For my next installment of Why He'll Make the Team I thought I would stick to hometown prospects - except this time we will go with with the Broncos hometown (as opposed to my ole' Kentucky home where Wesley Woodyard played college ball). Some of you may already be aware of this, but one of the UFA pickups is a Denver native, went to Cherry Creek High School (SE of downtown Denver, Englewood area for those not familiar) and then starred as an offensive tackle at  CU Boulder. And, despite calls from Tony Dungy and Jeff Fisher after the draft concluded without him being selected, Polumbus chose to come play for his favorite team, the same team he plays in Madden, the Denver Broncos.... As usual, we will take a look at some critiques of his game, and try to allay any concerns.

The Tale of the Tape

Height: 6' 7 1/2"

Weight: 305 lbs.

40 yard dash: 5.23 sec

D.O.B.: 4/10/85

The Criticisms

The consistent knock against Polumbus is that, given his massive frame, he doesn't play with enough aggression. He often relies on his athleticism (he also lettered in basketball and played baseball while at Cherry Creek) instead of his physicality, and tries to finesse block rather than overpower defensive players. This is probably related to another critique - he often bends at the waist rather than the knees, which compromises his balance and makes him much easier to push around. Not surprisingly, too, his hand position and use has been questioned

Polumbus' measurables, especially as seen in his combine performance, are pedestrian at best. While he has a lot of height, his weight is low for his frame, making him quite lanky for an offensive lineman. His speed of 5.23 in the 40 was not as fast as many were hoping.

Finally, a history of shoulder problems had a lot of teams scared of him coming into the draft. He injured his shoulder during the 2005 season and had surgery on it the following Spring. The shoulder checked out fine at the combine.

The Response

Let's start with the injury concerns - as they are the easiest to refute. Polumbus' shoulder was examined by doctors at the combine. While many other players had to visit local hospitals for MRI's and other specialized testing, they didn't order any further tests for Polumbus' shoulder. Besides missing some practice time in the fall after the surgery due to the shoulder recovery and a high ankle sprain, Polumbus didn't miss time after that. In fact, he played every single of the 961 offensive snaps his senior year - the only player on either side of the ball for the Buffs that could lay claim to that stat. Injured before - yes. Recovered - sure seems that way.

Now for his measurables. One of his measurements stands out - 6' 7 1/2" - good for second tallest offensive lineman at this years combine. But at only 305 pounds, he is quite lean for his size. First off - the Broncos field the lightest offensive line in the NFL nearly every year. The tradition of light, agile offensive lineman in Denver was one of the reasons Polumbus and his agent targeted, and eventually signed on with, the Broncos - he sees himself as a linemen in that mold. 

But if he needs to get bigger, many people including Tyler himself, think his frame could handle another 20 to 25 pounds without sacrificing his mobility. Without the time commitments of being an early graduating Business Management student (who entered with a 1210 SAT, and was Big-12 All-Academic 1st team his Sophomore and Junior seasons, 2nd team his Senior season), Polumbus presumably will get more time in the weight room. He has been there before - he entered college at 245! With a professional training staff and facilities at his disposal, he should be able to put on the pounds as needed.

Speed wise - he isn't great with the straight ahead speed. For this reason I am guessing he probably fits as a right tackle or guard in the NFL. ESPN's combine profile notes his lateral agility, while nearly all scouting reports seem to also applaud his understanding of angles and positioning - both of which should help make up for any lack in speed elsewhere in his game.

Finally - every other criticism I have seen of Polumbus' game seems to really be questioning one of two things: his fire or his technique.  As far as I am concerned, having not seen a lot of tape, and just a few CU games, the technique criticisms are spot on - as they are consistent across a lot of reports. A tall, athletic
 guy like that can easily fall into the trap of bending at the waist, of finessing guys, of getting lazy - in the Big 12 he could get away with it. But this is a smart guy - everyone loves his understanding of the tackle position and the angles and placements involved, even if not technically exact  -  and he will be able to learn. Wtih Dennison and the vets on the line as teachers, I am confident the kinks in his technique will get ironed out.

And ultimately, I think the criticisms of his physicality come from his  technical flaws. He *does* need to play with more physicality - as a technique, not as an attitude. By bending at the knees, staying upright and working on his balance, Polumbus' will naturally get more physical - he will have the base upon which to really gain some leverage against defensive players.

Polumbus was selected by his teammates at CU to receive the Eddie Crowder Award his Senior year, an award recognizing outstanding leadership. On top of that his coaches awarded him the Joe Romig award the Spring before his Senior season as most improved offensive lineman - when he was already a starter! He proceeded to play every play in the season. And people say this guy doesn't "want it" enough?! Yeah, right!

The Prospects

Tyler Polumbus is living his dream. He has been a Broncos fan his whole life, and now got to turn down Tony Dungy and the Colts to instead wear the Orange and Blue. He fits the mold of the classic Bronco tackle - tall, lean, agile - and is motivated playing in his hometown.

But realistically, Tyler Polumbus is not beating out any of the current starters on the offensive line -  guards or tackles. He is a very raw talent, with what I see as some fantastic upside. He will need some significant coaching to begin building and using his massive body in the most effective way possible. To his advantage, he is surrounded by some fantastic veteran lineman in Hamilton and Nalen (among others) to study and learn from. It seems he has a strong natural understanding of the position, leverage and angles to build on - and he certainly has the smarts to put it all together.

I do have some concerns about his ability to deal with an edge rush, and for that reason I would like to think he could get some looks at guard in training camp. But there, too is some serious depth to contend with, including another talented (and undersized) rookie in Mitch Erickson out of South Dakota State. I think if Tyler Polumbus sticks, it is as a tackle - that is what he was drafted to be.

Assuming Kuper or Pears mans the right tackle, with Clady on the left and Harris and the loser of the RT battle as backups, there is not a lot of roster space available a ttackle. Unless Harris' back isn't ready to go, or Polumbus has some sort of incredible camp, he will spend this year on the practice squad. He is a rare physical specimen, and for that reason the front office will want to keep him around and try to maximize his potential. If he ever became the starting right tackle (assuming Clady is as good as he has looked so far) it would make this year's rookie class a stirring success. He probably maxes out as a career backup (maybe Clady's for the long term), but his physical tools are impressive. And of course we all know you should never count out a Bronco Fan...

What do you all think?