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Players Broncos Picks Injuries Projections Rookies Blogs SuperbowlPublished: May 17, 2009
When thinking of the most consistent defensive units over the last four or five years, teams that come to mind are the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, and the Shawne Merriman-led San Diego Chargers.
What do all of these teams have in common?
If you have not guessed by now, it is that all of these teams use a 3-4 defensive scheme, which is clearly one of the most effective ways to run a defense in today’s NFL.
When the Denver Broncos hired Josh McDaniels, he immediately sought after defensive guru and 3-4 specialist Mike Nolan to run his defense.
This is important because “back in the day”, when Denver’s defense was considered dominant, the Orange Crush was known for its impenetrable 3-4 scheme.
Can the Broncos make a smooth transformation to this particular style of defense?
While one could argue that the cardinal rule for starting a 3-4 defense is to have a stud nose tackle to clog two or three blockers in the middle, I would contend that the most important factor in building this type of defense is the middle linebacker.
For that, the Broncos have one of the best in the business in D.J. Williams, who could be the biggest benefactor of the new transition.
As fellow Broncos writer Punkus pointed out in his article, Williams has already done quite a bit of moving around in his career thus far, playing all three linebacker positions in Denver’s 4-3 scheme and now middle linebacker in the 3-4.
Williams, like the Ray Lewis of old, Patrick Willis, or Tedy Bruschi, is a player Denver can build its young defense around for years to come.
As for the present?
With their second first round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected Robert Ayers, a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker out of Tennessee.
While Ayers never had one really standout season at Tennessee statistically, scouts say he is playing the best ball of his football career, and could continue to escalate into his professional career. He is a very good run-stuffer, which is something the Broncos desperately need.
As for the other outside linebacker spot, the Broncos hope that fourth year player Elvis Dumervil can have a James Harrison-type of impact as a pass rusher.
Dumervil has led the Broncos in sacks each of the past three seasons, and could flourish as a rush linebacker at the next level.
One of the main things coach McDaniels has carried over from his days in New England is placing great value on high character and leadership from his players.
To fill a leadership role at linebacker in Denver, he brought in longtime Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Andra Davis.
Over the last seven years, Davis has averaged 103 tackles per season, and was a team captain for Cleveland. He gives the Broncos a much needed vocal leader that they have not had since Al Wilson left the team.
In addition to bolstering their group of linebackers, the Broncos spent a lot of time and money revamping a secondary that needed a major face lift.
All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey will return fully healthy this season, and the Broncos added breakout veteran Andre’ Goodman to start alongside him.
Goodman led the resurgent Miami Dolphins last season with five interceptions.
In addition to Goodman, the Broncos spent a first round pick in 2010 on Wake Forest All-American Alphonso Smith, one of the most dominant collegiate cornerbacks over the last four seasons.
Think the price was too steep? The Broncos gave Seattle their first round pick in next year’s draft in exchange for the 37th overall pick in 2009, and many Denver fans were irate with the decision.
However, it was very necessary given Denver’s inability to create turnovers in 2008, which is something Alphonso Smith did very often in his time at Wake Forest.
At the safety position, Denver significantly upgraded its awful 2008 group by signing future Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins and veteran Renaldo Hill.
Neither player is quite in the form they once were, but they are solid veterans with great leadership qualities. Most importantly, both are very good tacklers.
For passing situations, the Broncos drafted safeties Darcel McBath (second round) and David Bruton (fourth round).
McBath had seven interceptions in 2008, and was named All Big 12 first team. Bruton was known for his special teams play at Notre Dame, but has great speed and ideal size, and could compete for playing time.
He will compete with second year player Josh Barrett, who has a very similar skill set and compares favorably in size and speed.
As far as the big men up front, the Broncos do not have anybody who is going to make opposing offensive linemen cringe, but they do have a young group of guys who want to come in and compete.
Third year player Marcus Thomas will be the anchor of this line, which will feature two new starters for 2009.
The likely candidates to start alongside Thomas up front are Kenny Peterson and undrafted rookie Chris Baker out of Hampton.
It seems as though the days of classic defenses in this league are over due to the salary cap and disloyalty to respective teams.
However, due to their humble, competitive nature, this group of Broncos defenders could come out in 2009 with “chips” on their shoulders.
Maybe, just maybe, the new defensive scheme in Denver can bring back the old shade of orange.
One Comment on "Can Mike Nolan and D.J. Williams Restore the Orange Crush in Denver?"
ronnie on Sun, 27th Jul 2014 2:23 am
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tnx for info!…