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Broncos claim FS Calvin Lowry

who was cut by Tenessee.  An older draft profile is here

Broncos claim Lowry off waivers from Titans
By: By Terry McCormick, tmccormick@nashvillecitypaper.com
Posted: Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:21 pm
Tennessee Titans free safety Calvin Lowry was claimed by the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Lowry, a fourth-round pick from Penn State by the Titans in 2006, started 11 games last season first at free safety and then at strong safety before being waived in the Titans final cuts on Saturday. No other Titans player was claimed off waivers.

 

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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Interesting.. I think he'll be better than Rod Rogers for depth.

I don’t know much about him, but here are some stats from last year:
16 games, 11 starts; 57 tackles, 42 solo; 2 INTs, 10 passes defensed.

According to Wikipedia, he also returned punts in college. Hint hint. Anyone who knows anything about him, please post.

One more thing: Who’d we have to get rid of to get him?

9/8/08 - Denver Broncos vs. The Evil Dark Emperor Al Davis in the pit of black bile at Oakland Stadium.

by papigrande on Aug 31, 2008 4:51 PM MDT   1 recs

He's got what we need

Run support is not our problem, it’s the coverage ability at Safety. He fits that.

by Colinski on Aug 31, 2008 10:21 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

sounds solid. I like it.

"I could never quite get the hang of Thursdays..."

by FlaBroncoFan on Aug 31, 2008 4:53 PM MDT   0 recs

I made a Fanpost over on Music City Miracles...

…asking them to give us some information. Hopefully they will relay it over here, but if they don’t, here’s a link to the post.

9/8/08 - Denver Broncos vs. The Evil Dark Emperor Al Davis in the pit of black bile at Oakland Stadium.

by papigrande on Aug 31, 2008 4:59 PM MDT   1 recs

good idea

I got a question in over there, we will see how well they watch their safety play…

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

by styg50 on Aug 31, 2008 6:33 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

very interesting news

Says they weren’t really happy with the quality of the depth at Safety. Barrett wasn’t the answer — yet — and Rogers wasn’t either. I just thought of something, too, Rogers to the PS, maybe?

On the other hand, the cut could come from elsewhere, so maybe I shouldn’t assume anything yet.

by Colinski on Aug 31, 2008 5:19 PM MDT   0 recs

This is an awesome pickup

I can’t believe the Titans waived him. He came out of college as a strong safety, but he has great awareness and good, fluid hips that let him go anywhere he wants on the field. Too good of range to be kept at strong safety, and liabilities in run defense (a bit of a lightweight when it comes to holding ground in run support) pointed to him becoming an NFL FS.

Early on Fisher was praising him for his great recognition, and thought he would become a starter, which he did, beating out some no name at free safety. To my knowledge he played well, though he had some games missed to injury. He eventually got beat out by Michael Griffin, but he was still starter quality and got moved to SS. That is not his natural position, even though it was his position in college. His mindset, his ability to diagnose, read and react, a great first step and really nice range all point to him as being a FS, so hopefully that is what Denver has in mind.

I’m stoked about this pick. Barrett is the real deal at SS and this kid (2006 draft, same as Cutler) is the real deal at FS. Now we just need to wait and see if he has some sort of personal issue or problem that had to do with him being waived. He had no red flags going into the draft, and to my knowledge has been a clean character int he NFL.

One last thing about character. He returned for his last year at Penn because he wanted to win a Title. And he did.

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

by styg50 on Aug 31, 2008 6:26 PM MDT   1 recs

My name is Hoosierteacher....

…and I endorse this move by Denver. : )

Seriously, he’s a young player with great speed who was perhaps missused in TENN because of personnel issues. I’ve read up on him, and I think he has a future with us.

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

by hoosierteacher on Aug 31, 2008 6:42 PM MDT   0 recs

Lol

I like this pickup as well.

(You stole my line ;-P)

To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals - this alone is worth the struggle. - William Penn

Tom Arnold, of Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period, said this about Warren Sapp: "Hey, Warren, the Raiders signed you to a seven-year deal. I guess Bill Callahan was right --- they are the dumbest team in America."

by Philistine21 on Aug 31, 2008 7:02 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

HT and Philistine21

Are you two running for President and VP of MHR football post feedback (Since you endorse the move)?

Victor Frankl:

What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

by wyoeng on Aug 31, 2008 7:05 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

Yep.

Hoosier is President and I am VP. I think we can win by a landslide. ;-)

To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals - this alone is worth the struggle. - William Penn

Tom Arnold, of Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period, said this about Warren Sapp: "Hey, Warren, the Raiders signed you to a seven-year deal. I guess Bill Callahan was right --- they are the dumbest team in America."

by Philistine21 on Aug 31, 2008 8:19 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

Nah.

Philistine can be president. As a former HS defensive coordinator, I’d rather be Secretary of Defense!

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

by hoosierteacher on Sep 1, 2008 1:19 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

if he had been in 16 games than he couldnt have been signed to their PS right??

Any clue why they released him over…
SS 24-Chris Hope 23-Donnie Nickey 29-Chris Carr
FS 33-Michael Griffin 22-Vincent Fulle

or did the titans forget he like FS and just release him??

by RiG on Aug 31, 2008 6:47 PM MDT   0 recs

Michael Griffin

was a first round pick. Hope is a solid safety picked up via FA from the Steelers. Both are good safeties and Griffin has lots of upside (brother of Vikes CB Cedric Griffin). Fuller also provides great depth, not an outstanding player, but certainly a guy you can trust if you need him. Nickey and Carr are a little more questionable. Nickey has attitude problems and Carr was released by oakland.

"I could never quite get the hang of Thursdays..."

by FlaBroncoFan on Aug 31, 2008 8:15 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

Carr is on the Titans for nothing other than to be a return man

I have no idea why Nickey is still on the team. I was shocked to see them release Lowry. His ball skills are very questionable, but he is a pretty good tackler and is better than Nickey on special teams.

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Aug 31, 2008 8:27 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

unlikely

There isn’t much flexibility in a 4th rounder’s contract, so there’s very little chance of his contract being an issue.

by Colinski on Aug 31, 2008 10:00 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

answered my own Q

2008: $445,000, 2009: Restricted Free Agent
not sure if Restricted Free Agent still applies…anybody know, or care to guess?

by RiG on Aug 31, 2008 10:01 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

if we picked up his contract, perhaps

This one made me think. He’s been claimed on waivers rather than going unclaimed, in which case he could have negotiated a contract. His old contract would probably still be in effect so its terms would apply.

I’m fairly confident on this but far from certain. Does anyone else have an answer?

by Colinski on Aug 31, 2008 10:16 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

info
Lowry was handed the free safety job at the start of last season when coaches decided to get rid of three-year starter Lamont Thompson. He held the job for six games before giving way to rookie Michael Griffin. Later, when Chris Hope suffered a season-ending injury, Lowry re-entered the starting lineup at strong safety and made five starts

by RiG on Aug 31, 2008 10:07 PM MDT   0 recs

I was hoping for this

I knew there had to be a Safety out there with more talent than Rodgers. Sounds like Dove Valley found one. Awsome! Now lets get this kid on board with the defensive scheme and get him comfortable with the team. Time to play some football!

"If Denver beats us, I'll walk back to Detroit" - Alex Karras

by Denver Diehard on Sep 1, 2008 8:29 AM MDT   0 recs

Shanahan and Jeff Fisher are good friends

So I expect that Shanahan got good info on Lowry. But that still doesn’t explain why the Titans cut him. I understand he wasn’t going to be a starter, but he seems to have been their thrid best safety.

while yet unspoken, you are master of the word. After it is spoken, the word is master of you.

by bradley on Sep 1, 2008 9:10 AM MDT   0 recs

Question on Lowry

I take styg50’s analysis seriously so I’m trying to get a grip on how Lowry fits in.

News coverage on Lowry emphasizes his hitting ability and strength in run support, which is nice but it’s not our greatest need at this point — that’s pass coverage ability. Some of the local Tennessee people regard Lowry as a liability in pass coverage, although they may not be that well-informed.

Reports are giving somewhat contradictory descriptions so it’s hard to get a grip on his abilities. A general question to everyone — Is he a FS, a pass covering type?

Pardon me for focusing heavily this issue, but I see the Bronco’s re-emergence as tied to developing an identity on defense and strength up the middle — thus there’s a need for future additions on the DL and at MLB and S.

by Colinski on Sep 1, 2008 11:52 AM MDT   0 recs

As I said

here, try to get a hold of the tape from last seasons Titans/Texans game in Houston. He was constantly ,letting receivers get behind him and was promptly replaced after that game.

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Sep 1, 2008 12:20 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

I would

go with Jimmy here, though I seriously doubt I will ever get a chance to see the game he is referring to.

Lowry is definitely more of a pedigree over Rodgers, but we will have to see if his confidence level is high enough to harness his talents at this stage of his career. I hope that a change of scenery, adn some consistency regarding lining him up can do wonders. Fish doesn’t strike me as the kind of coach to misuse players, so i would say with the emergence of Griffin, Lowry simply wasn’t getting his job done. Lets hope that changes.

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

by styg50 on Sep 1, 2008 6:16 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

my mistake

That was a poorly phrased comment on my part. Comments about Lowry varied greatly on the Tennessee site. After looking at my “level of knowledge” comment I realized it sounded disparaging, which was not my intent.

I think the fundamental question on Lowry is whether he has the physical tools and responds to coaching. We’re very inexperienced at backup Safety so the bar is quite low for him at this point, and maybe he’ll respond to the opportunity. Confidence is particularly important for DBs and it’s a position that requires amnesia. Starting over with a clean slate may be just what Lowry needs.

by Colinski on Sep 1, 2008 7:32 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

No sweat

i don’t think anyone is misconstruing your intentions here, which is obviously to have a healthy debate about Lowry’s potential.

I will say this: I think what he needs more than ever is a serious challenge. I hope I’m wrong, because on its face I don’t think the competition amongst our safeties can bring that kind of challenge. Hopefully I’m wrong in one of two ways:

1. Our backup safeties are better than I am giving them credit for, or
2. He doesn’t need a challenge at all, but some stability and time to regrow his confidence.

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

by styg50 on Sep 1, 2008 8:18 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

re: my comment

I just noticed that my original comment could be misconstrued, I wasn’t alluding to anything. I wasn’t saying you were wrong, Jimmy, I’m trying to reconcile what seems like contradictory information — and it may not actually be contradictory.

by Colinski on Sep 1, 2008 7:06 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

I think the problem...

…was that he has been missused. He should be a coverage safety, but was used in a role more suited to stopping the running game. Because he was used in that role, and did well, I think a lot of news coverage is going to focus on how poorly he handled the passing game. But if his assignements (likely manned on the TE, or zoned in the mid depth center for run support) kept him out of position for the passing game, I’m sure he got “beat” a lot (CBs get beat, SAFs fail to support).

My belief (opinion) is that if he is allowed to play at FS (in deeper coverage, with the pass as his primary duty) he will do well. I also think his experience at SS means that he won’t be afraid to make take down big threats (TEs and RBs) that try the gut and get past the front seven.

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

by hoosierteacher on Sep 1, 2008 1:29 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

I would definitely hedge

my hopes for this kid with what you are saying here, HT. Of course, there can be no promises about what kind of change we can give him, but he has some natural attributes, and I think he has some great upside and can create some mismatches if he is harnessed.

As to his misuse, I am curious to know whether he was used in the box or as part of a two deep package. If he was in the box, I don’t see how he could be credited with any bad pass defense….

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

by styg50 on Sep 1, 2008 6:21 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

From what I read (haven't seen film) he was used...

…in run support and to cover TEs. My thinking is that whenever a TE is used in the run stopping role at all, he will be limited in pass protection. I don’t think Fisher (a solid coach) would mis-use a player, but due to other personnel, SS might have been the only place for him. This often happens with SSs, since faster, “better” safeties typicaly get the FS role.

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

by hoosierteacher on Sep 2, 2008 1:04 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

Roderick Rogers cut

Colinski,
I think thsi was the plan all the time. With his relationship with Fisher, he was targeting Lowry and put Rogers instead of Josh Barrett on the roster as he wanted to keep Barrett, and took the risk of waivers.
I think this also gave the impression that the team was higher on Rogers than Barrett, which probably made it safer risking him on the waiver wire.
Now Shanny has all the safetys he wanted.
I think that Barrett will get onto the roster after the bye.
Nice work by Shanahan.

by boydy2669 on Sep 1, 2008 12:39 PM MDT   0 recs

I have to agree

Although I think some people can get carried away imagining strategic motives, I have to agree in this case. And this is another reason to take depth charts with a grain of salt. However, I don’t think the depth chart at Safety was entirely fiction, there appeared to be problems with Barrett’s game (hardly unexpected) and they needed to impress upon him the importance of some of things they were asking him to do. Still, I found the depth chart at Safety suspicious (I got a big intuitive ’bump’) and there was simply no question that Barrett possessed superior physical talents.

by Colinski on Sep 1, 2008 12:56 PM MDT to parent up   0 recs

An integration

putting the whole picture together, I think we have a player here he hasn’t been getting it done as a finisher. I think he brings an ability to learn our defense quickly and cover some good ground in the deep secondary, the true traits of a FS.

But it seems that he doesn’t take that package and produce results with it. We’ve been there before (Tatum Bell, anyone?) I think he had some opportunities in Tennessee, but we will just have to hope that a change of scene is what the doctor ordered. Still surprised that Tennessee cut him, but this move is starting to seem a lot more reasonable, as the risks start to become apparent.

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

by styg50 on Sep 1, 2008 7:38 PM MDT   0 recs

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