Horse Droppings: Vance Walker Provides Defensive Versatility
It’s time for another edition of Horse Droppings this morning, or crap that you’ll probably want to know about the Denver Broncos.
We start today by taking a look at a piece by Troy E. Renck at The Denver Post about defensive lineman Vance Walker, a player who came over from Kansas City this offseason on a two-year contract worth about as much as Terrance Knighton got with the Redskins for one year (about $4 million).
It’s a great piece by Renck, who documents the impact that Walker can have for the Broncos at multiple different positions along the line. He has certainly proven since coming out of Georgia Tech, if nothing else, that he can play a variety of positions.
Dec 7, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Vance Walker (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chiefs 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
That’s why, as Renck pointed out, he was being pursued also by the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos made a lot of shrewd moves this offseason, and they had to play a little moneyball of sorts. They didn’t go out and sign four players who are going to get voted to the Pro Bowl just based off their reputation like last year with DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and Emmanuel Sanders, but they got guys that are going to come in and make an impact, and at a fraction of the cost.
Walker and Antonio Smith (which, what the heck?) will end up costing as much this year as Knighton did for Washington. Darian Stewart will cost half of the price of Rahim Moore. The Broncos had to allocate funds elsewhere, so sacrifices were made, but we could see that these types of role players work really well with the ‘star’ power the Broncos already have.
Walker in particular was a nice pickup because we see based on advanced metrics and film study that he actually played well last year when given opportunities. In Denver, he’ll be given plenty to play either end or nose tackle, and his job will be to get pressure on the quarterback, something he’s been good at in his career.
The new defense in Denver will be a lot more attacking and aggressive than the previous regime, so hopefully Walker can get after the quarterback and help the Broncos force more turnovers in 2015.
Broncos are…old?
January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) before the game against the New England Patriots in the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
According to this study, the Broncos are the oldest starting offense in the NFL. But who do these people project as starters? Peyton Manning brings up the old average a bit at 39 years of age, but you have to wonder who is being projected here as starters or if they’re just using the Ourlads depth chart or something.
This list says the Broncos are an average of 29 years per player on offense, including skill position and linemen.
That doesn’t really matter, because the Patriots are right behind them and are expected to be among the best teams in the NFL yet again.
I calculated an average age of 28 with a starting lineup that includes:
QB-P.Manning (39)
RB-C.Anderson (24)
WR-D.Thomas (27)
WR-E.Sanders (28)
TE-O.Daniels (32)
TE-V.Green (27)
LT-R.Clady (28)
LG-B.Garland (27)
C-G.Gradkowski (26)
RG-L.Vasquez (28)
RT-T.Sambrailo (23)
The average would have certainly gone up had I used Chris Clark in that right tackle spot, which is probably the case of what happened. The average age goes down significantly if the Broncos can sneak Max Garcia (C) or Michael Schofield (LG/RT) into the starting lineup as well.
The Broncos’ average age is actually pretty low with Manning’s age an outlier that skews the data significantly. The average age of that group sans Manning is 27, which would put the Broncos right in the middle of the league in terms of average age.
(h/t to Mile High Report for that link)
Ben Garland Starting, Finally?
August 26 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Ben Garland (63) rushes the line during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field. The 49ers defeated the Broncos 29-24. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
There might be a movie made someday about Broncos offensive lineman Ben Garland’s journey through life and the NFL. Named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2014, Garland has been a model citizen in the Denver community and one of the greatest assets to the locker room you could possibly ask for.
He was picked up as a defensive end out of Air Force by Josh McDaniels’ crew in 2009, and served his tour with the Air Force for two years prior to returning to camp with the Broncos, where he was converted into a defensive tackle and placed on the practice squad.
He was later transitioned to the offensive line, where he competed on the practice squad until last year, when he made the active roster for the first time in his career.
Now, he has a chance to be the starting left guard for the Broncos. Garland is ready for the opportunity, and after six years of development, it might be culminating in a dream come true.
Brandon Marshall Suited for 3-4 ILB Role?
Dec 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall (54) and strong safety T.J. Ward (43) in the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos defeated the Bills 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Our pal at Mile High Huddle Chad Jensen took an in-depth look at linebacker Brandon Marshall on the All-22 film, and decided he’s a good fit for the 3-4 defense.
He says the transition for him will be ‘seamless’ in this awesome film study piece, which is filled with great analysis, .gif magic, and plenty more.
To me, the prospect of having a healthy Marshall and Danny Trevathan on the field at the same time is riveting. Those two guys have proven to be the Broncos’ best playmakers at the (non-pass rushing) linebacker positions the last two seasons, showing well both against the run, in coverage, in space, and really in all areas.
If you get both of those guys healthy, there’s no telling what the Broncos’ defense can do in 2015. Their front seven should be monstrous yet again.