Broncos defense: Bly lets stats decide division's top cornerbacks

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 3, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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The AFC West has three big-name cornerback tandems. The Broncos feature Champ Bailey and Dre Bly. Oakland has Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall. San Diego offers Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer.

Bly isn't conceding anything to any cornerback tandem.

"I feel like, duowise, we are still at the top," he said. "If you want to compare our first six, seven years to their years, just look at the numbers. I let our play do the talking."

Since 1999, when Bailey and Bly entered the NFL, Bailey's 42 interceptions rank only behind Darren Sharper (51). Bly is third (38).

"Last year wasn't the year we wanted as a team, as a secondary," Bly said. "But based on what we've done in our careers, we make plays. We are playmakers. And we're looking forward to contributing to our team and helping our team. We'll let the rest handle itself."

Survival skills

The competition in camp among the top three Broncos safeties likely wasn't as fierce as for dinner when they were growing up.

In what has be some sort of NFL, or parenting, record, Marlon McCree, Marquand Manuel and Hamza Abdullah hail from families with a combined 38 children.

"That's crazy," McCree said. "Those are some big families, boy."

Manuel is the ninth of 18 siblings. Abdullah is the second oldest, along with his twin sister, with seven brothers and three other sisters.

McCree is the youngster of his brood with four brothers and three sisters, which he believes is the easiest slot of all.

"It has to be hardest for the oldest," McCree said. "He's got a lot of people under him that he's responsible for. I was the youngest, so I had a lot of people responsible for me. And I could act off and not get in trouble. My mom would get on them because they're older and supposed to be looking out for me."

McCree said his family life was like being in a team setting before he ever played on a sports team. Everyone in the family had responsibilities, like dishes or cleaning bathrooms, just like having an assigned job on the field.

"We all know what it's like, especially competitionwise, because we all grew up with a lot of sibling rivalry," he said. "You need that in this game."

And the sibling rivalry included a lot of physical contact.

"I know, growing up, everybody played football, and you couldn't come in the house crying to Mama about nothing," McCree said. "Your big brother busts you up, you've got to go and hit him back. That's all she said. It made me tougher."

Even with big families of their own, McCree and Abdullah couldn't imagine life in the Manuel household.

"I thought it was tough with 12," Abdullah said. "I'm sure he got beat up a lot more than I did."

Numbers game

5 NFL players with more sacks than Elvis Dumervil's 21 since his 2006 rookie season. The group: San Diego's Shawne Merriman (291/2), Green Bay's Aaron Kampman (271/2), Dallas' DeMarcus Ware (251/2), Washington's Jason Taylor (241/2) and Minnesota's Jared Allen (23).

Photo by David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Denver Broncos linebacker Boss Bailey stretches before taking part in the team's quarterback camp at the Broncos headquarters on Wednesday. Bailey was signed as a free agent from the Detroit Lions.

Getting to know . . . Boss Bailey

* What do you like to do off the field: "I have no hobbies. I go home and I play with my kids. We run around the house, wrestle and act crazy."

* What type of music do you like? "Hip-hop, R&B, a little bit of rock - just a little."

* So what do you rock out to when the mood strikes? "Linkin Park, all day."

* What's been the most surprising thing about Denver so far: "I'd say the fans. They're crazy around here. You can't go anywhere without somebody noticing you. I'd get noticed in Detroit sometimes, but nothing like here."

* How have you taken advantage of the fact your brother's here: "Everything, as far as moving, finding a place to stay, what areas to stay in here, knowing how to get to certain places. I even save some gas riding with him every now and then."

* So, the Bailey brothers are feeling the $4-per-gallon pinch? "Heck yeah. I've got a family to take care of. I'm always concerned about money."

• September 3, 2008

  7:43 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Dynamicdave writes:

  Yeah, right, Boss. That gas price is really crunching your wallet. Better save those store coupons, too.

• September 4, 2008

  11:52 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  incognitoboy writes:

  yeah, dd! i'm sure champ told him about the soup kitchens and reduced-lunch programs too! HA!!

  must've had to downsize from the big hummer to the h3......poor baby!

• September 4, 2008

  12:08 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  kgroney writes:

  I think it's kind of nice for a change to see a pro athlete watching his wallet for his family's sake instead of blowing everything he's got at night clubs and buying high dollar vehicles and other stuff. I think it's ridiculous to think that $4 gas is really a stretch for him, but you always here about lottery winners going bankrupt just a few years after they win. Millions of dollars is a lot of money, but it can go very quickly when you start throwing it anything or anyone that comes around. Not disagreeing with your posts, but I like to see this rather than a Javon-type player blowing hundreds of thousands on vegas trips and the like.

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