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Clady remains anchor of Denver's remodeled O-line
By Arnie Stapleton
Associated Press
April 15, 2015
General manager John Elway promised he'd fix Peyton Manning's pocket of protection this offseason.
The one position he didn't have to bother upgrading was left tackle.
Blindside protector Ryan Clady is the only member of Denver's remodeled offensive line returning to the
same position in 2015.
Louis Vasquez, who was moved to right tackle in a major midseason shuffling that failed to halt the
Broncos' unraveling, returns to his natural position at right guard, where he was an All-Pro in 2013.
The Broncos will have new starters at left guard, center and right tackle.
Elway added guard Shelly Smith in free agency and center Gino Gradkowski via a trade with Baltimore
and those two will compete with plenty of holdovers for starting jobs this summer.
The Broncos' right tackle could come out of the draft, where they're expected to select an offensive
lineman with their top pick for the first time since taking Clady at No. 12 in 2008.
Clady returned from a foot injury that cost him almost all of the 2013 season and was part of Denver's
league-leading contingent at the Pro Bowl. He said he feels even better heading into offseason workouts
this year and can focus on technique and a new system rather than rehab.
He doesn't feel any added burden as the old man of the group, either.
"The chemistry, that just takes time over repetition. We'll work on that and get to that," Clady said
Wednesday. "But I don't think there's any new responsibility or anything like that. I'm just trying to learn
the system like everyone else and improve as a player."
The Broncos are returning to their zone-blocking roots under new coach Gary Kubiak, the fifth head
coach Clady has played for in his eight-year career in Denver.
"It's always different for sure," Clady said. "I've heard good things about Kubiak, though, so I don't think
it will be too hard of an adjustment."
Clady started his career under Mike Shanahan in the zone-blocking scheme, a system that favors athletic
linemen like him.
"I like it, as a tackle being able to run and whatnot. I like to show off my skills in the zone scheme for
sure," Clady said.
Manning took several weeks over the winter before informing Elway he'd return for a fourth season in
Denver.
"I was relieved for sure," Clady said. "I think we're a better team with him than without him at this point.
I mean, I was a little nervous, but you know he loves football so much, I figured he'd at least come back
another year."
Right now, the players vying to earn a starting job alongside Clady and Vasquez on the O-line are guards
Smith and Ben Garland, centers Gradkowski, Matt Paradis and Manny Ramirez and tackles Chris Clark,
Michael Schofield and Paul Cornick.
Cornick got some playing time last year and Elway said he expects Garland, Schofield and Paradis to
thrive under the new coaching staff.
MILLER LIGHT: LB Von Miller has dropped 10 pounds to 242.
"Sometimes you've just got to step away from the burgers," he said.
WHAT ABOUT ME?: David Bruton said he's driven by talk that cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Kayvon
Webster or free agent acquisition Darian Stewart will win the safety job left vacant by Rahim Moore's
departure.
"I envision myself starting," Bruton said. "I'm dreaming big this season, especially in a contract year."
Broncos' offensive line filled with uncertainty in new
offense
By Mike Klis
DenverPost.com
April 15, 2015
To his right is one question mark after another.
Up above, there is no one. Not on the Broncos' seniority ladder there isn't.
Left tackle Ryan Clady has been around so long, he's the only Broncos player who had Mike Shanahan as
his head coach.
The years go by quickly in the NFL. It seemed like it was only 2008 when Shanahan was lauding the
monstrous kid from Boise State for his "good feet." Already, kid Clady is a wizened vet.
"Yeah, it kind of (stinks) when you have to change offenses," Clady said Wednesday after his team's
conditioning workout and playbook meetings. "I'm not completely comfortable, but definitely feel like
the wise vet, for sure."
Clady anchors a Broncos' offensive line otherwise filled with uncertainty. Left guard currently is occupied
by Shelby Smith, who brings only 11 combined starts into his sixth season, and Ben Garland, a 27-yearold, second-year player with zero career starts.
Center is a toss-up between Matt Paradis, who spent his rookie year on the practice squad last season,
and Gino Gradkowski, whose starting position in Baltimore was taken away last season.
Louis Vasquez was an All Pro at right guard in 2013, but he was moved to right tackle for the second-half
of last season. Right tackle this seasons seems to be reserved for the Broncos' first-round pick, No. 28 in
the draft.
Should general manager John Elway pull an upset and take a player other than a right tackle with his
first pick, veteran Chris Clark or the inexperienced Michael Schofield will compete for the job.
Considerable concern for a group that wasn't exactly a model of consistency last season and this year
will be charged with protecting a 39-year-old, five-time former MVP quarterback in Peyton Manning.
"I don't know exactly how it's going to look," Clady said. "There's still the draft. I don't know how that's
going to go, or if the first-round pick is going to start. We'll just kind of wait and see."
Step 1 to a better offensive line is for Clady and Vasquez to return to All Pro form. Clady was a first-team
All Pro in 2009 and 2012, but he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc tear early in 2013 and his left foot
continued to plague him last season.
Although the fans, coaches and players voted him to his fourth Pro Bowl in 2014, Pro Football Focus
graded him out as the league's 22nd-best left tackle.
Asked which evaluating group was correct, Clady laughed before seriously considering.
"I definitely have got some things to work on," he said. "Just moving forward, trying to be injury-free,
and try to improve. A tough couple years I went through. The foot was never quite right, but I battled
through it and tried to do my best."
Back to when Clady was selected No. 12 in 2008. At the time, Clady was brought here because his
combination of size and nimble feet were considered an ideal combination for Shanahan's zone-blocking
scheme.
But after Shanahan was fired following that season, new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and later coach
John Fox brought in a power-blocking, man-on-man blocking scheme.
Now Elway has brought back coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, disciples of
Shanahan.
Clady is back blocking in the system for which he was intended, although since he was drafted seven
years ago, he has undergone surgeries on his left knee and left foot.
"I think I still move pretty well," Clady said. "I mean, I don't think anybody moves as well as they did
their rookie year. But I think I've got the savvy to get through."
Sum greater than parts
Pro Football Focus, which is about the only service that grades offensive linemen, didn't think much of
the Broncos' blockers as individuals in 2014. However, the line as a whole was considered one of the
NFL's best. PFF grades for each Broncos lineman that started at least one game last season. Zero is the
baseline for the grades:
Pos. ... Player ...................... Pos. rank ... Overall grade
LT ... Ryan Clady ...................... 22 ........... -2.8
LG ... Orlando Franklin* ............. 5 .......... 12.0
C ...... Will Montgomery* ......... 15 ............ 3.6
C ...... Manny Ramirez .............. 28 ........... -7.1
RG ... Louis Vasquez ................ 15 ............ 2.9
RG ... Manny Ramirez .............. 18 ............ 2.0
RT ... Louis Vasquez ................. 20 .......... -4.2
RT ... Paul Cornick .................... 21 .......... -5.0
RT ... Chris Clark ...................... 27 .......... -6.7
Team ........................................... 6 .......... 35.5
*No longer with team.
In blocking, Ryan Clady ready to zone
out
DenverBroncos.com
Andrew Mason
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Last week, Ryan Clady's past became his present -- and his
future.
As the linchpin left tackle headed to Arizona to start in the 2015 Pro Bowl following
his fifth selection to the NFL's all-star game in his seven-year career, Gary Kubiak
took the Broncos' reins as their 15th head coach. His arrival augurs a return to the
zone-blocking scheme that defined Denver's offense for a generation, up to Clady's
rookie season of 2008.
"That's what (former head coach Mike) Shanahan drafted me to do, and I'm good
at it," Clady said. "So I'm definitely down for the zone scheme."
Before that, Clady spent Pro Bowl week practicing and playing for Team Carter,
which was coached by the Baltimore Ravens' staff. That included quarterbacks
coach Rick Dennison, Clady's first position coach in the NFL with the Broncos in
2008 and 2009, who followed Kubiak to Baltimore last year and returned to the
Broncos Monday.
"He definitely helped me learn the game of football better," Clady said of Dennison.
"Just learning the game and cutting out a lot of mental mistakes. That's one thing
he got on me a lot about, is just mental mistakes. I had that ability; I just had to
put it on the field.
"He's a great offensive line coach … He definitely got my technique right and my
footwork and stuff like that."
Kubiak, Dennison and Ravens offensive line coach Juan Castillo installed a zoneblocking scheme in Baltimore last year, and it helped turn running back Justin
Forsett into a Pro Bowler and helped Joe Flacco get settled and finish with arguably
his best professional season.
Even Broncos who haven't been in this offense, like running back C.J. Anderson, are
excited about the tweaks to come.
"I just can't wait to get to work, to be honest," Anderson said.
It's a scheme Clady can't wait to see again.
"I love it," he said.
And when the offseason work begins, Clady expects to be back to 100 percent -finally, following a campaign in which he played through soreness that followed the
Lis franc injury he suffered in Week 2 of the 2013 season.
Clady's persistence made his starting slot in the Pro Bowl all the more impressive,
given what he endured to get there.
"I was struggling with it early in the season," Clady said. "I just tried to stay on top
of it with treatment and stuff. It's the hardest injury I've ever had. I'm a year and a
half from the first surgery now, and I still feel a little soreness here and there."
Fortunately for him and the Broncos, he expects the worst to be behind him.
"It's definitely better," Clady said, "and this next year I'm just excited to get a full
offseason, I don't have to rehab, and just come back 100 percent."
And for full-time zone-blocking work, the Broncos need an agile left tackle -- just
like Clady has been, and plans to be again with good health.
For Broncos offense Clady is best
'addition'
By Jeff Legwold
ESPN.com
August 22, 2014
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It's easy to forget at times, lost somewhere in the record
606 points the Denver Broncos piled on the NFL last season.
Lost in quarterback Peyton Manning's 55 touchdown passes, the team's 13 wins and
a Super Bowl trip. The fact that one of the team's elite players -- a "blue" as some
long-time personnel executives refer to those at the top of any list -- played in just
two games.
"That's an important part of our offense," Manning said. "We had guys, Chris Clark,
step in and do a great job, but that's an important position and Ryan Clady is a
great player."
That he is. And in plenty of conversations about where the Broncos can go from last
season's remember-when performance on offense, Manning's precision in the
preseason, Emmanuel Sanders' signing, the potential of rookie Cody Latimer, the
development of tight end Julius Thomas and even the move of Orlando Franklin to
left guard is all on the list things that will impact it all.
Clady's return from a foot injury suffered in Broncos' Week 2 last season is the
most significant difference between how the Broncos will line up on offense in the
opener and how they lined up in the Super Bowl.
It's a big enough difference that the Broncos' football boss, John Elway, will
routinely end a run down about the changes on offense with "and we get Ryan
Clady back."
"I think I definitely can make a difference," Clady said. "That's why I'm here -- to
help the team out and make this a better team than we were last year."
Other than Manning's other-worldly 13 Pro Bowl selections, no other player in the
Broncos offense has been named to more than Clady's three. In 2012 he was
simply one of the league's best, surrendering just one sack all season as the
Broncos made the transition from their read-option look in '11 to Manning's first
season with the team in '12.
The Broncos then signed Clady to a five-year, $52.5 million deal before the 2013
season, a deal worthy of the cornerstone player he is in the team's plans to see him
play just two games. And while Clark filled in admirably, the Broncos choices in
terms of protections and their ability to send help elsewhere in the formation
increase with Clady's ability to go solo against the league's best rushers.
When Elway has been asked about "foundation players" in roster building,
quarterback and left tackle are still often the first two on the list.
"I always felt like if you knew the back side wasn't going to be a problem, as a
quarterback you could have more confidence about your ability to get some things
done back there," Elway said. "Ryan gives us that kind of player."
And much like Clady's practice battles with Elvis Dumervil were often highlights -Dumervil has often credited Clady "with getting me to the Pro Bowl, working with
him every day" -- Clady's battles with DeMarcus Ware have been good for both
players.
As Mike Shanahan's final No. 1 pick in his Broncos tenure -- Clady was the 12th
pick of the '08 draft -- Clady was in the Broncos lineup the last time the team
practiced against another team in training camp. The Dallas Cowboys came to
Denver with Ware, who was on the doorstep of what would be the third of his seven
Pro Bowl seasons in Dallas, often lined up across from the then rookie.
"It was kind of a wakeup call for me because I was like, ‘I don't know how long I'm
going to last in the league going against like this every week.' It was definitely a
challenge, for sure.”
Clady said his surgically-repaired foot continues to feel better each week and he
has not missed any practice time in the preseason.
"I don't think I'm quite there, but I'm getting there," Clady said. "It's close. It's just
something you have to work into. It's the National Football League with the best
athletes in the world. You can't just jump in off an injury and expect to be great. It
takes some work, and I still have a little bit of time."
Clady Working Way Back
Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
April 23, 2014
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Last year was not the first time that left tackle Ryan Clady
was forced into an extensive lower-body rehabilitation process. But the grind of
recovering from the Lisfranc injury he suffered in Week 2 was much different than
working his way back from a torn patellar tendon in the 2010 offseason.
The mid-foot injury required Clady to be on crutches or in a boot for approximately
two months -- "until the end of November," he said.
"It's a little longer off the feet, but it's not that bad of an injury," Clady said. "I feel
like I should be able to come back at 100 percent and do well."
But he's not at that level yet, describing himself as "getting there." Although he has
been able to do "most" weight-room activities, he remains below full speed in his
running. He also does not have a firm timetable for when he will return to practice.
"I'm just going to feel it out and ease my way back in," he said.
In that respect, the coming organized team activities may look much like last year's
did. Clady did not participate in the 2013 OTAs because of shoulder surgery that
followed the 2012 season. The only positive from his Lisfranc injury was that he
was able to ease the burden on that shoulder and complete his recovery.
When he returns, he'll find the offensive line altered. Orlando Franklin's switch to
left guard -- which he announced via Twitter on Monday -- means that whenever
Clady returns, he will have to adjust to a new neighbor after playing alongside Zane
Beadles the past four seasons.
Clady believes the transition will be smooth.
"(Franklin) has that power that you need at guard to get the job done," he said. "I
think he'll be able to move quite well."
Clady's replacement, Chris Clark, appears likely to replace Franklin at right tackle.
"I think he can do it well, because since he's been here, he's kind of been the swing
guy, so he's played both positions in practice and what-not," Clady said. "He's
definitely able to do that."
But if Clark works on the right side during next month's organized team activities,
then the left side could offer an opportunity until Clady returns. Backup Winston
Justice or second-year player Vinston Painter appear to be in line to fill in for
Clady.
Justice was signed to be the backup at both tackle spots after Clady was injured.
Painter, a 2013 sixth-round pick, was promoted off the practice squad in January
and could merit a look to help in evaluation. Either way, the focus will be on Clark
and Franklin, while the Broncos wait on Clady's return.
"We should still be able to have a great offensive line, no doubt," Clady said.
Clady Hosts Holiday Shopping Trip
By Brandon Moree
DenverBroncos.com
December 14, 2013
LITTLETON, Colo. – Normally the Broncos’ offensive linemen spend their weekends
protecting the quarterback and opening up holes for running backs. But Saturday in
the Sam’s Club in Littleton, many of those Broncos were protecting the Christmas
spirit and helping pick out presents for opening up later in the season.
Ryan Clady and his charity the Sharon Kemp Clady Foundation, named for his late
mother, held the second annual Holiday of Giving event Saturday. With the help of
some of his teammates and Sam’s Club, Clady and his foundation were able to
provide $1,000 to each of 10 families in need to use on any item in the store.
“I’m not really into some of the other things – football camps and stuff like that. So
this is something kind of up my alley – just helping less fortunate families,” Clady
said. “I’ve done it in the past. When I was younger, we weren’t exactly the richest
coming up but we were able to help out less-fortunate families.
“It’s definitely a blessing and I’m glad to be here.”
The families were from the Goodwill Industries of Denver’s Youth Career
Development Program and there were also some youth and representatives from
the Urban Peak Homeless Shelter.
Each family or group of shoppers was accompanied by a Bronco and a Sam’s Club
associate to help them navigate through the store.
Last year, five families were a part of the Holiday of Giving. This year the event was
twice that size.
“This is just a way to give back through my foundation, the Sharon Kemp Clady
foundation,” Clady said. “Last year we did this for the first time with five families
and it was a great time. We tried to do it a little bigger this year – we doubled the
families with 10 families. It’s a great way to help some of these people that are less
fortunate to be able to have a great Christmas and enjoy their family and enjoy
themselves these holidays.”
The items that each group picked out varied from food products to clothes and even
laptops but Clady emphasized that the importance of the afternoon was enjoying
the season and enjoying family.
“Not everybody gets to have a good Christmas – I mean I’ve never experienced a
terrible Christmas – but I would like to help people that are less fortunate be able
to have a good Christmas and enjoy themselves,” Clady said.
FOOTBALL: Broncos’ Clady gives back to
Eisenhower
By Kyle Glaser
The Press Enterprise
August 27, 2013
RIALTO — Ryan Clady left Rialto Eisenhower nearly a decade ago, but he is still
making an impact on the school and its football program.
The former Ike star and current Denver Broncos left tackle donated $25,000 worth
of football equipment to his alma mater, which was presented to the school in an
on-campus ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
Clady donated 60 new helmets, 60 pad girdles, 55 pairs of cleats and 60 pairs of
gloves. Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, also an Eisenhower graduate, partnered
with Clady to provide a portion of the helmets.
“Having the cleats and gloves that a lot of my players can’t afford means that we’re
going to look like the first-class program that we strive to be,” Eisenhower coach
Mike Clark said. “With the protective gear, it puts us on the level we need to protect
these guys. We really couldn’t afford this kind of stuff without the help of guys like
Ryan Clady.”
Clady, who graduated from Eisenhower in 2004, was unable to attend the
ceremony because he’s in training camp with the Broncos. He made the following
statement in a press release:
“I am blessed to be in the situation that I am in to give back to my alma mater,
Eisenhower. Eisenhower is a big reason why I have been as successful as I have
been. I can’t thank Eisenhower, and especially coach Mike Clark, enough for helping
me earn a scholarship to Boise State University, which helped me realize my dream
of playing in the NFL. I hope that my donation of equipment can help motivate the
players in the program to follow their dreams and always remember where they
came from.”
Clady made the donation through his charity, the SKC Foundation, which is named
for his late mother Sharon Kemp Clady. Clady’s manager, Alex Guerrero, presented
the equipment to the school on the foundation’s behalf.
“Ryan always knew that when he was in a position to give back he would,” Guerrero
said. “This was something he always wanted to do. First, I think family was to be
taken care of in his first contract and once his second contract came around, it was
‘Hey let’s do something for my second family’ which was people like coach Clark,
some of the teachers here and the community.”
After graduating from Ike, Clady, 26, was a two-time All-American at Boise State
and was selected 12th overall by Denver in the 2008 NFL Draft.
He has since started every game for the Broncos, earning three Pro Bowl berths
and two first-team All-Pro selections. He recently signed a five-year, $57.5 million
contract extension with Denver.
The equipment he gave to Eisenhower was Clady’s first donation since he signed
the contract extension.
“Once he signed that contract we said ‘OK let’s do something this offseason’ and
Ryan wanted the first beneficiary of the new contract to be his school,” Guerrero
said. “He didn’t buy a car, he didn’t buy a new house. The first thing for him was to
give back.”
The new equipment won’t be put to use until the Eagles’ season opener at Alta
Loma on Friday, but players were already referring to the new gear as a source of
pride and excitement.
“It’s going to boost the morale of our team,” senior offensive lineman Micah St.
Andrew said. “It’s going to definitely to make us pick up our tempo. I’m just really
grateful that’s he’s done this for us. It’s just out of the kindness of his own heart
that he gives it to us, and we thank him so much for all that.”
Kiszla: Don't underestimate Ryan Clady's
importance to Broncos' hopes
By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post
August 14, 2013
How many Hall of Fame players does a Super Bowl champion require?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has space already reserved for
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and cornerback Champ Bailey.
But is it too early to start talking about offensive tackle Ryan Clady?
If this season ends with a Broncos victory in the Super Bowl, then Clady will have
taken one giant step toward Canton.
The Broncos player who has the most fame to gain by a championship run?
Here's a vote on behalf of Clady.
Although often unnoticed by spectators, the numbers suggest that the Pro Football
Hall of Fame has always liked the grunts in the trenches, from Jim Parker to Art
Shell to Willie Roaf.
The Broncos win the Super Bowl and Clady would go from a young, perennial allstar to a 27-year-old offensive tackle in his prime, with the spotlight shining
brightly on him.
OK, first things first.
Let's keep Manning feeling safe and cozy in the pocket.
Worried about the chemistry of the Broncos offensive line?
"No," Clady said Tuesday.
Is there any lingering pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder?
"No," Clady said. "It's sore from time to time, but no pain."
Any more questions?
The least of Denver's worries is the offensive line, which has come under an
uncommon amount of hand-wringing from Broncomaniacs who should probably be
more concerned about mowing the lawn or buying back-to-school supplies. But
coaches consider the offensive line to be one of the team's strengths.
If the starting unit turns out to be Clady plus Zane Beadles, Ryan Lilja, Louis
Vasquez and Orlando Franklin for the vast majority of games, there's every reason
to believe the Broncos will lead the NFL in scoring.
Not to make anyone relive a nightmare, but this week marked the seven-month
anniversary of the 38-35 loss to Baltimore that ended Denver's season far sooner
than anyone expected.
And no member of the Broncos has had more on his mind since Jan. 12 than Clady.
His patience was tested by a protracted contract squabble. Worse, he dealt with
rehabilitation from a shoulder injury that hasn't allowed him to put a really good
lick on somebody for way too long.
"It's definitely humbling," Clady said. "You definitely do feel like you're not a
football player."
The Mile High Meltdown has been dissected 70 different ways. Safety Rahim Moore
took the blame for a blunder on the game-tying touchdown pass by Joe Flacco.
Cornerback Champ Bailey was burned for two touchdowns. Peyton Manning threw a
dead duck of an interception in overtime that ultimately killed Denver's chances to
escape with a victory. Coach John Fox ordered his team to take a knee.
The most overlooked factor in the defeat, however was the torn labrum that Clady
suffered near the end of last season. He was a warrior, refusing to sit down with
the injury. But he wasn't Clady, three-time Pro Bowler. With one bum shoulder, he
wrestled with Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs. It wasn't pretty.
Here's the point: A healthy Clady is worth every penny of the five-year, $52.5
million contract he signed with the Broncos.
When Elvis Dumervil walked, front-office executive John Elway had few regrets.
The defense figures to struggle if the four-game suspension against Von Miller is
upheld. Manning, however, might not survive four games in one piece without
Clady to protect his blind side.
No offense to Bailey, Demaryius Thomas or any other Denver star. But who's the
second-most-essential player on this team?
Manning is driving the bus to the Super Bowl.
Clady is the road grader.
Clady Feeling Good about Health,
Contract
On the eve of training camp, left tackle Ryan Clady said he's feeling good about his
health and signing a long-term deal with the Broncos.
Mike Morris
DenverBroncos.com
July 24, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Although he’s not quite physically ready to practice yet, Ryan
Clady said that he’s feeling good on the eve of Broncos training camp.
Feeling good about his health, and feeling good about the fact that he’ll be a Bronco
for the foreseeable future.
The Broncos’ three-time Pro Bowl left tackle spoke to the media on Wednesday
afternoon and expressed satisfaction about having his contract resolved prior to
training camp.
“It’s good just to have that weight off my shoulders and not have to worry about
it,” Clady said. “It’s good just to know I’ll be a Bronco long-term.”
With the weight of a new contract off his figurative shoulders, Clady is now focused
on getting his actual shoulder back into playing shape.
Clady suffered a shoulder injury in Week 17 of the 2012 season and has been
rehabilitating the injury throughout the offseason.
“It’s good right now,” Clady said. “I’m not 100 percent, but it’s getting there as I
ease into camp.”
Clady said that there is not yet a specific timeframe for his return to the field.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to go and see how the shoulder is feeling and see how
it’s progressing,” Clady said. “Me and ‘Greek’ (Head Athletic Trainer Steve
Antonopulos) will make judgments at that point.”
And although he will be limited initially, Clady stressed the importance of
participating in training camp – even for a veteran player who is coming off a Pro
Bowl season.
“I think I need some camp just to hone in on the new terminology, and the
playbook there’s a little bit of an adjustment,” Clady said. “I definitely need camp,
all players need camp. It definitely helps get ready for the season.”
Clady noted that his approach to training camp has changed as his career has
progressed, but that camp remains important for players of all experience levels.
“Coming in as a rookie you don’t know what to expect and the speed of the game is
a big jump,” Clady said. “As a vet, you are just honing into your skills and just
trying to better your craft and be the best player you can. It’s a unique season for
me. This is one of the best teams I have ever been on since being on the Broncos
so a lot of expectations and I’m excited for the season.”
He’s also excited to remain in the Mile High City.
“I definitely wanted to stay in Denver,” Clady said. “It’s the only organization I’ve
been with and the loyalty and whatnot. I didn’t want to have to move cities. I love
it here in Denver and wanted to stay so things got done.”
And Clady’s certainly not the only one excited that he is staying in Denver – noting
that his quarterback was quick to send congratulations as well.
“Yeah, (Peyton Manning) texted me, ‘Congratulations and we have some work to do
this season,’” Clady said. “So I’m happy about that and happy to be here.”
Clady is NFL’s highest-paid blocker in
2013
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
July 19, 2013
There are richer overall contracts among offensive linemen than the five-year,
$52.5 million deal the Broncos gave left tackle Ryan Clady earlier this week. Well,
make that one other. Cleveland’s Joe Thomas got an eight-year, $92 million deal in
2011.
But money paid out strictly in 2013? Clady is tops, even with rookie tackles Eric
Fisher, Luke Joeckel and Lane Johnson getting enormous signing bonuses as the
No. 1, 2 and 4 overall picks in the 2013 draft. The eight highest-paid offensive
linemen in 2013:
Lineman, team …………. 2013 payout
1. Ryan Clady, LT, Broncos …. $15 million
2. Eric Fisher, RT, Chiefs ….. $14.9 million*
3. Luke Joeckel, RT, Jaguars … $14.2 million
4. Lane Johnson, RT, Eagles …. $13.2 million*
5. Andy Levitre, LG, Titans …. $13 million
6. Jason Peters, LT, Eagles …. $10.75 million
7. Joe Thomas, LT, Browns …… $10.2 million
8. Brandon Albert, LT, Chiefs .. $9.82 million
*Estimates. Fisher is based on what No. 1 pick Andrew Luck received in 2012 and
Johnson on what No. 4 overall pick Matt Kalil made last season. Fisher and Johnson
have yet to sign.
Ryan Clady deal with Broncos moved
along after shoulder checked out OK
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
July 15, 2013
As Mike Shanahan wrapped up his final draft as the Broncos' head coach in 2008,
he offered this tidy prediction about what turned out to be his last No. 1 pick for the
team: "Ryan Clady will be a great one for a long time. This guy is one of those
kinds of players."
Five seasons and plenty of road traveled for the Broncos, the team still agrees and
has elevated Clady to one of its foundation players, having signed the 26-year-old
left tackle to a five-year, $52.5 million deal. The deal could be worth $5 million
more if Clady earns every incentive in it regarding selections to All-Pro teams.
It puts the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Clady, both financially and in terms of
expectations, on the NFL's short list at left tackle, one that includes Cleveland's Joe
Thomas, considered the benchmark at the position by many personnel executives in
the league.
"It definitely puts me in some good company, up there with Joe Thomas," Clady
said Monday on a conference call. "I've been working hard. ... I think this is a big
year for us as a team because, you know, we're stacked. Definitely have a lot of
expectations — Super Bowl or bust for the most part. It's a lot of pressure.
...Definitely a big step with us this year."
The contract was the hard-earned result of more than a year of back-and-forth
discussions over a long-term deal, talks that included Clady turning away a
fiveyear,
$50 million deal last year. And it was a willingness by both sides to give a
little, as well as a favorable medical exam in recent weeks, that finally got the deal
done.
Clady, who turns 27 on Sept. 6, had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right
shoulder after the 2012 season and because he had elected to stay away from the
Broncos offseason program, team officials had not seen the level of his recovery
with their eyes even as they tried to hammer out a contract.
But after the conclusion of Broncos' minicamp last month, head trainer Steve
Antonopulos visited Clady in California and examined the shoulder. Clady also then
had a follow-up visit with his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, in Florida, and Andrews'
report was available to the Broncos as well.
"Definitely, I think that was one of the (big) things," Clady said. "About a month
ago (Antonopulos ) came and checked me out. ... I think that had a big part in the
movement."
So much so, after the exam, the Broncos upped their offer twice — to $51.5 million,
then $52.5 million, and upped the guaranteed total. Clady and his representatives,
seeing a deal on horizon with a Super Bowl contender, also compromised as well,
lowering demands on the deal's total and per-year average.
Clady's recovery skills, both from injury and in pass protection, are documented,
given he also had surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his knee before the
2010 season, but still rebounded to start 16 games that year. Clady has been
named to the Pro Bowl three times, including the past two (he did not play this past
year because of his shoulder injury).
"Early in the offseason I thought it would get done," Clady said. "There was a time
when I possibly thought it would not get done, you know especially with the market
being what it is.
"It's a business, there was never any ... disrespect or anything like, it was part of
the process."
Offensive line coach Dave Magazu sent Clady the playbook the team used in recent
organized team activities (OTAs). Clady will begin to study the changes first-year
offensive coordinator Adam Gase has made to the Broncos' scheme before Clady
returns to Dove Valley in the coming days.
As part of the team's offensive menu, Gase has said he wants the team to be able
to run the no-huddle look "as fast as humanly possible" when they see the
opportunity to take advantage of that.
Clady will not be ready to participate fully when training camp begin July 25 — "I'm
not quite 100 percent" — but the Broncos expect Clady to be ready to be in
practices by mid- to late-August. He is on track to be ready for the regular-season
opener Sept. 5 against Baltimore in Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Clady has not missed a game in his career with 80 consecutive regular-season
starts to go with three playoff starts.
Clady expected back on the field in early
August
By Arnie Stapleton
The Associated Press
July 15, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- Ryan Clady has been one of the NFL's most dependable
players, quickest healers and best risk assessors.
One year after rejecting a $50 million offer and playing last season for a relative
bargain price of $3.5 million, Peyton Manning's blindside protector cashed in on his
gamble by signing a five-year deal worth up to $57.5 million over the weekend.
Clady is one of just four offensive linemen in league history to start every game in
each of his first five seasons and also earn three Pro Bowl berths. He skipped last
year's trip to Hawaii with a torn right labrum that required surgery.
He hopes to be cleared by early August and the Broncos are confident he'll be in the
lineup Sept. 5 to face former teammate Elvis Dumervil when the Baltimore Ravens
visit Denver to kick off the 2013 season.
Clady's proven healing power was on display in 2010 when he blew out his left knee
on the basketball court in April. He returned from major surgery to start all 16
games and reached his previous form the last two seasons.
Although Clady stayed away from the team's offseason program, the Broncos were
able to have head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos directly evaluate his shoulder
this summer. Clady said that visit and a positive report from noted orthopedic
surgeon Dr. James Andrews helped speed resolution on the contract that netted
him $33 million in guaranteed money.
Had the sides not agreed to a deal by Monday's deadline, Clady would have had to
play this season for $9.823 million because of the franchise tag.
While that's nothing to scoff at, it wouldn't have provided him the long-term
security he sought. It also could have led to a training camp holdout and maybe to
his eventual departure from Denver in the next year or two.
Now, Clady's in a good place both fiscally and physically.
''Yes, I'm definitely glad to have the process over. Early in the offseason I thought
it would get done. But there were times where I thought it possibly couldn't get
done, especially with the market being where it is, and other franchise players not
really getting deals done,'' Clady said Monday.
Clady's deal puts him among the best-paid offensive linemen in the NFL, just
behind Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, who averages $11.5 million on an
eight-year, $92 million extension that includes $44 million in guarantees.
''It definitely puts me with some good company up there with Joe Thomas. I've
been working hard to try to get on that level,'' Clady said. ''The Broncos have
showed great respect in getting this deal done, considering what some of the other
tackles, like (Houston's) Duane Brown, have signed for ($56.2 million over seven
years).
''So it's good. I think this is a big year for us as a team. We definitely have a lot of
expectations: Super Bowl or bust, for the most part. It's a lot of pressure, unlike
last year where we kind of just rolled in and tried to get things together.''
The Broncos have gone on an offseason spending spree and added several free
agents as they try to parlay last year's 13-3 season - and their playoff pratfall - into
a Super Bowl run.
Their only weak spot appears to be the banged-up offensive line.
Clady is one of four starters along the line coming off surgeries that eliminated or
limited their offseason on-field work.
Left guard Zane Beadles was the only starting offensive lineman to come out of last
season unscathed. Orlando Franklin (toe, shoulder), Chris Kuper (ankle) and J.D.
Walton (knee) also needed operations, and of the three, only Franklin was at full
health during minicamps this spring.
The Broncos signed Dan Koppen to fill in at center for Walton, who isn't expected
back until midseason at best. Their biggest free-agency signing outside of Wes
Welker was right guard Louis Vasquez. If Kuper recovers from his second surgery in
as many years, he'll likely compete for a backup spot.
Chris Clark has filled in at left tackle for Clady all offseason and will get plenty of
work during camp while Clady gets up to speed on Adam Gase's new pick-upthepace
offense. Clady said offensive line coach Dave Magazu sent him the playbook
''so I have been digging through that trying to find out some of the new stuff,'' he
said, ''just trying to get on the same page so I can hit the ground running when I
get back.''
Clady Excited for Long-Term Future with
Broncos
After agreeing to a 5-year deal with the Broncos, left tackle Ryan Clady said that
he's excited for his long-term future with the team during a conference call on
Monday afternoon
Mike Morris
DenverBroncos.com
Jul 15, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With his contractual situation resolved and his long-term
future in Denver secured, Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady said Monday that he’s now
poised to get back onto the field and continue to raise the bar of his performance.
“I’m definitely glad to have the process over,” Clady said during a conference call
on Monday afternoon. “The opportunity to stay in one place and in one system
definitely can help my game. I definitely want to continue to get better and
improve.”
The three-time Pro Bowler agreed to a 5-year deal on Sunday, and Broncos
Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said that Clady has
earned a franchise contract with his caliber of performance.
“We're really thrilled that Ryan is going to be here for a long, long time. He's been
a cornerstone of that offensive line and a part of this organization and really has
had a tremendous career,” Elway said on Monday afternoon. “A guy that deserved
the money that he got. So we have high expectations, but we also know that he's
going to meet that, and he's been a great leader on this football team, and we're
just thrilled that we continue to keep the great players that have played great for
us.”
Clady said the long-term deal places him in a select group of offensive linemen in
the NFL, something that he’s worked to achieve throughout his career.
“It definitely puts me with some good company up there with (Cleveland Browns T)
Joe Thomas,” Clady said. “I’ve been working hard to try to get on that level. The
Broncos have showed great respect in getting this deal done, considering what
some of the other tackles, like (Houston Texans T) Duane Brown, have signed for.
So it’s good.”
Clady has started every regular season game of his five-year career and allowed
just one sack in the 2012 regular season – the fewest in the NFL among 16-game
starting tackles.
Now that he’s been declared a part of the Broncos’ future, Clady can focus
exclusively on returning to the field and contributing to an offensive line that
allowed just 21.0 sacks in the 2012 regular season.
Clady said he has been rehabilitating a shoulder injury he suffered in the Broncos’
regular season finale against Kansas City on Dec. 30, 2012 – he also played in the
Broncos’ Divisional Playoff game against Baltimore two weeks later.
Clady noted that his shoulder was recently assessed by Broncos Head Trainer Steve
Antonopulos and that the progress he showed in that assessment may have been
important to finalizing the contract.
“I think that had a part in the movement of getting the deal done,” Clady said.
Staying physically and mentally engaged with football has kept Clady busy during
the offseason.
“I’ve definitely been working out the past probably three months. I took it easy at
first with the shoulder just doing rehab, but the last three months I have been
doing a lot of working out, core and stuff like that,” Clady said. “(Offensive Line
Coach Dave Magazu) sent me the OTA playbook, so I have been digging through
that trying to find out some of the new stuff. (I’m) just trying to get on the same
page so I can hit the ground running when I get back.”
Broncos sign Ryan Clady to five-year deal
for more than $50 million
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
July 14, 2013
Ryan Clady wasn't greedy. He was just a tough negotiator.
"You only go through this once," Clady said Sunday evening. "Hopefully, I get to do
this again, but we'll see. But the guarantee and the structure of the first three years
was much better than it was last summer."
The Broncos and their star left tackle agreed Sunday to a five-year, $52.5 million
contract, with a maximum value of $57.5 million, and $33 million in guarantees
over the first three years. Part of that $33 million is fully guaranteed; another part
is guaranteed against injury.
The deal puts Clady among the NFL's top two or three offensive linemen in pay.
"I'm getting blown up (with phone calls) right now," Clady said. "I'm ready to chill.
I'm glad it's over. Glad to be with Broncos long-term."
A year after the first round of their contract negotiations broke off, leaving Clady to
play the 2012 season on a club-friendly $3.5 million salary, the Broncos and Peyton
Manning's blindside protector found common ground through compromise.
The Broncos significantly improved the guaranteed portion of their offer from a year
ago, while Clady reduced his annual and total value requests. The biggest gap a
year ago was within the first three years of the contract.
Early last week, the Broncos improved their five-year offer from $50 million to
$51.5 million. On Thursday, the Broncos submitted their final proposal that upped
the total value to $52.5 million. Clady slept on it a couple days and accepted the
deal Sunday. He can make another $5 million over the history of the contract
through incentives.
Only Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas ($11.5 million annual value on an
eight-year, $92 million extension with $44 million in guarantees) and possibly
Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jason Peters are better compensated among NFL
offensive linemen. Peters' contract can be viewed as six years at $60.66 million
($10.1 million average) or as four years at $53 million ($13.25 million).
With Clady's contract situation settled, the next step is to get him healthy. To
continue his ironman streak that is at 80 regular-season games (83 counting the
playoffs), the Broncos' first-round pick in the 2008 draft will have to finish his
recovery from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
Clady suffered the injury late in the 2012 season.
"It's good," Clady said. "Not 100 percent but it's getting better."
He is not sure when he will be cleared to play but he is expected to miss the first
week or two of training camp. However, the Broncos and Clady are confident he will
be ready to play in the Sept. 5 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Much of that optimism stems from Clady's proven healing power. A misstep on a
basketball court in April 2010 left Clady with a torn patella tendon in his knee that
required major surgery to repair. Yet he played in all 16 games that season, then
earned Pro Bowl berths the next two seasons.
Waiting for Clady on the Broncos' starting offensive line are left guard Zane
Beadles, center Dan Koppen, right guard Louis Vasquez and right tackle Orlando
Franklin. Chris Kuper, a starting guard the previous six seasons, will compete for a
spot once he recovers from his second left ankle surgery in two years, as will
veteran guard-center Manny Ramirez.
Ryan Clady inks 5-year, $52.5M deal
By ESPN.com
July 14, 2013
The Denver Broncos locked up left tackle Ryan Clady on Sunday, signing Peyton
Manning's blindside protector to a five-year deal worth a base salary of $52.5
million.
The contract includes at least $33 million guaranteed. In addition, the money in the
deal could grow to $57.5 million if Clady is named an All-Pro twice, a league source
told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Clady was facing a Monday deadline for franchise players to accept long-term deals.
Had he not signed by Monday, he would have played under a one-year, $9.823
million deal because of the franchise tag.
Last summer, he rejected a five-year, $50 million offer that included $28 million in
guarantees.
"It was pretty hard to pass up $33 million guaranteed," Clady told ESPN's Josina
Anderson on Sunday. "That is pretty solid. The structure is a lot better from last
summer.
"Overall, I'm happy to be a Bronco long term. This is a big year for myself and the
team. I'm excited to see the outcome. There are a lot of expectations."
Clady, 26, played through a right shoulder injury in 2012 that required offseason
surgery but still allowed just one sack. He was named a First-Team All-Pro and a
Pro Bowler.
Clady is expected to miss the start of training camp, which begins July 25, due to
the shoulder, but he said his recovery from surgery is progressing.
"It's not a 100 percent yet, but it's getting there," he told Anderson. "The plan is to
take it slow during the beginning of camp. It will be good to go all the way by the
regular season."
The Boise State product has started every game in his five years with the Broncos.
He's been named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler three times.
If he returns to full health, it will resolve one of Denver's many issues on the
offensive line.
Left guard Zane Beadles was the only starting offensive lineman to come out of last
season unscathed. Orlando Franklin (toe, shoulder), Chris Kuper (ankle) and J.D.
Walton (knee) also needed operations, and of the three, only Franklin was at full
health during team minicamps this spring.
The Broncos signed Dan Koppen to fill in at center for Walton, who isn't expected
back until midseason. Their biggest free-agency signing outside of Wes Welker was
right guard Louis Vasquez. If Kuper recovers from his second surgery in as many
years, he'll likely compete for a backup spot.
Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN's Josina Anderson and
The Associated Press was used in this report.
Long Term Protection for Manning
Analyst Andrew Mason breaks down why it was crucial the Broncos agreed to terms
with Ryan Clady for the long haul.
Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
Jul 14, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Optimism has finally became reality for the Broncos, Ryan
Clady and the most crucial spot along their offensive line. But until now, there were
no guarantees that the Broncos wouldn't face a gaping hole at a premium position
that can rarely be filled at an elite level without a top-15 pick.
The franchise tag is not necessarily the precursor to a long-term relationship
between player and team. In fact, Clady is at this point the only one of the eight
players franchised this year to receive the tag and sign a contract of at least four
years with the same team -- something that 11 of the 19 franchise players in 2012
did within a year of being franchised.
One of those 11 last year was Matt Prater, who signed a four-year deal after
becoming the Broncos' first franchise tag in a decade. The previous one, Jason
Elam, also signed a long-term deal (five years) a year after being tagged. But those
were kickers, which mean their contracts are dwarfed by those of a player at one of
the premium positions.
Therefore, the value of Clady's deal is two-fold. First, it secures one of the three
foundational positions of a pass-driven league for the foreseeable future.
Quarterback is set with Peyton Manning; what happens in the long run is up to
Brock Osweiler and whether he grows into the eventual starter the Broncos have
pegged him to be. The other leg of the triangle -- pass rusher -- could be next in
the pipeline over the coming two years as Von Miller's rookie deal advances and
eventually expires.
Second, it's a reminder to future players who are franchised that when the Broncos
say they want to work on a long-term deal after the tag is applied, they mean it.
And few contracts can cost more than that of a 26-year-old who protects the blind
side of a future Hall of Fame quarterback who had multiple neck surgeries, has
never missed a game in five NFL seasons despite painful knee and shoulder injuries
and has been a first-team All-Pro twice in the last four seasons.
The Broncos had to sign Clady to this deal because franchise left tackles like him
don't land in your lap often. And it usually takes a forgettable season to make it
possible to do so.
He's been one of the building blocks that accelerated the post-2010 rebuilding
process, and keeping him for what should be his peak years gives the Broncos the
best chance of ensuring that their reconstruction efforts lead to the ultimate payoff.
A failure to reach an agreement would have hindered not only Manning's years, but
the chances of Osweiler reaching his potential. Now Manning doesn't have to worry
about his back side and Osweiler can eventually have the best chance to blossom.
Giving Clady a five-year deal wasn't simply a priority; it was essential, because the
Broncos weren't going to find another Clady waiting for them after this year.
Ryan Clady contract talks progress as
Broncos sweeten deal
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
July 8, 2013
Contract negotiations between the Denver Broncos and left tackle Ryan Clady
resumed Monday with the team sweetening its offer. An NFL source said the
Broncos improved their five-year, $50 million proposal from a year ago.
The proposal would make Clady either the NFL's second-highest paid offensive
lineman to Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas or third-highest depending on
how one views Jason Peters' contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The players union says Peters' extension is worth $12.5 million a year. But because
that was tacked on to two years of an existing contract, management considers his
deal worth about $10 million a year.
Clady rejected the Broncos' $10 million a year offer prior to the 2012 training camp
and played last season on a $3.5 million salary.
Clady was eligible for free agency this year, but the Broncos greatly restricted his
freedom by placing a one-year, $9.823 million franchise tag on the three-time Pro
Bowler.
The sides are trying to work out a multiyear contract agreement this week. If a new
deal cannot be reached by July 15, Clady would have to play the 2013 season on
the one-year, $9.823 million salary.
The chances would then increase that Clady could leave for free agency after this
season although the Broncos could hit him with a second franchise tag in 2014 with
a mandatory 20 percent raise to $11.79 million.
At the very least, the Broncos showed with their latest offer they are legitimately
trying to get a long-term deal done with Peyton Manning's blindside protector. Not
only is their latest proposal richer than the recent contracts signed by comparable
left tackles Duane Brown ($8.9 million annual average) and Jake Long ($8.5
million), but also Clady is coming off right shoulder surgery that figures to sideline
him a couple weeks into training camp.
If a multiyear contract is not agreed upon by July 15, Clady could refuse to sign his
franchise tag tender and hold out from training camp. In that scenario the Broncos
would not be able to fine him because he would not be officially under contract.
It's unlikely, though, Clady would hold out into the regular season as he would start
missing paychecks worth $577,823 a week.
Broncos place franchise tag on Ryan
Clady
Mike Klis
The Denver Post
March 2, 2013
With his newly applied $9.828 million exclusive-rights franchise tag, all-pro
offensive tackle Ryan Clady almost certainly will be back to protect Peyton
Manning's blind side this year.
Clady, 26, would rather have a multiyear contract at a value reflective of the NFL's
top left tackles. But the tag he received Friday from the Broncos isn't all bad. For
starters, it marks a 280 percent raise from the $3.5 million salary he received in
2012, when he was named to his second all-pro team and third Pro Bowl.
In return, the Broncos all but kept Clady off the free-agent market that opens
March 12. Other teams can still try to sign Clady, but the Broncos would have the
right to match any offer. And if they decline to match, they would receive two firstround draft picks from the team that signed Clady.
In the NFL, such restrictions are considered prohibitive for all but superstar
quarterbacks. So there's little doubt Clady will be playing for the Broncos this
season — if he's healthy enough. He suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right
shoulder late in the 2012 season, though he played through the injury in the
Broncos' 38-35, double-overtime playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Denver on
Jan. 12.
Counting playoff games, Clady has started all 83 games for the Broncos since he
was their first-round draft pick, No. 12 overall, in 2008. The streak includes all 16
games in 2009, when Clady played despite coming off major surgery to repair a
knee injury that he suffered while playing basketball.
Clady and the Broncos hope to work out a multiyear contract extension before
training camp starts in late July, but serious negotiations may not commence until
the Boise State product is further along in his recovery. Absent a multiyear contract
extension, Clady isn't expected to attend the team's offseason workout program. If
the Broncos go another year without an agreement, they could place a second
franchise tag on Clady for the 2014 season, though he would receive an automatic
20 percent increase to $11.794 million.
Clady was one of five NFL players who had a franchise tag as of Friday night. The
others: Cincinnati defensive end Michael Johnson ($11.175 million), Chicago
defensive tackle Henry Melton ($8.45 million), Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd ($6.9
million) and Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee ($2.98 million).
Broncos Place Franchise Tag on Clady
Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
March 1, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – After completing a season in which he was named an All-Pro
and Pro Bowler, tackle Ryan Clady was given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the
Broncos.
The move ensures the five-year veteran will be protecting quarterback Peyton
Manning’s blindside for the 2013 season.
The non-exclusive franchise tag means that Clady will earn the average salary of
the top five players at his position for the 2013 season. The team is still able to
negotiate a long-term deal with a player that is given the franchise tag, and the
Broncos have the right to match any offer from another team. If the Broncos
choose not to match the offer, however, they will receive two first-round picks.
Clady started all 16 games and allowed just one sack to mark the fewest allowed
among 16-game starting tackles in the NFL for the 2012 season.
In 2012, Clady became just the fourth offensive lineman in NFL history to start
every game and make three Pro Bowls during his first five NFL seasons.
A first-round selection (12th overall) by the Broncos in 2008, Clady is one of three
players from his draft class to start every possible game (80) to start their careers.
Teams are able to use the franchise tag on one unrestricted free agent each
offseason. Last year, the Broncos used their tag on Matt Prater before working out
a long-term deal with the kicker.
"There's two parts of the NFL: there's business and there's football," Head Coach
John Fox said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "That's the business side; I don't really
get too much involved with that. I know we want Ryan, and that Ryan wants to be
a Denver Bronco. The business part will work itself out one way or another, and
we'll see where that goes moving forward."
Five Broncos Selected to Pro Bowl
Gray Caldwell and Stuart Zaas
DenverBroncos.com
December 26, 2012
Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey, Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and Ryan Clady
have been selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With a chance to lock up a first-round bye this Sunday, the
Broncos received more good news on Wednesday.
Five Broncos have been selected to the 2013 Pro Bowl.
Quarterback Peyton Manning, cornerback Champ Bailey and linebacker Von Miller
have all been voted starters for the all-star game. Defensive end Elvis Dumervil and
tackle Ryan Clady are also headed to Honolulu.
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is a first-alternate for the game. Guards Chris
Kuper (2nd) and Zane Beadles (3rd), wide receiver Eric Decker (5th) and special
teamers David Bruton (3rd) and Britton Colquitt (3rd) are also alternates.
QB PEYTON MANNING


Manning's 12 Pro Bowl selections are BRONCOS PRO BOWL SELECTIONS
the most for a quarterback in NFL
history. He is also the first
PLAYER
NO.
quarterback to make a Pro Bowl one
year removed from missing a full
Peyton Manning
12
season due to injury or illness.
Champ Bailey
12
On the honor: "It’s a tremendous
honor and I am very humbled to
Ryan Clady
3
receive this recognition. Being voted
to the Pro Bowl by your opponents,
Elvis Dumervil
3
their coaches and of course the fans
means a great deal to me, especially
Von Miller
2
when you consider how many other
quarterbacks in the AFC are having
outstanding seasons. This recognition shows that our offensive line did a
great job with protection. It shows that our wide receivers and tight ends
made a lot of plays."
CB CHAMP BAILEY


Bailey now holds the record for most Pro Bowls by a defensive back in NFL
history. He was a four-time Pro Bowler with Washington before making the
all-star game eight times as a Bronco.
On the honor: "I’ve done my thing over the years, but when you’re on a
team like this and you play well, people are going to notice. It’s really just
part of my team and what we’ve done. That’s pretty much why I’m in there.
It’s definitely a team thing.”
LB VON MILLER
The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year is now the first player in franchise
history to make a Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.
 On the honor: “It’s cool. I think our eyes are on something a little bit bigger
than the Pro Bowl. But it’s great to be
voted in by your peers.”
ALL-TIME PRO BOWL SELECTIONS
DE ELVIS DUMERVIL



RANK
Dumervil is just the second player
since 2000 to make back-to-back Pro 1
Bowls after missing a season due to
injury or illness. He joins then-Vikings
center Matt Birk with that distinction.
On the honor: “It’s a blessing. It
3
wasn’t all pretty all year but I give
thanks to the coaching staff, the fans,
the guys I play with -- my
teammates. I‘m not just representing
myself but I’m representing guys that
5
have been a part of it, from
everybody in the building, the turf
guys to equipment -- everybody."
T RYAN CLADY


PLAYER
NO.
Bruce Matthews
14
Merlin Olsen
14
Jerry Rice
13
Reggie White
13
Tony Gonzalez
13
Champ Bailey
12
Peyton Manning
12
Ray Lewis
12
Randall McDaniel
12
Clady becomes the fourth offensive
lineman in NFL history to start every
Will Shields
12
possible game and make it to three
Pro Bowls in his first five seasons.
On the honor: “It feels pretty good. I worked hard this offseason and hard
work pays off. I’m glad I was able to be selected. Being selected back-toback seasons is pretty solid."
Eric Decker, Brian Dawkins and five other
Broncos visit Aurora theater shooting
survivors
By Lindsay Jones
The Denver Post
July 22, 2012
Survivors of the Aurora theater shooting who were taken to Medical Center of
Aurora and remain there since Thursday got a visit Sunday from several Denver
Broncos players.
Six players — Eric Decker, Ryan Clady, Chris Kuper, Joe Mays, Jacob Tamme and
Ben Garland — plus recently retired safety Brian Dawkins, met with four survivors
and their families.
The players also talked with emergency room and ICU staff, thanking them for their
response and care.
Kuper, too, got into a laugh with one of the survivors, Casey Rottman, who is a
former college football player who played against Kuper in a college playoff game.
Turns out, Kuper’s North Dakota beat Rottman’s Winona State team in a playoff
game.
Quarterback Peyton Manning also spent time Sunday afternoon calling families of
shooting victims, as well as some survivors who remain hospitalized. Manning was
among the first Broncos players to reach out to help.
Tamme tweeted about the visit to the Aurora hospital:
Wrote Tamme: “Wow. I’ve got to tell ya, that visit was simply incredible. Had no
idea what to expect walking in those doors. But the staff, victims, & families were
so impressive. The loss of life is so tragic, but the spirit, resolve, & gratitude in that
hospital was just awesome. So many amazing stories of heroism.”
He continued: “A man shot in the leg telling the story of the 17 year old girl who
stopped as others ran by & used her belt as a tourniquet on his leg. Nurses
bragging on doctors, & doctors bragging on nurses. One doctor had no time to wait
for an OR & began surgery in middle of the ER. Another victim and his friend
jumped on the friends wife, and he took a bullet in the arm and leg. Met all 3 of
them. Just incredible.
Tamme continued: Still some in critical condition, but amid all the chaos at Aurora
Medical that morning, no loss of life… Outstanding job. One of their folks told us
they started multiple surgeries within 10-15 minutes of a victim coming in the
doors.”
Tamme also wrote about several of the patients he and the other Broncos players
met:
Tamme: “Haven’t even mentioned a guy most of you have seen on tv, Steve, who
was on the cross country bicycle trip with his buddy. They were on an overnight
stay in Denver preparing to cross the Rockies. He was shot in the neck. Now they
plan to come back. next year and finish the trip, hopefully raising money for
charity. I was getting chills during our whole visit with them. Bottom line, this is
still a tragic story due to the awful loss of life. But it was great to see these folks
who showed such courage. and, for a couple hrs in that hospital, no one spoke
about a madman, but instead they told the stories that give u faith in humanity.”
Decker added, via Twitter: “What a perspective visiting a few victims today at the
hospital. Amazing people in good spirit! A testament to their courage and
resiliency.”
From Dawkins: “Just left the Aurora Medical Center. Got a chance 2 thank the
Wonderful Emergency team. & C a couple of the brave victims & thr loving Families.
After leaving there, one thing I will defiantly do is hug my wife & kids when I get
home. & squeeze them em tighter!!!!”
From Garland: “Just finished visiting victims of the theater shooting it was inspiring
to see their resiliency. Wishing them a full and speedy recovery.”
Earning His Stripes
By Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Ryan Clady is hard to miss.
At 6-feet-6-inches and 325 pounds, he stands out in a crowd both in stature and
skill, even in the National Football League.
But here in South Florida preparing for the first Pro Bowl of his young career, Clady
is a rookie all over again, surrounded by dozens of players who all stand out on
their respective teams.
"It's been surreal," Clady said. "Just being around all these great players, players
that a few years ago I was watching them in the Pro Bowl -- it's crazy. I'm having a
good time."
The second-year pro has started 32 straight games at left tackle to begin his
career, and did not give up a full sack in his first 20 career starts -- an NFL record
since Stats Inc. began tracking the statistic in 1994. But on the AFC Pro Bowl
squad, Clady is starting at right tackle. Why? Cleveland's Joe Thomas mans the left
spot, and this is his third trip to the all-star game.
"It goes by number of Pro Bowl years -- you get to choose what position you want
to play," Thomas said, cracking a smile. "My first year I had to play a lot of right
tackle, too."
That's how it goes in the Pro Bowl -- seniority is the most important statistic. Clady
only stands out here because it's his first trip to the game. But the tackle doesn't
mind, and he said he has already been making new friends among the conference's
best. And his play has impressed some of the most talented players in the game.
In fact, Thomas said he has no doubt he and Clady will get to know each other
better year after year in the Pro Bowl, which is why he's glad he has two more Pro
Bowl berths than the Bronco, or as he put it, "a good cushion."
"He's obviously a young guy with a lot of talent and he's improved a lot from year
one to year two," Thomas said. "He's going to be one of the great tackles in the
league, you can definitely tell."
One of his teammates in South Florida, Elvis Dumervil, calls Clady an "unsung hero"
for his success since he had to go against the Pro Bowler every day in practice.
When talking about what makes the tackle so good, Dumervil couldn't help but
laugh as he ran down the list.
"He has quick feet, he has long arms and then he's strong," he said. "He has strong
hands -- once he gets his hands on you, there's not much you're going to do. Then
you can't outrun him, you can't run around him, you can't really run him over, so
you've just got to deal with it."
"Every game I like to go watch the other D-End go through it, because I'm going
through it all day in practice."
One of those defensive players who battled against Clady this season was Dallas'
DeMarcus Ware, who could also match up against the offensive tackle in the Pro
Bowl on Sunday.
Ware, who led the league in sacks in 2008, said he is "not surprised at all" that
Clady is a Pro Bowler in just his second year in the league -- only the 11th tackle in
league history to accomplish that feat so early in his career.
"Sometimes you can beat his feet but his hands will still get on you," Ware said.
"That's what good offensive tackles do."
Even with all that praise, Clady is still spending this Pro Bowl trip on the right side
of the line. But the left tackle hopes that one day he'll be the one forcing a younger
tackle to the right side.
"Some guys have been here 10, 11 times, and that's something that might be a
goal of mine in the future," he said. "I'd definitely like to come back."
Clady lets considerable skill speak volumes
The quiet anchor at left tackle is working on technique and learning
McDaniels' new offense
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/05/2009
Note to any Denver Bronco looking for a nice place to relax: You might want to try
the back left corner of the locker room and pull up a chair between Ryan Clady's
locker on the left and Kyle Orton's on the right.
It might be the quietest place in the whole building.
"We're both kind of quiet guys, so we don't really say a whole lot to each other,"
Orton said, laughing.
But Orton, who is competing with Chris Simms for the starting quarterback job, and
starting left tackle Clady don't need to have hours-long, heart-to-heart
conversations to create a successful partnership on the field.
All Orton needs to see is Clady's giant 6-foot-6, 325-pound body and to read this
stunning line from Clady's bio: Last year, as a rookie, he allowed only half a sack in
16 starts.
That's all it takes to be a quarterback's best friend.
"He's a great player," Orton said. "It's always a great thing to have that guy at left
tackle that can really lock it down."
Denver's offensive line allowed only 12 sacks in 2008, a franchise record and tied
for the fewest in the NFL. And because of that performance, the offensive line
returns intact for 2009 — the only unit on the team that was virtually untouched in
the transition from Mike Shanahan to Josh McDaniels.
"It's not too hard to believe because of how well we played, but it was a pretty
crazy offseason, and you kind of realize how much of a business this is," Clady said.
The biggest piece of that group — literally — is Clady, who said he has plenty of
room to improve off that rookie season. As the team goes through its voluntary
workouts and passing camp, Clady said he is focusing on technique, improving his
hand placement and footwork, and adjusting to McDaniels' new offense.
"Trying to make every workout, and working hard at the workouts," Clady said.
"I'm just trying to know the offense, and adjusting to the offense."
Clady spent his offseason back home in Rialto, Calif., working out on his own before
returning to Denver in March to train with his teammates, even if he remains
somewhat of an enigma in the Dove Valley facility.
"He's got a personality, you just don't see it a whole lot. And that's OK, that's
great. We have guys that have personalities that I wish they would put in their shell
once in a while," McDaniels said. "Ryan's one of those guys that sometimes you get
more out of him than you think, and sometimes he's real quiet and to himself. But
he's a good kid, he fits in really well with our team and we're happy to have him."
Former BSU star Ryan Clady is quickly establishing
himself as one of the NFL's premier left tackles
BY BRIAN MURPHY - [email protected]
Published: 05/31/09
On the first day of the Gridiron Dreams Football Academy at Rocky Mountain High,
the biggest instructor found himself with the smallest group of campers.
While young players rushed off to play quarterback and receiver, even defensive
back and defensive line, 6-foot-6, 325-pound Ryan Clady instructed a tiny
contingent of offensive line wannabes Saturday morning.
Apparently not everyone has gotten the memo about the value of a left tackle - or
what being a dominant one can mean to your wallet.
Clady, a former Boise State star and the first-ever Bronco to be selected in the first
round of the NFL Draft, returned to Boise this weekend for two charity events and
the two-day football camp.
An immediate starter after being selected No. 12 by the Denver Broncos in 2008,
Clady had few campers learning at his impressively quick feet.
"He really emphasized hand speed, how to stay quick and make sure you have
really good hands," said Nampa High left tackle Tim Olmsted, who was one of four
high-school aged campers to get instruction from the future NFL All-Pro. "He was a
lot of fun to be around, but he made sure we came off the field with something."
Surely Clady - a lightly recruited defensive linemen out of Rialto, Calif., who
transformed himself into a sure-fire first-rounder as an offensive tackle after his
junior season at Boise State - had plenty of knowledge to dispense.
He spent his rookie season wowing teammates, coaches, opponents and
commentators with his stellar play at one of the toughest positions in professional
football. Responsible for protecting the quarterback's blindside, Clady allowed a
half-sack in 16 games despite battling an ankle problem late in the year.
"It was a lot faster. I had to adjust to that," Clady said of the difference between
the NFL and college football. "After you do that, it's not tough at all."
His remarkable rookie campaign has him pegged for stardom in a league where
rookies seldom come in and dominate like he did.
"Clady's special," said Buffalo Bills tight end Derek Schouman, another instructor
Saturday. "There's not a lot of guys who can do that and he's one of them."
Then-Denver coach Mike Shanahan told Sports Illustrated late in the season: "I've
never seen anybody do what he's done as a rookie. He doesn't have penalties,
doesn't have missed assignments. We don't double-team his guy."
NO. 1 OVERALL?
His incredible season had some wondering if he wouldn't have been the No. 1 pick
in this year's draft if he stayed for his senior season. Clady signed a five-year
contract worth $14.75 million with $11 million guarantees last year. The No. 1 pick
in this year's draft - quarterback Matthew Stafford - signed a six-year, $72 million
deal with more than $41 million guaranteed.
Clady is not worried about such hypothetical scenarios. With his money, he
remodeled his father's house in California (something he said all along he would
do), created a foundation and donated money to the Gridiron Dreams camp. Plus,
he already has a year of NFL experience under his belt.
"You've just got to establish that you made it and that you're an elite player in the
league," Clady said. "That's what I'm trying to do year after year, get better every
year."
Clady also got his first introduction to the business of the NFL this offseason.
Denver dropped its final three games of the season and missed out on the playoffs.
Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl champion, was fired, news Clady got from his
agent.
"I didn't see it coming at all," he said.
Then new coach Josh McDaniels had a falling out with quarterback Jay Cutler, and
Denver shipped the emerging star signal-caller to the Bears. McDaniels, formerly an
assistant coach with the Patriots, is installing a new offense in Denver.
"That's definitely going to be a hard transition. It's a whole different offense. It's a
little bit more complicated than the last offense," Clady said. "It's going to take
some time to get used to it and to be able to perform well in it."
Clady insists he is not worried about the change, not concerned that the coach who
drafted him has been replaced by a new regime.
"I don't think I have to prove myself to new people just because of the simple fact
that they can put on the game tape," he said. "I want to show that last year wasn't
a fluke and try to do the same thing again or even better."
WARM RECEPTION
Here is one of the best players to ever play at Boise State and instead of adoration,
he is received with almost detached admiration.
Clady got to Friday's charity basketball game late after flying in from Denver, where
the Broncos finished up practice. Organizers stalled the game to make sure Clady
would be able to play. A bit bewildered by his immediate insertion into the game,
Clady scored a basket but generally stayed out of harm's way. He received
respectful applause from the crowd when he entered the gym and drew a sizeable
autograph line in the lobby following the game.
But it was nothing compared to what would have happened if, say, Ian Johnson had
been the special guest.
Despite his lofty draft status and bright future as one of the NFL's best left tackles,
Clady will never be beloved in Boise quite like Johnson or many others from the
past few dominant Bronco teams.
Part of it is his position. Offensive linemen are never going to sell as many jerseys
as quarterbacks or running backs. Part of it is his personality. Shy and reserved,
Clady is reluctant to do media interviews. Denver's offensive linemen only did
interviews this season when threatened with fines by the NFL.
But get Clady comfortable around teammates and friends and his personality
shines. He boasted about the Lakers claiming a spot in the NBA Finals with the
other camp instructors and smiled as Alex Guerrero - the camp organizer and a
close friend - teased him throughout the day. Clady even allowed pint-sized
campers to push him around during drills, something NFL defensive ends found
much more difficult on Sundays last fall.
"You watch TV and you see him playing and then you get here and he's even bigger
than you thought," Olmsted said.
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Rookie Clady quietly getting the job
done
October 28, 2008 - 9:34PM
FRANK SCHWAB
THE GAZETTE
ENGLEWOOD • Even at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Ryan Clady doesn't get
much attention.
The Denver Broncos' quiet rookie offensive left tackle doesn't care much for
the spotlight anyway. He towers over most of his teammates - an uncommon
thing in an NFL locker room - but would rather blend in. Lucky for him, that's
easy to do as an offensive lineman.
So he's not going to start an early campaign for NFL Offensive Rookie of the
Year or the Pro Bowl. However, after seven games he's looking the part.
Clady hasn't allowed any sacks this season, a phenomenal statistic
considering the Broncos are fifth in the NFL with 36.9 pass attempts per
game. He has committed just two penalties.
Of the four rookies starting at tackle in the NFL, Clady is the only one not to
allow a sack, according to STATS Inc.
"It doesn't happen very often in the National Football League for a guy to
play at the level he is playing at," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.
The Associated Press has given out the Offensive Rookie of the Year award
since 1967 and an offensive lineman has never won it. But Clady is getting
some notice. Pro Football Weekly maintains a weekly poll for Rookie of the
Year, and Clady ranked second for two straight weeks behind Tennessee
running back Chris Johnson before falling to third last week behind Johnson
and Chicago running back Matt Forte.
Clady realizes his chances are probably slim because of his position.
"I doubt there's a shot, it always goes to a running back or wideout,
someone that does really well like (Atlanta quarterback) Matt Ryan or
somebody like that," Clady said. "My goal is just for us to win as many
ballgames as we can and for us as the offensive line to play well."
But much like Joe Thomas, who made a huge impact for Cleveland at left
tackle last year and finished second in the rookie balloting, Clady is a major
reason for Denver's success.
The Broncos rank third in the league in passing offense with Clady and the
rest of the line giving quarterback Jay Cutler time to throw.
Although Clady probably won't win rookie honors, he should get Pro Bowl
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consideration if he continues to play well. Thomas made the Pro Bowl last
year after giving up one sack, which he told ESPN came in a snowy game
against Buffalo against Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel.
If Clady continues his streak without a sack much longer he'll be a strong Pro
Bowl candidate, especially if he plays well this week. His opponent will be
Miami's Joey Porter, who leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks.
There's no way Clady can go a whole season without giving up a sack, right?
"I don't know," Clady said. "It's not really what I'm worried about now, but
we'll see."
Clady was drafted with the 12th pick this year and was immediately named a
starter. He said getting all of the first-team practice repetitions helped him
make the transition. He said he wasn't sure what to expect from himself as a
rookie, but he couldn't have played much better to this point.
"I just expected to come in and play hard and try to play to my potential,"
Clady said.
"They drafted me in the first round to come in and play right away, and that
was my goal, to play right away and adjust to the speed of the game."
1 of 3
Broncos' tackles Clady, Harris
holding their own
Young linemen quickly adapt to demands of NFL
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
Published October 24, 2008 at 8:34 p.m.
In 13 seasons, Casey Wiegmann has seen just about everything there is to
witness on an NFL offensive line.
Yet, Wiegmann appears genuinely surprised at what's unfolded with the group he
anchors at center.
Two players with a combined three snaps of pro experience entering 2008 have
been inserted into the Broncos lineup at the two tackle spots for the AFC's most
pass-happy offense.
The duo have gone nearly a half-season and combined to allow just one of the
team's five credited sacks and committed only four penalties between them.
Quarterback Jay Cutler's ability to slide and move in the pocket and fire the ball
away under duress helps in pass protection.
So does having long-armed Ryan Clady on the left side and tenacious right tackle
Ryan Harris saving his bacon, too.
"It's unusual to have veterans come in and do what these two have been doing
out there," Wiegmann said recently. "They're on islands every single pass play
and that's the nature of the beast. You know at tackle, you're going to get that.
But these guys have come in and shut guys down - and not just any guys.
They're shutting down good pass rushers, too."
It's well-documented the Broncos (4-3) have issues at the bye week. Both edges
of the offensive line don't appear to be among them.
Clady hasn't looked much different than he did on the tapes of him playing at
Boise State, leading Denver to spend the 12th overall pick in the first round to
secure his services.
"He hasn't surprised me a lick," said Jim Goodman, the Broncos vice president of
football operations/player personnel, his voice rising for emphasis. "My wife
could tell on tape."
2 of 3
Clady has demonstrated the nimble feet to slide in protection, range to protect
the edge and the reach to keep defenders off him.
While he's played with exceptional balance, when he's beaten, he's shown the
athleticism to recover.
"He's just a talented guy," said offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, while
stressing repeatedly the rookie still has much work to do.
"He's got a lot of gifts. He's tall, long. He's got good feet and he uses them. But
it's not like he doesn't work hard at it, too. He learns."
Early challenges
The soft-spoken Clady, an offensive rookie of the year candidate at this early
juncture, maintained the speed of the game and playbook were initially the
biggest obstacles to overcome. He's since gotten to a point where he feels
comfortable on both fronts, helped greatly by preseason matchups facing
Houston's Mario Williams and Dallas' DeMarcus Ware.
"They have such a variety of moves. They challenge an offensive tackle," Clady
said. "It was nice to have them early and see the best so you could adjust to it."
Clady credited the coaching staff and his teammates for helping him quickly
recognize the different fronts and blitzes.
Playing in a wide-open, passing offense in college also helped with his transition.
"I thought we'd get a home run for it," Goodman said of the club's decision to
select Clady as the second tackle in the draft behind only No. 1 overall pick Jake
Long, by the Miami Dolphins, who Denver plays Nov. 2 after the bye week.
And Clady isn't a one-trick pony, either.
While his pass protection might be slightly ahead of his run blocking, he is skilled
in that area as well.
Clady can cut off defenders, get to the second level, block in space, pull.
"And it's all out there in front of him," Goodman said. "He's going to be a great
one."
Clady's counterpart has impressed in nearly equal measure.
Overcoming penalties
Harris, a 2007 third-round pick, was limited to just a few snaps and special
teams work after back surgery interrupted his rookie year. But weight issues that
sidelined guard Montrae Holland in this summer's camp changed plans to play
3 of 3
Chris Kuper at right tackle and shifted Kuper inside. That left plenty of snaps for
Harris to prove his worth with the starting unit.
It didn't go well, initially. Harris was called for four penalties in the Aug. 9
preseason opener against the Texans.
"I told myself I got the worst out of the way early," Harris said.
But he built off that negative and while he has been flagged only once, for
unnecessary roughness in the Broncos' 41-7 loss Monday at New England, it did
cost him a $5,000 fine.
There were more painful problems before that tough preseason outing, though.
Harris, dogged by a painful bulging disk, attempted to fight through the pain in
his initial camp last summer but decided to have surgery when it was obvious he
could no longer continue playing with the problem.
Sitting out has given him a greater appreciation of his current role alongside
Clady, Wiegmann, Kuper and left guard Ben Hamilton.
"There were times last year where I didn't know if I could play the game,
period," Harris said. "So I'm just happy to be a contributing member. The team
has my utmost effort, every play. And the standard's been set by the others on
the line."
Like Clady, the team was extremely high on Harris coming out of college.
One of the only issues was his health, since Harris had back surgery before his
senior season, too.
"He's been sound - pass pro, run blocking," Goodman said. "And he's got a little
nasty to him you don't see in real life because he's such a gentleman and so
scholarly. But he's really played well. I'm just so proud of him."
The Broncos envision the two tackles as possible cornerstones for the next
several years.
Clady is just 22; Harris 23.
"There's no question," Wiegmann responded to that notion. "They've proven
what they can do . . . and it's just a matter of staying healthy now. Bumps and
bruises are going to happen, but you've got to fight through it. These two guys
are fighters. And they'll eventually get there."
High bar set for Broncos' Clady : rockymountainnews.com
Page 1 of 5
High bar set for Broncos' Clady
Boise State rookie's focus on early impact for Broncos
By Lee Rasizer
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thanks a lot, Joe Thomas.
All you did for the Cleveland Browns last season as their No. 1 pick is start 16 games at left tackle, help
transform their offense to eighth overall in yardage, finish second in voting for the NFL's offensive
rookie of the year and make the Pro Bowl.
So, Ryan Clady, there's your bar. Get in there and try not to disappoint for the Broncos as a rookie firstrounder, OK?
"He made it look real easy," Clady said with a laugh recently. "So there are a lot of expectations in the
first round coming in to make an immediate impact."
It isn't always such a seamless transition, especially protecting the quarterback's blind side.
Robert Gallery, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Kenyatta Walker and Kwame Harris all came in with lofty
reputations and produced less-than-desired results, especially immediately, as first-round picks.
There's so much to learn and so little time.
* Memorizing the playbook and quickly distinguishing play calls that might only have slight variations
in terminology.
* Learning techniques taught by the new offensive line coach.
* Combating the knowledge base of veterans while having only a few months of pro experience.
* Catching up with the speed of the game and of pro life.
Most of all, it's using abundant talent in the best way possible until experience takes hold, while not
letting the low moments drag you down.
"I think you just have to have the mentality that you're going to make some mistakes and have real tough
skin because the coaches are going to be yelling at you and trying to get you on the right path," said
Clady, selected 12th overall out of Boise State and one of a record six offensive tackles picked in the
first round in April.
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Page 2 of 5
"You're not going to come in and completely dominate. Joe Thomas did well. But it wasn't lights-out
craziness. So you have to come in with the mentality that, every day, you're going to get better."
But make no mistake, the most diligent of film study and on-field preparation won't insulate Clady from
having his eventual "welcome to the NFL" moment.
Like it or not, that's coming.
'In rookie awe'
For Joe Staley, that instant came right after 1 o'clock Eastern time on Oct. 21.
The 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Staley had reached the bye week
relatively unscathed before heading to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants and a head-tohead meeting with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan.
It was the same Michael Strahan that Staley had put on a pedestal as a youth.
At halftime and with 3 1/2 sacks allowed, Staley wasn't liking Strahan quite as much.
"I got caught up in, 'Oh, my God, it's Michael Strahan,' " said Staley, who also yielded a sack to Giants
lineman Justin Tuck in that game. "In my head, I was kind of in rookie awe and played really passive.
He beat me pretty bad in the first half. But I came back saying, 'I don't care who this guy is, I'm going to
play my game.' And I went out and shut him out in the second half.
"But I feel like I needed that game to raise my level of play," Staley said. "I learned so much from that
game. And, from that point on, I gave up one sack the rest of the year."
Levi Brown, the No. 5 pick in the 2007 draft by the Arizona Cardinals and the first tackle taken after
Thomas, was lulled to sleep in a different fashion.
Having already played Seattle earlier in the season, Brown thought he was prepared for his December
rematch with Patrick Kearney.
"I gave up three sacks," Brown said. "During the game, I was like, 'Man, I can't stop him.' And the first
time we played them, I didn't give up any sacks at all, so I was like, 'What happened? Am I coming out
of my stance slower or something like that?'
"And later, watching film, it was just little things. It was like I was lackadaisical, not punching and
things like that. I didn't attack him."
Like Staley, Brown learned from his mistakes.
The Cardinals revised their thinking, too, giving their rookie tackle more help after that game by
aligning a tight end on his side and chipping defensive ends with running backs.
"I just had to let it go," Brown said. "After the game, maybe the plane ride back, maybe I dwelled on it.
But that was it."
The NFL schedule continues to roll along, regardless.
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Page 3 of 5
"You have to have the mentality that it's not going to affect your confidence level," Staley said. "A lot of
players start playing bad or having a bad practice, and they start turning that into two bad practices and
then a whole week of them. Then it's a bad game, and the confidence level goes down and has to be built
back up."
If either player has friendly advice to Clady, it's honing in on the mental aspects of the game to allow the
game to slow down.
"There's that transition of going from basically knowing 10 plays going into a game in college to
knowing a 500-page playbook," Staley said.
That process begins in organized training activities, but after the Broncos broke minicamp in June,
Clady had only his offseason notes on which to rely because the team collects the playbooks before
reissuing them in training camp.
Once two-a-days begin, multiple daily meetings serve as more than a refresher course. But it's also the
beginning of more complicated defenses, and rookies have to assimilate the information quickly on the
field.
There's continual teaching of technical aspects, too, where, if you're not sharp with footwork within the
first few steps, the results can be disastrous because of the speed of opposing linemen.
"The first thing is trusting the technique they've been taught because it's going to be different than
college and uncomfortable for them," said veteran offensive line coach George Warhop, who has tutored
lines in St. Louis, Arizona, Dallas and now San Francisco during the past 12 years.
"What happens is, they won't have as much success early as later on, and the tendency is to want to go
back to the way they used to do it. But once they trust the different technique, progress comes a little
faster."
The daily grind of competition can be overwhelming for rookie tackles.
"These guys are used to being the best player on the field. And now they're facing players who know
how to take advantage of their mistakes, and it's a source of frustration," Warhop said. "It's up to us, as
coaches, to get them through that."
Time to learn
The Broncos normally have afforded their homegrown, first- year offensive linemen a waiting period to
get accustomed to the synchronization skills necessary in their zone blocking system.
Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper each went without an offensive snap as rookies. Ryan Harris played
sparingly. Even the last No. 1 tackle drafted, the since-departed George Foster, made his lone
appearance in Year 1 in the regular-season finale.
Clady was unaware of that historical backdrop, which makes his task "a little more challenging." But he
also feels as if he was drafted to play immediately.
"I think I'm up to it," he said.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/07/cladys-own-private-idaho/?printer=1/ 8/8/2008
High bar set for Broncos' Clady : rockymountainnews.com
Page 4 of 5
Matt Lepsis, the Broncos' starting left tackle from 2004 to 2007 until his retirement in January, said
Clady will need to get used to firing out quicker on the snap.
But the toughest adjustment in Lepsis' view, figures to be cutting off the back side in the running game.
The two concepts are intertwined.
"A lot of teams have these gigantic guys and just tell them to get to a spot. If there's somebody in that
area, block him," Lepsis said. "But the Broncos kind of ask you to be very athletic and run down the line
to cut off a defensive tackle."
Lepsis predicted the Broncos initially will give help to Clady in the passing game, but he also knows
coach Mike Shanahan wants as many receivers downfield as possible without needing to use extra
players to block.
The terminology also figures to be challenging.
"The thing he really has going for him is he's got Tom Nalen at center, who makes all the calls on the
lines. He's not going to have to make any calls with Tom there," Lepsis said. "He'll learn it, eventually,
but in the beginning, he'll rely on Tom and Ben (Hamilton), who have been doing it forever and know
their stuff in their sleep. They'll help him out."
And once Clady learns the scheme, he'll have an advantage because the Broncos running game doesn't
stray much from its base concepts.
Stretch right. Stretch left.
Though the Broncos system is more complex, many of the elements Clady ran at Boise State are similar,
with outside and inside zone schemes.
The rookie got a further jump-start by studying the system on tape in the offseason and watching
individual tape of players, ranging from Seattle's Walter Jones to San Diego's Marcus McNeill and
Thomas.
"Clady's so capable, it's almost unbelievable," Broncos second-year tackle Ryan Harris said. "He's really
been on top of his game. I mean, he probably gets the least coaching because I think he needs it the least.
He knows what he's doing and always has great effort. That's a great kid. It's like he almost practiced
before we came out here because he's always doing the right things and, in meetings, he knows all the
answers."
So much for the notion that a low Wonderlic score might be a signal Clady wouldn't assimilate well to
the pro game.
Clady has explained that a pectoral injury during the weight-lifting portion at the combine got him
sidetracked come quiz time.
"I tell you what, whenever a defensive end asks you a logic question, we'll start worrying about the
Wonderlic test," Harris said.
Focus on technique
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High bar set for Broncos' Clady : rockymountainnews.com
Page 5 of 5
Truth be told, Thomas never was as settled as he might have seemed.
Cleveland's Pro Bowl rookie had an adjustment period - just like everyone else.
"I think, if you ever get in a comfort zone on the offensive line, that's when you are going to get beat,"
Thomas said. "I think for me, it took a couple games in the regular season - finding out, 'Boy, I can
block these guys' - before I felt confident to go out there and play."
The best advice Thomas received last season: Don't listen to what others say about you, good or bad.
And follow technique tips to the letter.
"Every little thing that you do, players are so good and study so much, they know what you are going to
do before you do it, based upon presnap alignment, formation and how your stance is,"
Thomas said. "If you study the game, you are going to be able to help pick up on those things, too."
Physically, Clady must get stronger, particularly in the upper body, and guard against the bull rush. He
has already demonstrated mobility to contest speed rushers.
His long arms, footwork and agility are his chief weapons entering Denver's first preseason game
Saturday in Houston.
And, like training camp, he's fine if you don't notice him, which is actually a huge compliment.
"I just want to get on the field, learn the plays, start all the games and play consistently. That's all I'm
trying to do," Clady said of embarking on his first season. "I don't have to be all-rookie team and all
that."
© Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/07/cladys-own-private-idaho/?printer=1/ 8/8/2008
With no contract in place, Clady may be late : rockymountainnews.com
Page 1 of 1
With no contract in place, Clady may be late
By Lee Rasizer
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Broncos entered today's opening of training camp far apart in negotiations with first-round draft
pick Ryan Clady.
Discussions were ongoing Thursday night regarding the former Boise State player, who's expected to
start at left tackle.
But barring an all-night bargaining session between the club's front office and Clady's representative, Pat
Dye Jr., and without substantial movement in those talks, it appeared the 12th selection in the April draft
initially could be a no-show.
The Broncos report for physicals at 6 a.m., followed by their first meeting two hours later. The Broncos
normally meet Thursday afternoon, but that was pushed back so they made sure to adhere to a league
rule necessitating a 15-day window before the first preseason game.
As for Clady, the Broncos for some time had been having difficulty getting a counteroffer off their
original proposal before talks finally got serious Thursday.
It was clear Dye wanted to see how the market shaped up in the spots surrounding his client before
proceeding. And with 10th pick Jerod Mayo signing with New England, coupled with agreements
reached by two other tackles, Chris Williams (No. 14) and Branden Albert (No. 15), there was a greater
sense of urgency. Still, there were roadblocks holding up the deal.
"If you look at our history over the last 20 years, I think we've had one person hold out," coach Mike
Shanahan said. "So chances are he'll be signed, ready to go."
As expected, the Broncos hammered out a four-year contract with second-round pick Eddie Royal on
Thursday morning. The contract is worth $3.95 million with $2.4 million in guaranteed money.
© Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/24/with-no-contract-in-place-clady-m... 7/25/2008
Clady's season to speak for itself - The Denver Post
sports
Clady's season to
speak for itself
Page 1 of 3
He would like to reserve comment. All right,
everybody, on cue: Duh! This is the Broncos'
offensive line we're talking about. Those guys
reserve more comments than tee times. For the most
part, they speak only when they're spoken to. Right.
By their wives, maybe.
So, Tom Nalen, what do you think of . . . Tom? Tom?
Ben Hamilton, what about the rookie?
The rookie left tackle from Boise State looks like
the real deal, but the Broncos soon will know for
sure.
"Whatever Ryan says. He speaks for me."
By Jim Armstrong
The Denver Post
For the record, Clady isn't big on sound bites,
either. Nice kid, real nice, but softspoken. In other
words, a perfect match for the Broncos' offensive
line.
Article Last Updated: 06/19/2008 01:42:40 AM MDT
"He's the type of guy who handles himself just like
offensive linemen normally handle themselves,"
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said. "Very
quiet, very composed, doesn't say a whole lot. He's a
guy who'll be accepted right away."
Ryan Clady, left, is the youngster on a
Broncos line stocked with veterans.
(John Leyba, The Denver Post )
So far, the advertising has been truthful. No. 1 draft
choice Ryan Clady has been impressive during the
Broncos' offseason mini-camps.
How impressive?
"I'd like to reserve comment," Broncos offensive line
coach Rick Dennison said. "I'm still waiting on him
to see what he does."
The first true test on the field will have to wait for
training camp in July, when the pads come on. For
now, Clady is focusing on fitting in, learning the
playbook and being accepted by his teammates. And
how do you do that? By talking more softly than you
walk.
"You can't be opening your mouth too much as a
rookie," Clady said. "The vets get on you a little
faster if you do that."
In other words, since Clady isn't about to say it
himself, he gets it. He isn't just a premier prospect
whose quickness and agility belie his nearly 320
pounds. He knows the drill. He came equipped with
size, speed and savvy, the likes of which you don't
always see in a rookie.
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Clady's season to speak for itself - The Denver Post
Page 2 of 3
According to the NFL's sacred scriptures, there's an
initiation process that every rookie must endure. He
has to check his attitude at the door. He has to do a
lot of listening and very little talking. He has to sing
his college fight song at training camp. He has to
carry the veterans' helmets off the practice field.
That's down the road, but his earliest experiences
at Dove Valley have been all good. The veterans
getting on a rookie's case and treating him like one
of their own is a sure sign they like him. Oh, and
one more thing. It's a dead giveaway that the kid can
play.
Not that Clady will have to do any of that stuff. No,
he'll have to do even more. He is, after all, joining
the offensive line, the most tightly knit unit on the
Broncos. And he was, after all, the 12th pick in the
draft, a far cry from the other projected starters,
none of whom went higher than the fourth round.
"He sure looks the part," Broncos free safety John
Lynch said. "I know we haven't put pads on, but he
looks like a guy who could go to 10 Pro Bowls. He's
got very good feet. That jumps out at you right
away. And he's strong. I know from personal
experience that, once he gets his hands on you, he's
a strong guy."
"When you're No. 12, the microscope is on you,"
Broncos right guard Montrae Holland said.
The microscope is on you, all right. And the dinner
tabs. Clady can count on picking up a few of those
this season. That, too, is part of the rite of initiation,
particularly when you're about to pocket $11 million
before playing a down in the NFL.
That's the number, give or take a Mercedes or two,
that Clady figures to receive as a signing bonus. To
put that figure in perspective, consider this: It's
almost as much as the $12 million-plus that Nalen,
a five-time Pro Bowler and certain Ring of Famer, has
received in bonus money in his career.
And so it is that Clady's favorite words this season
figure to be "Yes, sir" and "Check, please."
"Tommy (Nalen) surely will make him pay for a big
dinner," Shanahan said. "I guarantee you it's going
to cost him."
"I told him not to worry about it, that we'll take care
of his money," Holland said. "I'm going to have to
get with Tom and see what we've got in store for
him. The kid is going to get it in the end, let's put it
like that."
Lynch isn't alone in his appraisal. Several veterans,
on the record and off, have let it be known how
impressed they are with Clady. One said he believes
Clady can be a future all-pro. Sure, it's too early to
be talking that kind of talk. Then again, sometimes
you know right away with rookies.
Sometimes you can sense if they're comfortable on
the field, where the pace is faster than anything
they've experienced in college. And, by the same
token, you can sense if they're overwhelmed, too.
Even first-rounders can fall into the latter category.
Two cases in point: Ted Gregory, the Broncos' firstrounder in 1988, and Marcus Nash, the No. 1 in
1998. It was a matter of weeks, not months, when
the veterans began wondering whether they could
handle the physical challenge of life in the NFL. Sure
enough, neither made the grade.
Clady, though, has shown every sign that he can be
a special player, one capable of anchoring the left
side of the line for the next decade.
"You never know, until they get in there and you
actually see them practice, how they handle things
mentally and physically," Shanahan said. "But he's
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Clady's season to speak for itself - The Denver Post
done everything we've asked him to do and then
some."
Said Holland: "I think the Broncos have a lot of
good years ahead of them with him in there. He's
300-and-some pounds and he's moving like a guy
280 or 275. You get a kid like that who can learn to
pick up the offense, you've got yourself a winner."
This much we already know: Playing in Denver will
give Clady every chance to make it big. Having
played at Boise State, he likes the low-key life. Every
time he looks at the mountains, he's thankful he
didn't get drafted by a major-market team.
Page 3 of 3
Being a natural at left tackle: "It wasn't natural at all.
I started out at right tackle. I struggled my first year
of spring ball after being moved over. I had a hard
time getting used to being in a left-handed stance
all the time, stuff like that."
The atmosphere at Dove Valley: "It's like the
mentality we had at Boise State — blue-collar, work
hard all the time."
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
"Definitely, it's a good match for me," Clady said. "It
fits my personality, real mellow. It's a little slower
than L.A. or New York."
And it has cheaper restaurants, too. That's a good
thing when you have several overgrown men to feed.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or
[email protected]
Taking five
Offensive tackle Ryan Clady, the Broncos' No. 1 draft
choice, talks about:
His softspoken nature: "I wouldn't say I'm an
introvert. I'd say just quiet. I like to get to know
people before I open up too much."
The best pass rusher he faced in the WAC: "Tyler
Clutts (an outside linebacker) from Fresno State. Real
fast, and he's got a motor on him."
Adjusting to the size and speed of NFL players:
"Definitely, I can feel it. When we were wearing Tshirts in college, it wasn't this physical. It's different,
but it's fun."
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Rookie Clady has the world at his fast, graceful feet : rockymountainnews.com
Page 1 of 2
Rookie Clady has the world at his fast, graceful feet
By Lee Rasizer
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ryan Clady hasn't felt the hot breath of opposing pass rushers down his neck.
The Broncos' first-round draft pick hasn't been exposed to an entire professional playbook - not even close, at
this juncture. Heck, he hasn't even cashed his first paycheck.
But only four days into quarterback camp at Dove Valley, the rookie's got himself a nickname, courtesy of one
of his fellow offensive linemen.
"P.J. called me 'Sweet Feet,' " Clady said, grudgingly, Thursday.
Well, if the oversized shoes fit . . .
"Yeah, 'Sweet Feet,' what's wrong with that?" asked P.J. Alexander, author of the rookie's tag. "His feet, from
what I've seen, are pretty sweet. He's quick on his feet, moves well. He's impressive, man."
And size, athleticism and ability to translate learning concepts to the practice field are about the only
information that can be gleaned at this stage.
"It's not hard to tell when you see him on the field, he's pretty athletic," Alexander said. "Every day he does
something with his feet that's impressive to me."
So far, Clady, the No. 12 overall pick in April's draft from Boise State, has demonstrated that even if he's late
off the snap, his quickness enables him to catch up with everyone despite missing a beat.
He also can recover if he's out of position because of his solid footwork, meaning he doesn't have to reach with
his hands to compensate - a dangerous proposition against skilled defensive ends.
"Shoot, he's gifted, man. His feet are unbelievable," echoed Erik Pears, who is competing with Clady at left
tackle this week. "He's obviously a huge human being, but he's got quick, quick feet and heavy hands. I see no
reason why he shouldn't be great. He looks good."
Learning the Broncos' blocking scheme has been Clady's biggest challenge so far - it's "a lot more in detail than
in college," he said.
Another challenge: "Probably waking up at 5 o'clock every day," he said.
Still, if you're early to rise, better via an alarm clock than a false start if you're an offensive lineman.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/22/rookie-clady-has-the-world-at-his-fast-gr... 5/23/2008
Rookie Clady has the world at his fast, graceful feet : rockymountainnews.com
Page 2 of 2
But the biggest challenge is yet to come - banging on big-bodied defensive linemen for a month of training
camp in full pads. (The Broncos are sans protective gear this week.) That's where Clady's technique and playing
strength will come more into play.
Not that the Broncos' ends didn't try to get an early gauge in those areas this week against the 6-foot-6, 317pound newcomer.
"I was trying to see how strong he was when I went up against him," second-year defensive lineman Jarvis
Moss said. "We locked up and I just tried to fling him up off me because he's a much bigger guy than me. But
he's got the strength. He's got everything he needs, as far as I'm concerned. . . .
"He just needs to get more comfortable in our system."
The same could be said for all the rookies who gathered this week for their first on-field activities with the
Broncos.
The biggest challenge comes in trying to apply the playbook without thinking too much. That process will drag
on into June and July camps.
"There's a lot of stuff getting thrown in. But the coaches are keeping us sane," said Ryan Torain, a fifth-round
running back out of Arizona State. "We just have to learn day by day and have a good time with it."
One way second-round pick Eddie Royal is dealing with the information overload is by using a crib sheet
attached to his wrist.
"I had to," the receiver from Virginia Tech said with a chuckle. "I'm trying to break everything down in the
meetings, and anything I feel I'm going to forget on the field, I just jot it down."
Clady admitted the transition has been "a little tougher" than he expected, but he's been getting help from
teammates to augment the coaches' teaching.
He added he feels other players' eyes on him - and not just his feet - as they try to see just what Denver is
getting at such a pivotal position.
Clady entered the draft as an early entry junior after 26 straight starts at left tackle in college.
"There's a lot of pressure on him, mentally," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said of Clady. "There's going to be
a lot of pressure on him physically. But we feel like he's got the ability to compete. We're going to start him as
No. 1, but he's got to earn the position, just like everyone else."
© Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/22/rookie-clady-has-the-world-at-his-fast-gr... 5/23/2008
Broncos make right move drafting left tackle first - The Denver Post
analysis
Broncos make right move
drafting left tackle first
Page 1 of 3
ripples. Ripples that lapped slowly but steadily
toward places needing improvement. Their one
significant trade had been in the discussion
stages for so long, it also was almost
anticlimactic when the Broncos finally acquired
Dewayne Robertson, who in recent years had
been the NFL's highest-paid defensive
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
2008 NFL Draft
Article Last Updated: 04/29/2008 02:14:20 AM MDT
z
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Ryan Clady, a 316-pound offensive
tackle taken with the 12th pick in the
draft, makes a big impression Sunday.
(John Leyba, The Denver Post)
z
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A left tackle was perfect.
Or if it wasn't perfect, it at least epitomized how
the Broncos reshaped their roster this season.
"Everything we did this offseason was solid and
sure," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. "There
were no knee-jerk decisions. We had a plan and
we stuck to our plan. I think we have a better
football team."
Their frequent dives in the past into the freeagent pools created not splashes or waves, but
Review each and every pick as
well as scouting reports for all
players drafted
Visit the Broncos' draft board,
including scouting reports and
impact analysis
Watch video of Ryan Clady,
Eddie Royal at Dove Valley
Watch video of Mike Shanahan
discussing choice of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Eddie Royal
View slide show of NFL draft
Find player profiles, position
reports, draft dirt, team needs
and much more
Find daily buzz, best prospects
by position, team-by-team
needs and prospect reports
tackle.
In the past, the Broncos made headlines in
sports sections across the country by acquiring
the likes of Jay Cutler, Javon Walker and Travis
Henry. This year, they made understated moves.
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Broncos make right move drafting left tackle first - The Denver Post
Champ Bailey may be a star, but Boss Bailey is
no slouch. Marlon McCree, Niko Koutouvides,
Darrell Jackson, Keary Colbert and Casey
Wiegmann are all proven NFL performers.
The draft became the final phase in the Broncos'
renovation project. How many Broncos fans in
Denver, not Boise, knew Ryan Clady before the
predraft reports bombarded the Internet in
February?
Long, who went with the first pick to Miami, the
Broncos rated Clady second, Chris Williams third
and Branden Albert fourth. Had those three
Draft Profiles
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Clady is a left tackle and a left tackle is a
blocker. Blocking may be one of the most
important functions, along with tackling, to a
team's success. But to the public, blockers are
anonymous. This is why drafting Clady with the
No. 12 pick fit the Broncos' plan. It was an
understated but solid acquisition in an
understated but solid Broncos offseason.
"They had to help Jay Cutler," said ESPN's Mel
Kiper Jr., who remains the most famous draft
analyst. "If you've got a young quarterback, help
him. Jay Cutler needed a Ryan Clady. He got him."
The first-round selections of Cutler in 2006 and
pass rusher Jarvis Moss in 2007 created a stir.
The first-round pick of
Clady in 2008 elicited a harrumph.
Football is not all glamour. This is the essence to
Denver's recently completed draft: Eight
offensive tackles went in the first 26 picks. Eight.
The Broncos got the second choice.
Is Clady the second-best offensive tackle of this
remarkable offensive tackle class? After Jake
Page 2 of 3
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Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech
Kory Lichtensteiger, C, B. Green
Jack Williams, CB, Kent State
Ryan Torain, RB, Arizona State
Carlton Powell, DT, Virginia
Tech
Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona
Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Peyton Hillis, FB, Arkansas
tackles been gone by the No. 12 pick, the
Broncos would have taken running back Jonathan
Stewart.
Broncos evaluators were justified by the teams
picking immediately behind them. Carolina took
Stewart at No. 13, Williams went to Chicago at 14
and Kansas City took Albert at 15.
Besides Long, Kiper thought the only left tackle
who possibly projects higher than Clady is Albert,
a guard in college.
"I think what Mike Shanahan probably felt was,
Clady's a proven entity at left tackle," Kiper said.
"Branden Albert is still an unknown quantity. He
only played two games there. You don't draft a
guard at (No. 12), you draft a left tackle. Branden
Albert is going to be a left tackle — you hope.
Clady's already shown that.
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Broncos make right move drafting left tackle first - The Denver Post
Page 3 of 3
"I think they did the right thing, unlike some
other teams who are abandoning their young
quarterback like David Carr in Houston. Like
they're doing with Vince Young to a certain
extent in Tennessee. What Mike Shanahan did is
say, 'Hey, we have our franchise, we're going to
help this guy out. We're not going to put this guy
out on an island and let him get beat up.' "
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.
com
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Draft picks add nine new faces to Broncos - The Denver Post
nfl draft
Draft picks add nine new
faces to Broncos
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Page 1 of 4
OK, an honest mistake. Nehlen coached at
Bowling Green from 1968-76, so Lichtensteiger
may have heard the name. The question, through
shaky conference call reception, was repeated.
Tom Nalen, the Broncos' starting center for going
on 14 seasons?
"I don't know much about him," Lichtensteiger
said.
Article Last Updated: 04/28/2008 06:13:26 AM MDT
Luckily for Lichtensteiger, he's
2008 NFL Draft
z
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Ryan Clady, a 316-pound offensive
tackle taken with the 12th pick in the
draft, makes a big impression Sunday.
(John Leyba, The Denver Post)
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Eventually, the Broncos will become acquainted
with rookie center Kory Lichtensteiger.
But first, it might behoove Lichtensteiger to
study up on the Broncos.
After the Broncos opened Day 2 of the NFL draft
by selecting Lichtensteiger with the first of their
two fourth-round picks Sunday, the Bowling
Green product was asked what he knew about
Tom Nalen.
"Don Nehlen?" Lichtensteiger said.
z
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Review each and every pick as
well as scouting reports for all
players drafted
Visit the Broncos' draft board,
including scouting reports and
impact analysis
Watch video of Ryan Clady,
Eddie Royal at Dove Valley
Watch video of Mike Shanahan
discussing choice of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Eddie Royal
View slide show of NFL draft
Find player profiles, position
reports, draft dirt, team needs
and much more
Find daily buzz, best prospects
by position, team-by-team
needs and prospect reports
6-feet-3, 310 pounds. He'll need every pound to
absorb the razzing. He will also need patience
because if all goes well for the Broncos in 2008,
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4/28/2008
Draft picks add nine new faces to Broncos - The Denver Post
Lichtensteiger will never see the field.
Nalen, 36, and Casey Wiegmann, 34, should have
the center position handled.
If all goes well with the Broncos' draft, they will
have picked up enough good players to improve
on their 7-9 record last season.
How to recap the Broncos' nine-pick draft? It
lacked glitz. It lacked action. It lacked pot
smokers and Maurice Clarett.
It did not lack purpose.
"We have a better team, no question about it,"
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said at his
postdraft press conference. "No. 1, you have Ryan
Clady starting off as our left tackle."
Clady was an imposing sight at his introductory
news conference Sunday. Very large at 6-6 and
weighing close to 320 pounds, he wore longbraided hair, a dark, pinstripe suit and a smile
that spread from here to Boise, Idaho.
There were good reasons for his good mood.
One, as the No. 12 overall pick, he can expect a
six-year contract with a minimum $11 million
guarantee. Two, he has already been anointed
the replacement to longtime offensive tackle
starter Matt Lepsis, who retired minutes after
the 2007
season.
"Matt didn't have one of his best years last
year," Shanahan said. "Coming off an injury, he
Page 2 of 4
didn't play at the level he normally played at. So
with Ryan coming in with his type of ability, I
think we might have improvement there,
Draft Profiles
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Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech
Kory Lichtensteiger, C, B. Green
Jack Williams, CB, Kent State
Ryan Torain, RB, Arizona State
Carlton Powell, DT, Virginia
Tech
Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona
Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Peyton Hillis, FB, Arkansas
regardless of him being a rookie."
Shanahan added that second-round pick Eddie
Royal automatically improves the Broncos' return
game.
"To get these two guys in the first two rounds,
and those were the two guys we were hoping we
would get, that happens zero times in my NFL
career," Shanahan said. "So we feel very
fortunate."
Then, in the same breath, Shanahan
remembered the primary reason why his first two
preferences were there for the taking.
"Hopefully, we're not taking the 12th pick
very often," he said.
From their seven, second-day picks Sunday, the
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Broncos' two fifth-round selections — running
back Ryan Torain and defensive tackle Carlton
Powell — have the best chance to make rookie
Page 3 of 4
Peyton Hillis in the seventh round.
And to think people said Jake could never equal
Peyton.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.
com
Broncos' second-day picks
Round 4 (108th overall pick)
Broncos second-round draft pick Eddie
Royal from Virginia Tech, left, and
first-round draft pick Ryan Clady from
Boise State pose at Dove Valley on
Sunday. (John Leyba, The Denver
Post)
C Kory Lichtensteiger
Bowling Green, 6-feet-3, 310 pounds
Round 4 (119th)
contributions.
CB Jack Williams
Day 2 of the Broncos' draft was all about saying
thanks to former players. In the fourth round, the
Broncos turned a trade for receiver Ashley Lelie
into a fourth-round selection of Kent State
cornerback Jack Williams.
Kent State, 5-9, 186
Round 5 (139th)
TB Ryan Torain
Former defensive tackle Gerard Warren led to
Torain, a 222-pound back from Arizona State.
Later, the Broncos drafted one of Torain's
teammates, safety Josh Barrett.
The sixth-round pick received for guard/center
Chris Myers was used on Spencer Larsen, a 24year-old middle linebacker
who could get work at fullback.
Arizona State, 6-1, 222
Round 5 (148th)
DT Carlton Powell
Virginia Tech, 6-3, 300
Round 6 (183rd)
And in exchange for retired quarterback Jake
Plummer, the Broncos selected Arkansas fullback
MLB-FB Spencer Larsen
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Draft picks add nine new faces to Broncos - The Denver Post
Page 4 of 4
Arizona, 6-2, 243
Round 7 (220th)
FS Josh Barrett
Arizona State, 6-2, 223
Round 7 (227th)
Post Poll - Feeling a Draft
FB Peyton Hillis
Arkansas, 6-1, 240
Which selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2008 NFL
draft most thrilled you? ( Read the story .)
Rd. 1/No. 12 Ryan Clady
2/42 Eddie Royal
4/108 Kory Lichtensteiger
4/119 Jack Williams
5/139 Ryan Torain
5/148 Carlton Powell
6/183 Spencer Larsen
7/220 Josh Barrett
7/227 Peyton Hillis
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Surgery puts Broncos' pick Torain back in running : rockymountainnews.com
Page 1 of 4
Surgery puts Broncos' pick Torain back in running
By Lee Rasizer
Monday, April 28, 2008
Hard work, perseverance and skill allowed Ryan Torain to become a fifth-round pick.
But give an assist to modern medicine.
Torain, an Arizona State running back, suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot that ended his senior season
after six games.
Yet a new surgical procedure sped his recovery and allowed him to participate in February's scouting combine.
"They put buttons in my foot, where they kind of tied it together," Torain said, adding the procedure was done
by an orthopedist affiliated with the NBA's Phoenix Suns. "In the past, they used to have screws and it required
two surgeries and an extra four months. But because I had the new surgery, it healed up way faster."
Torain was off to another fast start when he was hurt, with three 100-yard games on the heels of a 1,229-yard
junior season that had him near the top of prospect lists at his position.
After the injury, he spent two months in a wheelchairlike device that propped up his left leg and spent another
month on a single crutch before he could resume workouts.
He's now exercising daily.
"I'm working out on agility and quick twitch," he said.
Denver has had only mixed results at running back in the draft in recent seasons but has struck gold with
second-day picks such as Terrell Davis and Mike Anderson.
"I feel like I can do great things for this team," Torain said.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said he felt very confident Torain would be ready to go in the short term and
praised Torain's running instincts.
"I think he's got first-round ability, so I really just put the whammy on him," Shanahan added.
Through thick and thin
Dieting didn't appeal to Ryan Clady, so he opted to quit football.
He was 10 years old, after all.
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Page 2 of 4
Jenny Craig might as well have been a playground pal.
"I had to make weight every week and it was a challenge for me," he said, recalling his Pop Warner
experiences. "I didn't really want to do that year in and year out."
The rules back then required he weigh under 130 pounds. He was in the 140-145-pound range.
A couple of years later, he returned to the game - as a way to get in shape and lose weight.
Clady said Sunday it was the best decision he's ever made.
"His mom got him involved in the first place," Clady's father, Ross, remembered. "He wanted to give it a shot.
But he had to make weight and he was big for his age already. He was playing against 12-year-olds and he was
10. But he just quit for a couple years. He got into high school and on the freshman team, he started blowing
up."
On the field.
Not a one-trick pony
The immediate impact from second-round pick Eddie Royal should come as both a kickoff and punt returner.
It's bound to prompt first-year comparisons, too, to California's DeSean Jackson, another top special-teams
prospect Denver bypassed who instead went seven picks later to the Philadelphia Eagles.
But Royal, a wide receiver at Virginia Tech, is thinking bigger in the long term.
"I don't want people to just look at me as a return man. I'm more than that. And I plan to show that to people."
Shouldering the load
It's going to be a while before Kory Lichtensteiger, Denver's first fourth-round pick, can show his abilities on
the field.
The center from Bowling Green tore his right labrum last season and had surgery after the scouting combine
Feb. 28. He'll sit out all the minicamps, except possibly the last, leading up to training camp.
His recovery time is four to five months.
Lichtensteiger also had a torn labrum repaired in his left shoulder in January 2007.
"I'm even now," he joked.
But his health issues were no laughing matter the past few months, when his potential draft stock was at stake.
"I was a little concerned about it," he said. "I didn't know if teams would be scared away. But it actually worked
in my favor because I played half the season with it this year and teams saw I could play through pain and still
play well."
Numbers game
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Page 3 of 4
4scholarship offers to Clady coming out of high school in Rialto, Calif. None were BCS powerhouses, as
Boise State, Idaho State, San Diego State and Texas-El Paso were the teams that came calling.
Beauty before age
It's been a long road to the pros for sixth-round pick Spencer Larsen, a linebacker out of Arizona.
He first enrolled in school in 2002 but went on a Mormon mission for two years in Chile. When he returned to
college in 2005, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in just his second spring practice but played in a game just
4 1/2 months later.
Larsen finished with 312 career tackles before leaving school at age 24.
"Most of the guys I met at the combine were 23, 22. I'm a very young 24 years old," he said. "I don't think that
hurts me at all in my eyes. Some teams may have felt that I was too old to start out with, but I'm glad Denver
didn't."
He said it
"Don Nehlen?"
Lichtensteiger, asked what he thought of Broncos five-time Pro Bowler Tom Nalen, who figures to be his
immediate mentor. In Lichtensteiger's defense: He played at Bowling Green, where Nehlen once was head
coach before making his mark at West Virginia. Just try to get Nalen to buy that one at camp.
Going deep
The Broncos have taken 19 wide receivers in the draft during Mike Shanahan's tenure, the most of any
other position.
Year Rd. Overall Player School
2008 2 42 Eddie Royal Virginia Tech
2006 4a 119 Brandon Marshall Central Florida
2006 4c 130 Domenik Hixon Akron
2004 2b 54 Darius Watts Marshall
2004 6a 171 Triandos Luke Alabama
2003 5b 158 Adrian Madise Texas Christian
2002 1 19 Ashley Lelie Hawaii
2002 5 144 Herb Haygood Michigan State
2001 6 190 Kevin Kasper Iowa
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Page 4 of 4
2000 3 70 Chris Cole Texas A&M
2000 5 154 Muneer Moore Richmond
2000 7b 246 Leroy Fields Jackson State
1999 3b 93 Travis McGriff Florida
1999 6a 179 Desmond Clark Wake Forest
1999 6b 204 Chad Plummer Cincinnati
1999 7a 218 Billy Miller Southern Cal
1998 1 30 Marcus Nash Tennessee
1996 5 149 Patrick Jeffers Virginia
1995 7b 222 Byron Chamberlain Wayne State
© Rocky Mountain News
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Broncos bolster left side - The Denver Post
nfl draft
Broncos bolster left side
Denver drafts Clady
Page 1 of 4
grandparents, dad. Even 93-year-old greatgrandmother Elmia was at Clady's draft party
Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Airport
Hilton, sharing in the joy that erupted the second
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the
Broncos had selected Clady with the No. 12 pick.
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Everybody was there but Mom.
Article Last Updated: 04/27/2008 02:33:17 AM MDT
"I would give billions of dollars to have her here
right now," said Ross Clady, Ryan's dad.
Sharon Ross was 53 when she died suddenly of a
heart attack in 2000. Ross and Sharon had been
married 20 years, but nevermind his heartache.
Ryan was
13, the oldest of four children.
Boise State left tackle Ryan Clady, left,
in action against Southern Mississippi
last season, was selected by the
Broncos on Saturday with the 12th pick
in the first round of the NFL draft.
(John C. Kelly, Boise State University )
"You lose your mom at such a young age, it's
probably the most horrible thing that could
happen," Ross said from the LAX hotel that's
about a 50-minute drive from where he raised
his family in Rialto, Calif. "It was very
devastating. But we hung together. He just kind
of dove into football. I think that became his
sanctuary."
Ryan Clady was not playing football when Mom
died. He had tried to play in the Pop Warner
Leagues, but those darn weight restrictions had
become a burden no child should ever endure.
Ryan Clady was able to share his special
moment with about 150 of his favorite loved
ones.
"Every week I had to cut weight," Clady said. "I
finally had enough of that."
His younger brother and two younger sisters
were there. Aunts, uncles, cousins, both sets of
So at 10, Ryan quit playing football. He liked the
game. There just wasn't a place for such a big kid
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to play. The plan was always to start playing
again once Ryan got to Eisenhower High School.
2008 NFL Draft
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z
z
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Follow the Broncos' draft board
Watch video of Mike Shanahan
discussing choice of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Eddie Royal
View slide show of NFL draft
Find player profiles, position
reports, draft dirt, team needs
and much more
Find daily buzz, best prospects
by position, team-by-team
needs and prospect reports
Make your draft-day predictions
official on the All Things
Broncos blog
Compare notes with a mock
draft from Forecaster
Compare notes with a mock
draft from Sports Network
Follow pick-by-pick
announcements and scouting
reports for all players drafted
Find Mike Klis' list of 10 players
the Broncos would love to have
among their draft picks
Find Klis' breakdown of the top
of the crop, overrated, sleepers,
Broncos' needs, teams with
needs and area prospects
There was no plan for Mom dying when Ryan
was in the eighth grade. Dad and his relatives
Page 2 of 4
decided it was best if his daughters lived with
their grandma and aunt closer to Los Angeles.
The boys, Ryan and Chris, stayed with him
outside the city.
"My big brother took care of me," Chris said. "I
just tried to follow in his footsteps."
Ryan admits it took him a while to become a
positive influence.
"When
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan
announces the first-round selection of
Ryan Clady on Saturday at team
headquarters in Dove Valley. (Steve
Nehf The Denver Post)
Mom died, it was such a shock," he said. "I was
kind of quiet and reserved before she died, and
then I was even quieter after that. I hardly spoke
to anybody. It took me, I would say, at least two
years to get over it. I was sad, I guess, is how you
would put it."
Mom's passing wasn't the reason Clady started
playing football. But football helped him move
on. He played defensive end in high school, but
said he only had two scholarships to play college,
and both programs thought he projected as an
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Broncos bolster left side - The Denver Post
offensive tackle. He picked Boise State, which
was then coached by Dan Hawkins, who is now in
charge of the Colorado Buffaloes' football team.
Page 3 of 4
and Chris Kuper at right tackle.
If Clady is to consistently protect quarterback
"We just thought he was a big guy who had great
feet," Hawkins said Saturday in a conference call
with the Denver media.
The kid too big to play Pop Warner is now 6foot-6, 309. Yet, all people seem to talk about
are his feet.
"The thing that impresses you is his feet,"
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said after making
Clady the team's highest drafted offensive
lineman since Chris Hinton in 1983. "I haven't
been around a tackle that has that type of feet.
He's got the longest arms in the draft."
Post Poll - Ryan Clady
Long arms, quick feet, big body, superior agility.
Not a bad combination for stepping right in to
play in the Broncos' highly regarded zoneblocking system. And Clady will step in the
second he steps into Broncos headquarters today
for his introductory news conference.
"He will start at left offensive tackle the day he
comes in,"
Shanahan said.
Say what? Shanahan, whose idea of relaxation is
shooting a round of golf in less than 2 1/2 hours,
proclaiming a rookie to start before his first
training camp? Believe it. Ryan Harris, the
Broncos' third-round pick in last year's draft, had
been penciled in at left tackle until Clady was
selected. Harris will now compete with Erik Pears
The Denver Broncos selected Ryan Clady on Saturday
with the No. 12 pick in the NFL draft. What do you think
of the selection? ( Read the story .)
Love it: Clady will
Jay Cutler from the likes of Shawne Merriman, he
will have to get stronger, especially after
straining a pectoral muscle while bench pressing
during the scouting combine in late February. But
in the Broncos' blocking system, strength is
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Page 4 of 4
secondary to mobility.
"I played a lot of basketball when I was young
and growing up, and that may have helped me
out," Clady said.
The Broncos also considered two other left
tackles — Vanderbilt's Chris Williams and
Virginia's Branden Albert — with their first-round
pick. But superior athleticism made Clady the
easy choice.
The Broncos thought so highly of Clady, they
figured he would have been taken by the Kansas
City Chiefs at No. 5. And the Chiefs probably
would have, had they not traded star defensive
end Jared Allen last week.
Once open to trading down, the Broncos
received calls from teams willing to deal. But
with Clady there, the Broncos lost interest in
moving. They wanted the big kid throwing the
party at an LAX hotel.
"I knew what their mama would have wanted
and out of all of them, she wanted Ryan to make
some kind of contribution," Ross Clady said. "She
didn't want him to be a deadbeat. She wanted
him to be a doctor, lawyer, governor, something.
Newscaster, anything to make some kind of
contribution."
Here in Denver, the plan is for Sharon Clady's
oldest son to contribute immediately.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.
com
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nfl draft
No. 1 pick in 2003.
Broncos scoop talent into
most glaring holes
He'll face competition, most notably from last
year's third-rounder, Ryan Harris, but Clady was
ordained the team's No. 1 left tackle moments
after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called out
his name.
By Jim Armstrong
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 04/27/2008 01:09:03 AM MDT
Page 1 of 3
"He's obviously a left tackle that we think is an
excellent athlete who'll fit into our scheme very
well," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We
feel very fortunate he was there."
The Broncos had targeted one of three tackles
— Clady, Vanderbilt's Chris Williams and
Virginia's Branden Albert — with Clady No. 2 on
their board behind Jake Long, selected first by
the Miami Dolphins, just ahead of Chris Long,
who went No. 2 to St. Louis. Shanahan also got
his man in the second round, Virginia Tech kick
returner/wide receiver Eddie Royal.
Wide receiver Eddie Royal of Virginia
Tech (4) led the Atlantic Coast
Conference in punt returns the past
two seasons. (Doug Benc, Getty
Images)
In an NFL draft long on Longs and offensive
linemen, the Broncos tapped into the deepest
position on the board Saturday, selecting Boise
State tackle Ryan Clady with the 12th selection.
The pick marked the second time in the Mike
Shanahan era the Broncos used a first-rounder
on an offensive tackle. But make no doubt, the
expectations for Clady are considerably higher
than they were for George Foster, the Broncos'
"It hasn't happened that way before, but we've
never picked with the 12th pick, either,"
Shanahan said. "You have a little bit better
chance, but you don't always know in the second
round if that guy is going to be there."
The selections of Clady and Royal and the
acquisition of Jets defensive tackle Dewayne
Robertson filled three glaring needs. With Clady
onboard, Harris figures to back up at left tackle
or compete with Erik Pears and Chris Kuper for
the starting job on the right side. Robertson
projects to start at defensive tackle opposite
Marcus Thomas, and Royal should be the No. 1
kickoff and punt returner, areas the Broncos
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have struggled in for much of Shanahan's tenure.
Clady's presence atop the depth chart
2008 NFL Draft
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
Follow the Broncos' draft board
Watch video of Mike Shanahan
discussing choice of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Ryan Clady
Analyze profile of Eddie Royal
View slide show of NFL draft
Find player profiles, position
reports, draft dirt, team needs
and much more
Find daily buzz, best prospects
by position, team-by-team
needs and prospect reports
Make your draft-day predictions
official on the All Things
Broncos blog
Compare notes with a mock
draft from Forecaster
Compare notes with a mock
draft from Sports Network
Follow pick-by-pick
announcements and scouting
reports for all players drafted
Find Mike Klis' list of 10 players
the Broncos would love to have
among their draft picks
Find Klis' breakdown of the top
of the crop, overrated, sleepers,
Broncos' needs, teams with
needs and area prospects
represents a first for Shanahan. No rookie
started on the offensive line during his first 13
Page 2 of 3
seasons as head coach. Foster, the 20th selection
in 2003, started in his second season, as did
guards Dan Neil and Ben Hamilton and center
Tom Nalen.
Clady is just over 6-feet-6 and weighed in at
309 pounds at the NFL scouting combine. But
Shanahan said his No. 1 attribute is naturally
quick feet, a vital skill for a left tackle.
"I haven't been around a tackle who has that
type of feet," Shanahan said. "He's got excellent,
excellent feet, and you don't find that very often. .
. . That's one of the reasons we're going to put
him in there at the left tackle position to start
with. And we'll see if he can keep it."
Said CU coach Dan Hawkins, who recruited Clady
to Boise State: "We thought he was a big guy who
had great feet and would make a great offensive
lineman. He was that way from Day One, he
really was. That's just part of his DNA."
The selection of Clady hardly came as a surprise,
what with the Broncos' obvious need at tackle
and the glut of talent available at the position.
Seven were selected, making it the most popular
position in the round.
Nor was Clady surprised that Denver was the
team that picked him. He figured he would go
early in the first round after leaving Boise State
after his redshirt junior season. Not only that,
Boise runs a zone blocking scheme similar to the
one employed by the Broncos.
"I knew the Broncos were real interested in me,"
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Clady said. "Right away, I just want to learn
the system. I want to play well and I want to be
a starter. First-rounders are expected to start
Page 3 of 3
Broncos' return game. He selected several other
returners in years past — Chris Cole, Domenik
Hixon and the late Darrent Williams among them
— without finding a long-term solution.
"That's exactly what we were looking for, a punt
returner and kickoff returner," Shanahan said.
"Anytime you have a guy that . . . anytime he
touches the ball, he can go the distance, it helps
you a lot on special teams. The mind-set is
completely different."
The final five rounds of the draft are today, with
the Broncos holding seven picks — two in the
fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two
in the seventh.
Post Poll - Ryan Clady
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or
[email protected]
The Denver Broncos selected Ryan Clady on Saturday
with the No. 12 pick in the NFL draft. What do you think
of the selection? ( Read the story .)
Love it: Clady will
and have an impact right away."
Royal, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in
punt returns the past two seasons, represents
Shanahan's latest attempt to shore up the
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Clady expected to start at LT for Broncos : rockymountainnews.com
Page 1 of 3
Clady expected to start at LT for Broncos
By Lee Rasizer
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Ryan Clady had the biggest wingspan among the offensive tackle prospects in the draft.
Now that he’s the Denver Broncos No. 1 draft pick, 12th overall, it’ll be up to him to keep his competition at his
36 3/4-inch arm’s length.
That’s because the all-important left tackle position already is Clady’s to lose, despite Denver’s usual wait-andsee approach up front on the O-line.
“He’ll start at left offensive tackle the day he comes in,” Mike Shanahan said Saturday. “Pretty simple, wasn’t
it?”
Talk to Clady in six months and we’ll see how he answers the question. Facing the likes of Derrick Burgess and
Shawne Merriman is much different from some no-name defensive end from Hawaii or Fresno State.
But Shanahan didn’t seem concerned, even after the likes of Tom Nalen, Ben Hamilton, Ryan Harris, Chris
Kuper – the list goes on – all had to assimilate Denver’s scheme from the comfort of the bench extensively
before earning playing time.
Second-year pro Ryan Harris – who himself has yet to play a pro down -- will be Clady’s likely competition,
with Chris Kuper and Erik Pears battling it out on the right side.
“The thing that impresses you is his feet,” Shanahan said of Clady, the first-ever Boise State first-round pick. “I
haven’t been around a tackle that has that type of feet. . . . He’s got excellent, excellent feet. You don’t find that
very often.”
That mobility apparently has been a Clady trait since he joined Boise State in 2004, converting from a high
school defensive lineman out of Rialto Eisenhower High School near San Bernadino, Calif.
“He was that way from Day 1. He really was,” said Dan Hawkins, the current University of Colorado coach but
in the same position at Boise when Clady entered college. “That was just part of his DNA.”
Hawkins believes Clady’s potential is tremendous, particularly given the gains the player’s made despite only
three years playing the position. Clady is an early draft entrant as a junior.
“He’s got everything – size, speed. And he’s a great player right now who’s only going to get better because
he’s still young and learning the position.”
Clady, 21, was a scout team defensive tackle as a freshman and opened eyes during practice workouts against
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Page 2 of 3
All-Western Athletic Conference offensive tackle Daryn Colledge, now a guard with the Green Bay Packers. It,
in part, prompted Clady’s move to the offensive side of the ball and he blossomed.
In three straight games last season, his opponent failed to record any statistics.
“We thought he was going to be pretty good,” Hawkins said. “You saw his hands and his mentality and how he
took it seriously. He studied. He had to learn technique.”
Clady visited Denver’s Dove Valley headquarters last weekend, one of eight pre-draft trips by the tackle, and
spent two days with Broncos coaches. His personality appeared to fit. And Shanahan noted that the player
understood pass protections and running schemes and overall was “very impressive.”
Clady’s transition may be smoothed somewhat by the fact Boise State also employs a zone-blocking scheme, so
the overall concepts in Denver won’t be a shock.
“I think it will help me because it’s the same type of system,” Clady said. “I’ve been in it for four years and
gotten to know it well. (It’s) just a fast track to learning and getting on the field faster than if I was in a different
type of system.”
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Clady entering the draft aside from his strength was his low score on
the Wonderlic test, used to rate a player’s intelligence. His 13 score out of 50 on the 12-minute test ranked well
below other top offensive linemen. A score of 20 is considered average.
But Clady explained Saturday that he took the test directly after tearing a pectoral muscle at the combine in the
bench press and his mind was elsewhere.
“I was really frustrated about that. I was thinking, ‘Am I going to be able to work out tomorrow?’ A lot of stuff
was running through my head. So I’m a little disappointed at the score, but I know I can learn a system.”
The Broncos had a gaping hole at left tackle in wake of Matt Lepsis’ retirement this offseason. There was some
talk in the last several weeks that Chris Kuper would top the depth chart at left tackle, given Harris’
inexperience. But now Denver can let Harris and Clady battle it out, with Erik Pears and Kuper potentially
duking it out on the right side.
“We are going to have some competition with guys like Ryan Harris, who can play either way,” Shanahan said.
“Ryan might be on the other side competing with Erik and Kuper.”
Overall, seven potential offensive tackles went within the first 21 picks. Other than Jake Long, the overall No. 1
draft pick by the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos had their pick of the litter while on the first-round clock.
Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams was the other ‘value’ pick with the 12th selection. He ended up going to the
Chicago Bears two picks later.
Williams was soon followed by Virginia’s Branden Albert (15th, Kansas City); Gosder Cherilus (17th, Detroit);
Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah (19th, Carolina) and USC’s Sam Baker (21st, Atlanta).
“Just the pressure and how important it is for the team, and just for the offense in general to protect that blind
side, it’s a hard position to play and a lot of pressure on you,” Clady said of the task at hand. “But I’m ready and
willing to step up to the challenge.”
Certainly the Broncos hope he works out better than their last first-round tackle, George Foster in 2003, who
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/apr/26/broncos-select-ot-clady-first-pick/?printer... 4/27/2008
Clady expected to start at LT for Broncos : rockymountainnews.com
Page 3 of 3
was traded last offseason after three inconsistent seasons. It’s the 14th time in 15 seasons Denver has taken at
least one offensive lineman in the draft.
Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Height: 6-6 1/8
Weight: 309
Pick: First round, 12th overall
SCOUTING REPORT: The Broncos were wowed by Clady’s quickness and agility, ranking him as the No. 2
offensive tackle on the board behind top overall pick Jake Long. Clady played in a spread offense and is more
advanced as a pass blocker than in the run game. An early draft entrant, has extremely long arms and can ride
defensive ends when he gets his mitts on them. Needs to get stronger to handle bull rushes but can pull and trap
effortlessly. Denver thought he would be selected from the five to eight range in Round 1 but instead fell to
them. Should be inserted as the starting left tackle from the start. Tore a pectoral at his combine workout but is
now healed. Initially recruited as a defensive lineman but switched to the offensive side by current CU coach
Dan Hawkins at Boise, the lone major college to pursue him. Started 11 games at right tackle in 2005 before
moving to the left side, starting 26 games over the next two years. A second-team All-American. Ran a 5.18
time in the 40 at 309 pounds. Led nation with 21 touchdown-resulting blocks and had 122 knockdowns in 2007.
HE SAID IT
"It’s hard to get people in the later rounds and expect them to come in and play. Every once in a while you get
lucky . . . but to get a guy like this, who we had as the top tackle after Long, we felt pretty lucky he was there."
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan
© Rocky Mountain News
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Broncos draft a Hawkins recruit
Page 1 of 3
Broncos draft a Hawkins recruit
Left tackle expected to protect Cutler's blind side
Associated Press
Saturday, April 26, 2008
ENGLEWOOD -- Broncos coach Mike Shanahan stepped to the podium and pronounced his newest
draft pick, Boise State's Ryan Clady, as the team's starting left tackle.
No trace of a smirk, grin or wink followed.
Clady now has Jay Cutler's blind side after he was taken with the 12th pick of the NFL draft on
Saturday.
"We're going to put him in there at the left tackle position to start with and we'll see if he can keep it,"
Shanahan said. "He's going to have some competition."
Denver then selected Virginia Tech receiver/returner Eddie Royal at pick No. 42, the team's last
selection on the first day of the draft. The Broncos have seven more picks today.
"We were hoping we'd get these two guys," Shanahan said. "It's never happened that way."
The team figured to be in the market for a left tackle after the retirement of Matt Lepsis. The only other
tackles Denver currently has on its roster are Ryan Harris, Chris Kuper and Erik Pears.
The 6-foot-6, 316-pound Clady just moved to the head of the class.
Not that he's surprised.
"Most of the teams that I came in and visited, most ofthem were like, 'Yeah, the first rounders are
selected to start and be an impact right away,'" Clady said. "That's what I'm expecting to do as well."
Shanahan was fascinated with Clady's footwork, referencing it time after time in describing the lineman.
"I haven't been around a tackle that has that type of feet," Shanahan said. "Here's a guy that's 6-6, 315,
320 pounds and he's got excellent, excellent feet. You don't find that very often."
Clady credits his fancy footwork to years of pickup basketball games around his neighborhood.
"That possibly helped me out," said Clady, who's the highest Boise State player ever taken in the draft.
"When I was there for the visit, Shanahan asked me that and I was like, 'I don't really know.' It's just
natural."
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/26/pro-football-broncos-draft-a-hawkins-recr... 4/27/2008
Broncos draft a Hawkins recruit
Page 2 of 3
Clady was recruited to Boise State as an unheralded defensive lineman out of Eisenhower High School
in Rialto, Calif. Dan Hawkins, then the coach at Boise State, decided to switch him over to the offensive
line -- because of his great footwork.
"He was that way from Day 1. He really was," said Hawkins, who's now head coach at Colorado. "That
was just part of his DNA. He fit in great with our o-line mentality."
The fact the Boise State Broncos ran a zone-blocking scheme could help Clady as he makes the
transition to the pros.
"It's the same type of system," he said. "I am on the fast track for learning and getting on the field a little
faster because I know the system."
Shanahan said it didn't take the team long to submit Clady's name once Denver was on the clock. Clady
was viewed as one of the top tackles in the draft, along with Jake Long who was taken by the Miami
Dolphins with the top overall pick.
"To get a guy like this, who we had as the top tackle after Long, we felt pretty lucky for him to be
there," Shanahan said.
The Broncos like Royal more for his special teams prowess, hoping he's their version of Bears returner
extraordinaire Devin Hester. Royal averaged 14.7 yards on punt returns last season, returning two punts
for touchdowns.
"Every time he touches the ball he thinks he's got the ability to make a big play and score," Shanahan
said.
Denver was in the market for a returner to help revamp its special teams. The team ranked in the middle
of the pack in punt returns last season.
"I definitely feel I can come in and make plays on the special teams and have teams scared to kick the
ball to us," Royal said. "I definitely look forward to doing that and making an impact right away."
Shanahan said if Royal would've had more passes thrown his way at Virginia Tech, he could've gone
earlier in the draft. Royal caught 33 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns last season.
"I thought he was the best wide receiver versus bump coverage that came out," Shanahan said. "I'm
excited to get him."
Shanahan gushed about Clady as well.
"We felt fortunate he was there," he said. "We think he's an excellent athlete that will fit into our scheme
extremely well."
Clady ran the 40-yard dash in 5.28 seconds in campus agility tests and benched 355 pounds.
But he scored low on the Wonderlic exam, a test used to gauge aptitude for learning and problem
solving ability.
He chalked it up to a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered just before the test.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/26/pro-football-broncos-draft-a-hawkins-recr... 4/27/2008
Broncos draft a Hawkins recruit
Page 3 of 3
"I was really frustrated about that," said Clady, who's fully healed from the injury. "I was thinking, 'Am
I going to be able to work out tomorrow?' A lot of stuff was running through my head so I'm a little
disappointed in the score, but I know I can learn a system."
Clady's confident he can come in and contribute, just like Joe Thomas did for the Cleveland Browns last
season. Thomas was taken with the No. 3 pick in last year's draft, and made the Pro Bowl squad.
"The Browns turned around tremendously with him at left tackle, and I plan on doing the same with the
Broncos," Clady said.
© 2006 Daily Camera and Boulder Publishing, LLC.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/26/pro-football-broncos-draft-a-hawkins-recr... 4/27/2008
TimesCall.com - Clady Broncos' first-round pick
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Longmont, Colorado
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Publish Date: 4/26/2008
Clady Broncos' first-round pick
By Brian Howell
Longmont Times-Call
ENGLEWOOD — The Denver Broncos addressed their biggest need in the first round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.
Denver selected Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady with the No. 12 overall pick. In a draft full of standout tackles, the
Broncos have their choice of virtually all of them. Michigan's Jake Long — taken No. 1 overall by Miami — was the only
tackle selected before Clady.
"We felt very fortunate he was there," Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said. "To get a guy like this, who we had as a top
tackle after Long, as I said, pretty lucky for him to be there."
Clady had been on the Broncos' radar for weeks leading up to the draft.
"Yeah, I knew the Broncos were real interested," he said. "I thought it was a good fit. I knew they were real interested in me and
that they really wanted to get me, so I wasn't surprised when they called."
The 6-foot-5 1/2, 317-pounder could start right away for the Broncos at left tackle. And, Clady believes playing in a similar
scheme in college will help.
"It's a hard position to play, and it's a lot of pressure on you," he said. "But, I'm ready and willing to step up to the challenge."
In the second round, with the 42nd overall selection, the Broncos drafted Eddie Royal, a wide receiver from Virginia Tech. The
5-foot-10, 182-pounder can also return kicks.
Here's how the first round has gone to this point:
1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long, OT, Michigan
2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long, DE, Virginia
3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs - Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
7. New Orleans Saints (1) - Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (2) - Derrick Harvey, Florida
http://www.timescall.com/print.asp?ID=8255
4/27/2008
TimesCall.com - Clady Broncos' first-round pick
Page 2 of 3
9. Cincinnati Bengals - Keith Rivers, LB, USC
10. New England Patriots (1) - Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
11. Buffalo Bills - Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
12. Denver Broncos - Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
13. Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
14. Chicago Bears - Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
15. Kansas City Chiefs (3) - Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
16. Arizona Cardinals - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St.
17. Detroit Lions (3) - Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
18. Baltimore Ravens (4) - Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
19. Carolina Panthers (5) - Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas.
21. Atlanta Falcons - Sam Baker, OT, USC
22. Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
24. Tennessee Titans - Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina
25. Dallas Cowboys - Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
26. Houston Texans - Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
27. San Diego Chargers - Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
28. Seattle Seahawks - Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
29. San Francisco 49ers - Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
30. New York Jets - Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
31. New York Giants - Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
(1) - New Orleans traded its 10th pick and a third-round choice to New England for No. 7 and a fifth-round choice.
(2) - Jacksonville traded the 26th selection, two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick to Baltimore for No. 8 overall.
(3) - Kansas City traded the 17th selection to Detroit for No. 15.
(4) - Baltimore traded the 26th selection to the Houston Texans for No. 18.
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4/27/2008
TimesCall.com - Clady Broncos' first-round pick
Page 3 of 3
(5) - Carolina acquired the 19th selection from Philadelphia for a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a first-round pick
in 2009.
Brian Howell can be reached at [email protected].
http://www.timescall.com/print.asp?ID=8255
4/27/2008
Denver selects Boise State's Clady with the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft | Sports | Idaho Statesm... Page 1 of 1
close
April 27, 2008
Denver selects Boise State's Clady with the
No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft
All Ryan Clady has to change is his address.
Same colors. Same nickname. Same job.
The Denver Broncos on Saturday selected Clady with the 12th pick of the NFL Draft, and coach Mike Shanahan immediately anointed him the
team's starting left tackle.
And Clady, a three-year starter for the Boise State Broncos, didn't flinch.
"Everyone wants to be a Pro Bowler and to win a couple Super Bowls," Clady said. " First-rounders are expected to start and make an impact right
away. That's what I'm expecting to do."
Clady became the first Boise State player drafted in the first round and the highest draft pick in school history. Defensive lineman Markus Koch
was selected 30th, the third pick of the second round, in 1986 by the Redskins.
The Broncos expect Clady to replace 11-year standout Matt Lepsis, who retired after last season. Second-year player Ryan Harris, a third-round
pick out of Notre Dame, will provide competition.
Clady, 21, visited Denver a week ago and will return Sunday for an official introduction to his new city.
"He will start at left offensive tackle the day he comes in," said Shanahan, who is counting on Clady to protect quarterback Jay Cutler's blindside.
The Broncos ranked Clady second among the eight offensive tackles who were selected in the first round, behind only No. 1 pick Jake Long of
Michigan.
Many people - including the Broncos and Boise State coach Chris Petersen - figured Clady would come off the board sooner, but a couple trades
changed the landscape. Kansas City (No. 5) needed help on defense after trading star end Jared Allen and Baltimore (No. 8) moved down.
Still, Clady was the second tackle picked.
"He was predicted to go as high as 5 and the average was 8," Shanahan said. "We really didn't think he was going to be there."
Clady's agent, Pat Dye Jr., told Clady on Saturday morning that he would be taken with the 12th, 13th or 14th pick. The need for tackles was too
great for him to wait any longer than that.
"To be the second tackle drafted in arguably the strongest draft in history at his position is quite a compliment," Dye Jr. said.
Clady spent the day surrounded by family and friends at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, about 70 miles from his hometown of Rialto, Calif. His draft
party drew about 100 people - and each guest received a brochure-like handout with information on Clady's football career and photos of him with
family, including the last photo taken of him with his mother and siblings. His mother, Sharon Clady, died in 2000.
Predictably, the group responded to the Broncos' announcement with an emotional outburst.
"It was pandemonium," said Chandra Clady, Clady's cousin. " We were screaming, hollering, yelling."
The selection was welcome news in Boise, too, where Clady was groomed from an overlooked high school defensive lineman into a dominant
offensive tackle.
Clady (6-foot-6, 316 pounds) was lightly recruited out of Eisenhower High. He redshirted with the Broncos in 2004 and emerged as the starting
right tackle in 2005.
He moved to left tackle in 2006 and was named the school's first consensus Division I-A All-American in 2007. The junior declared himself eligible
for the NFL Draft on Jan. 1.
NFL.com reports that Clady led the nation with 21 "touchdown-resulting blocks" and received a grade of 85.77 percent for blocking consistency.
"I think everybody's very convinced that he's only going to get better," Petersen said. "He's gotten better every year he's been with us."
Petersen will make sure future recruiting targets know about the Broncos' success with Clady, but he figures most will hear about that on their own.
Besides, he doesn't expect the next Clady to step onto the blue turf anytime soon. Usually, players with Clady's size and athletic ability look
elsewhere.
"Ryan is an example of us getting too good of a player," Petersen said.
Clady was so good, Petersen said, that he doesn't think he was truly appreciated during his time with the Broncos. It didn't help that he played a
position without any publicized stats, he didn't say much and he and the rest of the offensive linemen were off-limits to the media most of last
season.
"He has flown under the radar in high school and with us," Petersen said. " Today is really giving him his just due in terms of how special he really
is."
Sports columnist Brian Murphy contributed to this report.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/v-print/story/363441.html
4/27/2008
Murphy: Denver the perfect place for Clady's NFL start | Sports | Idaho Statesman
Page 1 of 1
close
April 27, 2008
Murphy: Denver the perfect place for Clady's
NFL start
I don't know if Ryan Clady is going to be an All-Pro offensive lineman worthy of being the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft, the type who quietly plays
for 12 seasons and ends up with a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Or if he'll simply end up a bust.
And, for that matter, nor do the talking heads and draft-graders who populate television and the Internet this time of year.
But I know that Clady could not have landed in a better spot for the All-Pro scenario to unfold than he did when the Denver Broncos selected him
Saturday afternoon.
The consensus from Clady, from Denver, from Boise, from his agent: A perfect fit.
"I'm tickled to death that it's worked out," said Pat Dye Jr., Clady's agent. "It's rare that it happens this way."
And fortuitous for Clady.
Comfort is important to the 21-year-old, whose former Boise State teammates can talk for days about his quiet demeanor and how it took years
before they heard him utter more than a few words.
They'll also tell you that Clady is a stranger now - having grown comfortable and accepted in his surroundings.
Moving to New York City or Jacksonville or Charlotte would have felt foreign to a shy kid from California. Denver feels like home, a short flight from
Boise and Los Angeles. He'll play twice a year - in San Diego and Oakland - in front of family and friends who are spread throughout California.
Denver was the place Clady wanted to play the most, a fit for him on and off the field. Unlike most potential draftees, he didn't shy away from
saying so in the weeks leading up to the draft.
And it is the place most thought he'd end up before the mock drafts took over and placed him everywhere from New England to Kansas City,
Chicago to Charlotte.
"I was very comfortable," Clady said of his visit to Denver. "It felt real cool. I remember feeling real comfortable around the coaches."
"Like a big Boise," is how the still-a-Bronco described his new city from a euphoric draft party at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport. "Real clean."
In addition to the litter-free streets and downtown mountain views, Clady should find his job description much the same as it has been for the past
two years.
Protect the blind side of the quarterback. Use his athleticism to clear the way for running backs.
The Broncos, the NFL version, use similar zone-blocking principles as the Broncos, the college version.
"It is the same type of system and I have been in the system for four years. I have gotten to know it well," he said.
Denver wants its offensive linemen to be able to move - quickly. The running game is tailored for smaller, quicker linemen who use their mobility,
as much as anything else, to create holes for backs. The passing game has a lot of rollouts and bootlegs, on which offensive linemen must be able
to get out in front, too.
It's hard to consider a 6-foot-6, 316-pound man small, but by NFL offensive line standards Clady is light.
Denver could have taken a 335-pound mauler with their pick. That's not what the Broncos wanted.
In fact, it was Clady's nimble feet that attracted the attention of Mike Shanahan.
"The thing that impresses you is his feet. I haven't been around a tackle that has that type of feet," said Shanahan, not typically a fountain of
praise. "He's got excellent, excellent feet."
Fred Astaire, look out.
Shanahan even asked Clady where he got such light feet during a visit last week.
"I guess it's just natural for me," he answered.
Good enough.
They are why Clady, who could stand to add some pounds to his backside and his bench press, emerged as the second-best offensive tackle in a
draft loaded with them.
They are why Shanahan installed his rookie as the starter at left tackle Saturday, entrusting Clady to replace the retired Matt Lepsis as the
guardian of quarterback Jay Cutler's backside.
They are why he has a chance to be something special.
"His upside could be tremendous even though he's pretty good right now," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said.
Clady's new Broncos believe in that upside.
I believe in the fit.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/v-print/story/363440.html
4/27/2008
Clady's financial priority:family | Sports | Idaho Statesman
Page 1 of 1
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April 27, 2008
Clady's financial priority:family
NFL Draft pick Ryan Clady will get millions of dollars in
guaranteed money from the Broncos.
Ryan Clady will soon be able to do something he's wanted to do for a long time - take care of his family.
The former Boise State left tackle was selected by the Denver Broncos with the No. 12 pick in Saturday's NFL Draft, assuring Clady of a multimillion dollar contract.
Clady has long talked about wanting to provide for his three younger siblings and his father, Ross. Clady's mother died in 2000.
"That's something I've always wanted to do. I just haven't had the opportunity to. That will be good," Clady said.
His top priority: "Remodel the house that my dad lives in."
Mike Clark, Clady's high school position coach and a close friend of Ryan's, said the home hasn't been altered much since Sharon Clady's death.
The same pictures hang on the walls.
"I don't think a whole lot has changed in there," Clark said.
Ross is a school custodian in Southern California. Ryan's brother, Chris, is a freshman defensive lineman at College of the Desert in Palm Desert,
Calif. Ryan also has two younger sisters who moved in with other family members after their mother's death.
"He's talked about when he gets to the league he's going to take care of us," Chris Clady said. "He's going to give back to my dad for taking care of
him."
It was from that difficult background in Rialto, Calif., that Clady arrived at Boise State.
"Clady was one of those guys who, when he walked on campus, everything he had was on him," said former teammate Daryn Colledge, a secondround pick of Green Bay in 2006 and a mentor to Clady at Boise State.
Those days should be gone.
The last two players drafted at No. 12 - Oregon's Haloti Ngata in 2006 and California's Marshawn Lynch in 2007 - signed contracts that guaranteed
them more than $9 million each. The rookie pay scale rises each year, meaning Clady could be in line for an even bigger deal, possibly something
in the $15 million ($11 million guaranteed) neighborhood.
Players drafted in the first half of the first round are allowed to sign a six-year contract. Players taken in the second half of the round can sign for a
maximum of five years.
Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, the No. 1 pick in the draft, signed a five-year, $57.75 million contract ($30 million guaranteed) with Miami which could set the tone for the rest of the signings. Agents prefer shorter contracts for rookies, so they can get back to the negotiating table
sooner.
"I'll go on record as saying my inclination is to strongly prefer a five-year contract," Clady's Atlanta-based agent, Pat Dye, Jr., said Saturday.
Dye Jr., who also represents offensive tackle Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, who the Bears took at No. 14, said negotiations with the Broncos likely
would begin in mid-July, about two weeks before training camp.
"Our No. 1 priority is to get him a great contract. Second to that is having him in camp on time," Dye Jr. said.
That kind of sudden money could attract problems. About 100 family members and friends showed up for Clady's draft party in Los Angeles to
celebrate his selection. But Clady has leaned on a small circle of confidants, who include Clark and aunt Sonya Kemp, throughout this process.
"His core group that's around him right now, I don't think he'll have any problems with," Clark said. "The only problem comes with the Johnnycome-latelys. I'm sure there will be cousins popping up."
But Clady, who is a quiet, humble man, said he doesn't anticipate being in a big rush with his money. Outside of helping his family, there is nothing
he wants to purchase right away, he said.
"I'll worry about the money down the line," Clady said Saturday after he was picked. "I don't plan on spending any large amount any time soon,
except maybe some property."
He recently repaired his old car - at a time when many would have splurged on something new.
"People take his quietness for a weakness. He's very intelligent," Clark said. "He knows what to expect."
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/v-print/story/363439.html
4/27/2008
Clady riding high with the Broncos - DailyBulletin.com
Clady riding high with
the Broncos
T.J. Berka, Staff Writer
Article Created: 04/26/2008 10:50:30 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES - Boise State Broncos offensive
tackle Ryan Clady was relaxing Saturday
afternoon, sitting in a chair in the Bel Air Room
of the LAX Hilton, peeking occasionally at the
flat-screen television showing the NFL Draft and
checking his cell phone.
The Eisenhower graduate was hoping for a call
from an NFL team telling him that they were
going to select him in the first round.
That call never came to Clady's cell phone.
It went to his aunt's instead.
Sonya Kemp was the first to hear the good news
from Denver Broncos offensive line coach Rick
Dennison and let out a prolonged scream of joy,
yelling at full volume while bounding across the
room to give her cell phone to Clady.
"I wasn't expecting them to call me," said Kemp,
who organized the Clady draft party that was
attended by over 100 family members and
friends. "I was worried that Ryan might not
answer the call, because he only answers his cell
phone 25 percent of the time anyway, but I was
surprised that I got the call.
Page 1 of 3
"I don't even know who called. I just heard
`Denver Broncos' and yelled `Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"'
Three minutes later, at 1:23 p.m., ESPN
announced that the 6-foot-6, 316-pound Clady
became the No. 12 pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.
The Clady throng responded with a huge yell as
Ryan calmly let out a big smile.
"It's a pretty cool feeling," Clady said. "I feel like
there's been a big weight lifted off my shoulders.
It feels great to have this over with and get my
career going."
Clady will get his career going today, as he flies
out to Denver to have his introductory press
conference. But while Clady spent much of his
post-pick time talking to the Broncos' public
relations staff, he did wonder why the Broncos
chose to call his aunt.
"I wasn't expecting that," said Clady with a big
smile on his face.
"I'm not that bad about answering my phone."
Clady was at ease throughout the day, not
showing any signs of nervousness. He arrived a
half-hour after the draft's start and spent most
of the 50 minutes before he was selected
working the room, greeting relatives and friends
and catching up with them.
Even when the Baltimore Ravens, who were
rumored to be interested in Clady with the No. 8
pick, traded down with the Jacksonville Jaguars,
Clady stayed calm.
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Clady riding high with the Broncos - DailyBulletin.com
"I wasn't expecting it, but it wasn't a big deal,"
Clady said.
"Baltimore said they were really interested, but
that's just the way the draft goes. I was more
interested in who Jacksonville would pick
because I had no idea what they were looking
for."
Jacksonville took Florida defensive end Derrick
Harvey, but Clady didn't have to wait much longer
to become the first first-round draft pick in Boise
State history.
It was a day of celebration for the Clady family,
but it was a day that Kemp didn't think would
happen when her nephew was playing at
Eisenhower.
"I didn't think he was that good," Kemp said
jokingly. "I used to tell him in high school that
losing was OK because (Ike) lost a lot.
I was happy that he got a scholarship so he
could get an education. I never saw this coming."
One person who did see it was Mike Clark,
Eisenhower's offensive line coach at the time.
Clark, who still serves in a teaching capacity at
Ike, was at the LAX Hilton Saturday to celebrate
with a player who stood out immediately when
coming out for football the summer before his
sophomore year.
"I knew that Ryan had this in him," Clark said.
"When (former Boise State head coach) Dan
Hawkins came to visit Ryan while he was
Page 2 of 3
recruiting, I told him that in four years he was
going to have an NFL player, that Ryan was going
all the way to the top.
"He has everything you would ever want in a
player. He's big, he's quick and he's smart.
Everything that I taught him in high school he'd
have figured out right away. I just knew that
once he got to college he would dominate."
The tall, formerly lanky Clady - who Clark said
came out for football sophomore year `to lose
weight' - will have a chance to continue
dominating as a Bronco. After three years with
the Boise State Broncos, his family doesn't have
to change who they cheer for. They barely have
to change their favorite color scheme, as Denver
wears blue - albeit a little darker - and orange
just like Boise State.
And with Denver being in the same division with
San Diego and Oakland, the Clady family gets to
see Ryan play twice a year without leaving the
state.
"I very happy with Denver," said Ross Clady,
Ryan's father. "It's a great franchise with a lot of
history and they play close enough for the family
to go out and see him.
"It was a great day today. It was basically a
family reunion and a celebration. Typically when
you hear about things in a family, its something
bad, like someone's car getting impounded. It's
great to have something like this happen for this
family."
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The Clady family celebrated in style, with a
gourmet spread, two separate cakes and an ice
sculpture in the shape of the Lombardi Trophy
that said `Congrats, Ryan'. There was also a
celebratory banner that each family member and
friend signed after Clady was drafted.
Clady enjoyed the lengths that his family went
to celebrate his big day and certainly was happy
with his new employer. But when asked about
how he'd spend the rest of his afternoon, Clady
had one real desire.
"Man, I think I'm going to take a nap," Clady
said. "This feels awesome right now, but I'm
tired."
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Rialto's Clady a Bronco in the pros, too | Sports | PE.com | Southern California News | News for I... Page 1 of 2
Rialto's Clady a Bronco in the pros, too
NFL DRAFT: The Rialto Eisenhower grad and Boise State star is selected 12th by Denver.
Download story podcast
12:24 AM PDT on Sunday, April 27, 2008
By JEFF EISENBERG
The Press-Enterprise
LOS ANGELES - An ice sculpture in the shape of the Lombardi Trophy adorned one table. Multicolored
streamers and balloons with team logos decorated the rest of the room. Guests clad in commemorative T-shirts
stuffed themselves with fried chicken and huddled around four flat-screen TVs scattered throughout the room.
Yup, really only one thing was missing from Ryan Clady's NFL draft party: the guest of honor himself.
About 30 minutes after Commissioner Roger Goodell christened the start of this year's draft Saturday afternoon,
Clady strolled into his party fashionably late, shaking hands and posing for pictures with dozens of friends and
family members. The former Rialto Eisenhower lineman barely had time to take his seat before the Denver
Broncos called to say they were selecting him with the 12th pick in the first round.
Story continues below
Carrie Rosema / The Press-Enterprise
Tackle Ryan Clady (center, on phone), with his dad, Ross
(left), learns the Denver Broncos are selecting him in the first
round.
http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_clady_27.426f5ef.html
4/27/2008
Rialto's Clady a Bronco in the pros, too | Sports | PE.com | Southern California News | News for I... Page 2 of 2
"It's a weight off my shoulders," Clady said. "Every football player's dream is to play in the NFL, but I'm more
of a realistic person. It wasn't a realistic goal for me for a while, so to achieve this now is pretty special."
Touted as one of the top offensive tackles in the draft because of his deft footwork and mammoth 6-foot-6, 310pound frame, Clady spent the past few weeks jet-setting across the country conducting workouts for about half
the teams in the league. Most draftniks projected Clady as a top-15 pick, so the former Boise State star's guests
piled into a banquet room at a Los Angeles hotel by noon Saturday to be sure they didn't miss hearing his name
called.
At about 1:30 p.m., Clady's aunt Sonya Kemp felt her phone buzz in her pocket. When the caller identified
himself as a member of the Denver Broncos organization, she let out a piercing shriek and made a beeline for
Clady, navigating her way through the partygoers while clutching the phone above her head.
"I had asked for the call to come to me because I was worried he might be so busy mingling he wouldn't pay
attention," Kemp said. "I answered, and they're like, 'This is so-and-so from the Denver Broncos.' I was so
excited I didn't know what to do."
While Clady allowed himself to crack a slight smile as the Broncos' pick was announced, the rest of the room
erupted in delight. Kemp poured champagne, and other guests unveiled a banner congratulating Clady, while
one of his closest friends marveled, "I know someone that's pick No. 12 in the NFL draft."
Few first-round picks took a more improbable path to the NFL than Clady, who started playing football his
sophomore year at Eisenhower as a way to shed only excess pounds. The lightly recruited defensive lineman
didn't make varsity until his junior year, landing only a handful of scholarship offers from the likes of Texas-El
Paso, Boise State and Fresno State.
Former Eisenhower assistant coach Mike Clark recalls then-Boise State coach Dan Hawkins asking about Clady
during the recruiting process.
"I have all the respect for your program," Clark told him. "But in four years, people are going to say, 'How did
that school get this guy?' "
The NFL became a more realistic possibility for Clady after Boise State switched him to offensive line. He
started at right tackle as a redshirt freshman and at left tackle the past two years, helping Boise State reach three
consecutive bowl games and becoming the school's only first-round draft pick.
Clady won't have to change his wardrobe much in the NFL: He's still a Bronco and he's still wearing orange and
blue. He'll also be in a similar blocking system to the one he played in at Boise State.
"I tell everybody, I never anticipated him going to the NFL," his father, Ross Clady, said. "His primary goal
was to stay healthy and get an education. This is gravy. This is icing on the cake."
Reach Jeff Eisenberg at 951-368-9357 or [email protected]
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4/27/2008
DenverBroncos.com -- Official Web Site of the Denver Broncos
Page 1 of 1
Printed from www.denverbroncos.com
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Still a Bronco
By Kyle Sonneman
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- A few weeks before the draft, Ryan Clady
said to friends that he hoped to remain a Bronco.
That hope became a reality on Saturday afternoon, when the former
Boise State tackle was selected by the Denver Broncos with the
12th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.
DISCUSS THE SELECTION ON THE BRONCOS COUNTRY
MESSAGE BOARDS
"I don't think we really surprised anyone by taking an offensive
tackle," Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. "We had Ryan Clady in
here for a couple of days, and were really impressed with him as a
person. Obviously a left tackle that we think will fit into our scheme
very well and we felt very fortunate that he was there."
Among those not surprised? Clady himself.
Broncos TV's draft profile of Ryan Clady.
BRONCOS TV
"I knew the Broncos were interested in picking me up," Clady said. "I thought there was a good chance, and I wasn’t all that surprised when
they called."
Clady arrived in Boise as an unheralded defensive lineman. But after being redshirted his first year Clady moved to the offensive side of the
ball, playing right tackle as a freshman and moving to the left side as a sophomore.
At left tackle he excelled, starting his final 26 college games. In 2007 Clady finished the year with 122 knockdowns, leading the nation's
blockers with 21 touchdown-resulting blocks.
That, along with Clady's experience in a similar style of offense, means he will contribute immediately.
"He will start at left offensive tackle the day he comes in," Shanahan said.
"I haven’t been around a tackle that has that type of feet. He's got the longest arms in the draft. Here is a guy that is 6'6", 315-320 pounds.
He's got excellent, excellent feet and you don’t find that very often. That's why he was predicted to go as high as [No.] 5 and the average
was [No.] 8. We really didn’t think he was going to be there."
Clady was the second tackle taken in the draft after the Miami Dolphins took Michigan tackle Jake Long with the first overall selection. He is
the seventh consecutive lineman the Broncos have drafted dating back to Chris Kuper in 2006.
Want to ask Ryan Clady a question? Fill out the form below and we'll choose the best ones for a Broncos TV Q&A session.
MORE ON CLADY:
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Transcripts: Shanahan | Clady
Clady Conference Call
Shanahan Press Conference: Audio | Video
University of Colorado Head Coach Dan Hawkins Audio
NFL Network: Clady
Draft Day 1 Photos
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Clady set to become Boise State's first ever first-round pick
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Apr. 18 2008
Lightly recruited out of Eisenhower High in Rialto, Calif., Ryan Clady had
offers from Boise State, Idaho State, San Diego State and Texas-El Paso —
hardly a murderer's row of college football powers.
But Boise State has been on the rise lately. (Just ask the Oklahoma Sooners.)
And so has Clady. As a freshman in 2004, he spent the year as a defensive
lineman on the scout team. Three seasons and 37 starts later at offensive
tackle, Clady is poised to become a first-round draft pick.
"That's something that doesn't come around too often at Boise," Clady said.
Actually, it never has come around. Unless he robs a bank in the next week,
Clady will become the first first-round draft pick in school history. Generally
considered the second-best offensive lineman in this year's draft pool, Clady
might even slip into the top 10 picks.
Even Clady admits it's all a little mind-boggling.
"I just try to stay humble and thank the Lord for the situation I'm in," he
said. "I love playing the role of the underdog, coming to Boise State, being
really young, and working my butt off to try to get where I am now."
Clady has been busy this offseason. He worked with former Kansas City Chiefs
great Will Shields for about a week, and then worked with Jackie Slater in Los
Angeles.
In particular, Clady said Slater helped with his pass blocking.
"I played against his son in high school," Clady recalled. "He came to one of
my games. I kinda didn't know who he was, but it was exciting to know he played
in the NFL."
Slater did more than play in the NFL; the Hall-of-Fame tackle played his entire
career with the Rams. The last of his 20 pro seasons came in 1995, the Rams'
first season in St. Louis.
Clady's not shy in talking about his talents. Never mind Michigan's Jake Long,
Clady thinks he's the best tackle in the draft. Why?
"My pass-blocking abilities and my feet," Clady said. "I think I have good
feet, and I think I can excel at the next level."
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Tackling the NFL draft - DailyBulletin.com
Tackling the NFL draft
Eisenhower's Clady could be selected in the
Top 10 today
T.J. Berka, Staff Writer
Article Created: 04/25/2008 09:59:36 PM PDT
Boise State left tackle Ryan Clady has done his
best to keep up with Eisenhower High School, his
alma mater. Throughout his successful threeyear career with the Broncos, where his name
dotted every All-American list possible, the 6foot-6, 316-pound offensive lineman always
kept one eye on Ike.
"It's been a little tough for us lately, but we'll be
back," Clady said. "It's tough with Rialto and
Carter around, but from what I hear, they are
improving and on their way back."
Everything is going extremely well for Clady, a
2004 graduate of Ike.
He is set up to be the school's first NFL firstround draft pick since 1981, when the San
Francisco 49ers selected future Hall of Famer Ron
Lott from USC.
Lott was drafted eighth in 1981, a position that
Clady could match or better today.
According to his agent, Pat Dye Jr., Clady could
be drafted as high as No. 5 by the Kansas City
Chiefs or No. 8 by the Baltimore Ravens. Denver
(No. 12), Carolina (No. 13) and Chicago (No. 14),
Page 1 of 4
were also being floated out there - barring
trades - with the Bears being a worst-case
scenario.
Not a bad situation for a guy who was a lightly
recruited defensive tackle out of Ike four years
ago.
"I feel confident that Ryan is going to go very
high," Dye said. "He's probably the most athletic
offensive tackle out there, even compared to (No.
1 pick) Jake Long. Some guys are speed guys with
good feet and other guys are power guys. Ryan
can do both and I think he's one of the best
athletes in this draft."
Clady, along with USC defensive tackle Sedrick
Ellis - a Chino graduate - look to be the first
players from the Inland Empire to be drafted in
the first round since Miller graduate Nick
Barnett, an Oregon State linebacker who the
Green Bay Packers chose with the No. 29 pick in
2003. Clady is also set to become the first firstround draft pick in Boise State history.
Being mentioned in the rarified air with those
names is something that Clady is slowly getting
used to.
"It's definitely an honor," Clady said. "There have
been some great players that have come through
the area and to be mentioned with them is
something that I'm proud of. I'm a little nervous
because I have no idea what city I'm going to live
in, but I'm excited."
One thing that wasn't exciting at first for Clady
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was the interviewing process. While he was
generally regarded as a courteous and goodmannered player at Boise State, he wasn't a guy
that easily opened up to new people.
That characteristic was something that Dye
noticed right after signing Clady as a client. With
player interviews being a key part of every NFL
team's evaluation process during the three
months prior to the draft, Dye knew that he had
to refine his client's public-speaking technique.
"He's not rude at all," Dye said. "He's open and
engaging with people he knows and can be
pretty funny. But it takes him a while to open up
to people and he's pretty quiet when he first
meets you. I told him that when you meet with
teams, you get 15 minutes to sell yourself. To do
that, you have to open up a bit."
That might have been the hardest part of the
process for Clady. Doing 40-yard dashes, benchpressing 225 pounds countless times and
working out with former Los Angeles Rams Hall
of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater was easy
compared to breaking the ice with NFL player
personnel directors.
Add in the travel to various NFL cities akin to a
barnstorming tour - with Clady meeting up with
five different teams in different cities during a
six-day period at one point - and Clady knew
that he had to hone his interview technique.
"I just worked on trying to speak clearly, make
eye contact and give in-depth answers," Clady
said. "It was weird at first, because they'll have
Page 2 of 4
10 different guys in the room with you and they'll
intentionally try to make you uncomfortable to
see how you'll react under pressure.
"I used my first couple of interviews as a
warmup to get comfortable. It wasn`t that bad
because I wasn`t the one who had to spark the
conversation. All I had to do was answer
questions."
The interviewing seminars that Dye held also
helped Clady deal with a potentially-tough issue
- his Wonderlic score. Clady took the 50question multiple-choice test at February's NFL
Combine immediately after injuring his pectoral
muscle during the 225-pound bench-pressing
session and did poorly on it, only getting 13 of
the questions correct.
It was one of the worst scores at the combine
and could have been a rare negative on Clady's
glowing resume. But Clady was able to use his
newly-found interviewing prowess to skillfully
explain the circumstances.
"I was pissed off from getting hurt in that
situation and I let it carry over to the test," Clady
said. "It was a mistake but I don't think it's the
end of the world. After talking to a few teams, I
don't think it was an issue at all."
Added Dye: "The combine is a stressful
experience and Ryan was especially stressed
about getting injured. I don't think anyone
dropped him because of that test score. Ryan
explained the circumstances and there hasn't
been any other corroboration with that test
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Page 3 of 4
score. Ryan interviewed well and showed great
scheme recognition in talking to coaches in his
visits. That lessened any concerns."
9. Cincinnati Bengals
The injury is fine now and Clady, along with
several friends and family members, will be
watching today's draft at the LAX Hilton.
11. Buffalo Bills
While he could go anywhere from No.5 to the
middle of the first round, Clady will just be happy
to have the process over and his professional life
under way.
13. Carolina Panthers
10. New Orleans Saints
12. Denver Broncos
14. Chicago Bears
15. Detroit Lions
"I'm just ready for the whole thing to be over,"
Clady said. "It's been a pretty crazy last few
months but I'm excited about being in the NFL."
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Kansas City (from Minn.)
2008 DRAFT ORDER
18. Houston Texans
First Round
19. Philadelphia Eagles
1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. St. Louis Rams
21. Washington Redskins
3. Atlanta Falcons
22. Dallas (from Cleveland)
4. Oakland Raiders
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Kansas City Chiefs
24. Tennessee Titans
6. New York Jets
25. Seattle Seahawks
7. New England (from S.F.)
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Baltimore Ravens
27. San Diego Chargers
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Print - OT Clady proud of 'firsts' for Boise St.
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Last Updated: 6:10 pm | Thursday, April 24, 2008
OT Clady proud of 'firsts' for Boise St.
Could be 1st Bronco taken in 1st round
BY MARK CURNUTTE | [email protected]
A defensive lineman in high school, lightly recruited and now coming out of a school not known for pro prospects, Boise
State offensive tackle Ryan Clady has put himself in position to be a top-15 pick Saturday in the NFL Draft.
With Michigan's Jake Long going to Miami as the No. 1 overall pick, Clady is considered by some scouts the No. 2 offensive
tackle in a talented crop.
• Interactive guide to the NFL Draft
"A little bit. I just try to stay humble and thank the Lord for the situation I'm in, just being blessed," Clady said at the NFL
scouting combine about his improving draft status.
"There's definitely a lot of excitement. The first first-round pick, that's something that doesn't come around too often at
Boise."
Here's a couple of Boise State firsts about Clady: He is the first player from that program to renounce his final season of
college eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, and he is expected to become the first player from the program to be chosen in
the first round.
Clady started 11 of his team's 13 games at right tackle in 2005, after a red-shirt 2004 season. Then he started 26
consecutive Boise State games at left tackle the past two seasons, including the Broncos' 43-42 overtime upset of
Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007, which capped a 13-0 season.
On the winning two-point conversion - the now famous Statue of Liberty play past Clady on the left side - he had a specific
job.
"Pulling around on the left side just to seal-block, making sure they didn't get to the safety," said Clady, who wore No. 79. "I
had to fake like I'm down-blocking a little bit for a couple seconds, then pull around for the seal."
Clady was the first teammate to greet tailback Ian Johnson, who had run untouched into the end zone for the decisive
points. And Clady is not tired of seeing one of the most popular sports highlights in recent memory.
"I get goose bumps every time I see it," he said.
But, he quickly added, he has more to offer than a supporting role in a famous football play and can do more than his
background at a small school - which ran a spread offense - might suggest.
"We were primarily a zone (blocking) team," said Clady, 6 feet 6 and 309 pounds. "I'm kind of like a Denver Broncos-type
offensive lineman. We cut a lot and position block and stuff like that."
Some scouts knock Clady for the level of competition he played on Boise State's schedule.
Still, he said, Clady thinks he is the best tackle in the draft and can play on the right or left side.
"My pass-blocking abilities and my feet, I think I have good feet, and I think I can excel at the next level," he said.
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Clady turned into quite a draft catch
By Alex Marvez
Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 13 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro
Football Writers of America.
Updated: February 21, 2008, 11:25 PM EST
A word of warning to teams considering Ryan Clady with an early pick in April's NFL draft:
Use him as a goal-line receiver at your own risk.
Boise State coaches learned that the hard way in November. To reward Clady for three stellar seasons, the Broncos called
a tackle-eligible play during a 58-14 rout of Idaho. Clady caught the pass for an apparent touchdown, then began an endzone celebration that would have made even Chad Johnson blush.
First, the normally soft-spoken Clady struck a pose that Boise State offensive line coach Scott Huff calls the "left tackle
Heisman." The 6-foot-6, 316-pound Clady and several teammates then did their own version of the Lambeau Leap into the
Bronco Stadium stands.
The scene was so wild that one Boise State player compared Clady to the husky lineman who breaks out wild dance
moves in a Dr. Pepper commercial.
The touchdown was nullified because of a penalty and the Broncos were called for unsportsmanlike conduct because of
Clady's post-score antics. But with the Broncos steamrolling toward a 58-14 blowout, Huff said Clady can be forgiven.
"After that play, that was as loud as I've ever heard our stadium," Huff said Tuesday. "Everyone was fired up. It was
hilarious."
NFL teams are now set to take a serious look at Clady at the scouting combine, which will be held today through Tuesday
in Indianapolis. The first early-entry Boise State junior in the draft, Clady also is set to become the school's inaugural firstround draft choice.
"I felt I accomplished everything I needed to (at Boise State)," Clady said. "I felt I had a great career there. After the
season, I just had to sit down with my family and friends to talk about the situation.
"It is exciting to be the first Boise State player drafted in the first round and the first to leave early. It's crazy. But at the
same time, it's an honor for the school and I'm thankful to be in this situation."
Clady worked himself into such a prestigious spot with standout performances the past two seasons at left tackle — a
position he didn't play before arriving in Boise. Clady was a lightly recruited defensive tackle at Eisenhower High School in
Rialto, Calif. He spent his freshman season with the Broncos at that spot while being redshirted. Clady was converted to
right tackle the following year.
"I think I went under the radar (out of high school)," Clady said. "I thought I was a good defensive lineman, but everyone
recruited me as an o-lineman. Maybe some colleges weren't interested just because I didn't play there in high school and
they didn't think I would pan out. Boise State took a chance on me."
That gamble paid off. Clady received a slew of 2007 postseason honors while playing for an offense that finished fourth in
scoring and 12th overall in NCAA rankings. Although he struggled at times in games against Washington and Hawaii,
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7820516/Clady-turned-into-quite-a-draft-catch?print=true 4/26/2008
Page 2 of 2
Clady notched an 82.2-percent blocking grade for the season.
"When we're reviewing plays on Sunday, we'll say things like, 'Oh my gosh. This is really impressive,'" Huff said of Boise
State's coaching staff. "It becomes even more so over time when you watch all the different things Ryan can do. Whether
he's pushing people out of the way or recovering in pass protection, his athletic ability just sets him apart."
Those skills could make some teams consider choosing Clady ahead of Michigan's Jake Long, who is regarded as the
draft's other blue-chip left tackle. Long may get picked first because he faced a higher level of competition with the
Wolverines than Clady did at Boise State.
Regardless, NFLdraftscout.com analyst Rob Rang said both will both be top 10 selections. Rang said Clady's style
compares favorably to Washington left tackle Chris Samuels, who was voted to his fifth career Pro Bowl last season.
"Jake is the more hyped prospect of the two, but there is simply no comparing the athletic upside," Rang said. "Clady's
quick feet and long arms make him arguably the best pass blocker in this draft. Long lacks Clady's athleticism but is far
and away the more physical player."
A fan of Seattle's future Hall of Fame left tackle Walter Jones, Clady believes he would be well-suited for a team that uses
a zone-blocking scheme. Clady describes himself as a "more athletic lineman who is able to cut and get into space."
Clady, though, is working to gain the strength needed to become a better in-line run blocker. The bench press has become
a major area of emphasis during pre-draft workouts. Clady said he can now perform 28 repetitions with 230 pounds after
being limited to 20 reps at 225 when he began training.
Clady also said he plans to perform in every combine drill, which will earn him brownie points among NFL clubs compared
to other top prospects who are more selective.
"That's the best approach for the combine," Clady said. "Otherwise, there's really no reason to go."
Wherever he goes in the draft, Clady says he will be satisfied. He will have the financial means to help support his father, a
custodian who raised four children after Clady's mother died while he was in the eighth grade.
"I'm just grateful to be in this situation," Clady said. "There's no certain team I hope to go to and what not. I'm not going to
get messed up in this process. I really feel I'm blessed."
That alone is reason to celebrate.
Alex Marvez interviewed Clady while hosting Tuesday on Sirius NFL Radio (Channel 124). Alex and Vic Carucci will
appear from noon to 3 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday on Sirius.
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Big day nears for Rialto's Ryan Clady | San Bernardino Area | PE.com | Southern Californ... Page 1 of 5
Big day nears for Rialto's Ryan Clady
Rialto tackle is set to become first Boise State player taken in first round
Download story podcast
12:47 PM PDT on Friday, April 25, 2008
By MATT HURST
The Press-Enterprise
Video: Previewing the 2008 NFL draft
Graphic: Mock NFL Draft
In this entire process, Saturday may actually be the simplest day for Ryan Clady. No workouts. No
scouts surrounding him. Only one flight to catch. Just one phone call to answer.
He'll be stationed, among about 100 friends and family, at the LAX Hilton, watching the NFL draft,
guessing when his name will be called, where he'll be headed.
All he has to do is show up. It may seem entirely too easy for the Rialto native, given everything he
went through to get to this point.
Story continues below
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Big day nears for Rialto's Ryan Clady | San Bernardino Area | PE.com | Southern Californ... Page 2 of 5
AP photo
Boise State's Ryan Clady (left) went from being a lightly
recruited defensive lineman to one of the nation's best
offensive tackles.
"It's been a long process," he said.
Asked if finally getting to Saturday is a relief, he said, "Definitely."
Consider that Clady, set to become the first Boise State player drafted in the first round, has been jetsetting more frequently than celebrities.
"I didn't know about the trips, how much flying it is," said Clady, who graduated from Rialto
Eisenhower High in 2004. "That was a little grueling."
The past month has been a little more complicated than reading mock drafts online -- of which he said
he saw only "one or two" -- planning a draft party and working out at Athletes' Performance at Home
Depot Center.
"Two weeks of going from every part of the U. S. imaginable," said his aunt Sonya Kemp of how Clady
has been spending his time.
The Denver Broncos met with Clady last weekend, the last team to do so. Which probably came as a
relief to the big man. Imagine being a 6-foot-6, 310-pounder sitting in the middle seat of an airplane.
"Poor guy," Clady's agent, Pat Dye Jr., said. "He's so big, and I don't think teams were flying him first
class."
In all, Clady met with eight teams and can fit the needs of 13 of the top 20 teams, according to his agent.
"In my conversations with teams, and it may not be reflected on draft day, some feel he's the best natural
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left tackle in the draft," Dye said. "Most will tell you Jake Long is more NFL-ready, as far as ability, but
a lot of people feel Ryan has the most upside of any offensive tackle."
All of this is so remarkable considering where Clady was even four years ago.
As a lightly recruited defensive lineman, Clady went to Boise State, where he turned into one of the best
offensive tackles in the nation. After finishing his junior season with 122 knockdowns and springing 21
touchdown-resulting blocks, first among the nation's linemen, Clady is viewed as someone who can
anchor a line for the next decade.
"I'm happy for him. He's really worked hard," his father, Ross Clady, said. "It's totally unexpected. I was
just hoping he'd make the team and get an education.
"He went up there a big, ol' pudgy kid with baby fat on him, and they molded him into an NFL player."
Clady has been an offensive lineman for only three years, a left tackle for two. But many say he will be
the second offensive tackle chosen, which could put him anywhere from second to 20th. Clady flew out
to meet with Atlanta (choosing third), Kansas City (fifth and 17th), the New York Jets (sixth), Baltimore
(eighth), Denver (12th), Detroit (15th), Houston (18th) and Philadelphia (19th).
Clady also met extensively with Carolina (13th) and Chicago (14th) after working out at Boise State's
pro day.
Where Clady will end up, though, is anyone's guess. That's how ever-changing and capricious draft
boards are, and can be. A lot of it depends on who is picked in front of Clady, trade proposals and a
team's more pressing needs.
Of course, no prospect is ever given a perfect score. Reading through the various draft profiles, many
say that Clady's biggest issue is that he lacks lower body strength.
Off the field, Clady didn't fare so well, either. He scored the lowest of any prospect on the Wonderlic, a
12-minute, 50-question test given by the NFL to measure a player's intelligence. A score of 20 is an
indication of average intelligence, and teams prefer offensive linemen to score a 26. Clady scored 13.
That, like the negatives in his blocking profile, hardly seems to be scaring teams.
"Does he have some technique deficiencies? Yeah," said NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock.
"Sometimes he just reaches and grabs instead of using the great feet he has. The reason teams like him is
because he's a dancing ballerina and that's what teams need at the next level."
One thing is certain, however: Clady will be a first-round selection. And, perhaps, a top-five pick.
He's already enjoying some of the perks of being a sure-fire NFL selection. Upon filming a commercial
for a Boise-area car dealership, he was given a 2006 BMW 7-series (price tag: about $80,000); he will
sign an endorsement deal soon, for about $300,000, his father said, for wearing Under Armor or
something similar.
"This is just the beginning," Ross Clady said.
The beginning of a different life, that's for sure.
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Based on last year's draft, Clady could nab a $50 million contract. The second offensive lineman chosen
last season -- Levi Brown, by Arizona with the fifth pick -- signed a six-year, $62 million deal, of which
about $18 million is guaranteed. The No. 12 pick last season, Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn
Lynch, signed a five-year contract worth close to $19 million with more than $10 million guaranteed.
Whatever city Clady winds up in, his father doesn't want to leave Rialto. With a son, who's a defensive
end at College of the Desert, and two daughters to raise, Ross will remain working as a custodian for the
Fontana School District.
"I like my job," he said, but wisely threw out an addendum: "If he gives me a little change, I guess I'll
kick back a little while.
"As long as he takes care of his brother and sisters and my sister-in-law, I'll be happy."
Reach Matt Hurst at [email protected]
WHERE WILL RYAN GO?
Everyone has an opinion on where Ryan Clady may end up.
SOURCE
Todd McShay, Scouts, Inc.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
Vic Carucci, NFL.com
Pat Kirwan, NFL.com
Don Banks, SI.com
Dave Goldberg, AP
Steve Silverman, nbcsports.com
Pete Prisco, cbssports.com
Clark Judge, cbssports.com
The Sports XChange
Jim Corbett, USA Today
Larry Weisman, USA Today
Derek Harper, nfldraftscout.com
Rob Lang, nfldraftscout.com
sportingnews.com
nfldraftcountdown.com
rivals.com
PICK
9
13
8
12
8
12
9
12
12
12
5
7
5
8
4
12
12
TEAM
Cincinnati
Carolina
Baltimore
Denver
Baltimore
Denver
Cincinnati
Denver
Denver
Denver
Kansas City
New England
Kansas City
Baltimore
Oakland
Denver
Denver
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT RYAN CLADY
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"Like a lot of young offensive linemen, Clady needs to get stronger and sharpen his technique.
However, he clearly has the frame, quickness, agility and work ethic to quickly develop into a quality
starter at left tackle in the NFL." - Scouts Inc.
"An excellent left-tackle prospect with athletic ability and solid technique that will make him a great
blindside protector in the NFL." - Mel Kiper, ESPN
"Clady has very good ease of movement coming out of his stance to get into defender quickly. He has
the long reach and good hand placement to lock on and sustain. He is an effective trap blocker and
does a nice job of either grabbing or stunning with his hands. He needs to add lower-body bulk and
strength, as he might struggle some with in-line drive blocks at the next level. With his versatility, he
might be a better fit on the right side until his frame develops." - NFLDraftScout.com
"Clady is an exceptional football player with abundant upside potential. He will be a productive
starting tackle in the NFL if his priorities are in order and he commits himself to the game." - SI.com
"Clady became such a polished blocker that he decided to skip his senior season to turn pro. He is
viewed as the best pass protector in this draft, a natural left tackle. He projects as a top-10 pick." - Rick
Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
"The reason everyone is so high on him is because he's a superior athlete and that's what everyone
looks for from a left tackle. When you get a guy with great feet who is 6-6 and 300-plus pounds who
has got such good feet, teams feel like they can teach him. He's got the potential to play Pro Bowl
tackle. The different positions (he played in college) are actually an attraction about him. He's already
played this (high) level, think what can happen when we get a hold of him." - Mike Mayock, NFL
Network
"He has great game strength. Ryan may not test out at the top of the lists when it comes to weightlifting, but on the field he plays very strong. He's a very smart player. Ryan works hard in the film
room and getting mentally ready for the game." -- Chris Petersen, Boise State coach
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December 16, 2007
Clady on the clock
The clock is ticking on the biggest decision of Ryan Clady's life. Within the next month, Clady must decide whether to return for his senior
season as Boise State's left tackle or tackle a new challenge, the NFL, a land of riches and uncertainty.
Everyone has an opinion.
But the person whose opinion matters the most has been completely silent on the issue in public. If the junior, who could become the
Broncos' first-ever first-round draft pick, is leaning one way or the other, then he hasn't let on to those close to him.
Clady, as well as the rest of Boise State's offensive linemen, have declined interview requests for much of the season. Getting a read on
Clady's thinking is difficult, but in talking with coaches, teammates, scouts and family members, it's clear that his decision will be difficult.
Will the Broncos' Hawaii Bowl game against East Carolina on Dec. 23 in Honolulu be Clady's last college game? The deadline for
underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Jan. 15.
"As long as he keeps surrounding himself with good people and he makes an educated decision, we'll be happy for him. But we've told
him many times, 'Hey, we want you back. We do. But we want what's best for you,' " said Boise State tight ends coach Chris Strausser,
who used to coach the offensive line and who Clady credits with developing him.
Clady, a 6-foot-6, 317-pounder, submitted paperwork to the NFL College Advisory Committee, which is made up of NFL general
managers and personnel directors. The committee gives draft-eligible underclassmen a projected draft round. The grade is a projection,
not a guarantee.
Even with a first-round grade by the NFL, which Clady is expected to get, the difference between early-round and late-round money can
be substantial. The 10th overall pick last season was guaranteed $12.8 million. The 30th overall pick was guaranteed $5.4 million.
NFL franchises covet talented left tackles because they protect the blind side of right-handed quarterbacks. The top two tackles in April's
draft - Joe Thomas, third overall, and Levi Brown, fifth - signed contracts worth up to $42.5 million ($23 million guaranteed) and $62
million ($18.1 million guaranteed), respectively.
"They can't say what pick you're going to be. Nobody knows that. Wait 'til they start picking him apart and come look and find all the
negatives, like they do with every draftee. And that's the problem," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "When they get serious about
a guy's stock, usually it goes down rather than up."
'IN THE TOP 20, AT WORST'
Still, Clady is highly regarded in NFL circles and has been for a while. He spoke with prospective agents during the summer, in
accordance with NCAA rules, and got a gauge of his worth.
In several online mock drafts, Clady falls between No. 8 and No. 12 in the first round. One scout said Clady would be "in the top 20, at
worst."
"He plays the game in slow-motion. It's very easy for him. ... He's so big and light on his feet, he'll put his hand out on someone and block
them," the scout said. "He has agility and can move and pull. He has everything you want in a left tackle."
ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper predicted Clady would be one of the top five tackles taken in the draft. "He has good footwork, solid balance in
pass protection and all the skills to be a left tackle in the NFL," Kiper wrote on ESPN.com.
The usually reserved Clady, not surprisingly, hasn't made the decision a talking point with teammates.
"ESPN says more about it than he does," running back Ian Johnson said.
Besides occasionally rattling off Clady's latest mock draft position, his teammates have left him alone on this important decision.
"Any of us yapping at him or giving him our two cents, unless he asks for it, is unnecessary. That's his decision," Johnson said. "I
wouldn't want anyone bothering me or trying to add into my confusion, because it's a confusing situation. None of us have experience in
that area enough to say, 'Hey, this is what you should do or this is what you shouldn't do.' "
It's new territory for Clady, who wasn't heavily recruited out of Eisenhower High in Rialto, Calif. A defensive linemen in high school, Clady
arrived on campus in 2004 as a great unknown, a physical specimen who had little and said less.
In early offensive line drills, Clady was just happy to battle Daryn Colledge, a second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2006, to a
stalemate. But after a redshirt season, Clady showed that the Broncos had unearthed a gem. He was named to freshmen All-America
teams by numerous publications.
"You say guys are raw just because that's what you say when guys are freshmen. But he really wasn't that raw. He's one of those guys
that got it, both fundamentally and mentally," Strausser said. "We all figured out pretty quickly that he was going to be a pretty good
player for us, but I don't think anybody realized he'd be the dominant player that he is."
A PASSION TO WIN
Boise State defensive end Nick Schlekeway has been lining up opposite Clady for much of their four years in the program. He said
Clady's footwork, hands and athleticism are exceptional, but it's his demeanor that makes him so difficult to beat.
"If he does something wrong, it doesn't affect him. He bounces right back. He plays every down as hard as he can. He doesn't get in
trouble mentally," Schlekeway said.
Clady's even-keeled temperament, a positive to some, can give the impression that he doesn't have the mean streak necessary to
dominate at the NFL level.
But Clady has a passion to win, one that fuels him.
Clady's father, Ross Clady, said playing on a losing team in high school "really bugged him." After Oklahoma returned an interception for
a touchdown late in last year's Fiesta Bowl, Clady - who had an outside shot at making a tackle - took off his helmet and slammed it into
the ground in disgust, a rare burst of outward emotion on the field.
"You don't really have to get on him or fire him up. He knows what he's doing," quarterback Taylor Tharp said.
Clady earned several All-America honors this season and his second consecutive All-WAC first-team selection. Boise State ranked fifth
in the country in scoring and ninth in total offense, numbers that Clady helped make possible.
But, as with any offensive lineman, it's easier to remember his mistakes. Clady was called for several penalties against Washington and
was beaten a few times against Fresno State and Hawaii. Late in the Hawaii game, during the Broncos' last best chance to get back into
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the game, Clady was beaten on fourth down and Tharp was sacked.
Those are the snaps NFL scouts and general managers will dissect, as Petersen said. But it's not enough to send his draft status
plummeting.
"He has an idea what the number is going to be - it's not going to shift a whole lot," said Strausser, who has given Clady several reasons
to stay in school:
Friends. Shy public persona aside, many talk about a fun-loving, often-laughing teammate who has been embraced. His aunt, Chandra
Clady, said her nephew has been amazed by his acceptance in Boise.
An opportunity to win the Outland Trophy, given annually to college football's top lineman.
A last chance to play college football.
COMPLICATED DECISION
On the other hand, we're talking about some pretty serious money and the NFL dream. "A little different pot of gold at the end," said
Strausser, who believes that money won't be the deciding factor for Clady.
It will, however, be a factor.
Clady did discuss the NFL and his potential decision earlier this year in extensive interviews for the book "Blue Magic."
He spoke of taking care of his three younger siblings. Clady's father works as a custodian, just one of the many jobs he's held throughout
Ryan's life.
Ryan's mother died unexpectedly when he was in eighth grade, leaving a huge void in his life. Clady and his father are extremely close.
"That'd be nice, having a little more luxury that we didn't have when we were growing up," Clady said earlier this year. "I've definitely got
to do what's best for me.
Ross Clady said last year that he wanted his son to finish his college education before moving on to the NFL.
"I want him to stay there and get his education. The NFL is not a long-term program. His mama would have wanted that, too," Clady's
father said. "The NFL is basically 'Not For Long.' "
But Ross added that his son is now a man and he would support his decision.
"If he wants to leave ... that's fine," Ross Clady said. "I'd like for him to stay there and finish up."
So, too, would most of Bronco Nation.
"He's got it all. He fits the (NFL) mold and that's the first thing they're looking for. He's very football smart," Petersen said. "But I'm hoping
he'll hang around here for another year. He'll have some tough decisions he has to make."
Echoed Strausser: "He's definitely our No. 1 recruit right now."
The clock is ticking.
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January 02, 2008
Boise State's Clady headed to the NFL
The All-American offensive tackle said he's 'ready for a
little change' and won't return for his senior season.
The NFL scouts believe he is prepared for their league. The mock drafts think teams are lined up to select him.
And now Ryan Clady is ready, too.
The Boise State junior offensive tackle will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft, he told the Idaho Statesman on
Tuesday afternoon.
"I was just kind of ready for a little change," said Clady, a consensus All-American this season and a three-year starter for the Broncos.
Clady's plans were first reported on IdahoStatesman.com Tuesday afternoon.
Clady, a 6-foot-6, 317-pounder from Rialto, Calif., said he made the decision after the Broncos' 41-38 loss to East Carolina in the Hawaii
Bowl on Dec. 23.
Clady is believed to be the first Bronco player to leave school early for the NFL. Then again, he's the most highly regarded prospect in
the school's history. Boise State has never had a first-round pick.
Clady has been widely projected to be an early first-round pick in the NFL Draft. The NFL College Advisory Committee, which is used by
underclassmen to gauge their draft value, assigned him a first-round grade.
In Internet mock drafts, Clady is projected to be among the first 12 players selected. ESPN.com has Clady going No. 7 to the Kansas
City Chiefs.
"You never know with this process," Clady said. "I'm going to train and work hard and see what it gets me."
The No. 7 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft - Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson - signed a five-year contract worth $40.5 million,
including $17 million guaranteed.
Clady said he signed with JL Sports, a sports marketing company that represents more than 30 NFL players, including former Boise
State tight end Jeb Putzier. By signing with an agent, Clady cannot return to Boise State.
"Picking an agent has been pretty stressful," Clady said.
He said he spoke with family members and several Boise State coaches, including head coach Chris Petersen and offensive line coach
Scott Huff, while making his decision. Clady also consulted with former line coach Sean Kugler, who is now with the Buffalo Bills.
"They were a little biased," Clady said of Petersen and Huff. "But I just tried to talk to a couple of people who could give me advice about
the situation."
Those people included his father Ross. Ryan, whose mother passed away in 2000, is particularly close with his father. Ryan is the oldest
of four children.
"He felt that it was up to me. He wants me to get my degree and try to take classes in the offseason and finalize that degree," said Clady,
who plans to take a couple of Internet classes this spring and is about a year away from graduating with a degree in communications.
Clady said he would spend most of the spring preparing for the April draft with workouts outside of Boise. The NFL Draft begins April 26.
With Clady's departure, the Broncos will be without five of their top six offensive linemen from the 2007 team when they open spring
practice. Senior Andrew Woodruff is the only returner.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444
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As NFL Draft approaches, Ryan Clady's life has turned into big game of hurry up, wait | ...
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April 24, 2008
As NFL Draft approaches, Ryan Clady's life
has turned into big game of hurry up, wait
The 100 or so friends and family members gathered at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport for Ryan Clady's NFL Draft party on Saturday are
going to get a taste of what the former Boise State left tackle's life has been like for the last few months.
An anxious, nerve-wracking wait.
Clady is expected to be Boise State's first-ever first-round pick in the NFL Draft, which begins at 1 p.m. MDT.
"A lot of people are going to start getting impatient," said Clady confidant Mike Clark. "They think by 12:30 we're going to be partying."
The NFL Draft is agonizingly slow. Even more so when you're waiting for your life to be forever changed.
Though Clady could be picked as high as No. 5 by the Kansas City Chiefs, the wait to see his name pop up on the television screen likely
will be more than an hour. If he falls to the Denver Broncos at No. 12, a good possibility, the party will be on hold for more than two hours
after its noon Pacific start time.
Welcome to Clady's world since passing up his final season of eligibility at Boise State and declaring for the NFL Draft in January - one
where things happen so fast and yet time seems to stand still.
"This is the longest April ever," Clark said.
It is almost over.
The month. The wait. The not knowing where Clady will begin his professional career.
"I'd probably say I'm a little anxious and ready for this process to be over with," Clady said. "I'm ready to be in a city. I'm a little nervous,
not sure where I'm going to go. It's a little nerve-wracking."
The mock drafts - and the number of teams interested - should soothe his nerves. In the weeks since February's NFL Scouting Combine,
Clady has visited with nine teams. All pick within the first 19 selections and are intrigued by the 6-foot-6, 316-pounder with long arms and
quick feet.
Clady knows that at some point during the first round Saturday afternoon, his name will be announced by NFL commissioner Roger
Goodell.
He will have a new team, a new city, a new life.
Then the party at the LAX Hilton will really get going, celebrating Clady's unlikely journey from lightly recruited high schooler to NFL multimillionaire. Both sets of Clady's grandparents and his 93-year-old great-grandmother are expected to attend. So, too, will his father,
brother, two sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and assorted friends.
Being around family was important to Clady, who never really considered going to New York City for the draft. His mother, Sharon,
passed away in 2000 when he was 13.
"I wanted them all to be able to come," said Clady, who grew up in nearby Rialto, Calif.
They are all coming.
What started out as an intimate gathering has become a full-fledged family reunion. No one wants to miss this.
"This is something no one expected," said Chandra Clady, Ryan's cousin and a frequent fan at his Boise State games. "Now that it's
getting closer and closer, it's hard to put into words."
Said Sonya Kemp, Ryan's aunt who organized the draft party: "Everybody is so excited. My phone is ringing off the hook - texts, calls."
Much of the excitement stems from the promise of life-altering riches that awaits Clady. But there is more to it than that for his family
members - a sense that he persevered through hard times to reach his goals.
"Everything he's done, I've been so proud of. He is the first one in my family to go to college. No drugs. No gangs. No nothing," said Paul
Clady, Ryan's uncle. "It's a big day for our family. I'm just being the proud uncle, telling all my friends."
The possibility of Clady being a first-round selection in the NFL Draft wasn't a thought several years ago. He quit football the first time he
played as a 10-year-old, and didn't pick up the game again until high school. As a way to lose weight.
It wasn't until he arrived at Boise State as an unheralded recruit and raw offensive lineman that his potential began to shine.
"He was fresh clay. It says something about the staff," said Clark, who was Clady's position coach in high school and has become a
close friend and mentor.
The finished product: A first-round draft pick and an inspiration.
"We consider it something that he's worked hard for. We're very thankful and we feel blessed," Chandra Clady said. "It shows Ryan to be
a role model for younger members of the family that if they work hard and set their goals, they can aspire to be successful, too."
The anticipation only grew this week when Miami, which owns the No. 1 pick in the draft, agreed to terms with Michigan left tackle Jake
Long. They agreed to a $57.5 million deal.
Clady could be the next offensive tackle off the board and it could happen quickly because so many teams have needs at that position.
"The faster he got off the board, the faster me and the rest of the tackles get drafted," Clady said. "There are so many teams that need
tackles that (Long's signing) is good."
Pat Dye Jr., Clady's agent, said he expects his client to be selected between No. 5 (Kansas City) and No. 12 (Denver). Baltimore (No. 8),
Carolina (No. 13) and Chicago (No. 14) are possibilities.
His family is rooting for a team in the AFC West, like Kansas City or Denver, which means yearly trips to San Diego and Oakland. Clady
expressed a slight preference for Denver.
"It's not too far from California, and I'd still be a Bronco," he said.
Said Kemp: "If he goes in the first round, we'll just be happy. And we'll be trying to figure out how we're going to get to the first game."
The dream is so close. The party planned. The travel arrangements made. And now all Clady can do is ... wait.
With all of his individual workouts finally completed, Clady has spent the week before the draft trying not to think about it. He attended the
Boise Burn's home opener on Saturday. He has spent time at Clark's house in Southern California, watching movies and hanging out
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with Clark's 13-year-old nephew, David Harris. And he has spent time with his father, Ross, and brother, Chris.
Clady planned three gym workouts this week.
Clark and Clady are supposed to go to an auto show in the Los Angeles area Thursday. Clady is interested in checking out the hybrid
Cadillac Escalade, the SUV that has become a staple among professional athletes.
He is not in a rush to start buying things.
Anything to pass the time.
"It's pretty much wait and see," Clady said.
Wait. And wait.
And when the moment comes, Clady is not even sure he'll be in front of the television.
"I might have to get up and out of the room to chill out for a second," Clady said.
There's only so much waiting a man's nerves can take.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444
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March 04, 2008
Murphy: Clady solidifies his draft status
Sonya Kemp scours the Internet nightly for information about her nephew, craving any nugget that might reveal his NFL Draft stock is
rising or any suggestion that a team might be interested.
"That's how I get myself ready to go to bed at night," Kemp said.
Kemp can rest easy now.
Her nephew - former Boise State left tackle Ryan Clady - aced his most important pre-draft workout Monday at Boise State's pro day,
erasing any doubt about his status as a high first-round pick in April's draft.
Pro day attracted more than 50 NFL personnel from 30 teams to the Caven-Williams Sports Complex to time and test Clady and other
former Boise State football players.
Clady ran his 40-yard dash in 5.18 seconds, unofficially. He showcased a vertical leap of 31 inches and a broad jump of nine feet. All
three efforts would have placed him in the top 10 among lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine. The vertical was better than any
offensive linemen's at the event.
I have no idea what that means in a football context - the next time an offensive lineman is asked to jump nine feet in a football game will
be the first time - but Clady seemed happy.
"I didn't know I had that in me. Where did that come from? Must have been adrenaline," said Clady, showing more emotion in interviews
than at any point in his standout Bronco career.
Clady, who did not do the bench press Monday, showed no ill effects from the strained pectoral muscle that knocked him out of last
week's combine. During line drills, he showed the explosiveness and athleticism that brought scouts from around the country.
"Everyone, to a man, said he blew them away. He was extremely athletic, extremely quick," his agent Pat Dye Jr. said after the session.
"Quick hands. Quick feet. That's what you look for in a great pass blocker and that's what they pay people in this league at his position to
do."
Now that the 40s and bench presses and shuttle drills are over, Clady, who left school after his junior season, can concentrate on
offensive line work.
That bodes well for him.
At a time when NFL teams are looking for reasons not to draft players, Clady - a lean 6-foot-6 and 311 pounds - didn't give them one
Monday.
He handled the bull rush from Tad Miller, a question some have asked. He showed solid aggressiveness, a concern teams have
expressed to Dye.
"They want to see, they want to be convinced he has the right temperament and disposition to play offensive line," Dye said. "If you're
going to draft a guy as high as he's going to be drafted, they want to know he's got that in him."
The Carolina Panthers sent five officials, including head coach John Fox. And it isn't because Boise is lovely this time of year. The
Chicago Bears are sending head coach Lovie Smith next week for a private workout.
Carolina picks No. 13 in the first round. Chicago selects 14th.
"Some teams are like, 'We're probably not going to be able to get you.' Teams in the 20s say that to me," Clady said.
Carolina and Chicago might be saying that soon.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who select fifth, need an offensive tackle. Their representative told Dye that Clady "did nothing but impress"
Monday.
Yes, that's what agents are supposed to say. They're supposed to talk up their clients.
But the buzz in the indoor facility and the rush of NFL people to talk to Clady after his workout signified he had, indeed, impressed.
The word is out.
That he will be the highest-ever draft pick from Boise State, which has never had a first-round selection, is a foregone conclusion.
Can he be the highest-ever draft pick from Eisenhower High is a better question? Ronnie Lott was selected at No. 8 by the San
Francisco 49ers in 1981.
"I've had multiple conversations with (Miami Dolphins' boss Bill) Parcells about the first pick," Dye said. "I'm not saying they're going to do
it, but the fact that he's being discussed in that realm tells you how people think about him."
All of which leads to the newest dilemma for Clady. One that Sonya, who could not be missed in her No. 79 Bronco jersey at pro day,
already admits is getting her nervous: How to handle the draft party?
Clady might be invited to New York for the draft, an honor typically reserved for players expected to be picked in the top 10. Will he go?
"I haven't ruled it out completely, but I kind of don't want to be a part of that whole atmosphere," Clady said. "I want to lay low and just
hang out with family and friends."
It is a great problem to have.
And one that shouldn't keep anybody up at night.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/1256/v-print/story/313661.html
4/26/2008