40 Acres Sports

Not a huge surprise after they drafted Knowshon Moreno in the first round of this weekend’s draft, but the Denver Broncos have released former Texas running back Selvin Young today.

From the AP:

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos’ crowded backfield has become a bit clearer with the release of third-year tailback Selvin Young.

The Broncos released Young on Thursday.

They used the 12th overall pick in last weekend’s draft to take Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, and will have a half-dozen tailbacks competing for playing time.

The Broncos also have holdovers Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torian and free agents J.J. Arrington, Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan.

Young played in 23 games, making 13 starts in two seasons in Denver. He ran 201 times for 1,032 yards and two touchdowns and caught 38 passes for 247 yards.

Young was beset by back and groin injuries last season and was one of seven Broncos tailbacks who ended up on injured reserve.

Selvin is young enough and good enough to make another NFL squad (Texans maybe?) but he’s missed a lot of time due to injury and CBS Denver is reporting that he was released due to a failed team physical. Hopefully his injury situation doesn’t scare teams off and he’s picked up quickly.

The NFL is now littered with former Texas players from the Mack Brown era. It seems like every game involves a Longhorn in the starting lineup. The biggest impacts appear to be on both lines and in the secondary while linebacker is without a doubt the weakest position. Injuries affected a few of the players 2008 season, but the program should be proud of what these guys are accomplishing.

Justin Blalock – The Atlanta Falcon’s made the playoffs behind a great running game and solid quarterback play. The unsung unit on the team was the offensive line. Blalock has cemented himself as a starter on an upcoming team by starting all 16 games after playing in 14 last season. At Texas, Blalock played tackle, but in the NFL he has been able to slide back to his natural position of tackle. Blalock was even able to score a touchdown on a fumble recovery.

Tarell Brown – The forgotten member of the 2005 secondary has become a solid nickel corner in the NFL for the 49ers. Brown played in 15 games and started in one. He recorded 30 tackles and two interceptions.

Cedric Benson – The beginning of the season didn’t appear good for Benson. After being cut by the Bears it appeared no one would request his services. The Cincinnati Bengals fell apart and came calling four games into the season. Benson started 10 games, gained over 700 yards, and scored two touchdowns on the ground. He also added 20 receptions. “EL Ced” finished with two huge games; making the chance he is offered a longer deal by the Bengals a real possibility.

Tim Crowder – Crowder struggled with injuries and the depth chart all season. He played in six games, starting zero, and recording one tackle on the whole year.

Jamaal Charles – Charles had a rookie season that has to be seen as a success. Charles sits behind Larry Johnson on the depth chart, but made plays when given the opportunity. The speedster averaged 5.3 yards per carry and added 27 receptions. His only touchdown of the season came on a reception. If Johnson isn’t retained by the Chiefs, Charles may get a look as an every down back.

Leonard Davis – The offensive line for the Cowboys underachieved this season. Davis will go to another Pro Bowl but o-line selections are based on reputation more times than not. It was not all Davis’ fault but he did not perform at the level he did the previous year.

Phil Dawson - Dawson was once again a lone bright spot for the Cleveland Browns franchise. He went 30/36 with a long of 56. He was perfect on extra point, but the 18 attempts magnify the struggles of the Browns offense.

Derrick Dockery – Dockery is one of the higher paid linemen in the league, but is never as dominant as his salary would warrant.

Jermichael Finley – Finley had a hard time getting started this season. He ended up playing in 14 games while starting one of them. The rookie finished with 6 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown on the season.

Cedric Griffin – Griffin has turned into a solid starting cornerback for the Vikings. He gets a lot of action playing opposite of Pro-Bowler Antoine Winfield but holds his own pretty well. Griffin plays with excellent enthusiasm and competitiveness which makes him an eager corner in run support. He played in all 16 games for the second straight season and recorded 91 tackles and a pick.

Mike Griffin – Michael Griffin had the type of year that have made many hail him as the best defensive back to come out of the 2005 group. Griffin is a Pro-Bowl alternate after recording seven interceptions and a sack on the year. He is quickly becoming one of the best safeties in the league. His play has allowed the Titan defense to become one of the best in the league. Griffin also returns kicks for the #1 seeded Titans.

Ahmard Hall – The former Marine has established himself as one of the last true fullbacks in the game. The Tennessee running game is one of the best in the league behind the duo of Chris Johnson and Lendale White. The two split carries with mirrored success, and the one constant is the presence of Hall. He has also become a weapon in the flat out of the backfield, recording two touchdown receptions this year.

Casey Hampton – Hampton had a tough season as he struggled to get on the field with health and conditioning problems. When Hampton can play he remains the best 3-4 nose tackle in the game. He recorded one sack in 13 games that he was rarely able to make it all the way through.

Michael Huff – The Thorpe award winner hasn’t lived up to his draft status so far in his career, but it is still early. Huff lost his starting job and didn’t record a sack, interception, or forced fumble on the year.

Quentin Jammer – Jammer had another great year in San Diego. He is one of the most physical corners in the league and continually gets matched up with the opposing team’s biggest and best receiver. Jammer recorded 88 tackles, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles for the playoff bound Chargers. It has been amazing to watch the turnaround of Jammer’s play after struggling for the first few years in the NFL. The pressure of being a high pick has subsided and Jammer’s play has risen.

Derrick Johnson – DJ has moved inside and performed well for the Chiefs. The knock on the former Texas star coming out was his unwillingness to take on blocks, and after a few years as a pro the criticism still exist. When playing in space he excels, but at the point of attack he has remained a liability. Johnson has been up and down, but has shown flashes of potential. He ended the year with 85 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception, and four forced fumbles. If/when the light turns on for DJ the sky is the limit.

Frank Okam – Okam may have earned himself a roster spot for next year with his play down the stretch. He lacks the motor and intensity most coaches want out of an interior defensive lineman, but he has the tools to become a solid player in the league if he ever turns it on.

Cory Redding – I feel bad for Cory Redding. I feel bad for any player, coach, trainer, and journalist (except Rob Parker) in Detroit. Redding was the heart and soul of their defense (if that is possible), and if he ever gets out of Detroit he may have a chance to make some noise. Until then, he’ll be rich in Detroit. He got three sacks on the year.

Brian Robison – Robison plays behind Jerod Allen so his snaps are limited. When he is on the field he shows up and makes plays. He managed 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 15 games.

Shaun Rogers – Shaun Rogers is the most disruptive interior lineman in football today. The guy is just huge and unstoppable when his motor is turned on. He took over games at points this season in spite of double and triple teams. Rogers will be in the Pro-Bowl again after turning in 76 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He has Hall of Fame type talent when it is all clicking for Rogers.

Aaron Ross – He may not be the best athlete in his marriage, but the Thorpe award winner has become a better than average cornerback in a tough place to play. Ross started in every game he played, 15, and grabbed 3 interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown. Ross has the ability to be a shutdown corner as his technique and confidence continue to grow.

Bo Scaife – Scaife has emerged as a very productive tight end even in the face of losing his quarterback and his team bringing in a big name free agent in Alge Crumpler. There were a few games where Kerry Collins completely forgot about Scaife, but he finished with 58 receptions and two touchdowns. Scaife has also become better as a blocker which allows him to stay on the field in all situations.

Lyle Sendlein – People tend to forget about Sendlein when discussing the better offensive lineman Mack Brown has put into the NFL. Sendein has started every game of the season for a playoff team. Not too bad.

Chris Simms – Simms is the number three quarterback on Tennessee’s roster.

Kasey Studdard – Studdard remains a reserve lineman for the Houston Texans. He hasn’t been able to crack the starting lineup.

Limas Sweed – Sweed is listed as the 4th receiver on the Steeler roster. One would think Sweed will contribute more after a full off season.

David Thomas – The Patriots use a lot of tight ends in their offense, so none of them have numbers that are going to blow you away. Despite that Thomas has been able to get on the field a lot so far in his career. He pulled in nine receptions for 93 yards, but was never able to reach the end zone.

Nathan Vasher – Injuries rendered the 2008 season a wasted one for Vasher. He played in eight games, recording one interception, before being placed on injured reserve.

Ricky Williams – The former Heisman trophy winner and league pariah has made his comeback has a productive back in the Miami system. He was one of the many bright spots on a team full of them this year. Williams is able to make plays without being relied on to carry the full load because of the presence of Ronnie Brown. Ricky scored four touchdowns on 659 yards rushing. He may have made his biggest impact as a receiver out of the backfield where he averaged over seven yards a catch on 29 receptions.

Roy Williams – The losing ways of the Lions followed Williams from Detroit to Dallas. Roy was never able to make an impact for the Cowboys for reasons that still remain unclear. He has proven to have the ability which leaves work ethic and injury as the two other reasons for his lack of production. Williams has unfortunately been criticized for both a lack of work ethic and inability to stay healthy in his career. He will need to have a huge year next year to justify the trade and contract Jerry Jones awarded him.

Selvin Young – Young was another Longhorn that struggled with injury. Denver is notorious for alternating backs, and with the addition of injuries Young was never able to stay on the field. When he was healthy he produced so it will be interesting to see what the new coach in Denver decides to do with Selvin.

Vince Young – 2008 was not a good year for VY. The greatest player in Longhorn history lost his job after one game and a knee injury, and never was even given the chance to win it back. It now appears Jeff Fisher made the right choice as Tennessee earned the #1 seed in the AFC. While they did it with defense and running the ball, Collins has done a good job in a Trent Dilfer type role. This season may end up being the best thing that has ever happened to Vince as a professional if he uses the experience in the right way.

Ricky Williams had his first TD of 2008

Slow week for former Longhorns in the NFL with many players on byes and several injuries as well. San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer and Miami running back Ricky Williams had the best games of the weekend. Find out how the rest of the former Horns active this week performed below:

Tarell Brown - The forgotten member of the 2005 championship secondary has found a place as the nickel back in San Francisco. Tarell had two tackles and a pass breakup this weekend versus Philadelphia.

Cedric Benson - Benson had a slow game in his second game back in the league, only carrying the ball four times for six yards. He appears to be the most talented back in the Bengals backfield, but until he learns the playbook the snaps will be limited.

Justin Blalock - His Falcons continue to win, this time on a late second field goal against the Chicago Bears. Blalock and his fellow lineman have protected rookie Matt Ryan and opened holes for Michael Turner consistently this year. The combination of Blalock and rookie left tackle Sam Baker makes the Falcons left side of the line one of the better young groups in the league.

Tim Crowder - Crowder recorded no stats against Jacksonville.

Leonard Davis - The Cowboys and their running game continue to struggle. Davis had a personal foul penalty at the end of the loss against the Cardinals. The offensive line must play better for the Cowboys to win and Davis is a huge part of that.

Phil Dawson - Dawson went two for three on field goals with a long of 28 and three for three on extra points in the Cleveland win Monday night.

Jermichael Finley - Did not play this week for Packers.

Cedric Griffin - The corner recorded seven tackles in the ugly win against Detroit. The Vikings secondary played well, not allowing the Lions to record a touchdown.

Michael Huff - Huff’s Oakland secondary was torched by Drew Brees this weekend. The former Thorpe Award winner had three tackles on a day he’d like to forget.

Quentin Jammer - Jammer had a huge day in the Charger win over the Patriots. He recoded three tackles, an interception, and five pass defended while matched up most of the night against Randy Moss. Jammer has come on in the past few years becoming one of the more physical corners in the league.

Brian Robison - Robison didn’t record any stats in the Viking win over the Lions but he did get on the field on a good number of snaps.

Shaun Rogers - Rogers had his best game of his young Browns career on Monday night. He only recorded two tackles but clogged up the middle and applied pressure on Eli Manning all night.

Lyle Sendlein - Sendlein has found himself starting at center this year for the Arizona Cardinals. He had a decent day matched up against Cowboy nose tackle Jay Ratliff. His Cardinals pulled the upset in overtime on a blocked punt.

David Thomas - Thomas caught his first ball since week three. The catch went for 13 yards.

Nathan Vasher - Vasher missed another game with an injury.

Ricky Williams - Ricky Williams found the end zone for the first time this year on Sunday against the Texans. Ronnie Brown has taken over the number one running back spot, but Ricky has found a niche in the offense and should continue to get 10 plus carries a game. He finished the game with 11 carries for 46 yards and two receptions.

Roy Williams - Roy Williams and the Lions had a horrid offensive game against the Vikings. Williams had two receptions for only 23 yards. This has been a very disappointing season for Roy and the recent talk may have him being traded before the season is over.

Selvin Young - Selvin didn’t play this week for the Broncos. It is hard to know if it was actually for injury or due to play on the field.

Cedric Benson made his debut for the Bengals

Another good week for Michael Griffin and a big day for Cedric Griffin but the biggest news was a couple of former Horns returning to the field. Titans’ QB Vince Young returned to the practice field and RB Cedric Benson hit the field for the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time since his signing earlier in the week.

Read on to see how the Texas Exes performed this Sunday:

Cedric Benson - Benson made his Cincinnati Bengal debut this weekend verse the Cowboys. His first run went for seven yards, but he didn’t get much done after that finishing the day with 30 yards on 10 carries.

Justin Blalock - Blalock is going to become one of the better inside lineman in the NFL. His Atlanta Falcons pulled an upset over Green Bay, and the offensive line play has been a good surprise for the up and coming team.

Jamaal Charles - The rookie played well when he got the chance but the combination of playing behind Larry Johnson and his team being down big limited his snaps. He had four carries and four receptions for a total of 40 yards.

Leonard Davis - It appears getting out of Arizona was just what the big man needed. He is not alone in that regard. Davis is still the biggest man I’ve ever met in person, and appears to engulf most defensive players unfortunate enough to lock up with him.

Cedric Griffin - Griffin played his best game of the season in the victory over New Orleans on Monday Night Football compiling 10 tackles. The highlight of the game came when Griffin laid out a Saints tight end late in the game.

Michael Griffin - Michael Griffin had an interception in the Titans win over the Ravens. His play has helped Tennessee move to 5-0 on the young season.

Ahmard Hall - Ahmard is playing at a high level even though the Titans struggled on the ground against a stout Baltimore defense. Tennessee even gave him a touch on an eight yard reception.

Quentin Jammer - Jammer had a quiet day as his Chargers lost to the Dolphins. Teams seem to be avoiding his side of the field which is a huge compliment in the NFL. He recorded four tackles on the day.

Derrick Johnson - The light has finally come on for DJ in the NFL. He backed up last week’s stellar performance with a nine tackle day. His team is awful and I hope he doesn’t have to play there his whole career because it will be a waste.

Brian Robison - Robison didn’t record any stats Monday night, but was on the field more than he had been in previous weeks. He is stuck behind All-Pro Jared Allen.

Bo Scaife - Scaife finally seems to be getting on the same page as new quarterback Kerry Collins. Scaife had a huge day, catching seven balls for 72 yards in a Titan win.

Ricky Williams - Ricky is now the clear number two back in Miami behind Ronnie Brown. The Heisman trophy winner finished the game with 39 yards on 13 carries.

Roy Williams - Roy had a good day when it comes to stats, catching a team high seven passes for 96 yards. However, his antics on the sideline rubbed a few fans and teammates the wrong way. Williams could be acting out to help get out of Detroit and avoid the franchise tag in the off season. If that is the case, I say God bless him. Would you want to play anything in Detroit?

Selvin Young - Selvin finished the game with 38 yards on 10 carries, adding one reception. The Broncos play musical chairs with their tailbacks so it is no surprise Young’s production has dropped each week.

Vince Young - Back at practice but still not full strength and not starting. He was the backup to Kerry Collins in Sunday’s game against Baltimore.

Derrick Johnson forces a fumble

A few players on bye weeks plus a few more injured made it a slow week for the ex Texas Longhorns in the NFL. The biggest performance this week came from Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson who did a little of everything in the Chiefs win over the Broncos. Here is a look at how those who played faired:

Justin Blalock - The former Texas tackle has been a fixture for the Atlanta Falcons this year at left guard. Running back Michael Turner continues to be very impressive this year, and a lot of his runs come behind the ex UT star.

Jamaal Charles - The rookie continues to be a third down back for the Chiefs. Charles had 7 yards on 2 carries while adding 2 receptions for only a yard. His team won their first game of the season.

Phil Dawson - The Browns kicker helped win them win their first game by going 2 for 2 on field goals and extra points.

Cedric Griffin - Cedric got picked on all night by a weak Tennessee Titan wide receiver group. Offenses have continued to choose to pick on Cedric every week and will continue to until he makes some plays.

Michael Griffin - Michael is quickly becoming the best player out of the great secondary on UT’s 2005 championship team. Griffin’s defense continues to be one of the best in the league. He contributed 3 tackles and a pass break up in the Titan win over the Vikings.

Ahmard Hall - One of the only true fullbacks left in the league. The ex Marine had a great block on a touchdown run by rookie Chris Johnson.

Quentin Jammer - Jammer had 3 tackles and 2 pass breakups against a weak Oakland passing attack.

Derrick Johnson - The former Longhorn star was the defensive MVP for the Chiefs adding 6 tackles and interception while being all over the field. As he did frequently while at Texas he also had a forced fumble that led to a one-play scoring drive for KC’s first win of the season.

Brian Robison - In his second game back, Robison recorded 2 tackles in a reserve role.

Shaun Rogers - Rogers was at his all pro level on Sunday, compiling a sack and clogging up the middle in a Cleveland win.

Bo Scaife - Scaife has been slow to build chemistry with replacement quarterback Kerry Collins. He had 3 catches for only 17 yards in the game.

Nathan Vasher - “ESPN” 3 had three tackles and three pass breakups in the Bears big win over the Eagles.

Selvin Young - Selvin had an average day, rushing 11 times for 49 yards. The Broncos never got anything going in the upset loss to the Chiefs.

Great week for Duane Akina’s former proteges in the NFL as Tarell Brown, Michael Griffin, and Nathan Vasher all had interceptions in week three. Ricky Williams also had his best performance of the year as he and backfield mate Ronnie Brown ran all over the New England Patriots. Meanwhile wide receiver Limas Sweed is still waiting to see the field for the first time as a pro out in Pittsburgh. Read on to see how the rest of the Longhorns in the NFL performed last week:

Tarell Brown - Two tackles and an interception in the loss to the Chargers.

Jamaal Charles - Seven carries for 38 yards rushing plus three catches for 24 yards. Jamaal also had his first NFL kickoff return for 21 yards.

Phil Dawson - 1/1 on field goals and on extra points.

Jermichael Finley - Finally saw the field for the Packers against the Cowboys but had no catches. He got in on special teams and managed to pick up an unsportsmanlike penalty in a brush with Martellus Bennett.

Cedric Griffin - Two tackles against Carolina.

Michael Griffin - Big game against the Texans with two interceptions. Also added two tackles.

Ahmard Hall - One carry for one yard.

Casey Hampton - No stats against Philly. Will miss the next game against Baltimore with an injured groin.

Michael Huff - Three tackles, two of them solos, against Buffalo.

Quentin Jammer - Recovered a fumble and returned it 23 yards, broke up two passes, and added three tackles in the Chargers blowout of the Fightin’ Brett Favres.

Derrick Johnson - One tackle in what may be one of 16 losses this season for the Chiefs.

Cory Redding - Two solo tackles for the lowly Lions against the 48ers.

Shaun Rogers - Had a solid game against Baltimore posting four tackles.

Aaron Ross - Five solo tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage.

Bo Scaife - Three catches for 26 yards including a touchdown.

Limas Sweed - Still no playing time.

David Thomas - One catch for four yards in what will hopefully be one of many losses for the Patriots.

Nathan Vasher - Good performance for Nate versus Tampa Bay. Three passes defended including an interception, with four solo tackles added on.

Ricky Williams - Great game for Ricky and his counterpart Ronnie Brown as the Dolphins went back to the college game to get a little offensive firepower. He had 16 carries for 98 yards (6.1 average) and two catches for 21 more yards.

Roy Williams - Two catches for 18 yards in a loss to San Francisco. Roy has to be frustrated and already looking forward to 2009 somewhere other than Detroit.

Selvin Young - Very efficient game against New Orleans with 11 carries for 65 yards.

With Vince Young injured it wasn’t a very exciting week for ex-Longhorns in the NFL. Quentin Jammer and Selvin Young probably had the best weeks, while the complete absence of Jermichael Finley and Limas Sweed continues. Here’s how all the former Horns did in week two of the NFL season:

Jamaal Charles - Less busy after a good week one, only three carries for seven yards. The Chiefs only rushed the ball 19 times all game as a team. Charles also had a 15 yard catch and hurt Larry Johnson’s feelings.

Phil Dawson - Two of two on field goals with a long of 38 yards in a loss.

Jermichael Finley - Still looking for his first career catch. I’m not sure if he’s getting any snaps at all.

Cedric Griffin - Six tackles and one pass breakup against Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Michael Griffin - Picked up his first interception of the year off a tipped pass. Also added six tackles from his safety spot.

Ahmard Hall - Three carries for nine yards.

Casey Hampton - One tackle.

Michael Huff - Four tackles against KC and two passes defended.

Quentin Jammer - Posted 11 tackles and had a forced fumble in the Chargers’ controversial loss to the Broncos.

Derrick Johnson - Eight tackles, seven of them solo.

Cullen Loeffler - Inspired me to teach my kids to deep snap.

Cory Redding - Three solo tackles against the Packers.

Shaun Rogers - First sack of the 2008 season and added six tackles.

Aaron Ross - Four tackles.

Bo Scaife - Without Vince Young, just one catch for six yards.

Limas Sweed - Still no catches in his NFL career. Like Finley, looking at his game logs it appears he’s not even playing.

David Thomas - Picked up his first catch of the year against the Jets, a 14-yarder from Matt Cassel.

Nathan Vasher - Returned punts for the first time in a long while. Had three returns for a total of 21 yards. Added two tackles.

Ricky Williams - After an exciting preseason another ho hum game for Ricky. He had 11 rushes for 28 yards in the Dolphins’ blowout loss to Arizona.

Roy Williams - Just about the same performance as week one: three catches for 48 yards. Looks like Calvin Johnson has become the clear number one target in Detroit, maybe Roy can head down to Tennessee next year as a free agent.

Selvin Young - Was the Broncos’ leading rusher with eight carries for 78 yards, including a big 49-yarder. Also added one catch for eight yards.

For rookie running backs, preseason success matters. Analysis of rookies including Selvin Young last year.

ESPN is ranking the top running backs in the NFL and three former Longhorns made their list. Unfortunately, all three made it on the third tier of rankings of 41-64. Cedric Benson was backed up by Selvin Young who was backed up by Jamaal Charles, and they’re all now playing in the league. All three guys will have a chance to prove themselves this season and move up in the rankings.

47. Cedric Benson, Chicago Bears

Superpower - Benson has the physical size and athletic ability to be a productive starter. He has good vision combined with good pad level and good balance for running inside. He can read blocks and show patience, then accelerate with good burst for his size. He also is a capable receiver out of the backfield.

Kryptonite - He has not produced up to his potential during his first three seasons, and he has failed to prove to management and his teammates that he can be “the guy.” His overall passion for the game and desire to be a dominant player have been questioned.

My Thoughts - The comments on Benson are not far off. Though he hasn’t reached his potential I think in the right atmosphere he could excel, but that may not be in Chicago. The most laughable part of their rankings is that they have rookie Matt Forte six spots higher than Benson.

60. Selvin Young, Denver Broncos

Superpower - He is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he provided excellent depth in the Broncos’ backfield. Young was a pleasant surprise for the Denver staff after being acquired as a college free agent in 2007. He showed deceptive power for his size, as he runs with conviction and great body lean. He has excellent vision and instincts with the lateral quickness and agility to find a crease.

Kryptonite - Young has had durability concerns in the past, and it remains to be seen how well he can handle the pounding with more playing time. He lacks great elusiveness in space and is more of a straight-line runner. He will need to develop in the passing game, especially in blitz-pickup situations.

My Thoughts - There’s some scrubs ranked higher than Selvin that don’t deserve to be but he’s going to have to do it for more than one season to be moved any higher. With the release of Travis Henry he’ll get that chance this year and could have a great season if he stays healthy for 16 games.

64. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Superpower - He will be coming into the league to complement the Chiefs’ featured running back. He is a good combination of athleticism and instincts. He has excellent speed and burst both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. He is football player who has outstanding track speed. He should give the Chiefs an explosive threat on the perimeter as well as after the catch.

Kryptonite - He doesn’t have great power as an inside runner. He needs to gain weight and strength to become a complete back. Charles isn’t always a patient runner and needs to mature as a between-the-tackles ball carrier. Charles also needs to improve his blitz-pickup and develop his route running. He is somewhat of a one-dimensional player, lacking inside, short-yardage and goal-line effectiveness.

My Thoughts - I think Charles is an underrated inside runner. They’re right that he’s often impatient but he’s not afraid to run inside and if he sees a small crease he’ll take it. Also has better power than he’s given credit for and rarely goes down on first contact.

SI’s NFL Class of 2007 Hidden Gems. Brian Robison and Selvin Young make their top five.

Fantasy love for Selvin Young. Could he keep the starting job even after Travis Henry comes back?

Selvin Young rushes for 109 yards and first career TD against Chiefs while Priest Holmes gets first start since 2005.

Selvin Young went undrafted last April but he’s now officially the Denver Broncos’ number two running back behind Travis Henry. Denver coach Mike Shanahan announced Friday after another strong preseason performance from Young that Mike Bell and Cecil Sapp, the former second and third-string running backs, would both be moving to fullback.

Selvin Young has apparently pulled a Mike Bell.

Much to the chagrin of Mike Bell.

Unemployed in the hours following the 2007 draft, Young went from football oblivion to gaining 91 yards last week in the Broncos’ third preseason game, to No. 2 on the tailback depth chart this week…

When Henry and Hall also went down with leg injuries, the Broncos had no choice but to give Young a chance in the next exhibition against Cleveland.

Seventeen Young carries later, coach Mike Shanahan was gushing about the rookie’s speed and pleased with the possibility he may have discovered another hidden tailback gem.

After their first two preseason games I honestly thought there was no chance Young made the roster. He got virtually no meaningful carries and it looked like he wasn’t going to get much of a chance to show what he could do. He got his chance and ran with it, literally. With Henry banged up Selvin could be getting some solid carries in week one against Buffalo.

Great news for a former Horn who worked his butt off while he was here. Congrats Selvin.

Selvin Young is making the most of opportunity created by injuries to other Broncos’ running backs. Great performance Saturday night.

Selvin Young hopes to impress in Broncos minicamp. Needs to perform on special teams to make sure he makes the team.

Selvin Young wasn’t drafted last weekend but he’s got enough talent that he could earn a spot on an NFL roster if things break right for him. Things have started out pretty good so far, this week Selvin was picked up by the Denver Broncos who then subsequently waived Cedric Cobbs:

After signing former Texas running back Selvin Young today, the Broncos waived Cedric Cobbs, a seldom-used tailback.

Young, an undrafted free agent, was an oft-used reserve tailback for the Longhorns the past two years. A strong, physical runner, the 5-foot-10, 207-pound Young wasn’t drafted primarily because he doesn’t possess great speed.

“We had mixed feelings,” said Young’s agent Major Adams, who also represents Tennessee and former Texas quarterback Vince Young. “In one sense you want the honor of being drafted, but at the same time you want to go to a situation that’s going to be the best fit for a player. We picked Denver because the Broncos showed the most interest.”

Cobbs release paves the way for Young to head into camp as the team’s third string back. The team’s number two back is undrafted second year back Mike Bell so he’s even got a chance to be the number two guy.

If he can get in there and run hard, hold on to the freaking football, and make an impact on special teams he definitely has a shot of making the team. The Broncos have a history of turning backs into stars, this is probably the best imaginable situation for Selvin to be going into.

The hype surrounding this game was unreal. The atmosphere in Austin before the game was incredible. The tailgating was off the charts (more pictures and details of that to come later). Too bad the game let us down. Texas looked like they came out with the same lack of effort as they did against North Texas. The only guy on the team that looked like he was working hard was Selvin Young.

And I still don’t understand why we stopped running the ball? We were absolutely killing them on the run, yet I don’t know how many times we threw a pass on first down or some little weak screen. Why not run the ball until they prove they can stop it? All in all, we definitely got outplayed and had poor execution of game plan (if there was one). Ohio State doesn’t look unbeatable, but they were the far better team this past Saturday.

Now for the breakdown of I how I graded the positions:

Quarterback - Overall Grade: C

Colt McCoy came back down to reality this week in the first big game of his career. You shouldn’t expect too much from a freshman quarterback playing his second game in college against the #1 team in the nation, and he proved why. Colt never really made a big mistake (except for that interception), but he never did anything good either. And I know this isn’t really his fault, but the amount of screens and 5 yard passes he threw just got ridiculous. Can we please see a 30 yard pass? The one positive thing I have to say about Colt though, is that everytime he was hit (and he got hit hard) he bounced right back up and didn’t let it affect him.

Running Backs - Overall Grade: A-

You definitely can’t blame the running backs for this loss. Texas rushed for 172 yards and averaged 6 yards per carry. Selvin Young continues to show that he worked hard over the summer and ran for 94 yards for an impressive 8.5 yards per carry. Jamaal had a pretty good night as well, going for 70 yards. The only problem was out of their control, they simply did not get the ball enough. When you are averaging 6 yards per carry, you don’t throw the ball 32 times. Make Ohio State stop the running attack, then throw the ball down-field.

Wide Receivers - Overall Grade: C-

I think the receivers saw a lot more action than they were expecting. Most of the time you would think they would like that. However I doubt they really enjoyed catching a screen or 5 yard pass and then getting nailed by the defense. Ohio State really concentrated their efforts on Sweed and had some extra coverage on him most of the night, although when he was actually able to break away he did make some good plays. But with a play-maker like that you need to figure out a way to get him the ball.

Pittman’s fumble came about as bad a time as possible. Texas was pounding the ball down the Buckeyes throat, about to score, and Pittman fumbles the ball at the 2. Imagine how pumped the crowd would be scoring first, instead Ohio State is scoring 5 plays later. And where is Jermichael Finley? He needs to figure out a way to get the ball more and make the catch when it finally does come to him.

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First off, it was one of the hottest games that I have ever been to. The temperature was around 100 degrees and there was basically no breeze what-so-ever. As far as the game went, Texas obviously dominated a weaker North Texas team, but I came away a little under-impressed with Texas’ performance. The offensive unit didn’t seem to have much of a spark, and there were really no plays that had any sort of wow factor. With that said, here is how I graded the performances:

Quarterback - Overall Grade: A-

Colt McCoy started the game off quickly with a 60 yard touchdown pass to Limas Sweed on the third play of the game. Colt threw for two more touchdowns, added one on the ground, and threw for 178 yards. Overall I was impressed with Colt’s calmness on the field. He didn’t seem nervous at all and most of his throws were on the money (although a few of passes seemed to float on him a little). Jevan Snead didn’t seem to be as relaxed as McCoy, but he still made some decent throws. And a few of his incompletions were definitely the receivers’ fault.

Running Backs - Overall Grade: A

There really should be an asterisk next to this grade, as the defense for North Texas was so weak it was hard to get a good feel for just how good the Texas’ backs were running. But with that said, the running backs looked good. Selvin Young looks like a new man out there, showing off his regained speed. Young scored one touchdown on the ground and added another one receiving (did he embarrass that defender or what?). Jamaal Charles ran for 77 yards and a score, but for some reason I was expecting a little more flash from him. I kept waiting for him to break one for a 50 yard gain. Colt actually had the longest running play of the day with a 27 yard scamper he almost broke for a touchdown.

Receivers - Overall Grade: C

I was pretty disappointed with the performance of the receivers, aside from Limas Sweed that is. Sweed definitely did his part, going for a career best 111 yards and added 2 scores. Other than Sweed however, there were way too many dropped passes. Hardy dropped a couple I can remember and even Pittman dropped a pretty easy pass. Snead’s interception was also the result of a pass that was tipped off of Jordan Shipley’s hands. I expect this was all just nerves, but I hope they all get over it because this can’t happen against Ohio State.

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Rematch with a Colorado team that the Longhorns handled easily back in mid-October. The Buffs were flying high then but they’re reeling now after two straight losses and backing into this game. They’re certainly a good enough football team that Texas can’t overlook them and just cruise through. They need to get up early and then just pour it on.

Give it up to ABC for actually managing to show the game in high definition, of course only ABC could manage to keep that a complete secret all week long. Seems like that might be the kind of thing that a network would want people to know to draw in viewers. This will be my first ever Texas game to watch in HD, it’ll be interesting to see if I can stand not being able to rewind and watch replays that ABC doesn’t bother to show.

First Quarter

• Colorado doesn’t run the option like Texas A&M does, but they definitely watched film of that game and Oklahoma State. They come out early and run a successful toss sweep for a first down. Texas defensive ends and linebackers must do a better job against the outside run.
• I don’t know what Robert Killebrew was just doing in pass coverage. Third and ten and he lets the Colorado TE get free for the reception. It was a zone defense but he and Aaron Harris were essentially holding hands in the middle of the field while leaving the flats wide open.
• Fumble! Michael Huff makes a sure tackle and forces the CU receiver to fumble the football. Big break for Texas.
• Designed run for Vince Young early to get him involved in the rushing attack. VY breaks a tackle and goes for 18. Good to see him running and fired up.
• Look who’s freaking back! Great scramble by Vince. Several good moves and then just plows over a tackler and takes it down to the one yard line.
• Henry Melton behind the right side of the line for the one yard touchdown. Horns get on the board first.

Texas 7, Colorado 0

• Time for the defense to answer. Offense game out and got early points, now we need the defense to get a quick stop.
• Why does the 25-yard line have special coloring? Isn’t it always the 20? The refs just spotted the ball in the wrong place after a touchback because of it.
• Huff all over the place early in the game and two CU dropped passes help the Horns force a three and out.
• That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone talk about Mack Brown’s lack of a conference title as a coach with any logic. There’s not a ton of excuses for not having one in his time at Texas, but in his previous stops at Tulane and North Carolina there’s not much hope of winning one.
• Jamaal Charles looks healthy and fast. Wooo! Just took an option pitch from Vince for a big gain.
• No huddle is great, but I kind of wish we’d huddle up for a third and 3 inside the 20 yard line.
• I’d much rather have the ball in Charles’ hands than Ramonce Taylor’s on a third and short. Much better at just getting down field and picking up the necessary yards.
• I just love having Jamaal Charles in the backfield. Simple and easy arrow route out of the backfield and he catches the pass for a touchdown.

Texas 14, Colorado 0

• Just a reminder to myself before I relax too much, Texas was up 14 - 0 against A&M last week too.
• Good kickoff coverage.
• Buffaloes are holding like mad men. The CU running back just used his legs to wrap up a guy in pass protection.
• Crap, Michael Huff is hurt. Maybe an arm or shoulder?
• Holy crap are we pathetic against the option. Joel Klatt looked half-retarded on the play but he managed to drunkenly stumble for a big gain.
• Now the other safety is on the ground hurt. Michael Griffin decided to lead with his helmet instead of wrapping up and making a sound tackle and hurt himself.
• More blocking with their legs by Colorado. I guess the refs are going to allow that crap today.
• Another option but this time the Texas defense actually plays it correctly. Linebacker slow-played Klatt and forced the pitch while giving the rest of the defense time to get out there.
• Big third and 11.
• If the guy in the Citi Simplicity commercial is paying his credit card online, why does he need a paper copy of the bill to make a payment?
• Looks like they have decided to stop Colorado’s constant holding, two calls against them in a row. Aaron Ross breaks up the pass and forces a field goal try.
• Blocked field goal!! Brian Robison got his white ass up and got a solid hand on it. Ross tries to pull a Nathan Vasher and picked up a ball he shouldn’t have for the return. Not a bad return by him but there’s an illegal block and Texas is backed up to their own 6.
• Crap. Limas Sweed doesn’t make the catch on what might have been pass interference and CU intercepts the pass. Crap.

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ABC was about to screw Longhorn fans once again, they botched things the last two weeks and seemed like they weren’t going to switch away from the Texas Tech game. They would’ve had throngs of angry Horns fans on the doorsteps if they did it to us again.

Big game today, I really don’t think the Buffs are as good as people think they are. They’re good, but they played poorly against the only top opponent they’ve played so far this season. They’re getting a lot of love for throttling the Aggies, but who hasn’t done that. It’ll be interesting to see how we do if Jamaal Charles is limited or doesn’t play and to see how we match up with their big tight end, Joe Klopfenstein.

First Quarter

• Great 3 and out from the defense. A lot of pressure on the Colorado quarterback, Joel Klatt.
• You don’t have to call a freaking foul on every kick return, it looked like Tarell Brown brushed against the guy and they threw a flag. Weak call but not a smart play by Brown either. After the penalty and a great kick we’re going to start back on our own 10.
• Penalties have started already.
• Vince Young is looking good already. Looks comfortable in the pocket and is getting time to throw. He’s hit several open wide receivers in stride.
• Selvin Young hasn’t had much room to run yet.
• Going for it on 4th down and we have to blow a timeout. That defeats the whole damn purpose.
• I was about to yell at Vince for not running for the first down just now but he finds Brian Carter open down the field and hits him for a huge first down.
• I like the screen call to Romance Taylor but that didn’t work at all.
• Another great job protecting Vince and another good job by him to find the open man on 3rd and 13. David Thomas caught the ball short and made a great effort to get the first.
• Yikes that was scary. Great play action and pump fake by VY but then he dove for the goal line and got hammered. Careful big guy.
• QB sneak by VY for the touchdown to cap off a fantastic opening drive by the Longhorns. We passed the ball very well and converted several 3rd downs and a 4th too. 16 plays covering 90 yards but not much success running the ball.

Colorado 0, Texas 7

• Great kick by Greg Johnson for the touchback. Not wonderful depth but perfect location.
• Weak roughing the passer call. This isn’t the NFL, the QB’s aren’t made of glass. Tim Crowder took one step and hit Klatt and they throw the flag. Two guys should have had the sack before then though, I think Brian Robison and Rod Wright both missed him.
• Wow, a personal foul not against us. That’s downright shocking. Big penalty puts them in a 3rd and a mile situation.
• Charles isn’t healthy and Selvin Young is a serviceable back, but JC just brings another gear. While the game is in doubt we need him in there just to make CU think about him.
• Another third down conversion to Thomas. You guys might want to cover him.
• Fantastic play by Vince and just as good by Billy Pittman. Young is scrambling and finds Pittman who throws on the brakes, makes a great catch, and gets moving down field.
• Great run by VY for a TD. Great fake on the zone read to Selvin, then made several guys miss and got the ball just inside the pylon. Of course the refs decide to review the play since it was an obvious touchdowns, only plays that hose us aren’t reviewed.

Colorado 0, Texas 14

• Another good kick by Johnson is returned from 2 yards deep in the end zone. CU starts inside their own 20.

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In a nutshell, Texas had their way with Louisiana Lafayette, which is indicated by the 60-3 score. Texas did pretty much anything they wanted to on offense, including rushing for 418 yards. The defense was also stout, and you could tell right from the start that Louisiana Lafayette was going to have trouble doing anything. I guess the only real down spot is Saturday’s game is the special teams, who missed 3 extra points! Now let’s move on to a position-by-position look at how the Longhorns graded out on Saturday.

Quarterback - Overall Grade: A

After Vince Young’s 5 touchdown performance in the Rose Bowl, there is no surprise that he entered this season as one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. With all of that pressure, I was interested to see how he would perform. I think it is safe to say that Young did not disappoint. Young finished the game with an efficient 13-17 for 173 yards. He looked to be very comfortable throwing the ball and you could tell he has gained a lot of confindence this past off-season. Matt Nordgren played for most of the second half but did not attempt a single pass attempt. He did scramble a few times, showing off an interesting technique of gaining more yards when going out of bounds.

Running Backs - Overall Grade: A+

Texas appears to have a full stable of speedy and powerful tailbacks to compliment quarterback Vince Young this year. Freshman running backs Jamaal Charles and Henry Melton had a huge impact on the game, with Charles running for 135 yards and 1 score and Melton running for 65 yards and 2 scores. I swear it looked like Melton couldn’t be tackled. A bigger and quicker Selvin Young added 65 yards and speedster Ramonce Taylor also added 65 yards. With a total of 418 yards, I would say things are definitely looking good for the Texas running game.

Receivers / Tight Ends - Overall Grade: B

David Thomas was up to his usual self, making big plays and scored 2 touchdowns on 3 catches. With his 2 touchdowns, David Thomas moved into fifth place all-time at Texas for a tight end with his 51th career reception. Senior Brian Carter also help out by setting a career high with three receptions against the Ragin’ Cajuns for 65 yards, matching his previous career total of three receptions in only the first half. Nate Jones, Limas Sweed, and Quan Cosby also performed well, with Nate Jones scoring his first career touchdown. It was nice to see some consistency in this group and I look forward to seeing them improve this year.

Offensive Line - Overall Grade: A+

Considering that Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles, Henry Melton, Ramonce Taylor and Vince Young averaged 9.5 yards per carry, I would say that the offensive line did pretty well on Saturday. Justin Blalock (fellow Plano East grad) led the offensive line who just totally dominated Louisana Lafayette. Hopefully they keep the same aggressiveness next Saturday against OSU.

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