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Weight is over for Broncos: Holland to Dallas
Saga to eliminate pounds ends with trade to Cowboys
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Montrae Holland's expectation was to play extensively in the Broncos' preseason finale. Instead, he's headed to Dallas after being traded to the Cowboys for a 2010 fifth-round pick.
"I'm a little shocked," he said Thursday after the deal. "I don't know, going to work and me getting the call I've been traded, it's not something I looked forward to, but it happened.
Now I have to kind of deal with it, I guess."
The deal is the culmination of a tortuous summer for Holland. He reported to camp overweight and was kept off the field by coach Mike Shanahan.
Holland worked on the side, doing extensive cardiovascular exercises and sled work until reaching his target of 325 pounds. Holland returned to the field Aug. 11 and got a chance to be scouted closely by the Cowboys during two days of joint practices.
But Holland never got close to recapturing the starting right guard job he held for all 16 games last season.
Chris Kuper, who was expected to play right tackle, was shifted to right guard. And when right tackle Ryan Harris more than held his own, there was no urgency to shift Kuper back outside to open a spot for Holland.
"If I wouldn't have come in out of shape, I would be the starting right guard," said Holland, who, to his credit, has maintained throughout that his problems the past few months were self-inflicted.
"They saw something they obviously liked enough to move on. But I appreciate the opportunity they gave me."
The Broncos liked Holland enough that they tacked on two years to his contract last year and gave him a $1 million roster bonus on the first day of the NFL calendar year in March.
The team will save his $900,000 base salary in 2008 on the salary cap. With Holland gone, Denver will go with veteran Dylan Gandy and one of two
rookies, Kory Lichtensteiger or Mitch Erickson, as the backups at guard. P.J. Alexander, whose presence on the roster almost certainly is needed while Tom Nalen recovers from knee surgery, also has experience at guard.
Meanwhile, Holland goes to a team that most predict will be a Super Bowl contender.
A native of Jefferson, Texas, Holland also gets to join one of the NFL's largest offensive fronts, with a system that's predicated on pounding the ball in the run game, which is one of his strengths. Holland eventually could slide into the starting left guard vacancy in Dallas created by a foot injury to Kyle Kosier.
In his career, Holland has played in 68 games, starting 46. He spent his first four pro seasons with the New Orleans Saints before signing with Denver in March 2007 as a free agent.
"I have no bitter feelings towards Denver at all," Holland said. "It's just the business part."
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Saga to eliminate pounds ends with trade to Cowboys
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Montrae Holland's expectation was to play extensively in the Broncos' preseason finale. Instead, he's headed to Dallas after being traded to the Cowboys for a 2010 fifth-round pick.
"I'm a little shocked," he said Thursday after the deal. "I don't know, going to work and me getting the call I've been traded, it's not something I looked forward to, but it happened.
Now I have to kind of deal with it, I guess."
The deal is the culmination of a tortuous summer for Holland. He reported to camp overweight and was kept off the field by coach Mike Shanahan.
Holland worked on the side, doing extensive cardiovascular exercises and sled work until reaching his target of 325 pounds. Holland returned to the field Aug. 11 and got a chance to be scouted closely by the Cowboys during two days of joint practices.
But Holland never got close to recapturing the starting right guard job he held for all 16 games last season.
Chris Kuper, who was expected to play right tackle, was shifted to right guard. And when right tackle Ryan Harris more than held his own, there was no urgency to shift Kuper back outside to open a spot for Holland.
"If I wouldn't have come in out of shape, I would be the starting right guard," said Holland, who, to his credit, has maintained throughout that his problems the past few months were self-inflicted.
"They saw something they obviously liked enough to move on. But I appreciate the opportunity they gave me."
The Broncos liked Holland enough that they tacked on two years to his contract last year and gave him a $1 million roster bonus on the first day of the NFL calendar year in March.
The team will save his $900,000 base salary in 2008 on the salary cap. With Holland gone, Denver will go with veteran Dylan Gandy and one of two
rookies, Kory Lichtensteiger or Mitch Erickson, as the backups at guard. P.J. Alexander, whose presence on the roster almost certainly is needed while Tom Nalen recovers from knee surgery, also has experience at guard.
Meanwhile, Holland goes to a team that most predict will be a Super Bowl contender.
A native of Jefferson, Texas, Holland also gets to join one of the NFL's largest offensive fronts, with a system that's predicated on pounding the ball in the run game, which is one of his strengths. Holland eventually could slide into the starting left guard vacancy in Dallas created by a foot injury to Kyle Kosier.
In his career, Holland has played in 68 games, starting 46. He spent his first four pro seasons with the New Orleans Saints before signing with Denver in March 2007 as a free agent.
"I have no bitter feelings towards Denver at all," Holland said. "It's just the business part."
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