Justin Bannan has decided to come back to Denver. He last played with the Broncos in 2010 when he started all sixteen games and put up thirty-five tackles with a sack and four pass deflections.
In ten seasons Bannan has accumulated 303 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 interception, 10 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, and recovered four in 144 career appearances. He's played for Buffalo (2002-2005), Baltimore (2006-2009), Denver (2010), and St. Louis (2011), and was selected in the fifth round by the Bills.
Bannan was a four-year starter at the University of Colorado. By the time he finished at Colorado he accumulated 158 tackles and 8 sacks, and earning first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors as a senior.
Bannan was excited to rejoin the team and play with Elvis Dumervil ,who missed the 2010 season, and Von Miller, and had this to say:
“It’s going to be incredible,” Bannan said. “It sure would have helped me if I had Elvis there in 2010. Losing him was tough; it was a big blow to the defense. It seemed like we lost a lot of guys that year on defense. Playing with Elvis and what I’ve seen from Von Miller, the guy is just a phenom. I still have friends on the team and talking to them last season and during the offseason, they had nothing but the best things to say about Von Miller and what kind of a player he is.”
With Ty Warren, recovering from season-ending injuries in the Preseason of last year, in the second and final year of his contract with the team, and provided he stays healthy, Warren and Bannan can be a formidable duo on the d-line. He will be replacing Broderick Bunkley who left for New Orleans in the offseason. Defensive tackle Marcus Thomas is still a free agent. Ryan McBean, the top backup, will be serving a six-game suspension. Kevin Vickerson like Warren is also recovering from season-ending surgery.
This time he gets to play with quarterback Peyton Manning instead of against him.
“It’s a blessing,” said Bannan, who was released by the St. Louis Rams over the winter. “I’ve played against this guy more than enough, a couple times in the playoffs. I’ve played against him many times throughout my career. He’s definitely, without a doubt, the hardest player I’ve ever played against, bar none. The guy can play a defense like no other. Even when I was in Baltimore, we just called him ‘The Baltimore Killer,’ because he was the only guy that could literally take a defense down and pick us apart. He could methodically do it. To me, he’s the greatest player I’ve ever played around or played against in my career.”
Bannan is to turn 33 next week. Even though it is likely the Broncos are to pick up a defensive tackle in the Draft, Bannan still plans on being the starter.“I feel great. I feel just like I did when I came here the first time,” Bannan said. “I definitely feel like I’m on a mission. I’m hungry. I want to win. I want to be on a great team and I want to do my part. So, I’m more than motivated this year to prove to the new guys that are there what I’m all about.”
In 2010, Bannan played in McDaniel's 3-4 scheme. Under John Fox he will be playing in the 4-3 scheme which better suits his skills.
“I just got done playing the 4-3 all last year. To be honest, I’m more comfortable in 4-3 than I am in 3-4,” Bannan said. “Really looking back at it, when I came here to Denver (in 2010), that was the first year I ever played a true 3-4 and played that type of technique. That was the first time in my career. By the end of the year I felt really good at it, but it took some time to learn. If it comes down to playing more of a 4-3, more of an attacking-style defense, that’s going to be more up my alley.”
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