The Monday Mommy: The Elephant in the Middle of the Field
“Brooking is gone and at the moment that role is somewhat of an unknown. According to the Denver Post, Nate Irving is in line to step up and own that starting middle linebacker spot if he can handle it. The question remains, is he ready?”
Read More..
Even though the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 felt to many like the equivalent of ripping out each artery and valve of the heart one piece at a time, the team as a whole was in great shape heading into the offseason.
To the credit of John Elway and the Broncos coaching staff, the draft and free agency was conducted in a highly productive manner, obtaining depth on both sides of the ball. A Broncos team that only seemed to need a few tweaks got even stronger with those offseason acquisitions.
Offensively, they addressed the backfield by drafting the highly touted Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and also added another solid weapon for quarterback Peyton Manning by snagging slot receiver Wes Welker in free agency. The Broncos drafted depth at both signal caller and wide receiver during the 2013 draft as well. Offensive guard Louis Vasquez was brought over as one of many from the division rival San Diego Chargers to protect Manning this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, there was more work to do after the Broncos’ stunning playoff loss. The exit of Elvis Dumervil to the Ravens during free agency was a hole they were not expecting to fill. Denver brought defensive tackle Terrance Knighton to the Mile High City from Jacksonville and linebackers Shaun Phillips and Stewart Bradley to add some experience to this defensive unit. The Broncos also beefed up the secondary by signing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Quentin Jammer as well as drafting several rookie corners.
All of these offseason moves are certainly positive ones and should provide the Broncos with the blueprint for a highly successful season, right? Fans should all be picking out their spots on the parade route and prebooking hotel rooms in New York for the Super Bowl.
Well, not so fast.
What about that middle linebacker spot? Are we all just going to ignore the fact that Joe Mays certainly does not cut the mustard (or the meat) at the MIKE position? Last season due to injury and suspension, Mays lost the starting role to Keith Brooking, who did a decent job in the starting role in the middle.
Brooking is gone and at the moment that role is somewhat of an unknown. According to the Denver Post, Nate Irving is in line to step up and own that starting middle linebacker spot if he can handle it. The question remains, is he ready?
Irving has seen very little time on the playing field other than special teams over the past two seasons with the Broncos. Can he get in there and defend the hurry-up offense which has steadily gained popularity around the league and requires the MIKE to be fresh and in the game without substitution?
Aside from Irving, the next in line for the starting role is probably free agent signee Stewart Bradley and Bronco sophomore Stevie Johnson. Denver will probably also give rookie first rounder Sylvester Williams some reps in the middle to test his chops and see how he performs.
Can the Broncos go deep into the playoffs without a stud at the MIKE? It looks like they’re about to test that theory in 2013. Unless one of these guys comes in and just nails the position during training camp, Denver may have to rely considerably on Von Miller, Champ Bailey and Wesley Woodyard to get the job done against teams that have the hurry-up on heavy rotation in their offense. Teams that come to mind are the Patriots and Eagles, both on the schedule for 2013.
Some may think it is too early to be calling out weaknesses in this team, as they have yet to actually take the field as a complete unit. However, we can’t shove the glaring holes under the rug and anoint the Broncos as having a clear path to the Super Bowl, either.
Who’s going to be the one to step up and emerge as the clear starter in the MIKE role? At this point, I don’t think fans care who it will be, as long as they step up and get it done.
If you like a gamble, go ahead and book that flight to New York in February, the rest of us should probably wait and see how the chips fall into place.
