N.Y. Jets at Denver


Tackling the Tuna

DENVER -- Not since Kurt Russell has one man wanted to escape from New York as badly as Denver Broncos middle linebacker Glenn Cadrez.

During his three-plus seasons with the New York Jets, Cadrez lived through all the problems associated with a team that had degenerated into an NFL laughingstock.

"There was some talent there, but the atmosphere was absolutely ridiculous," Cadrez said after learning Denver would be host to the Jets in Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Mile High Stadium.

	Glenn Cadrez Linebacker Denver Broncos Profile
	1998 SEASON STATISTICS TKLS SOLO ASST SACKS INTS 76 62 14 1 2 Final regular season stats

"Everybody had their little cliques. The defensive backs, they hung out with each other and always blamed everything on the pass rush or the linebackers. Everyone blamed someone. People said, 'I've done my job. What have you done?' People were pointing fingers. It was just chaos."

Cadrez was a sixth-round draft pick by the Jets in 1992 and spent his first three seasons playing primarily on special teams. During that span, New York went through two head coaches (Bruce Coslet and Pete Carroll) while posting an 18-30 record.

Before the 1995 season began, Cadrez told new coach Rich Kotite that he wanted to play elsewhere. Cadrez was waived after the third game of the season and signed by Denver eight days later at the urging of Broncos defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who held the same position in New York in 1994.

Cadrez considers his arrival in Denver a godsend. The Jets finished 3-13 in 1995, while Cadrez started seven games for the Broncos at outside linebacker.

"I felt like I was finally in the NFL," Cadrez said. "This is what it was all about. Guys playing together, playing for each other. If someone was to make a mistake, there were 10 guys right there to say, 'Hey, forget about it.' There were no long faces.

"It was a tremendous advantage to my career to come to a place like this where I could play and be myself and make the friends that I have off the field. We're a pretty close team. We have been for a few years."

Cadrez said that wasn't the case in New York. As an example, Cadrez points to his relationship with Broncos defensive lineman Marvin Washington, who played with the Jets from 1989-96.

"Me and Marvin laugh now, but we didn't even like each other (in New York)," Cadrez said. "We didn't even speak to each other. But now we go out to eat dinner and laugh about it. But with the Jets, that was just the way it was.

"It wasn't really the coaching back then. They had talent, but no one played together. No one cared about each other. Everybody just cared about themselves. I remember hearing guys saying, 'This guy is making this much. I should be making this.' It was craziness."

Once Cadrez escaped the insanity, he began to flourish.

After two years as a backup, Cadrez was given the chance to start at middle linebacker this season when Allen Aldridge went to the Detroit Lions via free agency. Cadrez has played so well that the Broncos signed him to a four-year, $3.75 million contract extension in October.

"I'm more comfortable with things that happen on the field," said Cadrez, who finished second on the Broncos in tackles this season with 105.

"I've seen them now 15 or 20 times this season, while in my first few games, I might see a play once or twice at practice and a few times on film. It didn't really register in my play, whereas now I've done it so there's a sense of comfort. That just comes with experience."

Cadrez doesn't consider playing New York a chance for revenge because "I'm so far removed from the Jets that I don't even think of myself as having played there."

But like other Broncos players, Cadrez noticed inflammatory quotes from Jets players after Denver had lost two consecutive games in December.

For instance: "They're beatable," Jets strong safety Victor Green said. "When they were 13-0, it was, 'Could anybody beat this team?' But they're beatable."

Said Cadrez: "I read something a couple of weeks ago. If you look at the players who are doing the talking, it's guys who really haven't done anything.

"They're out there talking. This is the biggest game they're played in. But knowing some of the players who are doing the talking, I can see it."

(Alex Marvez writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver.)