Broncos' Bates to take closer look

Broncos assistant will lead defense from the sideline

Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Jim Bates this season will trade a bird's-eye view for closer inspection of his new group of players.

The Broncos' first-year assistant head coach/defense has decided to roam the sideline instead of observing games from the press box.

It will mark the first time since Greg Robinson's departure as coordinator after the 2000 season that the Broncos' defensive boss will be on the sideline. Ray Rhodes and Larry Coyer watched from the higher vantage point the past six seasons.

Bates, who's widely known for an enthusiastic coaching style, resided in the booth during his five-year tenure as a Miami Dolphins assistant. But that approach changed when he took over as interim coach for the final seven games in 2004.

"Just the feel of the players, the body language of the players, seeing their eyes. You can't see that in the box," Bates said recently. "You don't know the feeling of the players. On the field, you get a different feel for where your players are at and direct communication with them. I like that."

Being at field level doesn't provide some of the big-picture views the press box affords.

So communication through coaching headsets has to be strong between the box and field in making defensive adjustments.

"I feel good about the guys in the box," Bates said of the Broncos' current defensive staff.

That group will be led by Bob Slowik, the team's coordinator who oversees the secondary.

PATIENT APPROACH: The Broncos have the luxury of playing the waiting game with their three unsigned draft picks. The team's start of camp Sunday is among the last in the league.

The market for third-round offensive tackle Ryan Harris is established. Four of the five picks bracketing Harris have agreed to deals, with three of them four- year agreements similar to what the Broncos are pursuing.

The situation is more muddled for defensive linemen Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, the Broncos' first two picks.

Defensive end Victor Abiamiri got about $1.3 million in guarantees from the Philadelphia Eagles at the pick behind Crowder in the second round.

But the three picks in front of Crowder are unsigned, so the market might need to settle more in his case.

Only one of the first 26 picks in the first round, linebacker Lawrence Timmons of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 15th pick, had signed as of late Wednesday afternoon.

Moss was taken No. 17. His agreement could come in the 11th hour.

OUT THE DOOR? Safety Sam Brandon was cryptic about his standing with the team amid reports he was about to be released because of lingering right knee trouble.

"I really don't know what's going on," he said.

But difficulty recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee appears to have ushered in the end of his Broncos tenure after five years.

And given a two-game suspension levied by the league under the personal-conduct policy, Brandon's career could be in jeopardy.

He admitted he heard being cut was a possibility but the Broncos had not told him his release is official.

At least not yet. The Broncos don't have to cut Brandon until it's above the roster limit. His participation in offseason camps has been extremely limited.

"I feel OK. Like I was telling everybody during (mini)camp, I've had swelling in my knee," he said. "But that's all I know. I'm not a doctor so I can't say anything about that."

INJURY REPORT: Receiver Rod Smith likely will be placed on the physically unable to perform list to begin camp, giving him the opportunity to continue his recovery from left hip surgery at his own pace.

"I don't even think he's behind schedule," Smith's agent, Tom Mills, said. "I think they're all going pretty deliberately."

Brandon Stokley's representative, Rick Smith, said his client should be fully ready for practice this weekend.

Stokley is coming off right Achilles' tendon surgery but had stepped up his on-field regimen at minicamp earlier this month.

rasizerl@RockyMountainNews.com