The Broncos had a good defense last season, but they had the potential to be so much better, which is why they chose to hire Wade Phillips as Jack Del Rio's replacement. Wade brings a new style of defense with him that I think suits the Broncos' needs much better than Del Rio's style. The switch to the 3-4 could automatically make some players better than they were in 2014. I believe that Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson and Demarcus Ware are all better suited for the 3-4. Demarcus Ware started off 2014 fantastically, but ran out of gas and was unable to sustain his success. Now that the Broncos have Shane Ray, they likely rotate him a lot of Ware. This should keep him fresh for the entire season, which is necessary for the Broncos to have a top five defense. It should also be noted that Ware plays really well in a 3-4 defense and reuniting with his old coach could help him out. Derek Wolfe will miss the first four games of the regular season due to a suspension that involved PED use. However, when he returns I expect him to have his best season in the league. He was a tweener on the line in a 4-3 because he was too small to play defensive tackle and not quick enough to effectively play defensive end. He should be a perfect fit as a 5 technique in Wade's 3-4. Malik Jackson is sort of the same story, but he was a little more effective than Wolfe in the 4-3 last season.
Every Bronco fan should be ecstatic at just how much potential this defense has in 2015. Just the talent alone is staggering. Chris Harris, Von Miller, Aqib Talib, TJ Ward, Brandon Marshall, Danny Trevathan and Demarcus Ware are all top 10 at their respective positions in my mind. Malik Jackson will make waves around the league in my opinion. They also had In 2014 they had the second best run defense in terms of yards and the 9th ranked passing defense in terms of yards. However, they were 16th in terms of points scored per game. They did this without Danny Trevathan for most of the season and Brandon Marshall also missed a couple of games. This season they hope both will be healthy and flourish in the new defense. Bradley Roby will take a step forward and teams will struggle to pass against the Broncos. The pass rush combined with the sheer talent on the outside will disrupt the flow of the opposing teams passing game. It should also be noted that Trevathan and Marshall are good coverage linebackers which will help take away check downs to the tight end or running back. If everyone were to stay healthy, this defense could be top ten on talent alone, but when combined with Wade Phillips taking over the defense, I think it makes them a lock to be a top five defense. In 2014, Del Rio was way too conservative for me and many other fans. At times it seemed like he refused to blitz, even though he had one of the best blitzing safeties in the league at his disposal. Wade should change that this season. Expect the defense to blitz a lot and to go after the football much more than previous years.
The defense played wonderfully in the first preseason game. They got to the quarterback seven times and forced four fumbles. That is what Kubiak and Elway want to see from this defense. This makes me exited to see what they are capable of in the regular season. I honestly believe this team could be a playoff contender with Brock at QB because of the talent on the defense. Manning makes them Super Bowl contenders.
Expect big numbers from Von Miller this season. He is one of the best defensive players in the NFL and is in a contract year. He is going to ball out. Also, the transition to the 3-4 might benefit him too. Shane Ray will have plenty of chances to get after the quarterback when he is relieving Demarcus Ware. I think he could het 8 or more sacks this season. Maybe I am too excited and will be disappointed, but just thinking about the changes and their performance on Friday makes me believe they are going to be elite.
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