State of the Broncos: Help wanted at what once was a position of strength
Jan 27, 2022, 6:22 AM | Updated: 6:50 am
The Broncos finished the 2021 season with a 7-10 record. It was the team’s fifth-straight losing season. It also marked the sixth-consecutive year in which the franchise failed to make the playoffs.
As a result, Vic Fangio was shown the door. The head coach was 19-30 during his three seasons in Denver. A coaching change is on the way.
What will the new head coach inherit? What will his new staff have to work with in Denver?
The “State of the Broncos” series is a position-by-position look at what went well in 2021, what didn’t and what needs to change for ’22 and beyond. In this installment, it’s time to take a look at a position that was once a position of strength, but no longer is solidified – edge rusher.
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Pro Football Focus Grades
Jonathon Cooper – 69.1
Malik Reed – 56.4
Stephen Weatherly – 52.5
Bradley Chubb – 45.0
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2021 Review
Heading into the season, outside linebacker was a position of strength for the Broncos. On the edge, they had Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, with Malik Reed backing them up. On paper, it looked like a trio that would combine for 25 to 30 sacks, one of the best 1-2-3 punches in the NFL.
In part, things started off well. Miller had 4.0 sacks in the first three games of the season, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for September and helping the Broncos to a 3-0 start.
That was the high point.
A month later, Miller was traded to the Rams for a second- and third-round pick. Meanwhile, Chubb and Reed failed to get off the launch pad.
Chubb spent most of training camp recovering from offseason ankle surgery. He was rushed back into action in the final preseason game, where he aggravated the ankle. Then in Week 2, while playing on a wet field in Jacksonville, the linebacker was hurt again, suffering another ankle injury that would sideline him for 10 weeks.
On the season, Chubb appeared in just seven games. He had zero sacks, 21 tackles and four quarterback hits. That’s far from the kind of production the Broncos expected out of the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Reed’s season was better, but not spectacular. He filled in for Chubb early in the season and then became the Broncos primary pass rusher once Miller was traded. On the season, he had 5.0 sacks in 13 games. It was a nice year, but far from elite.
Meanwhile, the Broncos were forced to find production elsewhere. Jonathon Cooper was a pleasant surprise, as the seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft had 2.5 sacks. Stephen Weatherly, acquired midseason from the Vikings, also had 2.5 sacks on the year.
Add it all up, however, and it was a disappointing season. Less than 10 total sacks from the four primary edge rushers on the roster isn’t acceptable.
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A Look Ahead
The 2022 offseason was always going to be a big one for George Paton when it came to edge rushers. Even if he hadn’t shipped Miller to Los Angeles, the Super Bowl 50 MVP was going to be a free agent, so the general manager would’ve had a decision to make.
In all likelihood, he’d have been trying to replace Miller. So nothing has really changed.
The difference, however, is that Paton isn’t looking for someone to bookend Chubb. It’s no longer realistic to consider the former first-round pick as a pillar of Denver’s defense. He’s had 8.5 sacks in the last three season combined. Entering his fifth year as a Bronco, Chubb is trying to avoid the “bust” label.
Cooper showed enough promise that he’ll be in the mix for a starting job in 2022. It’ll be interesting to see what he can develop into.
The same might not be the case for Weatherly. He’s an unrestricted free agent, so the Broncos have to decide if they want to bring him back.
That means Paton has a lot of holes to fill. Denver is in desperate need of an elite edge rusher. Or two.
Miller is the big name available in free agency. But don’t expected a reunion in the Mile High City.
Chandler Jones is another name out there, as Dante Fowler Jr. One name to keep an eye on is Anthony Barr. The outside linebacker was selected with the No. 9 overall pick by the Vikings in 2014, when Paton was part of the front office in Minnesota.
The Broncos could also look to the draft for help. The top two picks could be edge rushers, but someone like George Karlaftis could fall to Denver at No. 9. The Purdue pass rusher is currently ranked seventh overall on Pro Football Focus’ big board.
Wherever they decide to go, the Broncos need to find help. What was considered a strength at the start of last season is now a glaring weakness. It’s one George Paton must address ASAP.
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