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Focus on conditioning has Scheffler 'ready to go'

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 24, 2008 at 7:50 p.m.

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Tight end Tony Scheffler broke his left foot before to the start of last season and spent the rest of the time playing catch-up.

Photo by Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky/2007

Tight end Tony Scheffler broke his left foot before to the start of last season and spent the rest of the time playing catch-up.

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Third-year tight end Tony Scheffler joked he almost felt like "a new guy" when the Broncos started their offseason program Monday.

Though he's too experienced for that designation, he hardly can be blamed for thinking that way with all the new faces gathered at Dove Valley.

More believable would be if Scheffler said he felt like a new man.

His conditioning workouts last spring were designed to bulk him up so he could better handle blocking responsibilities on the line of scrimmage. Scheffler reached 265 pounds, and the plan then was for him to gain speed and shed pounds leading to summer camp. But he broke his left foot and ended up playing catch-up the rest of the season.

Scheffler now is 15 pounds lighter, and instead of his weight, he's focused on his overall conditioning. Scheffler already has spent about six weeks in workouts in Atlanta (along with teammates Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall) on improving his speed, quickness and initial punch when the ball is snapped, while building up his core muscles.

"I took a different approach than last year, and I feel a lot better," Scheffler said. "Maybe I didn't go about it the right way last year. But I feel better now. . . . I'm ready to go."

He admitted he "never got back to where I wanted to be last year," with the injury affecting his ability to separate from defenders and to cut sharply.

While Scheffler still is experiencing some pain in his foot, he has been told that's part of an 18-month process to return to full health, and he expects to be completely healed by the upcoming season.

"It seems like my rookie year, I finished strong. And I didn't start off hot last year. I've thought about it all offseason," said Scheffler, who caught 26 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in the final six games of 2007. "I want to build on the end of last season and play a whole season and contribute from the start. And I'd like to develop into a leadership role where other guys can know that they can count on me."

GREASE IS THE WORD: In an interview with Sirius NFL Radio, Marshall was asked, jokingly, whether he would be willing to pass a lie-detector test to prove his right arm injury was, indeed, caused by a slip on a McDonald's bag early Saturday morning.

Marshall laughed at the inquiry, given the Broncos' history with such machines, then turned serious.

"Why would I go through a lie-detector test for an accident, you know?" he said. "You fall, you hurt yourself - now what, I got in a fight? I hurt somebody else or something? What's the problem?"

Marshall also related his conversation with coach Mike Shanahan.

He said the coach was "fine" with the explanation regarding the injury, which will keep the receiver's arm immobilized in a cast for two weeks.

"It's my forearm, so that's the good thing," Marshall said. "It's not my hand."

COMEBACK TRAIL: Defensive end Jarvis Moss fell short of his initial goal of being chosen the league's top defensive rookie.

The Broncos' 2006 No. 1 draft pick is aiming more modestly now, pinning his hopes on earning a starting job in Year 2.

"Definitely, I think it will happen. Who knows when?" said Moss, who is running a series of 100-yard sprints as part of a comeback from a broken right tibia that cut his first year short. "We'll see how I do come camp as far as my ankle goes, but that's something I'm going to try to work myself into.

"And, if not, as long as I'm contributing in a positive manner and playing up to my potential, that's not something that really bothers me. If I'm coming off the bench being just as productive as a starter, it's the same difference."

Moss expects to begin full workouts with teammates next week or the week after.

Comments

  • March 24, 2008

    9 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    playersedge05 writes:

    This Brandon Marshall story worries me an awful lot. Hes got all the talent in the world...but are we witnessing the birth of Terrel Jr. ??? This is now his 3rd incident to make news in a negative fashion...first the domestic dispute...then the drunk driving....now we have a mysterious injury during the offseason..This is an awful lot of bad press for a guy whos played 20 games in his career. We've seen big time plays, but also shady ways....we've seen full lenghth fur coats....as legal charges roast.
    Brandon, we beg you, please stay out of trouble..talk with Rod..let him show you the way...with your god given ability, and his work ethic, Canton is there for the taking. Scheffler too !!
    Tony had about 59-60 catches and didnt play in first few games...he dressed but rarely played. This guy will be a terror. What a draft class!!! Jay Franchise, Brandon Beast, and Tony the Terror. With young talent in Cutler, Marshall, Scheffler, Dumervil, Moss, Thomas, Crowder, DJ Will, Nico the Greek, Big Ryan Harris - we have good young talent...here is the MY POINT..
    This upcoming draft is the draft that can set this franchise up for the next decade. If we nail another 3-4 players to go with our nucleus, we will be set for years. We add 3-4 more impact players and we will have about 12-13 starters from within our organization. Throw in Foxworth, Abdullah, and Paymah in the secondary. This draft is the most important draft this organization has had in last 20 years. Good luck to all.

  • March 25, 2008

    3:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbigstupid writes:

    well said.

  • March 25, 2008

    7:29 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    R8R_H8R writes:

    An artery, vein, nerve and tendons to five muscles were severed.........HIS CAREER IS OVER. He will be nothing but mediocre for a the next two years, then fade away.

  • March 25, 2008

    9:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    SiquePupi writes:

    Wow, His career is over? seems a little pessimistic to me. In the long run you may wind up being right but it is an injury to his arm not his leg and I am not ready to jump off that cliff yet.

  • March 25, 2008

    5:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    AKuser writes:

    So is his CAREER OVER or is he going to be mediocre for the next 2 years? Talk about a drama queen response. He is supposed to have a 3 to 4 month recovery and be ready for training camp.