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The quiet anchor at left tackle is working on technique and learning McDaniels' new offense.
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post

Ryan Clady became the reliable rookie on the Broncos' offensive line, allowing just half a sack in 16 starts last season. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)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."


Clady lets considerable skill speak volumes - The Denver Post

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Perhaps the lowest day in Chiefs' history came on January 2, 1983, when they drew 11,902 fans to a season ending 37-13 win over the New York Jets. On that same day, the now defunct Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League attracted 15,000 to their game at Kemper Arena.