Denver Post sports writer Bill Williamson posts his Broncos Mailbag each Friday on DenverPost.com. Welcome to his Sunday Supplement, which runs each week through the 2005 NFL season. The supplement also runs in the NFL Sunday section of The Sunday Denver Post print edition.
To drop a question into the Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
If you count Dwayne Carswell, Denver has six tight ends. Why so many?
— Paul Kaufman, Charlestown, Mass.
Carswell will likely be an offensive lineman this season. With just seven offensive linemen, Carswell probably will not drift back to tight end.
As for the glut at tight end, it’s not as crowded as you might think. Mike Leach is on the team because he’s the long snapper. He’s only an emergency tight end. The team kept Wesley Duke because there was buzz several teams would try to steal him if he were cut and the Broncos tried to stash him on the practice squad. Duke probably won’t play very much, with him spending virtually all season on the inactive list. So, there are really three tight ends – Stephen Alexander, Jeb Putzier and Nate Jackson – who will play the roles of the position.
Is Mike Anderson the real starter or just holding the position for Tatum Bell a few weeks into the season?
— Pete Matheson, Boise, Idaho
If Anderson plays well, he’ll remain the starter. If not, as at every other position, the backups will get a look. But this is Anderson’s job for as long as he proves he can keep it.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan may be taking some heat for drafting Maurice Clarett, but I applaud a coach who is still willing to take chances. After watching San Diego lose to the Jets last year in the playoffs by playing safe and unimaginative in the fourth quarter, I’ve gained a new appreciation for coaches who still go for broke once in a while.
— Geoff Ankeney, Portland, Ore.
Draft-day chances and fourth-quarter decisions in the postseason are distant cousins at best. But to succeed, gambles need to be taken in several different aspects of running an organization.
Who are the backup guards for the Broncos? Did Josh Sewell retire?
— Matt Byers, Montpelier, Vt.
Sewell decided to go to dentistry school after one day of training. Carswell is a backup guard on both sides, and there are a few practice-squad players who could be moved up to the active roster if a starter gets injured.
Do you think the Broncos will get back Willie Middlebrooks, since he has been released?
— Rob Korver, Denver
The only way Middlebrooks would ever come back is if there were several injuries. The Broncos traded Middlebrooks because they didn’t think he would make the team with the addition of the three draft picks who play the same position: cornerback. The trade for John Engelberger for Middlebrooks – who was cut last week by San Francisco – has a chance to go down as a big-time steal. Engelberger was fantastic in the preseason and has a chance to register a bunch of sacks.
Why did Denver keep Cecil Sapp?
— Ishmael Huber, Providence, R.I.
The former Colorado State standout essentially was kept instead of tailback Quentin Griffin. A big reason Sapp was taken is special teams, where he excels. Also, Sapp is the lone backup at fullback. There are two backup tailbacks, so Sapp was kept and Griffin wasn’t.
Bill Williamson is in his second season as a Denver Post NFL writer. To drop a question into the Mailbag .
