Denver Bronocs Sign Veteran LB Keith Brooking

The Denver Broncos signed 15 year veteran linebacker Keith Brooking on Monday. Brooking spent 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after being drafted in the first round (12th overall) of the 1998 draft.

“We had him in for a workout and thought he looked outstanding,” John Fox said after practice on Monday.

One of Brooking’s most memorable times playing the Broncos has to be during his rookie year when the Falcons lost to the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

Brooking spent the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and he had 50 tackles last season. He has a career total 1,392 tackles, 21 sacks, and 13 interceptions.

That’s a lot of pounding on a 36 year old body.

“My legs feel good, they still have pop in them,” Brooking said after Monday’s practice. “I had a lot of blows to the head, a few surgeries. It’s not what it was eight years ago, but relatively speaking, my body feels really good.”

Brooking will start practicing on Tuesday when the team is in shorts. He’ll go Wednesday as well, but will sit out the team’s opening preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

“I haven’t been in an off season program so I’d be lying to you if I said I’m in game shape and ready to go,” Brooking said.

The Broncos brought Brooking in for a workout even though the 6’2″, 240-pound linebacker didn’t participate in an off season program. Brooking’s agent told him that it wouldn’t be until later in the off season that a team would sign him. However, Brooking wasn’t about to go to just any team.

“Circumstances had to be right for me,” Brooking said. “I wanted to play for a contender. This team was right up there on the list so it worked out great, the first team that called him and wanted to work me out so I was excited about it. I told them I’d go ahead and book my flight, they don’t have to book it to get me here.”

No need for that. Brooking may want the Broncos, but the Broncos want him more.

Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.