01-10-2007, 11:40 PM
|
#1 (permalink)
|
|
FBF All Star Running Back!
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 637
|
Coyer Out, Bates In
Source: Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Broncos & NFL
Quote:
Broncos to hire Bates to direct defense
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
January 10, 2007
With other teams circling Broncos coach Mike Shanahan moved quickly to find Larry Coyer's replacement to run the team's defense.
Former Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates is expected to be named assistant head coach/defense in the coming days, possibly as soon as Thursday, according to sources.
Broncos secondary coach Bob Slowik, who was also a candidate to fill the position is expected to be given the title of defensive coordinator as well. The Broncos have a similar arrangement on offense with Mike Heimerdinger as assistant head coach and Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator.
Contacted earlier Wednesday Bates said he did not want to discuss the job in Denver specifically, but only offered "we'll see what happens . . . but I'm pretty busy trying to see what's out there and might be right.''
Bates' son, Jeremy, is already an offensive assistant on the Broncos staff.
Coyer was fired this week, with a year remaining on his contract, after four years as the Broncos defensive chief. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson was also let go after just two seasons in Denver.
Bates took this past season off when Mike McCarthy was named Green Bay's coach last January after Bates had interviewed for the job as well.
Bates went 3-4 as Dolphins interim coach when Dave Wannstedt resigned nine games into the 2004 season with Miami at 1-8. Bates, who has often publicly expressed his desire to be a head coach, was hoping to be considered for the Dolphins head coaching job to replace Nick Saban, and had the public backing of some of the Dolphins players, but was not among the 12 candidates the Dolphins have already interviewed for the position.
Bates preaches sound fundamentals defensive and has traditionally favored a 4-3 look on defense, with cornerbacks locked up in coverage and with a safety down near the line of scrimmage to fill the lanes in run defense at times. When he does take chances, they usually come on third down.
Bates usually prefers to rush four and create pressure with his defensive linemen, which is the way the Broncos had hoped to play this past season. In his last stint as a coordinator, Bates blitzed at least one player 30.9 percent of the passing snaps with the Packers in 2005 and rushed at least six players on 12.5 percent of the snaps that year.
Those figures are higher than what he routinely did as Dolphins coordinator, according to several pro personnel executives contacted Wednesday night.
San Francisco coach Mike Nolan is also searching for a defensive coordinator and was known to be interested in Bates as well.
The Broncos led the league in scoring defense after six games in '06 and at that point in the year the team was 5-1 and had surrendered just 272 yards per game. However, by the end of the season they had fallen to 14th in total defense, allowing 326.4 yards per game including 359.2 yards per game over the last 10.
They finished with just 35 sacks.
The Broncos also surrendered leads of at least eight points in home losses to Indianapolis, San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco over their last five games at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Pete Rodriguez, whom Shanahan previously tried to hire as defensive coordinator and was fired earlier this month by the Jacksonville Jaguars, could be hired to be the team’s special teams coach.
Rodriguez is considered one of the best special-teams coaches in the league.
|
For Broncos fans out there, it will be nice to longer see out corners playing ten yards off the reciever in a soft zone coverage. Hopefully we'll mix up blitzing our linebacks and safetys next year.
__________________
"Great is a word that's overused in our profession, but it's appropriate when you're talking about Champ Bailey"
Peyton Manning
|
|
|
Coyer Out, Bates In
Linear Mode
