ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—The difference in the philosophies of the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos was most apparent during pass rush drills Wednesday.
It was the bigger, beefier Cowboys against the smaller, quicker Broncos, both on offense and defense.
“We’re one of the biggest teams in the league,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. “I noticed it as soon as we got our offensive line together, I noticed ours was bigger than everybody else. We have good size, but we have good athletes. We don’t just go for size, we go for athleticism and size. We have three Pro Bowlers in the offensive line.”
And another star in linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who threw tight end Tony Scheffler to the grass on one play and tossed rookie left tackle Ryan Clady aside on the next.
The 1-on-1 drills weren’t best suited for the undersized Broncos offensive linemen, who are accustomed to moving as one in a manner that routinely leads to high rushing totals.
And the Broncos had their fair share of good performances fending off the Cowboys.
“I don’t think their size seemed to be a difference,” Dallas defensive end Chris Canty said. “I think they are a good-sized offensive line. They’ve been running their scheme for a long time. They won Super Bowls with it. They are good at what they do. It presents an interesting challenge for us.”
“It takes some time to get used to it,” Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis said. “You don’t see their scheme very often. They come at you from all angles. I didn’t notice the size. I was too busy trying to read what was being done.”
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PRACTICE PAIRS:@ The Cowboys are the first team to visit the Broncos for dual training camp workouts since the Carolina Panthers went to Greeley, Colo., in 1995.
“We have a young team, a lot of new guys and Dallas is one of the top three teams in the NFL,” Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler said. “It is a good measuring stick to see exactly where we’re at and how far we need to go.”
Coaches Mike Shanahan of Denver and Wade Phillips of Dallas said the dual practices like the ones they had in Irving, Texas, last year, allows them not only to work against different schemes but it also gives them a better tool for evaluating their talent.
“We get a chance to work against a 3-4 look, and they get a chance to take a look at a four-man front,” Shanahan said. “I thought it was good for both teams. It was a very healthy practice and there was some good, fresh hitting. You go against somebody where you don’t know their tendencies, so I think everybody plays a little bit more honest and it’s a good evaluation process for us.”
The teams will have four practices together before facing each other Friday night at Invesco Field.
“A lot of clubs have workouts together and there is a big fight all the time and neither team gets a whole lot out of it,” Phillips said. “I think Mike does such a great job here getting his team to do the right things. So that way we had a great workout. I thought both teams got a lot out of it and I know we did.
“When we worked against them last year, I thought we improved more in that week than any time in training camp. It’s an opportunity for us to come here and we appreciate them having us here.”
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TORAIN REHAB:@ Broncos rookie running back Ryan Torain watched the dual workouts from a chair in the shade by the Broncos’ headquarters, his left arm in a cast after undergoing surgery to repair a broken elbow last week.
Doctors put a plate in his arm that might stay there permanently or could come out after this season if he finds it uncomfortable, he said.
Torain, who is expected to miss three months, was vying for the top tailback job when he got hurt, and his loss put a noticeable damper on the mood at Dove Valley last week.
Torain, who has mostly been relegated to staying in bed with his arm elevated to reduce the swelling, said he believes he can return by midseason.
And he said coach Mike Shanahan’s comments that he was vying for the starting tailback job when he got hurt will sustain him through the tough times of rehab.
“It meant a lot to me what he said, and I’m just going to take what he said and use it to push myself to get back sooner,” Torain said.
He said he’s having a difficult time being sidelined for the second straight year.
“Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough. But it’s something I’ve been through before so I’ve just got to stay positive, get focused and get back right so I can get back on the field,” said Torain, who missed most of his senior season at Arizona State with a broken toe.
Because he missed his last seven games as a senior, Torain was a fifth-round draft pick, the 139th player taken overall. Scouts believe he could have gone much higher had he not gotten hurt.
“You never know. The draft is crazy,” Torain said. “I can’t really deal with the past. I’ve got the future right now. I got drafted. I got my foot in the door. I’ve just got to do what I can to say positive.”
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SECONDARY SHAKE-UP:@ The Denver Broncos didn’t shake up their secondary just because two starters are sidelined. They didn’t like what they saw Friday night at Houston from Lamont Reid and Christian Morton.
So, they replaced Reid with cornerback Wale Dada on Tuesday and on Wednesday they cut Morton and signed 13th-year veteran Tyrone Poole.
“We brought in a couple corners that we thought would give us more depth at that position, guys that we feel have more of a chance to make our football team,” coach Mike Shanahan said.
While Dada has never appeared in an NFL game, Poole, who was cut by Houston last summer, has played for Oakland (2006), New England (2003-05), Denver (2002), Indianapolis (1998-2000) and Carolina (1995-97) since entering the NFL as a first-round draft pick in 1995.
Poole has 18 career interceptions, 121 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in 142 games, including 112 starts.
During his one season in Denver, Poole played in all 16 games, starting four times and collecting 51 tackles, 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Poole said. “Mike Shanahan and myself, we have a bond from the ’02 season when I was here. He understands what I can do.”
The Broncos are missing two starters from their defensive backfield: cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) and safety Hamza Abdullah (groin).
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EXTRA POINTS:@ Phillips was the Broncos’ head coach from 1993-94 after serving as Denver’s defensive coordinator from 1989-92. When a TV reporter asked him if walking through the doors brought back memories, Phillips replied: “Yeah. I didn’t walk through the doors yet. They don’t let me inside.” … Broncos free agent Samie Parker has been the odd man out when it come to snaps at wide receiver. “Of course I’m getting frustrated, because I feel I have what it takes to get out there and make it happen,” he said.
