Mike Anderson spent six years with the Denver Broncos. When he arrives at Invesco Field at Mile High on Monday as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, he is prepared to feel out of sorts.
“Thinking about it, to this day I don?t ever recall being in the visitor?s locker room,” Anderson said Thursday. “So even that?s going to be strange, just going on that side.”
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Both Anderson and current Ravens teammate Trevor Pryce, a defensive end, were salary-cap casualties of the Broncos last spring despite their individual success with the franchise.
“It?s kind of standard operating procedure nowadays,” Ravens head coach Brian Billick said. “Every place you go, you probably are going to have somebody that?s been there. This is just another example of it. I know they meant a lot to that team and that community.”
Pryce, who is often a straight-shooter in media interviews, appeared to take the release personally.
“They?re more concerned with me if I don?t say anything,” Pryce said of Denver in his only comments Thursday about facing his former team.
So far this season, Pryce has been the more productive of the two players, with 2.5 sacks. He is a four-time Pro Bowler who had 66.5 sacks prior to his arrival in Baltimore.
Pryce was vocal during mini-camp and training camp about the differences between the two franchises. His comments were sharply critical of the offseason moves of his former team.
“It?s not so much the names, because every year in Denver, we brought free agents in with [big] names, and we?d be OK at best,” Pryce said in June. “But it?s when you buy into the team thing that you?re really good. I look at this the same way. They have big-name guys here, but the big-name guys can actually play.”
Teammates and coaches have said Pryce has been a difference-maker in Baltimore?s second-ranked defense.
“I think I alluded to it the other day where I have been focusing so much and commenting about the pass rush that he gives us on the inside,” Billick said. “He?s much more of a complete player. I haven?t been giving him his proper due.”
Despite the fact that he had rushed for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005, the Broncos also released Anderson. So far, Denver has come out on the better end of the deal. Through four games this season, Anderson has rushed for just 59 yards and one touchdown.
This week, Billick was non-committal when asked about where exactly Anderson fits in the team?s plans. Billick said he liked the depth of the position with Jamal Lewis, Anderson and Musa Smith.
Anderson said Thursday that he accepts his role and is looking forward to making a difference, perhaps starting on Monday.
“It?s going to be great,” Anderson said. “It?s going to be exciting. I was just thinking about that. Whenever there?s a Monday night game in the mile-high city, it?s electrifying.”
