shopping the disgruntled  receiver around. Maybe McDaniels is fed up with Marshall’s “injury,” brashness, and likely inability to learn the multitude of plays put in front of him.

Brandon Marshall is a superb talent, but is he worth it?

Is he worth all this negative media attention, in a year Denver has already been shelled by the national and local media alike? Is he worth the “rockstar” attitude that he and many other prima donna NFL receivers bring with them? Is he worth the fumbles, plays taken off, and weak work ethic?

Perhaps yesterday in Dove Valley McD and CO. finally thought, “no.” Or perhaps Marshall just needs a few days rest.

I may be paranoid, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Marshall is gone in the next few days.

Brandon Stokley: Denver Broncos’ Wes Welker?

Many have speculated that Eddie Royal would be the next Wes Welker in Denver, but signs point to a different Bronco taking on that role.

Ever since Josh McDaniels was named the head coach in Denver, fans and pundits alike have dubbed the Broncos “the Patriots West.” 

Coach McDaniels brought with him the potent offensive system that he ran so successfully in New England when he landed in Denver.  

Naturally, this has caused speculation and comparisons, as people ponder who on the Broncos roster will fill the roles that Randy Moss and Wes Welker occupied in New England.

Most have automatically assumed that Brandon Marshall fills Moss’s role and Denver’s rookie phenom from last year, Eddie Royal, would step right in to the slot position and become the Wes Welker for the “Patriots West” Denver Broncos.

The indications we get from training camp thus far seem to tell a different story, though.

Randy Moss (6’4″, 210 lbs.) and Brandon Marshall  (6’4″, 230 lbs.) share similar physical characteristics in size, height and weight, but what sets them apart is the way they play the game.

Randy Moss is a burner, he uses his speed to beat a corner down field and uses his height and leaping ability to secure the ball when covered tight.

While Marshall shares the same height advantage, he does not have the same speed.  This makes Marshall more of a possession receiver than a speed guy.

Marshall makes up for his lack of speed by using his size to his advantage.  Marshall is difficult to bring down, and is elusive when he gets the ball in the open field.  

You don’t see Marshall beating a corner deep for a long gain; you see him get separation and make a catch 12 yards out and then break a tackle and make a move to get those extra yards.

Eddie Royal, on the other hand, has the speed to beat a corner deep, and has the sure hands to make the catch.  The only thing Eddie lacks is the height to win the jumpball of an imprecisely thrown pass.

Forgetting about a number system that ranks receivers and simply focusing on who is going to play the role of running the deep ball routes, Eddie Royal will be the Randy Moss in Denver’s new offense.

So what role will Brandon Marshall play then?  Is Brandon Marshall Denver’s Wes Welker?

No.

Though Wes Welker’s production has been prolific and he is considered the No. 2 receiver in New England, Welker got his yards operating on the inside, slot or at the No. 3 wide receiver position.

New England, and not Denver, had another receiver (often new Bronco and former Patriot Jabar Gaffney) run routes from the other outside receiver spot. 

Once he is healthy, and if he wins his day in court, I see Marshall filling this role where his routes would be more intermediary than deep, which would play to his strengths.

So who would be the Wes Welker slot receiver for the Denver Broncos? 

Who, other than the guy who has spent the last two years in Denver’s slot, Brandon Stokley?

“Brandon Stokley is one of the toughest slot receivers I’ve coached against; (he is) everything I thought he was when I came here,” McDaniels said, adding that Stokley “just has a knack of how to get open.  That’s an invaluable skill for a wide receiver, particularly on third down.”

McDaniels recognizes Stokley’s abilities as a slot receiver and plans to use him in this capacity because it is what Stokley does best.

Stokley has all the tools of the prototypical slot receiver.  The only question may be if he can handle the workload.

Over the past two seasons, Wes Welker has tallied an NFL high 223 receptions out of the slot position.

Over that same span, Stokley caught only 89 balls and missed six games due to injury.  Add to that the fact that he recently turned 33, and you might doubt whether Stokley has the durability needed to be “Wes Welker” in Denver.

Stokley believes he is up to the task, “I think I can play a lot of plays and take the grind of the season.  I worked hard in the offseason and I’m ready to go, man. I’m ready to play football.”

Coach McDaniels thinks he can handle it as well, “We’ll play Brandon probably more than they did last year just because of the way we are going to be in three-receiver offense as much as we may end up being in it.”

Stokley is already proving he can handle the workload this off-season.  Having developed a strong chemistry with his new quarterback, Kyle Orton, through OTA’s and minicamp, the Orton-to-Stokley connection is one that can be seen often in training camp.

The Denver Broncos’ official Twitter has tweeted the following over the past week: “Orton finds Stokley deep down the middle for a long gain” and “Orton-to-Stokley for a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion.”

Mike Klis of the Denver Post has observed this connection as well, “During a 7-on-7 pass coverage drill early in the Broncos’ practice at training camp, Orton threw a ball 40 yards until it landed perfectly in Brandon Stokley’s hands”

“Orton completed so many passes to Brandon Stokley during the controlled scrimmage at Invesco Field at Mile High on Aug. 6 that no one should have trouble learning who will play the Wes Welker role in the Broncos’ new offense this year.”

In the end, no two receivers are the same, but, in a straight up comparison, Eddie Royal is Denver’s Randy Moss (deep threat), Brandon Marshall is the other outside receiver (intermediate possession guy), and Brandon Stokley is Denver’s Wes Welker.

Big Surprises Fill Denver Broncos’ First Depth Chart

When the Denver Broncos travel to San Francisco for their first preseason game, their starting lineup will feature a few surprises.

The biggest shocker is wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who has been demoted to the second-team offense for missing all of the offseason workouts and a good majority of training camp due to an injury and holdout.

This move is sure to stir the pot with Marshall, but as a professional, one would expect him to use it as motivation to prove the coaching staff that he is worthy. Josh McDaniels may be hard-nosed, but he is not stupid. Brandon Marshall will play.

The Broncos’ starting running back situation is sure to heat up as the preseason rolls along. For now, the first string back will be Correll Buckhalter, who was acquired earlier this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rookie Knowshon Moreno is currently fourth on the Broncos depth chart, but McDaniels and company have hopes for him to be the every-down back in Denver.

Jabar Gaffney, who quietly has had one of the best camps of any player on the team, was rewarded with his hard work and superior knowledge of the offense by being named the starting wide receiver opposite Eddie Royal. Brandon Stokley is the third starting receiver for the Broncos, who opted not to use a fullback in the starting lineup.

The starting defensive line has not changed since OTA’s, as Ryan McBean, Kenny Peterson, and Ronald Fields will anchor the front for Denver.

The starting linebacker group has a surprise on the outside with veteran special-teams ace Mario Haggan getting the nod opposite Elvis Dumervil.

Haggan has great size at 6’3″ and 265 pounds. The fact that he is a special teams ace indicates he has exceptional speed. He will be hard pressed to keep this job for long though, as rookie Robert Ayers is right on his heels.

The Broncos’ starting defensive backfield is, as expected, one of the best in the NFL with Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, and training camp MVP Andre’ Goodman.

Here is a look at the official depth chart as it stands right now.

Broncos Offense

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