Schefter: Broncos 2016 defense could improve over last season

The 2015 Denver Broncos defensive arguably ranks among not just the best in the league last season but among the greatest squads of all time.

Giving up just 283.1 yards per game –– good enough for first in the league –– and a fourth-best 18.5 points per game, the Von Miller-led unit dominated the regular season and all but delivered on a Super 50 win.

And in 2016, it could be even better.

Or so says ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, who joined “Schlereth and Evans” Thursday.

“If you look at it this year, the defense has a chance … to be as good if not better than it was last year,” Schefter said. “They’ve got some real forces on that side of the football. They’ve got some real speed and athleticism.”

Schefter credited the team’s depth on the defensive side of the ball as a factor in its potentially sustained dominance over NFL offenses this season.

“Bradley Roby is a really good cornerback that people don’t even realize. (Kavon) Webster’s another good cornerback,” Schefter said. “They’re just really deep there.”

However, Schefter said he had cause for concern –– aside from a potentially messy quarterback situation –– in that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips defensives have in the past had down years following a first year upswing in production.

Perhaps the most notable instance occurred in 1990, when Phillip’s Broncos defense registered 20th and 23rd in the league in yards allowed and points compared to third and first the previous year.

Another potential roadblock, Schefter said he believes cornerback Aqib Talib could face discipline from the NFL regarding an incident in early June in which the Broncos defender suffered a gunshot wound in his right leg.

Said Schefter: “As it was told to me days after that incident … even if he’s not charged, the NFL does not like guns. The NFL does not like incidents of public intoxication. The NFL does not like incidents of intoxication that involve guns, especially with players who have a history with guns.”

Digital content producer Johnny Hart covers sports for 104.3 The Fan. Follow him on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.