49ers Blog and Q&A: Former 49ers together again in Denver

49ers Blog and Q&A

News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

• Ask Matt a 49ers question

June 15, 2009

Former 49ers together again in Denver

Reunited and it feels so ... awkward? The Denver Broncos today signed receiver Brandon Lloyd, according to the Denver Post, a move that places Lloyd on the same squad as former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, who now runs the Broncos defense. Lloyd made a lot of fantastic catches while he was with the 49ers, but his downfield blocking - something treasured by Nolan - was as soft as goose down. He also drew Nolan's wrath when he alligator-armed two passes in a 2005 game in Chicago and called out quarterback Cody Pickett in the same game.

"The ball was thrown too early," Lloyd said at the time of a momentum-changing goal-line incompletion. "That wasn't the route. I still had more of the route to run. It was thrown way too soon."

Those remarks prompted Nolan to have not one, but two, heart to hearts with Lloyd. The subject: criticizing teammates.

"You count on your teammates to help you be a better player," Nolan said. "And if you alienate those players, you're not helping yourself any. It's pretty simple. No one guy gets it done. ... I don't care how good you are, if you alienate people, it doesn't help you do your job the best you can."

Nolan dealt Lloyd to the Redskins the following spring for a third- and a fourth-round draft pick. After a rocky stint in Washington, Lloyd moved to Chicago where he played with current Broncos QB starter Kyle Orton. No word yet if Denver will bring in Kevan Barlow and Rashaun Woods to further bolster the offense ...

-- Matt Barrows

About Comments

Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.

What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com

Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)

Here are some rules of the road:

• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.

• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.

• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.

• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.

• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.

• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.

• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.

• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.

You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.

If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.

blog comments powered by Disqus

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Please use the form below to submit your question. Because there is a 100-word limit for questions, a word counter is located directly beneath the box where you enter the your question.