Spencer Larsen - IT'S ABOUT TIME

GJ; I hope you’re right about Larsen getting his chance to compete for starting ILB. One thing I know about him he’s smart and a leads by example. Said another way “he’s a football player”.

I haven’t seen anything outside of fan talk and one PFT article that would suggest he is moving up in the lineup, and if her were to move up, he would have to compete against a pretty good group of other LB’s. This is really just an extension of Jeremy Bolander’s post.

Does anyone think that this might be another signpost in the road to us drafting a FB? Our offense is now seriously lacking a powerful blocking/receving style FB who can carry the ball if we suffer too many RB injuries. No dbout Spencer could still do it in an extreme bind (like we had in 2008) but I think we need another RB or two on the roster, and one that is the protoypical FB.

I think when Champ mentioned maybe Haggan coming over, that its more likely someone else will be well above Larsen at ILB. I think Kelley could be someone that gets as good a look as Larsen. Neither got much time there last year and Wink may think both have potential.

To think Larsen is the main guy getting a look d/n seem too plausible. He barely played there last year.

With the big D line, could it be that Woodyard is expected to have more freedom to run around and play 2st and 2nd downs???

I’’ve read that a few may slide to CFA after this year’s draft. If so, that might be a good option. I don’t have any doubt after watching the film that we ran the ball better behind Larsen, but we also were better on STs when he was in and I tend to believe that the same will be true if he takes the reps at ILB. He’s a littler slow in man coverage to be perfect for the position (but fast and intelligent enough for zone) but that’s a problem with nearly any LB. I hope they give him a few games to get used to the position – I suspect that he’ll fill in well, if they do.

The overage issue leads me to wonder if Josh Barrett has developed enough to put him on the TEs in the nickel package yet. He’s shown flashes of real talent there, but hasn’t gained a great deal of PT so far. I hope that he can make this the season that he breaks out in that regard – he’s doing pretty good work on STs, also, so getting him on the field more is a reasonable next step.

Since we also have the inhouse situations of Wesley Woodyard, Dustin Fry, Matt McChesney, Chris Baker et al, I have to wonder if we are seeing the start of the process of developing talent in house rather than trading for them or using higher draft picks. A blend of the three is essential, eventually, but the ability to develop people over a few years is a skill that teams like PIT and NE seem to have mastered in great part. To me, that would be one good sign that the new management team would be working out well.

And before you bad mouth him remember that he got his start on ST, just like TD and your current love Larsen. Granted he sucked when he came back from TB, but that year we had him, Al, and it was either DJ or Mobeley (can’t remember, can’t be bothered to look it up this late…) our linebacking corps was beast. He just couldn’t play without Al. Come to think of it, no one on our D could…

If not just to see him light up a few more people each year. But on the other hand, I’m still on the McClain bandwagon.

As some of us suggested, it’s Haggan; not Larsen. Personally, I think they’ll share the position or we may draft another ILB (for the future) if he happens to be the BPA. I’ve written on this subject recently and I see two general courses of action — don’t replace Davis and use Haggan & Larsen, etc., or, draft a faster ILB with pass coverage ability.

Haggan in the middle?

http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14735781 ( Bronco’s new D-Line )

For now, Davis’ inside linebacker spot will be taken by Mario Haggan, who started at strongside outside linebacker last season.

“Mario’s got the flexibility to do both,” McDaniels said. “He could play ‘Mike,’ and right now that’s the intent — although I’m not going to rule anything out and make a decision on that in March. There’s a long way to go.”