Blast From The Past - Broncos Sign CB Tyrone Poole, Release Christian Morton

by John Bena on Aug 13, 2008 8:59 AM MDT in Roster Moves Comment 9 comments

The Denver Broncos on Wednesday signed free-agent defensive back Tyrone Poole, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Denver also on Wednesday released fourth-year cornerback Christian Morton.

Poole (5-foot-8, 190 pounds) is a 13th-year defensive back who has played for Oakland (2006), New England (2003-05), Denver (2002), Indianapolis (1998-2000) and Carolina (1995-97) during his NFL career. Poole, who competed in Houston's 2007 training camp in his most recent NFL action, entered the league with the Panthers as a first-round (22nd overall) choice in the 1995 NFL Draft from Fort Valley State University.

In 142 career regular-season games (112 starts), Poole has totaled 477 tackles (403 solo), 18 interceptions (231 yds.), six sacks (45 yds.), 121 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. The defensive back has started at least 12 games in a season seven times and also owns 58 career punt returns for 429 yards (7.4 avg.).

For his playoff career, Poole has appeared in seven games (6 starts) and owns 25 tackles (20 solo), five pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He started for New England in its Super Bowl XXXVIII win against Carolina during the 2003 season, a year in which he started all 16 games and tied for the club's regular-season interception lead with a career-high six.

During his one season with the Broncos in 2002, Poole saw time in all 16 games (4 starts). He finished the year with 51 tackles (41 solo), one sack (6 yds.), 10 pass breakups and one forced fumble.

A four-year starter at Fort Valley State who became the first player in school history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, Poole attended LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Ga. He was born on Feb. 3, 1972.

Poole will wear No. 39 for the Broncos.

0 recs | Comment 9 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Wow....

I guess a sack doesn’t get you on the team. Where will Poole end up on the depth chart?

fader nation is a conquered nation

The creator of the following names:

conquered fader nation
Phyllis and his merry men

by mdierk on Aug 13, 2008 9:13 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?

He really had a bad game except for that sack/fumble.

That said, I don’t get this move? There has to be something else going on. Even if Champ’s injury is worse, you’re not going to find someone better than Fox to start.

Owning the Patriots since September 9, 1960

by Darin H on Aug 13, 2008 10:37 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why

Why would they sign a veteran unless they’re sure that he will make the team? Unless Champ’s injury is much worse than they have let on, we already have multiple solid vets: Bailey, Bly, and Foxworth. In addition, Paymah looked solid last year, and Jack Williams is new talent that could fill in for nickel if needed. I realize Poole is probably a solid backup, but it seems like corner is one of our deepest positions. If we are worried about losing Foxworth after this season, it seems like we would want to continue to develop talent as a backup plan. Poole will not be in the NFL in 3 or 4 years, while a youngster like Morton might. It makes no sense to sign a veteran unless they will for sure contribute. In this case it seems that his contributions will not be that great barring serious injury. Although I know he is a solid player, it seems like the long term interests of the Broncos would be best served by continuing to develop the young talent of C. Morton. I mean, come on, 6 tackles and a sack, and you get cut? That’s pretty harsh.

By the way this is my first post. I’ve been reading for about 6 months. This site is great because I quickly exhaust the online sources for Broncos news, and b/c I live in Saint Louis there are not too many Broncos fans to talk to. In particular, hoosierteacher’s MHR articles have been great – thanks for the education.

by orange&blueblood on Aug 13, 2008 9:32 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for your kinds words.

I agree with your assesment of the Poole move entirely. Here’s some guesses for the move.

1) Perhaps Morton had a problem that came to light that isn’t public (locker room issues maybe).

2) As BFSiSD mentions further downthread, Poole was mentioned as a player/coach type, and Denver may be more interested in him as a position coach this year or next. Bear in mind that we are facing a salary issue soon with both Bailey and Bly, and we may be loading up the position soon. Having an old hand on the team that knows the system from the field vantage that can move into a coaching spot may be a plus.

I’m grasping at straws, but I’m sure the team has reasons.

Welcome!

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Aug 13, 2008 12:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

A sincere welcome...

and a lot of solid points. Poole really doesn’t provide anything to the Broncos that they already don’t have.

-TSG

www.milehighreport.com

by John Bena on Aug 13, 2008 9:40 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

this makes no sense

i heard morton had a rough game, even though he put up some good numbers. cut him if you like, but signing a very old poole doesn’t make any sense at all. unless we have a serious injury, AND williams doesn’t look ready, seems to be the only plausible explanation. we need a dt, or even a bigger rb. foxy and paymah could hold the fort there, so i’m very confused on this one. whatever

by davecheffy on Aug 13, 2008 9:59 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Depth

Plus before going to NE in 2003 he was gonna be a payer-coach. SO maybe he is gonna fill that role again. Plus depth never hurts. But is it a given he is even gonna make the roster? I am not concerned over Morton getting cut, because I dont think he was gonna make the team anyway

by broncfanstuckinsd on Aug 13, 2008 11:28 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

What Morton & Reid had....

What struck me about virtually all of the pickups this year was that they shared a common trait—they could return kicks. Perhaps what’s being missed here is the one and only reason they were considered potentially able to make the roster.

Dada is potential practice squad material, and a number of teams have considering him interesting enough to keep around. Poole, on the other hand, is an ex-Bronco who Shanahan is extending the courtesy of earning a few weeks’ paycheck for helping school the younger players on the finer points of being a CB. Shanahan likes the influence veterans have on the learning process during camp & pre-season and is willing to bring them in even though they stand almost no chance of making the roster, and he always has. The emphasis is on defense now, the Returner auditions are over. Both Reid and Morton were acquired before the draft, when who the kick/punt returner(s) would be was still an open question

Shanahan was clearly intent on finding a returner this year.

by Colinski on Aug 13, 2008 5:33 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I really like this explanation

great work Colinski!

But allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment. It is possible that the return reps that Morton and reid were getting recently came more from the coaches looking at these guys’ situation and giving them an increased capacity within which to prove they might have a shot on the team. If they didn’t prove stellar in this new capacity, well, at least no stone was left unturned.

But I can’t really find any fault with your Poole explanation. Combined with BFSISD’s angle on player/coach it is a highly consistent explanation. I will add that by getting poole in now with a chance to learn the offense and defense that denver is installing makes him a viable streetclothes signing later in the season if needed. If he picks up on it of course, and there is no reason to think he wouldn’t. In the final analysis he is a free agent at the start of the year. Again.

One hiccup in this strategy, is that he could get signed by denver’s opponents in any given week for insight into the system Denver is running. I can think of two reasons why this is probably of no concern:

1. First is that the Denver coaches probably won’t verse him in a complete version of the defense. They would probably focus on installing his responsibilities from the corner position, one of the most isolated positions in football. It should be noted that Poole is, however, a savvy veteran who can probably pick up a lot just on what he sees.

2. Second is poole’s self preservation, something that both he and his agent are probably both protective of. A player that signs and snitches probably won’t get a lot of serious looks in their future, and the agent would probably get blacklisted for at best not being aware of the situation and at worst actively participating in something like that.

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by Jeremy Bolander on Aug 14, 2008 10:03 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs