Denver Broncos: Jerry Attaochu joins OLB group with Chubb out

The Denver Broncos reportedly are bringing on former Chargers draft pick Jerry Attaochu to help pick up the slack with Bradley Chubb out for the year.

With Bradley Chubb sadly out for the season due to a partially torn ACL, the Denver Broncos are using a ‘committee’ approach to replace him.

Part of that committee approach apparently includes signing former San Diego Chargers second-round pick Jerry Attaochu. No that is not a misprint, either. Attaochu was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and played with the Los Angeles Chargers the first year they moved there.

Attaochu has played 49 career games, 38 with the Chargers and 11 with the New York Jets, including starting 13.

His agency announced the signing on Twitter.

Attaochu was the 50th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the draft where the Broncos’ top two picks were Bradley Roby and Cody Latimer.

In his first two years in the NFL, Attaochu appeared on track to become a very solid starter for the Chargers but injuries took their toll.

In 2015, he started 12 of the 15 games he played and racked up six sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hits along with 52 total tackles.

Since that season, Attaochu has only played 23 games and has four sacks over that span.

Although it’s never easy (impossible) replacing a player like Chubb in your lineup, I like the idea here from the Broncos to go with a younger, formerly high draft choice who has, at one point, proven he can be a starting caliber player in this league.

Attaochu did some nice work in the preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs before he was ultimately left off their final roster.

The all-time sack leader at Georgia Tech plays with his hair on fire, which makes up for his lack of pure speed and quickness. He gets off the ball and plays with tenacity, and if he can stay healthy, this seems like a decent pickup for the Broncos who will also get an extended look at Malik Reed and Justin Hollins at outside linebacker.