MLB Position Battle

By Ryan Ebert | Ryan@nflen.com

     Last year the Broncos started off with Joe Mays and ended with Keith Brooking at the middle linebacker position.  Both of those players will not be returning this year with the team this upcoming season.  The challenge for Jack Del Rio for the duration of training camp will be to find the anchor of the Denver defense.

     While Von Miller may be the most indispensable player on defense, the anchor of the defense still comes from the middle linebacker position, the one who reads the offense and communicates with his teammates to adjust their defense to best defend the offense, the one who gets the calls from the defensive coordinator for what defense they should run, the one who  establishes a physical presence, and the one who should always be at the ball leading the pack.  Names like Randy Gradishar, Al Wilson, and Bill Romanowski come up when we think of middle linebackers in Broncos history.  The new season will need one in order for the Broncos to get farther into the playoffs this time around.

     This year Nate Irving, Stewart Bradley, and Stevie Johnson are competing for the job (though if you ask me it's really just between Irving and Bradley).  Irving is entering his third year in the National Football League, Bradley his seventh, and Johnson his second year in the NFL.  Each have different traits and qualities that can benefit the Broncos defense, but which one will help us win the most?

     I'm looking towards Irving to make the starting spot mostly since he has a bit more talent than the others, faster than the others, and has been improving nicely in each phase of the game.  Also he was drafted by Denver (just an added bonus).

     I would like to see Stewart Bradley claim the position because he has the most experience of the three.  Bradley also has been a part of a couple good defenses with Philadelphia and most recently with the twelfth overall Cardinals defense in 2012.  Stewart has been on some good defenses, that shows he can be the leader that is needed in the middle.  He may not pose a huge physical threat based on talent, but he has a knack for the ball.  The only knock on him is that he is injury prone.  Ever since he tore his ACL in 2009, Bradley has not been the same player.  Hope he can be the man though.

     Then there's Stevie Johnson.  While I'm sure he's full of potential the coaches may see in him and that he may have good talent, I don't want him to earn a starting spot.  He's too young, and too inexperienced.  He did produce two forced fumbles against the Ravens in Week 15 last season, but can that production last throughout the season as the physical beat down wears on his body?  I'm not saying can he make two fumbles a game every time out, but I am saying can he be consistent enough while improving his game to the next level?  I hope the best for Johnson.

     Whoever Del Rio picks I will be happy with.  Or maybe even get Urlacher out of retirement!  Not.  I would have liked to keep D.J. Williams even though he was a headache to the team because he produced on the field.  No matter where he was lined up ILB or OLB, he made plays.  I am looking forward to seeing Denver being a stout defense this year led by anyone who is worthy to be our middle linebacker!

Broncos looking for more from Moore

by Ryan Ebert

Former UCLA safety Rahim Moore is in his first offseason with OTAs and practices, and this should help him keep his starting job throughout his sophomore season in Denver.  Moore lost his starting job to safety Quinton Carter after five games of poor play.  He was the highest ranked safety coming out in the 2011 NFL Draft, but with the lockout brewing at the time, it did not help him understand the defense.

"I think (last year) was one of the only years I went with no production, and that's not something I looked forward to going into my rookie season," said Moore, who had 31 tackles, a pick, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 2011.  "I wanted to play better, but I think I needed that.  It's driven me now to want to compete and to have a better season and be able to help the team win."

“I missed having OTAs last season,” Moore said. “It was like I was thrown into the fire. I was antsy, but at the same time, I was second-guessing myself sometimes. When the game did slow down for me, it seemed like it didn’t. I thought it did, but it didn’t. A lot of times, I was unsure of what I was doing. I showed some signs of ability, but as the year went on, I wore down my body. This year during the offseason, I worked on getting stronger and getting in better shape.”

Fourteen-year veteran Champ Bailey knows how valuable OTAs are and how tough it is for a rookie to miss out them.

“Coming in last year, all they had was training camp,” Bailey said of the two rookie safeties, Moore and Quinton Carter  “I couldn't imagine how it would've been for anybody else doing that, especially at safety. There's a lot to learn. Now they know what they need to do to be successful, it's just going out and getting the work in."

Moore, because of his poor play was placed behind Quinton Carter on the depth chart this year, but defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio says that safeties Mike Adams, Quinton Carter, and Rahim Moore are fighting for the two starting jobs.

Moore believes the competition will be good for the players and improve their play overall.

“We’re like brothers back there and we help each other out,” he said. “And that’s what it’s all about and that’s what’s going to make our team better. That’s what (Head) Coach (John) Fox wants us to do, to compete.”

In hopes of getting a starting job Moore will look to build on his experience from last year.

“It’s just learning from my old experience so when the opportunity comes, or when that time comes you know how to handle it,” Moore said. “Also my conditioning, my work ethic, I know that I put the work in. I was always told what you do in the offseason is going to show in season. It’s not like last year I didn’t work hard, but I was just new to everything. So this year, like I said, I’m excited and looking forward to helping this team win and being a part of the process.”

Ten-year player Drayton Florence has been mentoring the young players including Rahim Moore, and Moore says how much he has appreciated the help.

“I think God has truly blessed me with a guy like (cornerback) Drayton Florence,” Moore said. “He’s helped me out so much, in ways words can’t explain. He’s shown me some things that I’ve never known, that I thought I knew, but really, it was wrong. He’s helped me out so much. He’s been like a big brother to me."

In OTAs thus far Quinton Carter and Rahim Moore have both been working out as the first-team strong safety.  Whenever one is in the other gets some reps in at second-team free safety.  In 2011 Carter played both safety positions, and Moore only played the free safety position.

"We've been interchanging each day.  Everybody has to know every position back there," Carter said.

Head coach John Fox is positive the play from whoever gets the starting job will be much better from 2010.

“The second time around, their sophomore season, (Moore and Carter) feel way more comfortable,” Coach Fox said. “Again, you have to develop a pro body. This game is twice as long as the college game when you figure in the preseason as well as the playoffs. It takes a while. They are much further along and much more comfortable the second time around.”

Carter, Harris making place for themselves on defense

by Ryan Ebert

The Broncos have a good combination of veterans and young players in their locker room.  A pair of young defensive backs have stood out coming up big at times making a promising future for themselves.  Safety Quinton Carter and cornerback Chris Harris were former Big 12 rivals and should improve themselves and the Broncos defense this coming year.

They came into the league without an offseason, but did have help from veterans Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins.  With those two leading the secondary they helped the Broncos defense only allow opposing offenses to convert under 34% of their third-down conversions.

Chris Harris, undrafted from Kansas, had a nice rookie year totaling 72 tackles with an interception against the Raiders in a 38-24 victory.  He started the first game of his career in Week 13 against Minnesota helping the Broncos get a huge 35-32 win.

Quinton Carter,drafted out of Oklahoma in the fourth round, had a good year as a replacement for Rahim Moore who disappointed many his rookie year.  He started in 10 games putting up 56 tackles and a sack.  In the playoffs Carter made his presence felt as he picked off Ben Roethlisberger that put Denver in an easy situation to score which led to a field goal by Matt Prater that extended the score to 17-6 over Pittsburgh at the time.  In the divisional playoff round Carter intercepted Brady capping off a nice season for the rookie.

The veterans in Bailey, Florence, and Porter have been mentoring the young guys, and Carter and Harris have done all they can to keep all the information in their heads.  Both players have taken their challenges on well and be part of Del Rio's defense this year.

"I think the group is pretty good," Del Rio said. "We've got a good group of vets that are doing their best to share some of the knowledge that they've gathered over the years. I think he does take some time -- most of the guys do -- but Drayton in particular, Champ, those guys have been really good about giving some insight to some of the younger players, helping them grow."

Head coach John Fox believes the offseason workout will benefit the two players greatly which can make them into consistent contributors on the defense.

"The second time around, their sophomore season, they feel way more comfortable," Fox said. "Again, you have to develop a pro body. This game is twice as long as the college game when you figure in the preseason as well as the playoffs. It takes a while. They are much further along and much more comfortable the second time around."