Post by TheShadow on Dec 12, 2003 22:31:42 GMT -5
www.sfgate.com
Lineman Brayton turns corner after being forced into action
By Nancy G a y
Rookie Tyler Brayton has been gradually figuring out life as an NFL
defensive end. And now, finally, he can make some plays.
"It feels good to finally get some solid tackles out there. I've missed that
feeling,'' said Brayton, one of two Oakland first-round picks who has not
only been the lone rookie to start every game this season, but the only
defensive lineman to do so.
His corner of the locker room has grown quieter week by week, as veterans
such as defensive end Trace Armstrong (shoulder) and defensive tackles John
Parrella (groin tear) and Dana Stubblefield (ankle) were shelved with
chronic or season-ending injuries.
They were supposed to be his on-field mentors, an invaluable study guide for
a young player with loads of potential and zero experience at one of the
NFL's most punishing positions. Instead, the veterans can only offer advice
and pointers from afar, on the sideline and during team meetings.
It's a reality that has both helped and hurt Brayton's development as a
pass-rushing specialist.
"I'm finally up to speed on formation recognition, knowing they can only run
a certain number of plays. I can see that stuff coming now. That's been the
biggest adjustment,'' said the imposing 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brayton, sitting
alone on the empty defensive side of the Raiders' locker room on Thursday.
Would he have been aware of those plays sooner, had Armstrong been on the
right end and Stubblefield next door, barking out orders when opposing teams
began putting receivers in motion and tight ends in his gap? Probably.
Brayton will be the first to admit he got off to a rocky start, vulnerable
to teams with power tight ends such as the Broncos' Shannon Sharpe, or
sideline runners such as the Chiefs' Priest Holmes. Good blockers would
drive him out of position, keeping him away from the quarterback and out of
contention for the tackle.
"They pretty much came after me,'' Brayton conceded. "Teams see a rookie out
there and they want to attack him. I get a fair share of double teams, but I
wouldn't say it's a lot. Teams think they can block me with just one guy and
try and attack me, trying to keep me playing with one hand in my back pocket
to get me to try and second-guess myself. But I've definitely learned a
lot.''
Little things make a difference now. "Six inches of body position on an
offensive lineman is everything,'' Brayton said. "That's the difference
between you getting past him and you being stuck on the block.''
And Brayton's transition from left end as a college standout at Colorado --
where he had 152 tackles, many for huge losses -- to right end in the pros
has to account for some of the difficulty, Armstrong says.
"His biggest problems early on were adjusting to playing on the other side.
People don't realize how difficult that is. But with Tyler, the biggest
thing is, he wants to be good,'' said Armstrong, whose 15th NFL season was
limited to only seven starts because of injury. "You take a guy that has
that kind of desire, and eventually he's going to turn himself into a
player. You're seeing that now.''
The evidence was there in the Nov. 30 game against the Broncos, when Brayton
had for four tackles in the first quarter alone.
This week, Brayton will test his new skills against one of the NFL's great
backs, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis, and he's looking forward to the challenge.
"I think I've learned enough to this point where I can handle just about
anything they throw at me,'' Brayton said.
Briefly: Mo Collins was downgraded to out for Sunday's game, and the
starting right guard said Thursday a left knee injury sustained the week
before the Sept. 22 game at Denver has deteriorated to the point that it
will definitely require surgery. "We just looked at the facts,'' said
Collins. "Studying the MRIs and the X-rays, this is what needs to be done.''
A procedure to clean out the joint and repair cartilage damage likely will
take place next week. ... Sunday's game will be blacked out locally after
the Raiders failed to sell out their sixth home this season by the NFL's
1:05 p.m. deadline. Several thousand tickets still remain for the 1:05 p.m.
contest at the Coliseum, a Raiders spokesman said.
Lineman Brayton turns corner after being forced into action
By Nancy G a y
Rookie Tyler Brayton has been gradually figuring out life as an NFL
defensive end. And now, finally, he can make some plays.
"It feels good to finally get some solid tackles out there. I've missed that
feeling,'' said Brayton, one of two Oakland first-round picks who has not
only been the lone rookie to start every game this season, but the only
defensive lineman to do so.
His corner of the locker room has grown quieter week by week, as veterans
such as defensive end Trace Armstrong (shoulder) and defensive tackles John
Parrella (groin tear) and Dana Stubblefield (ankle) were shelved with
chronic or season-ending injuries.
They were supposed to be his on-field mentors, an invaluable study guide for
a young player with loads of potential and zero experience at one of the
NFL's most punishing positions. Instead, the veterans can only offer advice
and pointers from afar, on the sideline and during team meetings.
It's a reality that has both helped and hurt Brayton's development as a
pass-rushing specialist.
"I'm finally up to speed on formation recognition, knowing they can only run
a certain number of plays. I can see that stuff coming now. That's been the
biggest adjustment,'' said the imposing 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brayton, sitting
alone on the empty defensive side of the Raiders' locker room on Thursday.
Would he have been aware of those plays sooner, had Armstrong been on the
right end and Stubblefield next door, barking out orders when opposing teams
began putting receivers in motion and tight ends in his gap? Probably.
Brayton will be the first to admit he got off to a rocky start, vulnerable
to teams with power tight ends such as the Broncos' Shannon Sharpe, or
sideline runners such as the Chiefs' Priest Holmes. Good blockers would
drive him out of position, keeping him away from the quarterback and out of
contention for the tackle.
"They pretty much came after me,'' Brayton conceded. "Teams see a rookie out
there and they want to attack him. I get a fair share of double teams, but I
wouldn't say it's a lot. Teams think they can block me with just one guy and
try and attack me, trying to keep me playing with one hand in my back pocket
to get me to try and second-guess myself. But I've definitely learned a
lot.''
Little things make a difference now. "Six inches of body position on an
offensive lineman is everything,'' Brayton said. "That's the difference
between you getting past him and you being stuck on the block.''
And Brayton's transition from left end as a college standout at Colorado --
where he had 152 tackles, many for huge losses -- to right end in the pros
has to account for some of the difficulty, Armstrong says.
"His biggest problems early on were adjusting to playing on the other side.
People don't realize how difficult that is. But with Tyler, the biggest
thing is, he wants to be good,'' said Armstrong, whose 15th NFL season was
limited to only seven starts because of injury. "You take a guy that has
that kind of desire, and eventually he's going to turn himself into a
player. You're seeing that now.''
The evidence was there in the Nov. 30 game against the Broncos, when Brayton
had for four tackles in the first quarter alone.
This week, Brayton will test his new skills against one of the NFL's great
backs, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis, and he's looking forward to the challenge.
"I think I've learned enough to this point where I can handle just about
anything they throw at me,'' Brayton said.
Briefly: Mo Collins was downgraded to out for Sunday's game, and the
starting right guard said Thursday a left knee injury sustained the week
before the Sept. 22 game at Denver has deteriorated to the point that it
will definitely require surgery. "We just looked at the facts,'' said
Collins. "Studying the MRIs and the X-rays, this is what needs to be done.''
A procedure to clean out the joint and repair cartilage damage likely will
take place next week. ... Sunday's game will be blacked out locally after
the Raiders failed to sell out their sixth home this season by the NFL's
1:05 p.m. deadline. Several thousand tickets still remain for the 1:05 p.m.
contest at the Coliseum, a Raiders spokesman said.