One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure: Broncos Making Most of Imported Defensive Line
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This spring, as all 32 NFL teams considered trades, free agents, and draft choices to improve their rosters, the Denver Broncos did something peculiar.
In a radical overhaul of its defensive line, Denver signed former Cleveland Browns defensive end Courtney Brown to a free agent contract, then traded a fourth-round pick and running back Reuben Droughns to Cleveland in exchange for defensive tackles Gerard Warren and Michael Myers and defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban. For good measure, they added Andre Patterson, Cleveland’s defensive line coach the past two seasons, to their coaching staff.
The Broncos, who visit the Giants on Sunday, were roundly ridiculed for their decision to import Cleveland’s line. It’s not unusual for teams to emulate other teams, but usually unsuccessful teams copy good ones. Denver acquired the defensive line of an inferior team, one that finished dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed in 2004. What were the Broncos thinking?
Whatever, it was, it worked. The 5-1 Broncos are fifth in the league against the run, allowing only 88.3 yards a game. A better question than what Denver was thinking might be: What did Denver know that other teams didn’t?
For starters, the Broncos didn’t take much of a risk in acquiring the players, all of whom have contracts that are manageable under the salary cap. They also didn’t mind trading Droughns (who played well in 2004), because he projected as the third-string back behind Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell. And sending a fourthround pick to Cleveland wasn’t overly painful because many fourth-round picks don’t contribute anything to their teams.
The four linemen might have lacked production in Cleveland, but no one ever questioned their talent, particularly in the cases of Brown and Warren, both of whom came out of college with exceptional combinations of size and speed. Cleveland chose Brown with the first pick of the 2000 draft and he played well at times but couldn’t stay healthy, finishing each of the last four seasons on injured reserve. The Browns took Warren third overall in 2001, and the greatest disappointment was that he wouldn’t work hard enough to get into shape. The Dallas Cowboys took Ekuban, another lineman with size and speed, 11th overall in 1999. Myers lasted until the fourth round in 1998, but he was an All-America candidate until he was suspended during his senior season at Alabama.
Brown, Warren, Ekuban, and Myers have excelled this year because all four of them can keep offensive linemen occupied and prevent them from blocking the linebackers – exactly what coordinator Larry Coyer’s scheme asks of them. Denver’s three linebackers – Ian Gold, Al Wilson and D.J. Williams – have great speed and can make tackles as long as they don’t have 325-pound guards in their faces. In Cleveland, Browns coach Butch Davis wanted Brown, Warren, Ekuban, and Myers to make the tackles themselves on running plays, which clearly isn’t their strong suit.
The biggest question for Denver’s new linemen is whether they can generate a pass rush. Coyer prefers to get all of his rush from the front four, freeing linebackers and defensive backs to play in coverage rather than blitz. So far, the Broncos have recorded only eight sacks, which has taxed their young and inexperienced secondary. A week after being sacked four times against Dallas, Eli Manning should have more time to pass against Denver.
And that’s why, as much as the Cleveland imports have helped, Denver’s most important defensive lineman on Sunday could be a holdover: right end Trevor Pryce. Pryce has yet to register a sack this season, but after missing all but two games with a back injury last year, he looks healthy again and is showing off a great first step that has allowed him to draw several holding penalties. Pryce will battle Giants left tackle Luke Petitgout, a matchup that will generate less hype but play a larger role than Champ Bailey’s coverage of the Giants’ Plaxico Burress.
For Pryce’s linemates, no hype is just fine. After going from college stars to draft disappointments in Cleveland, they’re operating under the radar as a major part of a first-place team.
Mr. Smith writes for FootballOutsiders.com.