The Denver Broncos two starters at inside linebacker are unquestioned with Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, but the competition behind those two is wide open among several young players.
Denver Broncos have their Mike and Mo, but looking to see who fulfills their depth
In a typical 3-4 style of defense, the Denver Broncos have a Sam and Will and a Mike and Mo. The Sam is the strong side outside linebacker, and the Will is the weakside outside linebacker. The Mike is the inside strong side linebacker and the Mo is the weakside inside backer.
Nik Bonitto is the Sam, Jonathon Cooper is the Will, Alex Singleton is the Mike, and Justin Strnad is the Mo. Now that we’ve established that, the Broncos are looking at their depth behind Singleton and Strnad to help fulfill their final roster, with cuts approaching in the next week 10 days.
After Levelle Bailey suffered a broken leg in Friday’s preseason opener, the Broncos inside linebacker room features second-year players Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, and rookies Red Murdock and Taurean York.
“With training, everyone behind [ILB] Alex [Singleton] and [ILB] Justin [Strnad] is training to be a Mike and Moe [middle linebackers] and a dime also,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “It has to be that way for gameday roster. Everyone’s training both positions, so it happens in practice more often than not where some guys are playing Mike, somebody’s playing Moe. It’s a position, it’s a job, and it calls for technique. It calls for certain leverages and certain assignments, so we’ll all learn those.”
Joseph’s defense is successful because every player in his unit knows at least two positions within the roles they play. For corners, Joseph wants his defensive backs to be able to play on the outside and in the slot when it’s called for and vice versa. The same applies to the safety position — there is no strong and free. Both players have to play the middle of the field and in the box when needed.
Defensive linemen must be able to play inside and outside. It’s the secret sauce that has helped the Broncos develop players inside of Joseph’s scheme and gives them versatility across the board.
For the off-ball linebacker, rookies Murdock and York have been impressive in practice. Reid had a terrific game on Friday against the Falcons, tipping a pass into the hands of Jahdae Barron for a pick-six.
Murdock saw an increase in snaps last Friday after Bailey’s injury and ended up finishing the game with a team-high eight tackles, and he played the most snaps out of any defensive player. Joseph trusts Murdock with the defense and has talked about the rookie’s ability to get the call in and line the defense up correctly, and adjust the call or alignment based on formation, praising Murdock’s cerebral ability as a Mike.
“His college tape,” Joseph said. “It’s the draft [evaluation]. He was a smart football player that punched the ball out a lot, and we’ve seen it in practice. To be a Mike [line]backer in this league, it’s more than your physical traits; it’s your mind. That part he has. Now we have to use his mind to make more plays.”
The ideal scenario is that the Broncos can keep Singleton and Strnad on the field all season long, and further develop players like Murdock and York, who feel like they are trending toward being favored to make the 53-man roster.
These next two preseason games will help them determine how that depth plays out.
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