The Broncos could have a big problem at middle linebacker
Jul 18, 2019, 3:50 PM | Updated: 6:22 pm
Heading into the offseason, middle linebacker seemed like a position the Broncos were sure to address. Brandon Marshall was on his way out, ultimately signing with the Raiders as a free agent, leaving only Todd Davis and Josey Jewell as players on the roster with any kind of experience in the center of the defense.
Nonetheless, Denver decided not to invest at that position. They didn’t take a middle linebacker in the draft, despite highly touted Devin Bush being available at the Broncos original spot, trading down and letting the Steelers grab the Michigan star at No. 10 overall. And they didn’t bring in any big names via free agency, not even making a run at Baltimore’s C.J. Mosley.
It seemed like a dicey decision at the time. On Thursday, it looks like even more of a gamble.
During the second half of practice on day one of training camp, Davis was taken from the field on a cart. He suffered an injury to the lower portion of his right leg, with some speculating that it was a calf or ankle issue.
Later in the day, the final verdict came in.
Broncos ILB Todd Davis suffered a partial calf muscle tear and is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, per source.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 18, 2019
In the interim, someone is going to have to step up and fill the void left alongside Jewell.
But who? That’s a troubling question.
Listed behind Davis on the Broncos depth chart is Keishawn Bierria, a sixth-round pick by Denver last season. As a rookie, the University of Washington product played mostly on special teams, appearing in all 16 regular season games, but racking up just three tackles and two assists.
Another option is Joseph Jones, a player who has bounced around the league a bit since coming out of Northwestern in 2017, with Denver being his fourth stop. Like Bierria, he played in every game last season, but with limited production. Although, his 12 tackles and three assists seem gaudy by comparison.
Other options include Dekoda Watson, a former Bronco who was reacquired via a draft day trade with the 49ers, Alexander Johnson, a second-year player who went undrafted in 2018 due to off-the-field issues, and a pair of college free agents signed this offseason, Joe Dineen Jr. and Josh Watson.
Yikes.
One dark-horse candidate, however, is rookie Justin Hollins. When the talented player from Oregon was taken in the fifth-round by the Broncos, there was some speculation that Denver might try him at inside linebacker. That’d be a departure from what he did in college, where he was mostly on the outside, but it would get the playmaker on the field more.
That potential experiment might have to become a reality with Davis out perhaps as long as a month. Because as everyone discovered on Thursday when they started scanning their depth charts, the Broncos are super thin at middle linebacker.
