Scouting the Broncos: 2012 Linebackers

[Bronco Rob]

The Broncos defense made great strides last season beyond their 2010 performance, improving in points allowed, from 32nd to 24th, and in yards against, from 32nd to 20th.

Better players, including the return from injury by Elvis Dumervil and the addition of second-overall pick and eventual DROY Von Miller, were significant factors. The coaching of John Fox and Dennis Allen also loomed large, but with Allen having departed for the darker pastures of Oakland, the defense is now in the hands of former Pro Bowl linebacker and ex-longtime Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio.

Like Del Rio, linebackers coach Richard Smith has been a successful coordinator in the past and also coached under Fox with the Panthers.

So far we've examined the team's options at tackle and end; let's look today at the linebackers Fox, Del Rio, and Smith will have at their disposal:

http://www.itsalloverfatman.com/bron...12-linebackers

[BroncoMan4ever]

can we dump DJ and his antics if Trevathan or Woodyard prove to be adequate fill ins for the season?

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by BroncoMan4ever

can we dump DJ and his antics if Trevathan or Woodyard prove to be adequate fill ins for the season?

DJ is going to miss 6 games so the Broncos can run with those guys and see how they do. If they do great DJ might not have a job to come back to. My feeling is DJ will come back and by week 8 be the starter. However, I think this could be his last year in Denver as the young LBers develop.

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by BroncoMan4ever

can we dump DJ and his antics if Trevathan or Woodyard prove to be adequate fill ins for the season?

You mean like how Woodyard has done such a great job, making DJ disposable over the last 4 years?

[g6matty]

you want to dump the guy whos consistantly led our team in tackles since hes been drafted lol? we need DJ

[DBroncos4life]

Originally Posted by Bacchus

DJ is going to miss 6 games so the Broncos can run with those guys and see how they do. If they do great DJ might not have a job to come back to. My feeling is DJ will come back and by week 8 be the starter. However, I think this could be his last year in Denver as the young LBers develop.

DJ will not miss 6 games. McBean didn't even try and his suspension was reduced to 3 games. The NFL has no leg to stand on.

[Bronco Rob]

D.J. Williams is facing a six-game suspension due to one of the strangest examples of why there are problems with the player urinalysis program. Despite multiple problems with collecting the sample, some ‘non-human’ urine was supposedly mixed into it and the league expects D.J. to take responsibility for that, as well as a DUI. Former teammate Ryan McBean made a deal and had his suspension cut to three games, but D.J. is currently fighting the suspension. This is something that could drag out, ala the Star Caps mess, or be solved by September. If D.J. is suspended at all this season, though, which is likely, it could open some interesting doors.

[g6matty]

i think dj might get suspended for his DUI case but not the urine sample .

[Cmac821]

If Mays is replaced by Irving, that is going to be a lot of speed on the field. With WW and Irving laying some big hits

[BroncoMan4ever]

Originally Posted by g6matty

you want to dump the guy whos consistantly led our team in tackles since hes been drafted lol? we need DJ

DJ is a constant source of annoyance for the team. he is always seemingly on the verge of suspension. his name tends to be in police blotters often. and as a player he has always played far below what his actual ability could allow him. his ability could have made him one of the best players in the league, a genuine star, but outside of Denver no one knows who he is.

[BroncoMan4ever]

Originally Posted by fontaine

You mean like how Woodyard has done such a great job, making DJ disposable over the last 4 years?

i agree, that is why i said IF he or Trevathan show they can play. more than likely there is going to be a period at the start of the season where those 2 will see a lot of action because DJ is going to be suspended. maybe not for his supposedly trying to cheat a drug test, but for his DUI. DJ is most likely in his last year in Denver anyway, if those 2 show they can hold down the position for a year until we draft a permanent replacement or one of them shows they are the replacement there, why not trade DJ for a mid to late round pick and move on now?

[razorwire77]

Woodyard is a nickle backer and special teams player. Nothing more, nothing less. If he were anything more, the front office would have rid itself of DJ many moons ago. D.J. is still the best Will on the team by a country mile. Those that are expecting Wesley or a 6th round draft pick rookie from Kentucky to make D.J. expendable are kidding themselves. Best thing is to hope he wins his appeal and plays at a decent level this year. In 2013-2014, you consider drafting his replacement in the first couple of rounds, or finding a younger, less idiotic decision prone free agent.

[pricejj]

Originally Posted by Cmac821

If Mays is replaced by Irving, that is going to be a lot of speed on the field. With WW and Irving laying some big hits

Irving runs a 4.74 forty. I would hardly call him speedy. Is he faster than Mays? Yes. But he's not fast for NFL standards at the MLB position. He would have a difficult time covering most TE's.

[Bronco Rob]

Originally Posted by Cmac821

If Mays is replaced by Irving, that is going to be a lot of speed on the field. With WW and Irving laying some big hits

I'm not a Joe Mays fan by any stretch of the imagination BUT Fox and Del Rio like him enough to give him 13 million AND "allegedly" if we didn't pay him he would be starting in Indianapolis or New Orleans.


That being said we still should have signed Jameel McClain....

This past year, McClain was second on the NFL’s third-ranked defense with 81 tackles. He also finished the regular season with one sack, one interception, a career-high five passes defended and two fumble recoveries, including one in which he returned for a touchdown in the Ravens’ victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 2.

He was at his best this past season during middle linebacker Ray Lewis’ four-game absence with a toe injury. In those four games, McClain made 32 tackles while making all the defensive calls in victories against the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.

[razorwire77]

If Irving doesn't get on the field at all this year, I think you've gotta upgrade Mike next year too. Despite dishing out the money for Joe Mays, I can't imagine Del Rio is thinking that's the guy I want anchoring the middle of my defense for the next several years.

[Shananahan]

Originally Posted by razorwire77

D.J. is still the best Will on the team by a country mile.

Agreed.

Crossing your fingers to see him replaced by an 'adequate fill-in' makes no sense to me.

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by BroncoMan4ever

can we dump DJ and his antics if Trevathan or Woodyard prove to be adequate fill ins for the season?

IIRC WW had a great ratio of tackles per play maybe even better than DJ had..


IMO DJ while he may be the leading tackler on the team rarely does he make a stop at or behind the LOS..

For someone that is as fast as he is supposed to be I can probably count the number of QB sacks he has on one hand each year.... (just looked 2.5 py avarage)

Most of his tackles are drag them down from behind and usually after they have made the first down.. and his pass coverage is well lacking at best..

for the money he is scheduled to make cut his ass or ask for a lower contract..

how many games this year will PAt be sending his paycheck to the NFL charities?

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by BroncoMan4ever

DJ is a constant source of annoyance for the team. he is always seemingly on the verge of suspension. his name tends to be in police blotters often. and as a player he has always played far below what his actual ability could allow him. his ability could have made him one of the best players in the league, a genuine star, but outside of Denver no one knows who he is.

he was Vilmas college teammate and is no where near his talent level..

[cmhargrove]

Originally Posted by lonestar

he was Vilmas college teammate and is no where near his talent level..

I don't know that you could really back this statement up with facts. Vilma and DJ have had pretty similar production. Vilma has a few more tackles, DJ has more sacks. Otherwise, they have had pretty similar production.

[Cmac821]

Originally Posted by pricejj

Irving runs a 4.74 forty. I would hardly call him speedy. Is he faster than Mays? Yes. But he's not fast for NFL standards at the MLB position. He would have a difficult time covering most TE's.

Then my idea is no good, I want a faster MLB. Maybe just run a nickle package the whole time without a MLB, Harris in the slot is a decent tackler

[cmhargrove]

Originally Posted by Cmac821

Then my idea is no good, I want a faster MLB. Maybe just run a nickle package the whole time without a MLB, Harris in the slot is a decent tackler

I'm not trying to razz you here, but you understand that with a suspect d-line, staying in a nickel defense is just another way to hand the Chiefs and Raiders 200 rushing yards per game?

Mays will be just fine as long as the coaches just ask him to play to his strengths and capabilities. He's not ever going to do well in coverage, but if he learns to read keys and ball movement a little better, he will be quite good. He's a natural thumper, and I think the Eagles drafted him as their next Jeremiah Trotter. He's not there yet, but he has the same skillset.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by pricejj

Irving runs a 4.74 forty. I would hardly call him speedy. Is he faster than Mays? Yes. But he's not fast for NFL standards at the MLB position. He would have a difficult time covering most TE's.

To be fair, Irving was only one year removed from a devastating car crash which involved rods being put in his legs.

There is a reason why the FO basically red shirted the guy last year. General perception was that he was still a good bit off from 100% back last season.

[Cmac821]

Originally Posted by cmhargrove

I'm not trying to razz you here, but you understand that with a suspect d-line, staying in a nickel defense is just another way to hand the Chiefs and Raiders 200 rushing yards per game?

Mays will be just fine as long as the coaches just ask him to play to his strengths and capabilities. He's not ever going to do well in coverage, but if he learns to read keys and ball movement a little better, he will be quite good. He's a natural thumper, and I think the Eagles drafted him as their next Jeremiah Trotter. He's not there yet, but he has the same skillset.

Hey not a problem, I'm little biased towards mays. Not a real fan of the his inconsistency and lack luster pass coverage. I don't remember seeing Jermiah Trottter play to much but either way I hope mays develops into a good MLB

[Jetmeck]

Originally Posted by g6matty

you want to dump the guy whos consistantly led our team in tackles since hes been drafted lol? we need DJ

yep.............this^^^

[glenwillett]

I'm really hoping that Irving can come on this season and steal that MLB job because for all the big hits he makes Mays can't cover a soul and I think the Pats showed us that there is a weakness in the middle of the field.

As far as DJ... He makes a lot of tackles but I honestly can't remember an impact play from the guy throughout his career for the life of me. Maybe I was spoiled by being raised on Al Wilson but I see most of his tackles coming after the LOS has already been broken through by the opposition.

That said, I don't think Woodyard is a good enough tackler to start consistently and probably never will be. I don't know much about Trevathan but I liked the clips I saw of him after he was drafted, however he's undersized like Woodyard which worries me about his ability to be able to tackle power backs and the now chic playmaking TEs around the league.

LB was a mess going into the off-season and I think we wasted an opportunity to grab a stud in Lavonte David to take Osweiler which is going to hurt us big time this season, especially during the Williams suspension.