Tag: edge defender

Bradley Chubb and Von Miller could be a better duo than DeMarcus Ware and Miller

DeMarcus Ware thinks Von Miller and Bradley Chubb could be a better duo than Miller and Ware were.

Speaking with Mark Schlereth and Mike Evans on 104.3 The Fan on Wednesday, former Denver Broncos edge defender DeMarcus Ware was asked if Von Miller and Bradley Chubb could be as good of a combination as Ware and Miller were from 2014-2016.

Ware had a somewhat surprising answer.

“I think they can be a lot better,” Ware said. “They’re young. With Chubb, when I was [in Las Vegas] coaching him and Von, Chubb is one of those guys that — one thing I didn’t have was as much power and size as Chubb.

“He wasn’t as fast as me, but he was stronger. And that’s what you need on that right side to be able to push those big left tackles . . . I think this year, those guys are going to come back a little bit more hungry.”

Miller and Ware were a dynamic duo in Denver, recording 60 sacks as teammates. They dominated the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line in Super Bowl 50, totaling six quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in a 24-10 win.

If Miller and Chubb truly become a better duo than Miller and Ware, opposing offenses are going to be in a lot of trouble this season.

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Check out these highlights of new Broncos pass rusher Derrek Tuszka

Here are highlights of new Broncos outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka.

The Denver Broncos selected edge defender Derrek Tuszka in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday. Here are highlights from Tuszka’s time at NDSU:

Tuszka is an intriguing prospect who totaled 29.5 sacks in college. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb are Denver’s two clear starters at outside linebacker with Jeremiah Attaochu and Malik Reed the favorites to serve as their backups in 2020. Tuszka might have to hope for a practice squad spot.

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Seattle Seahawks select Tennessee EDGE Darrell Taylor at No. 48

The Seattle Seahawks traded pick No. 59 and pick No. 101 to the Jets for pick No. 48, which they used to select Tennessee DE Darrell Taylor.

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The Seattle Seahawks made another surprising move in the 2020 NFL draft, trading pick No. 59 and pick No. 101 to the New York Jets to acquire pick No. 48, which they used to select Tennessee defensive end Darrell Taylor.

Taylor fits a need for the Seahawks, as the team was among the worst at rushing the quarterback during the 2019 season. Now, the team watched Quinton Jefferson sign with the Bills and has yet to re-sign star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, making the defensive end spot even more of a need.

Taylor is one of very few players from the college ranks who had eight or more sacks in each of the past two seasons, and he has an NFL body with incredible play strength, burst, tackling ability and playmaking skills – making him a prototypical Seahawks-type draft pick.

Taylor is rather raw, however, being called a player with five-star traits and three-star skill level at this point by NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

Taylor will compete for snaps right away on the edge for the Seahawks, who now have just four picks remaining in the 2020 NFL draft.

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Seahawks select Jabari Zuniga in Touchdown Wire Mock Draft 5.0

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire has the Seattle Seahawks selecting edge defender Jabari Zuniga out of Florida in his Mock Draft 5.0.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 NFL Draft will go on as scheduled this year but will take place in a completely virtual format.

That being said, with the big event only weeks away, draft pundits are busy finalizing their mocks. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire has the Seahawks selecting edge defender Jabari Zuniga with the No. 27 pick overall.

“Wait. Who? WHAT?” writes Farrar. “Yes, Seahawks fans, we understand your consternation, as you may have never heard of Zuniga unless you’re a Gators alum or a deep draft follower. Injuries limited Zuniga to just 124 pass-rushing snaps in 2019, but he managed three sacks and 21 total pressures in those snaps. At 6-foot-3 and 264 pounds, Zuniga has the straight-line speed and agility you’d expect from a guy 30 pounds lighter — there are times when it’s downright frightening how quickly he can get to the quarterback.”

“He can also play all along the defensive line, which is something Pete Carroll has always appreciated,” Farrar continues. “Yes, he’s very raw in his pass-rush moves, but you can say that about 80% of the defensive linemen coming down the pike in any draft class. As far as the unusual nature of the first-round pick… well, when you look at Seattle’s history in that round after the 2010 selections of Earl Thomas and Russell Okung, this ‘weird’ pick actually makes perfect sense.”

The virtual 2020 NFL Draft is set to take place April 23-25 on a TV or computer screen near you.

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Broncos agree to 1-year deal with OLB Jeremiah Attaochu

The Broncos are re-signing outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu to a one-year contract.

The Denver Broncos are bringing back outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Attaochu (6-2, 252 pounds) entered the league as a first-round pick out of Georgia Tech with the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers in the 2014 NFL draft. He was productive when healthy for the Chargers but he struggled to stay on the field and L.A. opted not to re-sign him in 2018.

Attaochu then had a brief stint with the San Franciso 49ers before spending a season with the New York Jets. He went to training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs last summer but failed to make their 53-man roster.

After Bradley Chubb went down with a season-ending ACL injury last fall, the Broncos signed Attaochu in October. He dressed for 12 games last season, earning five starts. Attaochu was a serviceable edge defender, totaling 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

This year, Attaochu will give Denver depth as a rotational pass rusher below starters Von Miller and Chubb on the depth chart.

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Bradley Chubb responds to PFF video, sticks up for Von Miller

Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb was not happy with PFF saying 2020 might be the “beginning of the end” for Von Miller.

Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, released a video on Wednesday suggesting that Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller could be a “shell” of his former self this season.

“Is this the beginning of the end for Von Miller?” one of PFF’s show hosts asked before going on to point out that Miller had a low PFF grade last season. “He’s now 31 years old, that is a massive decline in terms of overall PFF grade. Still generated pressure, but not quality pressure the way he used to in the past.”

Miller won’t turn 31 until later this month. He “only” totaled eight sacks last year — his lowest total since 2013 — but Miller was the team’s only star edge defender last season after Bradley Chubb went down with an ACL injury. He might not be the pass rusher he once was, but Miller still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

The other PFF host noted in the video that the team will lose their top two defensive backs — Chris Harris and Justin Simmons — during free agency. That’s not accurate. Denver will use its one-year franchise tag on Simmons if they can’t reach a multi-year contract extension with him.

Chubb clearly wasn’t pleased with PFF’s video, responding by calling them losers.

When Miller and Chubb were both healthy in 2018, they combined to record 26.5 sacks. Chubb missed all but four games last season and the two outside linebackers combined to record just nine sacks. If both players stay healthy, that number should increase significantly this fall.

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After strong combine, Jabari Zuniga could be target for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks need more help rushing the passer, and explosive athlete Jabari Zuniga from Florida might be the right draft target.

With a pressing need to find pass rushers, and a 2020 draft class that isn’t nearly as talent rich at that spot as usual, the Seattle Seahawks are going to need to either get creative or really generous with their money if they want to improve upon what was one of the worst pass rushing units in the league last season.

There are a handful of middle round draft prospects that offer enough upside and intrigue for the Seahawks to snap them up as projects, knowing full well it may take a development year before they are big-time contributors.

One name is Florida EDGE defender Jabari Zuniga, who has already been mocked to the Seahawks in the fourth round of Draft Wire’s latest mock draft.

Zuniga’s tape is a tale of inconsistent performance despite elite explosiveness and athleticism, with sudden disappearing acts and injuries quieting his stock.

Zuniga rebuilt some of that stock with an impressive performance at the NFL combine, running a 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, second among defensive linemen and extremely impressive considering his 264 pound frame.

Size and athleticism aren’t his primary issues, however, and the Seahawks would be taking a gamble that his production will grow in the NFL thanks to his athletic abilities.

It would be a risk, but adding a player with his explosiveness off the edge could provide a crucial piece to a defensive line that needs it.

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Seahawks add edge defender in Touchdown Wire post-combine mock draft

Touchdown Wire’s latest mock draft is now projecting Alabama edge defender Terrell Lewis to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 27 overall.

The Seattle Seahawks are always seeking to improve the defensive line and could once again look early in April’s draft to boost their pass rush capabilities.

After getting a good glimpse in Indianapolis at some of the top prospects in this year’s NFL scouting combine, Mark Schofield of USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire is now projecting edge defender Terrell out of Alabama to the Seahawks at No. 27 overall.

“In Lewis the Seahawks get a player who has a great toolkit to work with, with good size, length, explosiveness off the snap and a good array of moves as a pass rusher,” Schofield writes. “He has also shown the positional flexibility to drop into coverage and handle responsibilities other that pinning his ears back and getting after the quarterback.”

“He does have an injury history and did not work out at the combine, but would be a good fit to step into the Seattle defense if and when (Jadeveon) Clowney leaves town,” Schofield concludes.

Seattle has a tough decision to make regarding Clowney, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent if he isn’t able to reach a new deal with the Seahawks.

But regardless of whether Clowney remains in the Emerald City, Seattle will always, ALWAYS be looking for ways to strengthen the defensive line.

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Report: Broncos interested in bringing back OLB Jeremiah Attaochu

The Broncos will likely negotiate a potential new contract with outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu.

The Denver Broncos “have expressed interest” in bringing back edge defender Jeremiah Attaochu, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Attaochu is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 18.

Attaochu (6-3, 252 pounds) won’t be among the marquee players signed during the first wave of free agency but he might be re-signed by Denver after the team addresses some big holes at other positions.

Attaochu entered the NFL as a second-round pick out of Georgia Tech with the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers. He was productive when healthy (totaling 10 sacks in 34 games) but struggled to stay on the field with the Chargers.

After spending his first four seasons with the Bols, Attaochu had short stints with the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. He totaled two sacks in 11 games with the Jets in 2018 before suffering an injury.

Denver signed Attaochu last October after Bradley Chubb suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Attaochu made a big impact as a rotational outside linebacker, recording 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

If he can stay healthy, Attaochu would be an excellent backup edge defender for the Broncos in 2020.

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Broncos add new member to defensive coaching staff

John Pagano has been named the Broncos’ new outside linebackers coach.

The Broncos have hired John Pagano as their new outside linebackers coach, Denver head coach Vic Fangio announced Thursday. Pagano coached under Fangio for three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Colts from 1999-2001 (Fangio was the Colts’ defensive coordinator at the time).

John is the younger brother of Chuck Pagano, who interviewed for the Broncos’ head coach position last year. Chuck now serves as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. The brothers grew up in Boulder, Colorado.

Pagano has 25 years of coaching experience in the NFL, including two stints as a defensive coordinator (Raiders, 2017 and Chargers, 2012-2016). He most recently served as the Texans’ senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach from 2018-2019.

Pagano will be responsible for coaching up Broncos superstar outside linebackers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. When they were both healthy and played in all 16 games in 2018, Miller and Chubb combined to record 26.5 sacks and forced six fumbles.

Pagano is replacing former Broncos OLBs coach Brandon Staley, who left the team to become the Rams’ defensive coordinator earlier this year.

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