Posted Thu May 15th by Monty
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Hamza Abdullah, a 7th round choice in 2005 by Tampa Bay, has had the luxury of learning on the bench the past several years. After suiting for one game in 2005 and contributing to special teams in 2006, Abdullah saw his most significant game action in 2007, earning a starting role and playing fairly well overall. He started in 8 games, tallying 48 tackles with 2 forced fumbles and 7 passes defensed.
The Good: Abdullah is the fastest safety on the roster and arguably has the most upside. While he hasn’t tallied an INT yet, he has a nose for the ball with 7 passes defensed and a few tipped balls that led to Bronco interceptions. He isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty in run defense, either.
The Bad: His infamous whiff on Thursday Night Football against the Texans is not an indication of his play overall, yet it stuck in many fans’ minds. He started out strong as a starter, but his impact tailed off as the season went on. He only tallied 2 tackles in each of the last two weeks of the season (in comparison, his first start against KC netted him 9 solo tackles and 2 passes defensed).
Status: Incumbent starter. Signed through 2008. The Broncos added free agents Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel to compete for starting roles, and rookie Josh Barrett is a project the Broncos hope to develop in much the same way they did with Abdullah in 2006. Abdullah’s starting role is by no means guaranteed – he will have to earn it in training camp.
Finally, we invite you, the reader, to let us know your thoughts on Abdullah. In general, do you approve of the way he’s played on the field to date?
BroncoTalk is in the process of building on on-line roster reference for the fans. As we write new bios for each player, we’ll be sure to post them on the main page for your enjoyment.
Published on 05/15/2008 at Thu May 15 13:11.
Tagged: Hamza Abdullah.