Redskins remove seats from FedEx Field for third time in five seasons

Via the Washington Post:

The team listed its stadium capacity at 85,000 last season, but attendance never topped 81,000 and averaged less than 78,000. The Redskins led the NFL with an average attendance of 88,090 in 2007 but have averaged fewer than 80,000 four seasons in a row.

The Redskins still remained near the top of the league in attendance; the league average last season was 68,776. The Redskins say every home game for the past 47 seasons has been a sellout.

Why am I making a quick mention of this here?  I am because the Redskins are the only team that has a longer sellout streak than the Broncos.  There are, of course, ways that the numbers can be manipulated, as Dan Snyder is demonstrating here.  But I certainly wouldn’t mind if Snyder continues to do Dan Snyder things that causes more Redskins fans to get fed up.

A Closer Look At the Rest of the O-Line

As I wrote the other day, I am cautiously optimistic about Ty Sambrailo’s ability to handle left tackle for the Broncos this season. The other offensive line positions (except for right guard, in which Louis Vasquez is proven), however, are where I find far more legitimate concerns.

The biggest issue with center, left guard, and right tackle is that you have players who are either inexperienced or haven’t stood out elsewhere. There is some hope among the younger players, but it’s going to take time for some of them to get to that point.

Looking at each position, let’s go over where my concerns lie, and how they tie into what I believe to be legitimate concerns from Bronco fans.
Continue reading A Closer Look At the Rest of the O-Line

Looking Closer at Ty Sambrailo

Last week, the Denver Broncos received some bad news as starting left tackle Ryan Clady was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Ty Sambrailo, the Broncos’ 2015 second-round pick, now finds himself likely starting at left tackle.

Given how much the offensive line struggled last year, it’s understandable that Broncos fans are worried about what will happen this year with Clady out of the lineup. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Continue reading Looking Closer at Ty Sambrailo

Broncos sign Shane Ray

Per the numbers of the rookie wage scale, as the 23rd overall pick the total of Ray’s contract and signing bonus are both known–they should be close to, respectively, $9.12 million and $4.89 million.  Judging by previous 23rd overall picks, Ray should also have the first three years of his base salary fully guaranteed.

The only possible serious point of negotiation is if the Broncos pushed for a clause to void Ray’s guarantees should he run afoul of the NFL’s substance abuse program.  Ray was placed in Phase 1 of the program due to his pre-draft citation for marijuana possession.

Chris Harris Nominated for Halas Award

The Pro Football Writers Association nominated Broncos CB Chris Harris for the George Halas award, given to an NFL player or coach who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

Nearly eight months after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in a divisional playoff game, Chris Harris started in the Broncos’ 2014 season opener and went on to have, arguably, the finest season of any cornerback in the league.

It’s great to see Harris get recognized, but he’s got some tough competition. It will be hard not to give the award to either Steve Gleason or Devon Still.

Introduction to RPOs: Part 3 (Search, Snag, and Power-Read)

Introduction:

Hello. Hope all is going well. In this article, I will be briefly going over three other RPO concepts that I think will be pretty effective in the near future. Some of these concepts like the Search Concept have averaged over 7 yards per play with teams like Abilene Christian University. Others are just wrinkles that offensive coordinators like to toy with to give defenses an extra look. Whatever they may be, they have proven to be effective and I wouldn’t be surprised if they appeared in the NFL as soon as next year.

The team I am working with currently has toyed with running the Search concept. They have went back and forth on it before somewhat, but not quitely, pulling it out of their playbook. I will introduce it to you now because it is effective if you can install it into your offense. Continue reading Introduction to RPOs: Part 3 (Search, Snag, and Power-Read)

Introduction to RPOs: Part 2 (Stick Draw)

Introduction:

Hello again.

This article will be formatted a lot like the last one in that I will be going through the progressions step-by-step. When I review new concepts in the future, I will not go into as much detail as I think you guys will get my drift. I plan on introducing to you three other concepts (Search, Snag, and the Power-Read) that I think will become really effective in my next article which may come within the next day or the next three days depending on how things shake up on my end of the world.

Today, I will be going over the Stick Draw, the most popular RPO in football. A lot of teams like to run this a lot of different ways. I will be going over the most common way I have seen this RPO run at the collegiate level and the progressions attached to it against both 2 Hi and 1 Hi safety setups. As you will see, there are a multitude of problems when facing a 1 Hi structure. But first, lets get to the basic concept and work our way to it. Continue reading Introduction to RPOs: Part 2 (Stick Draw)

Consistency Key to NFL Disciplinary Policies

The recent revelation that Denver Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith is the subject of a child abuse investigation, and that NFL defensive end Ray McDonald has been arrested for domestic violence for the second time in a year’s span, begs the question as to what the NFL’s role should be in disciplining players for off-field incidents.

I will start by saying that I appreciate Nick generating some discussion about what should be done to discipline players, and I understand where he is coming from when he talks about how the wheels turn slowly in the judicial system, and it doesn’t always get the most satisfactory outcome.
Continue reading Consistency Key to NFL Disciplinary Policies