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No cooling his jets

Robertson's goal with Broncos: prove himself after landing in Denver

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated May 17, 2008 at 12:23 a.m.

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Dewayne Robertson expects to feel right at home in the Broncos' defensive scheme after feeling out of place with the Jets. "He's got blinders on," Broncos teammate Marlon McCree says.

Photo by Ken Papaleo / The Rocky

Dewayne Robertson expects to feel right at home in the Broncos' defensive scheme after feeling out of place with the Jets. "He's got blinders on," Broncos teammate Marlon McCree says.

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Click-clack.

Stacks of heavy metal repeatedly smack against other steel, serving as an offseason sound- track for Dewayne Robertson as he prepares for his first season with the Broncos.

The cacophony is the perfect complement to the defensive tackle's relative silence as he lets his muscles do their work.

Even the presence of former college buddy Marlon McCree, with whom he has reunited as a teammate in Denver, can't change the clicking and clacking to chitting and chatting in the Broncos weight room. Even though the two have much to catch up on, seven years removed from their days at the University of Kentucky and only periodically having touched base since.

But McCree understands why a fist bump and a couple of "what-ups" at Dove Valley will have to do for the moment.

After five seasons with the New York Jets, where Robertson was hailed as the next Warren Sapp before eventually being traded for possibly nothing, it's clear the No. 4 overall pick in the 2003 draft has a point to prove to himself and the rest of the NFL.

If it takes being the strong, silent type now to become a noisy, disruptive force in 2008, that's what Robertson is doing.

"He's got blinders on," McCree observed recently. "I'm his boy, and I can't even get him off track. So I know, definitely, he's going to be a threat this year."

For a team lacking in the middle of its front four, to say that would be just what the doctor ordered is partially true.

No self-respecting physician would order up help in exactly the form Robertson brings, given a troublesome history with his left knee that dates to his sophomore year in college.

But the fact the Broncos traded for Robertson, despite an admission he would have flunked their physicals in each of the past four years, speaks to the team's desperation to find interior help.

That said, Robertson seems to be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition:

* He's low cost - the Broncos owe the Jets no draft-pick compensation if Robertson plays fewer than 65 percent of Denver's defensive snaps next season.

* The contract is tied to the lineman's participation on a defensive front that generally rotates eight players.

* His apparent ability to manage his pain.

This is a player who thrives on competition.

"If a guy thinks he's better than me, then I've got to show him he's not," said Robertson, his pride apparently buoyed by the thought of playing in the Broncos' 4-3 defense instead of the Jets' three-man front in which he was miscast as a nose tackle the past two years.

That position is for NFL heavyweights, big-bodied players responsible for gaps on both sides of the center who constantly take on double teams.

Here to help

Robertson prefers to play at least 15 pounds lighter, at 310, and in "attack" mode while aligned opposite opponents' guards. He'll do both with the Broncos, who will welcome his help, particularly as a run stuffer after they finished 29th in that category last season.

"I just feel like everything is going to happen naturally for me, because I know what kind of blocks to expect in a 4-3 scheme and all that kind of stuff," Robertson said. "You know how teams want to attack you. So I'm going to reapply that to what I learned before I went to a 3-4 and keep rolling."

The Jets ran a 4-3 scheme in Robertson's first three pro seasons.

After he struggled some during his rookie year, when New York ranked only 28th against the run, he began to adjust. He finished with 60 tackles and three sacks as the Jets reached the playoffs in 2004. A year later, though, Eric Mangini replaced Herm Edwards as head coach and Robertson was forced to learn a new position that minimized the quickness advantage he once had provided.

"When I was playing that 3-4 stuff, I had to do a lot of thinking and it kind of slowed me down as far as how to play and what to do," he said.

This offseason, the Jets acquired massive defensive tackle Kris Jenkins from Carolina to handle the role. And, given Robertson's contract, which included a $3 million bonus payment due in June, and the fact Mangini's staff didn't draft him in the first place, leaving New York was a fait accompli.

A trade to Cincinnati in March fell through because of a failure to find common financial ground on a new contract. Robertson shopped himself around before the Broncos worked out their arrangement, which included a new six-year financial package.

"It's kind of what I felt I needed," Robertson said of the trade.

At 26, Robertson will be playing under his third head coach, fourth defensive coordinator and third scheme. But he doesn't see that as a negative.

"I can take that and what I learned before and apply it to now," he said.

He insists he left New York with no hard feelings.

"The expectations were very high," he said, "and I don't know if people felt I was disappointing or whatnot. But I do know I tried to do the best I could do."

Overall, he started 75-of-77 regular-season games for the Jets, with 319 tackles (188 solo) and 141/2 sacks.

Yet given his young age, Robertson should only just now be reaching the prime of his career - if he holds up physically.

"He will be able to say that he doesn't fit in a 3-4 and the Jets misused him, etc., etc., (only) if he comes here and succeeds. He knows that," McCree said. "And he's got a lot of pressure on him. But a 4-3 is going to suit him. And I think he'll definitely help our front seven."

TRANSACTIONS: The Broncos signed 6-foot-3, 302-pound free- agent guard Dylan Gandy, who spent his first three seasons with Indianapolis. They also waived guard Isaac Snell.

rasizerl@RockyMountainNews.com

Numbers game

Just before the draft, the Broncos retooled the final two years of Dewayne Robertson's contract and tacked on an extra four-year extension through 2013. The revised deal:

$900,000 annual salary for the 2008 and '09 seasons.

$3 million roster bonus.

$4 million is what the contract counts against the Broncos' '08 salary cap.

$11 million in playing-time incentives he could earn in 2009, which means the contract could max out at $35 million over six years.

65% of the defensive snaps is the threshold for determining what compensation the Broncos owe the Jets. If Robertson plays fewer than that in 2008, the Jets get nothing. The cost becomes a fifth-rounder if he plays 65 percent to 70 percent of the snaps, a third-rounder if he plays 70 percent to 80 percent, and a second-rounder if he's on the field more than 80 percent of the time.

Knee-to-know basis

Dewayne Robertson said he has learned to live with the deterioration in his left knee that worried Denver and other NFL teams interested in pursuing him this past offseason.

"It's all about doing the things you need to do to manage it and make sure it stays the way it should stay," he said.

Frequent rehabilitation, ice and keeping his weight down have proved helpful in keeping him in the lineup for 75-of-77 pro regular-season games.

He first injured the knee at Kentucky in 2001 but, even then, missed only about a month.

"A couple doctors have told me it's about how much you can take and you can deal with it. But I've been dealing with it for five years. . . . I'm going to go out and show people I can play as long as I want to with this kind of injury."

Comments

  • May 17, 2008

    10:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    myerda00 writes:

    Bone to bone is painful but not during an exercise, it is afterwards. This guys really shows me character to go through daily schedule of icing and pain relief. Coaches need to find out what he can do then leave daily practice to walk throughs and turn him loose on Sunday.
    I see Robertson and Thomas starting with McKinley and Powell rotating. Now if you figure there are 70 offensive plays per game, Robertson would have to play 49-50 to owe the Jets a third rounder (70%).
    I hope McKinley and Powell are go enough to play half the downs and give the Jets nothing.

  • May 18, 2008

    2:31 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    gahoaglund writes:

    I hope he is the dominant force the Broncos need up front... I would be happy to give up a 2nd rounder after a dominant and healthy year. Great upside with this guy, I am very excited about having him here.

  • May 18, 2008

    4:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    tahosa writes:

    I like him already. To win, attitude comes first before talent.

  • May 18, 2008

    4:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    R8R_H8R writes:

    Same story, different player every year with this damn coach. Deteriorated knee. "Potential". Can't pass a physical. So lets throw 4 million dollars into that against this years salary cap.....bRillIanT!

  • May 18, 2008

    11:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    MADness writes:

    R8R_H8R: I disagree.

    While Robertson is a high draft pick with an injury history, unlike Courtney Brown he has a proven track record of staying on the field (rather than the opposite) and also a proven track record of producing at a quality level.

    If Denver was able to give up only a late round pick for him and they were able to renegotiate a safe and reasonable contract then Robertson looked to be a great addition. They were able to meet both of those criteria.

    Robertson is highly likely to be a productive starter for the Broncos even though he may not put up 'numbers' that catch your attention.

    The difference between Robertson and the other lineman that Denver has brought in the last few years is that Robertson is in his prime and he has a strong and recent track record of both performing well and staying on the field.

  • May 18, 2008

    12:19 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ES writes:

    He is a win/win for Denver. Great attitude. Leadership through work ethics. He plays when other players would have quit.

    I wish him the best. We really have some quality players that will surprise people this year.

  • May 18, 2008

    1:59 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    NJBroncosFan writes:

    Hopefully Robertson will help slow down the rushing attack of San Diego, i feel if we can sweep the series with them then the division should be ours. More then enough potential on both sides of the ball, the team just needs to stay healthy, and take advantage of oppurtunities..

  • May 19, 2008

    6:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    orangeblood2 writes:

    I agree NJBroncos Fan. We have got to stay healthy. It seems to me the Broncos have had a black cloud over them the past few years when it comes to injuries (and deaths). We are due to have a run of years with few injuries. Like the Superbowl years.

  • May 19, 2008

    12:30 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DJRMTNSPF writes:

    An okay addition with moderate risk. In reality Denver needed to take a bigger step forward on the defensive line. Instead of making those ridiculous WR additions that money could have been used to acquire a proven DL.

  • May 19, 2008

    9:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    UncleBuck writes:

    What rediculous WR's were added? Competition is good, Walker needed to be replaced and depth is needed. What's rediculous is the money other teams spent on DL's similar to the way the raiders paid Walker. They got excited because there was noone left and in the case of DL, there were none that were proven.

    The other quote saying this was another stupid move by the coach must not have read the story and knows little about what he speaks. How many games has he missed, what did they trade and what kind of contract did he get? This was all good from every angle.

  • May 20, 2008

    4:43 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jaeks75 writes:

    I agree. We are paying him much less than what an above average DL gets and he is much better than what we had. I think we might be an over .500 team with his presence. Without him we are guarenteed a losing season. I am a die-hard fan but it is hard to deny all the holes we have this year. I would like to see Robertson have the best season of his career. Then see John Lynch make a great comeback and get a few Steve Atwaterish highlights. And lastly, we sign Thurman from Cincy. These three will put fear in the hearts of opposing running backs.