DENVER (AP) -Dre’ Bly is looking forward to two things in Denver: lining up alongside perennial Pro Bowler Champ Bailey and playing in the snow.
The 29-year-old cornerback who was traded to Denver from Detroit in the offseason has spent his entire NFL career playing home games inside domes, and never has seen snow fall during road games despite spending his last four seasons in the NFC North.
“In my eight years in the league I never played in the snow,” Bly said. “I’ve played in the cold, but I’ve never played in the snow. So, that’s something I’m looking forward to. And I’m not a guy that wears sleeves. I might have (them) on the sideline, but once I’m on the field you’re going to see my raw arms.”
It’s only spring and he’s already longing for the snow?
“Yeah, I mean, it’s fun,” Bly said. “That’s something I did as a kid on Thanksgiving and Christmas is going outside and playing football in the snow.”
Bly, whose 33 interceptions are fourth-most in the league since 1999, has long wanted to play with his friend Bailey and he finally got that chance at the Broncos’ minicamp this month.
“It’s been good having Champ, having (John) Lynch, having a team that has won, veterans who have won, that’s what I need to be a part of,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of where I was in St. Louis my first four years, having big-time veterans, guys who have won, a winning organization, an organization with high standards.
“That’s where I am now. I’m glad to be here, man,” Bly said. “The last four years in Detroit it was a struggle. We had good teammates there, but not winning, being at the bottom of the barrel, is tough. But being here with a team that 9-7 is not good enough for, it’s exciting and I’m looking forward to the season.”
With Bly on board, Bailey, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, thinks he can top his own spectacular 2006 season.
“He’s a playmaker,” Bailey said. “So, just to have that type of presence on the other side, it doesn’t matter if people go away from me, they’ve got to see Dre’ Bly. So it’s going to be a tough task for a lot of quarterbacks this year.”
The Broncos obtained Bly from the Lions for running back Tatum Bell, offensive lineman George Foster and a fifth-round draft pick after the death of starting cornerback Darrent Williams.
The team is eager to see the new dynamic in the secondary. Because both Bailey and Bly can lock down receivers, defensive boss Jim Bates is planning new blitz packages in Denver’s revamped defense that features a new middle linebacker in D.J. Williams and three rookie draft picks competing for playing time on the defensive line.
For the last couple of seasons in Detroit, Bly was playing more like a linebacker, “and this system here better fits my abilities, allows me to make plays, allows me to do what I do best,” Bly said.
Oh, and Bly thought of another thing he’s looking forward to this season: the Broncos’ visit to Detroit on Nov. 4.
“That was circled as soon as I got traded,” he said. “Definitely, I look forward to going back to Detroit. It’s going to be like a bitter rivalry.”
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