Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio likes the Shamar Stephen pickup
The Denver Broncos let former second-round pick DeMarcus Walker leave in free agency in the 2021 offseason. There are a variety of options on the roster to replace his snaps, as limited as they may have been over the last couple of years, including with veteran Shamar Stephen.
Stephen was a free agent pickup by the Denver Broncos in the 2021 offseason from the Minnesota Vikings, where he has obvious familiarity with Broncos GM George Paton.
The Broncos got Stephen for a pretty modest one-year deal worth just $2 million. Having been a starter in four of the past five seasons he’s played, that seems like a nice bargain for the Denver Broncos needing some depth on the interior defensive line.
With Dre’Mont Jones emerging as one of the top young defensive linemen in the entire NFL, Shelby Harris back on a multi-year contract, and Mike Purcell coming off of injury, veteran depth on the defensive line was definitely a necessity for the Denver Broncos going into the 2021 offseason.
George Paton went with someone familiar to him, and so far, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has liked what he’s seen.
Shamar Stephen impressing Denver Broncos HC Vic Fangio
When asked about the defensive line being a ‘true rotation’ at the end of OTAs, Fangio noted that the team would “like to feel that way” and he singled out Stephen as a “good pickup” for that unit.
Although Stephen’s numbers are not going to pop off the stat sheet, he’s clearly been able to gain the trust of some of the best defensive coaches in the NFL between his time in Minnesota under Mike Zimmer, Seattle under Ken Norton (2018), and now with Fangio in 2021.
It’s not atypical for defensive linemen to reach their peak potential in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme. A player like Stephen, who could play a number of different positions on the defensive front, adds tremendous value as a run defender.
Stephen noted when he was signed that what most excites him about the Vic Fangio defense is the ability to rotate and play multiple positions.
"Really, the movement. The multifaceted ability of the defense, being able to have different fronts and being able to play different positions all down the line. He expects the same thing out of all the d-linemen. Being able to be more than just pigeonholed into one position is very, very key for me and for any d-lineman that wants to play. You want to be a complete player, and that’s what this defense allows you to do—become a complete player.Shamar Stephen, via Broncos PR"
At the age of 30, Stephen has really proven what he’s capable of in the NFL but the Denver Broncos have all of the right things in place around him with the coaching staff, scheme, and big-time pass rushers to help Stephen be a really nice pickup for the defensive line rotation.