The Denver Broncos lost Danny Trevathan this offseason, and his replacement could be the next breakout player on the roster in LB Todd Davis…
If you were to take a poll of Denver Broncos fans this offseason, I would contend that perhaps no loss of the many departures this offseason would be considered as impactful as the loss of Danny Trevathan.
Trevathan signed a fairly reasonable deal with the Chicago Bears given he has led the team in tackles two of the last three seasons, one that many Broncos fans were upset about the team not having offered or matched.
While the Broncos lost Trevathan, they kept around Brandon Marshall, who was the team’s leading tackler in 2014 and appears to be on the same trajectory of Trevathan in terms of being an all-around force as an off-ball linebacker in the Broncos’ defense.
Marshall will be the one taking over as the leader in the middle, but the player I want to talk about today is one of the top breakout candidates for the Broncos this year, linebacker Todd Davis.
Defensive coordinator and reigning NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Wade Phillips had some glowing remarks about Davis after OTAs on Thursday…
“I’ll start off [by saying] at inside backer I think Todd Davis is really doing a tremendous job for us. He may not seem like it off the field, but he’s really an intense guy. I don’t know if I’ve been around—well, I was around [NFL linebacker Chris] Spielman at Buffalo—but he reminds me of the same kind of temperament. He’s intense every play on the field…”
That’s incredibly high praise for a guy in Davis, who was added to the Broncos’ roster in the 2014 season when Nate Irving went down with a season-ending injury. The Broncos plucked him off of the New Orleans Saints practice squad, and it was an intriguing ascent for Davis in Denver because the Broncos had used two draft picks that year — Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson — at the ILB position.
Davis came on quickly in 2014, and wound up with 19 tackles and two pass breakups in just six games. This past year, with both Marshall and Trevathan largely healthy, Davis had 21 tackles in 16 games, playing a more central role on special teams vs. defensively.
One thing the Broncos inside linebackers have working for them is an additional chip on their shoulder. Danny Trevathan was overlooked as a sixth round pick. Brandon Marshall was a fourth round pick, but was let go off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad before he signed on with the Broncos.
Davis was an undrafted free agent out of Sacramento State, and where he went to college probably played as big a factor as any in why he didn’t get picked in the draft. Running a 4.87 coming out, he didn’t have great long speed but showed out very well athletically in every other area for a 240-plus pound linebacker.
Davis says being overlooked is a big reason why he can be productive…
“I think we have a big chip on our shoulder and I think that’s what drives us and what propels us to want to be great and wanting to be known as one of the best linebacker corps in the NFL. I think when you’re not drafted or even signed and then practice squad, I think you always fill the need to prove yourself no matter where you’re at or what height you’ve reached. You always feel the need to prove yourself. I think as a group, we feel the need to let our name be known and continue to prove ourselves and show that we can play in this league and we can be productive linebackers in this league.”
The Broncos’ front office and coaching staff placed a ton of confidence in Davis when they opted not to draft an inside linebacker this year. They could very well have picked someone within the top 100 and it wouldn’t have come as a huge surprise to anyone, but the team had other thoughts in mind.
Davis definitely took notice of that vote of confidence.
“I definitely was tracking it on my phone and seeing what the Broncos are going to do because at the time I didn’t know what direction they were going in. When they didn’t pick up anybody, it definitely felt good and it let us know that they have faith in the inside linebacker corps that they have now and that they believed in us and wanted to move forward with us for the rest of the season.”
More from Predominantly Orange
- Broncos chances of landing Sean Payton dwindling, but not gone
- Denver Broncos dream coaching staff for DeMeco Ryans
- Denver Broncos: “Sleeper” David Shaw checks every box
- The Broncos’ coaching search likely has not gone to plan
- Special Chiefs Suck Offer: Bet $5, Win $150 if Joe Burrow Passes for ONE YARD vs KC
When Davis says ‘us’ he’s talking about himself along with Corey Nelson and Zaire Anderson, the Broncos’ other young linebackers vying for a starting job this offseason. Davis is the leader in the clubhouse to start with Brandon Marshall, and nobody sees that changing anytime soon.
Davis said this offseason he’s been working at improving his speed and flexibility, and that’s going to be critical for a defense that was one of the fastest we’ve seen in recent memory last year.
Now that he’s vying for a starting job in Denver with the league’s top defense and the World Champions, Davis understands that where he came from is a huge reason why he’s in this position today.
“It was my dream to be in this position, not necessarily when I was with the Saints did I have that mentality [of becoming a starter]. I was kind of focused on being on the squad and being able to help the team wherever I could. Now that I’m here, I’m definitely taking full advantage of this opportunity and I can’t wait for this season to start.”