Alliance... » The reason Vic Fangio didn’t draft Devin Bush.

Denver Broncos Roster2019 Broncos roster review: Linebacker Todd DavisNew Dre’Mont Jones Denver Broncos Jersey ,27commentsThe reason Vic Fangio didn’t draft Devin Bush.MDTSince the end of the 2018 season, Broncos Country has identified linebacker as the biggest need on the Broncos roster outside of franchise quarterback. It wasn’t the best draft class for the position, but there were two who stood out above the rest. For this reason, my first prospect profile of the NFL Draft season focused on Devin White. I had this to say:It came as a bit of a surprise when Elway passed on Devin Bush at 10 instead using him as a trade chip to move down the board so the Pittsburgh Steelers could get up and grab the Michigan linebacker. Most fans were excited for Noah Fant, but still considered linebacker a gaping wound following the 2019 draft.They shouldn’t.Davis stands out as a strong run stopper. Todd Davis profileSince I started writing about the Broncos, there isn’t a single player on the roster where the separation between perception and reality is more stark than with Todd Davis. Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear how Todd Davis is incapable of covering tight ends and backs. You may even hear how Josey Jewell is the stronger run stopper. Neither of these things were true during the Vance Joseph era. While it’s entirely plausible to hope Jewell makes a big jump this year, it’d be oversight to ignore how much the switch to Vic Fangio’s defense will benefit Davis.The goodLet’s start by dispelling the biggest myth about Todd Davis: he’s far more athletic than his most vocal detractors believe. The man ran a 6.93 3-cone and 4.23 short shuttle when he came out of Sacramento State, identical numbers to Devin Bush. Davis is plenty quick. Davis combines his ability to change directions with above average play strength to provide the Broncos Front 7 with a good run stopper between the tackles. He’s quick to identify the ball and get to it. His ability to read the action in front of him leads to more plays than you’d expect in pursuit and he really stood out against zone running schemes.However, where Davis will probably surprise Broncos fans most under Vic Fangio is against the pass. In zone coverage, he showed he’s very capable of dropping back, reading the QB, breaking forward, and disrupting the catch. In 2019, he’ll have a lot more opportunities to do just this:The badNow for the harsh truth: Todd Davis is as slow in a straight line as his detractors say he is. What’s surprising is how little the Vance Joseph defense adjusted the scheme to compensate for this. Far too often opposing coordinators manipulate the Broncos defense to get Davis matched up alone in space on legitimate receivers. This issue snowballed against teams that also ran play action as most linebackers are coached to key the run first and foremost.Still, this isn’t an insurmountable weakness. With better coaching, I fully expect Davis to be a serviceable three-down backer in 2019. More than once he showed real savvy sticking to his man despite the odds last season Dre’Mont Jones Denver Broncos Jersey , such as this assignment against the Rams:Sean McVay called a play to get his star back a 1-on-1. Davis answered the call. Davis’ other big issue is his short arms and how it impacts his ability to shed blocks against gap running schemes. In pursuit against zone teams, he routinely showed the ability to use a linemen’s momentum against him to free himself, but this will lead to giving ground to a down block. QuotableTodd Davis’ roster status with the BroncosLess than a month out of training camp, Davis looks like LB1 on the current roster. Barring a big jump from Josey Jewell, Davis looks like a safe bet to log the most snaps at the inside backer position in 2019. This isn’t a bad thing, as he’s a starter you can win with. He should look significantly better under the new regime, if only because Vic Fangio will do a much better job hiding his weaknesses and putting him in positions to showcase the strong parts of his game. The Broncos have proposed an alternative to the onside kick, using the Alliance of American Football’s rule as a template.Denver’s playing proposal would allow a team trailing in the game an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball after scoring. The NFL did not provide specifics, but Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports that it would entail a team converting a fourth-and-15 play from its own 35-yard line. The Broncos’ proposal allows a team only one chance at converting it per game, according to Seifert.It would give teams a better chance at keeping the ball than with an onside kick, though the odds likely would remain under 50 percent.The AAF’s version of the rule allows a team trailing by 17 or more points at any point in the game or a team trailing by any amount with fewer than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter the option to try to convert a fourth-and-12 play from its own 28. If the team gains 12 or more yards on that one play, it keeps possession. If it doesn’t, the other team takes possession.Denver’s proposal was one of nine the league’s Competition Committee is considering. The Competition Committee then decides which, if any, to endorse.