Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Holdman plays numbers game

Veteran hopes to switch No. 56 for a chance to start

Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 23, 2007 at midnight

Text size  

More Denver Broncos

More stories »

ENGLEWOOD - It didn't take long for Warrick Holdman to gain notice on his new team.

Only, much to his chagrin, it wasn't because of some athletic move to the ballcarrier or seamless pass coverage drop for which the veteran linebacker became the focus of attention during his first official camp with the Broncos.

It was entirely the equipment manager's doing.

Holdman, shortly after signing last month as a free agent, was assigned No. 56, which has been worn with distinction by team captain Al Wilson for eight seasons before his release during the offseason.

Because of that history, Holdman almost can feel the stares in his direction.

"You want to talk about pressure," Holdman said with a laugh shortly after Tuesday's rain-shortened passing camp practice. "When I first got it I was like, 'Oh, man . . . .' "

Holdman has envisioned himself in a nightmare scenario of attending the team's June 2-3 Fan Fair and dealing with cases of mistaken identity.

Given that possibility, and the level of respect he has for Wilson, he is looking into ditching the digits.

"The first chance I get, I'm going to try and change it," he said.

Then Holdman can concentrate on the other number problems, such as the one in which he and at least three other players find themselves competing for a starting job on the linebacker corps.

Since D.J. Williams already has moved to Wilson's position in the middle and Ian Gold is secure on the weak side, that void is at the strong-side linebacker position.

Currently, Eddie Moore, Louis Green and Cameron Vaughn are working at the spot. But with Broncos coaches seeking versatility, Nate Webster or D.D. Lewis might eventually be in the running.

None of those players has more starting experience than Holdman's 86 games. In eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, he has appeared in 105 games and made 401 tackles.

That background is a key reason new defensive boss Jim Bates jumped at the chance of landing Holdman just before the draft.

"I liked his steadiness," Bates said. "He is a true vet, a true pro. He knows how to play football, and the big thing in bringing guys in with that veteran status is you want solid, good guys who have a passion for football. And that's what Warrick fits. He fits all those bills. He's going to be a good, solid football player where we can count on him. . . . His accountability will be a constant."

Maybe that will be the case in the near future. Right now, Holdman is trying to learn terminology and the coaching staff's philosophy like most everybody else, along with more mundane matters such as teammates' names.

The Browns employed a similar defensive scheme during his time there, so the on-field adjustment should be subtle.

"I feel good," Holdman said. "I'm not 23 years old no more. But I still feel like I know what I'm doing. I do know stuff. I've seen a lot of routes and a lot of different blocking schemes. And I have to use that a little bit more because I'm not 22- or 23-year-old anymore. That's just a fact."

Holdman, 31, believes the Broncos are providing an equal opportunity to allow the starter to emerge on the strong side.

"It's going to be who the coaches think is going to do the best job and be the most consistent every day, that's how it's going to work," he said. "And that's the only thing you can really hope for is getting a fair shot."

Holdman was a full-time starter for the Redskins last season, but the team didn't make an effort to re-sign him. For Holdman, it also was time for a parting of the ways after two playoff appearances in eight seasons.

In Denver, he saw an opportunity for a deep postseason run. And from a personal level, the move was a chance to demonstrate he could still play at a high level.

Broncos safety Nick Ferguson, who early in his career briefly played with Holdman with the Bears, believes Holdman has a legitimate shot at being the starter, given he has played in complex defensive systems under Greg Williams in Washington and Greg Blache in Chicago.

"So it's not a fact that he can't nail it down mentally. It's the fact he's been here only a short period of time," Ferguson said. "So, for me, I would expect him to get the mental part of the game as far as the plays are concerned. As far as athletic ability, I think he has what it takes to be an addition as far as our team and linebackers are concerned."

BACK IN THE RUNNING: Ferguson unexpectedly has been a full participant in passing camp coming off surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee.

He was limping so badly early in his rehabilitation, teammates started calling him "Barbaro." A picture of the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner who later was euthanized because of his injury, is on display in the Broncos locker room bearing Ferguson's uniform number 25, courtesy of fellow safety John Lynch.

"Fortunately, I didn't go to the glue factory," Ferguson joked. "I'm still around, live and kicking and overcoming my leg injury."