Dwayne Carswell, who turns 35 today, is so intent on making it back to the NFL, he is willing to take a step back to show teams he can still perform.
Carswell, cut by the Broncos after 12 seasons with them, signed Wednesday with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.
“Dwayne is back playing football with the absolute goal of making it back into the NFL,” said Carswell’s agent, Jimmy Field. “We know that at age 35, when a guy is cut, he needs to prove himself. That’s what the idea is here. He’ll show teams he still has the athletic ability he’s always had.”
Field said there is a clause in Carswell’s AFL contract that if he has a chance to sign with an NFL team, he will be allowed to do so. Carswell had a few workouts for NFL teams during the 2006 season and Field said he was nearly signed by New Orleans last month.
“This gives Dwayne a chance to stay in football shape and show he can still play,” Field said.
Carswell, who was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Broncos and finished his Denver career as an offensive lineman, was seriously injured in an auto accident in October 2005 that ended his season. He was cut at the end of training camp in 2006.
Coming, going
On a day when they officially lost tight ends coach Tim Brewster, the Broncos announced the hiring of Bill Johnson as their defensive line coach.
Brewster was introduced Wednesday as the new head coach at the University of Minnesota, leaving the Broncos after two years as one of Mike Shanahan’s assistants. It wouldn’t be a shock if Brewster takes a few former Broncos assistants with him to Minnesota.
“My expectations from Day One are going to be to win the Big Ten,” Brewster said at his inaugural news conference. “I think that’s what the seniors deserve. … We’re going to take the Gopher Nation to Pasadena. That’s my belief, that’s my goal and it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”
Johnson, 51, spent the past six seasons as the defensive line coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who recorded the league’s seventh-highest total of 242 sacks during that period. He replaces Andre Patterson, who was fired after two seasons.
St. Louis defensive assistant Joe Baker is expected to be announced as the Broncos’ linebackers coach soon.
Footnotes
Patterson has received preliminary interest for the head coaching job at Rice. … Fullback Cecil Sapp, who broke his leg Dec. 3 in a game against Seattle, is ahead of schedule in his recovery and has started light running.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-954-1262 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
