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Published on 08/24/2009 at Mon Aug 24 16:31.
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Broncos Add Another ex-Pat

Posted Mon Aug 24th by

Spann

The Denver Broncos are collecting former New England Patriots. A week after trading for DL Le Kevin Smith, the Broncos claimed DB Antwain Spann off waivers from Buffalo Monday. Wide receiver Travis Shelton was waived to make room for Spann.

Spann (6-0, 200) played in New England from 2006-08 after entering the NFL with the New York Giants in 2005 as a college free agent out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. He has appeared in 19 regular-season and three playoff games in his career, tallying 14 tackles (13 on special teams).

The DPO tells us this makes six players (plus the coach) who were with the Patriots last year. This isn’t a groundbreaking move by any means – Spann will be lucky to make the roster, but it does make one wonder which Bronco will be cut for a Patriot next week? (EDIT: in a “this is funny, haha” kind of way. Hard to read the subtext.) Press release after the jump.

BRONCOS CLAIM DB ANTWAIN SPANN OFF WAIVERS FROM BUFFALO; WAIVE WR TRAVIS SHELTON

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos on Monday claimed defensive back Antwain Spann off waivers from Buffalo and waived rookie wide receiver Travis Shelton, it was announced.

Spann (6-foot-0, 200 pounds) is a fourth-year player who competed in training camp with the Bills before he was waived on Friday. He played for New England from 2006-08 and entered the NFL with the New York Giants in 2005 as a college free agent from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

For his career, Spann has appeared in 19 career regular-season games and totaled 11 special-teams tackles along with one defensive stop. He also has played in three playoff contests for his career, posting two special-teams tackles.

Spann saw time in a career-high 10 games with the Patriots last year and registered four tackles on special teams and one defensive stop.

As a senior at Louisiana-Lafayette, Spann started all 11 games at cornerback and had 68 tackles (36 solo) along with a team-high four interceptions. He played two years at Louisiana-Lafayette after transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Spann, who attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, Calif., was born on Feb. 22, 1983.

  • Vince_Marine

    If the roster move equals wins then I’m onboard! Who cares if he is an ex-Patriot.

  • Bronco_Lover_Forever

    My problem is not with exPats, its with seeing things with one eye.

  • Mr.East

    This is a smart move. Alphonso Smith is nursing an injury so someone else needs to take some reps to take the load off.

    This guys is big and physical so he’ll be a good addition in practice. Travis Shelton wasn’t going to make the roster with the depth ahead of him.

    Really don’t care if he’s an ex-pat. It’s probably better because he’ll be more affluent to the system.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    I meant in a funny way (edited the post to reflect that). I can just see Josh McDaniels scanning the waiver wire from anyone who used to wear a Pats jersey and going ape-s*** when one pops up.

    Drew Litton, go nuts.

  • Pete

    All coaches do this. Even Shanahan brought over Romanowski and McCaffrey from San Fran. Hell, he tried getting Steve Young when The Provider retired. This is nothing new, and it certainly isn’t the first time a new Broncos coach has done this.

  • Pete

    Also Jerry Rice. I can go on and on. Nobody said we were “San Fran East” did they? :rollseyes:

  • OC Bronco

    I can’t see him making the team but he definitely has more of a shot than Shelton. End of story really.

  • Rob Bronco

    Nothing would stun me at this point. I half expect to wake up tomorrow and see the headline “McDaniels trades entire team for Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Both will play Ironman football”.

  • Tom9798

    Pete . . . good points made . . . T

  • Tom9798

    Rob Bronco . . . . can’t be the entire team . . . but give me Hillis and Larsen . . . and nineteen other player’s that eat nails for breakfast and we’ll re-create the “Flying V”
    . . . who needs face-guards . . . . just the player’s these day’s that have an agent answer their phone for them . . . cuz’ their toe is a little sore . . . . or their tender feelings are hurt . . . or I’m nor getting as much money as the next guy . . . . even though I haven’t done a thing so far . . . .

    I can see truly Great football player’s from our past absolutely sick each day watching the crap that happens each day in the NFL now . . . and professional sports as a whole . . . .

    Joe Namath was drafted out of Alabama in 1964 with the highest contract in football to that date . . . $427,000 dollars . . . . first QB to pass over 4,000 yds in a 14 game season . . . .

    Now we have college athelete’s who “hold out” and refuse to play, on advice from their agent’s, because they won’t have million’s of dollar’s guaranteed before they even go to the practice field . . .

    and the four dollar ticket to see Namath now costs . . . . .

  • craig

    There were comparison’s b/t the Broncos and the 49ers, but it wasn’t called the “San Fran of the East”, it was called the west coast offense. And the reason no one was critical was because Shannahan didn’t try to trade Elway and Sharpe. Having said that, the players from the Pats that he has brought in, have been better than what they’ve replaced. Except for Mike Leach(Paxton).

  • Fan From Spain

    Whats the status on Simms? his knee OK?

  • CompUser

    Craig, you say the reason no one was critical was because Shannahan didn’t try to trade Elway and Sharpe. Elway and Sharpe were both far superior players than Cutler and Marhsall. But, that said, I believe it’s a myth that McDaniels tried to trade Cutler. McDaniels was contacted about a potential trade, he discussed it just like any coach would if contacted about a potential trade, and it went no where. Not even to Bowlen. And who’s trying to trade Marshall? Aren’t the Broncos actually refusing to trade him?

  • Craig

    Comp,

    The comparsion b/t Cutler and Marshall to Elway and Sharpe wasn’t necessarily a comparison b/t the two. Of course Elway and Sharpe were far superior to Cutler and Marshall. Both both tandems were the best offensive weapons on each team. That’s my comparison. You’re right he’s not necessarily looking to trade Marshall but he isn’t stopping the talks either. As for the Cutler situation, do you think Bellichick would of taken a call discussing Brady, did Dungy take a call discussing Peyton? The chargers didn’t take a call about the availability of Rivers. Weather he contacted other teams or took the call, there was one thing to say, Jay’s not available. That’s it… would he take a call about Clady? The only reason the story was leaked was because he thought seriously about it from the get go.

    Just heard that he traded a late rd pick for another New England guy, Russ Hockstein. This is getting a little silly…will we have any draft picks next year to rebuild?

  • TJ

    Camp fodder. IMO

  • CompUser

    Sorry, I didn’t see it as a comparison of Elway/Sharpe to Cutler/Marshall. I took it as a jab against McDaniels because of the perception that he TRIED to trade Cutler, and is now TRYING to trade Marshall.

    You said “As for the Cutler situation, do you think Bellichick would of taken a call discussing Brady, did Dungy take a call discussing Peyton? The chargers didn’t take a call about the availability of Rivers.”

    Maybe they did. Who knows? They don’t know who’s calling until they answer the phone. So anyway, I agree they probably weren’t. But none of their quarterbacks asked to be traded like Cutler did after Shanahan was fired, did they? But Cutler DID ask, and that probably generated enough interest for a couple coaches to make a long-shot phone call.

    Then you said “whether he contacted other teams or took the call, there was one thing to say, Jay’s not available. That’s it… ”

    Maybe he did. Maybe the callers tried to convince McDaniels that Cutler WANTED to be traded, so it took a while for them to take no for an answer. WE don’t know. What’s McDaniels supposed to do – just hang up? That would go over well if he ever needed to call one of them about a possible trade sometime in the future. Wouldn’t it?

  • craig

    Well the way I see it… is I believe no team has ever traded their quarterback after a Pro Bowl year. Also McDaniels has never been a head coach or coached a game. So when I put those two together I blame it on inexperience. Believe what you will, but no one is taking calls in regards to young successful QB’s being available.

    Cutler never asked to be traded after Shannahan was fired.

    Jay Cutler’s camp said he was concerned about the staff, specifically Jeremy Bates and disucss this with Bowlen and Bowlen said the staff would remain intact.

    Bowlen says he never had this conversation. So either or, he didn’t ask for a trade.

    McDaniels didn’t have to hang up, just say, “sorry he’s not available”. Why would that piss anyone off.

    If I take a call from an ex-girlfriend, and have a conversation, my wife has all the right to be pissed.

    I’m sorry the excuse that it would be “stupid not to listen to every offer” is just that an excuse.

    What is stupid is to trade a pro-bowl quarterback and replace him with Kyle Orton.