Thursday, August 24, 2006

Brian Clark Still Hoping To Stick In Denver

BC is workin' hard but finds himself way down the depth chart.

Each day after practice, Brian Clark sheds his gear, recruits an equipment manager and sets up the pitching machine.

No matter how much work he receives in practice, the undrafted rookie catches 100 balls before he allows himself to come off the field. He catches them low, high, turning around, one-handed, whatever he can think of.

“You never know what’s going to happen in a game,” Clark said. “You may have to make a big catch in a strange way.”

Clark’s big catch hasn’t come so far this preseason, and there’s a chance it won’t with two games left. But the free agent out of North Carolina State has made enough of an impact in training camp to make it tough for the Broncos to cut him next month.

“When they brought him in, we didn’t expect him to look as good as he does,” Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey said. “But he looks great.”

The numbers aren’t on Clark’s side. Of the Broncos nine receivers, he is only listed ahead of Charlie Adams, whom Denver traded to the Cowboys last week in a deal that was voided after Adams failed a physical.

So, chances are, even with Ashley Lelie gone and fourth-round pick Brandon Marshall fighting a knee injury, Clark’s best hope will be to make the practice squad.