Coaches Bringing the "D" Back to Denver

For the last few years there has been a constant in the Denver defense, a different defensive coordinator. This will be the fourth straight season Denver will have someone different calling the plays.  There is good news for the 29th ranked defense, an old coach Mike Nolan is coming back to reinvent a horrible defense.

After being the San Francisco 49ers head coach for two and half years, Nolan is coming back to Denver where he began his NFL coaching career back in 1987.

Nolan has 21 years NFL coaching experience and 11 years as a coordinator for the Jets, Ravens, Redskins, and Giants.  He is bringing back an attacking defensive that has ranked in the top of the league for years and a system that players have thrived in.     

First order of business, bring back the 3-4 defense Denver use to use during the Reeves and Orange Crush era.  There will be some adjustment for players like Dumervil and Moss making switches from defensive end to outside linebacker.  In order to help players make this switch, Wayne Nunnely was brought in from the San Diego Chargers.

Nunnely has spent the last 12 years with the Chargers helping make them a defensive threat.  After starting as a college assistant Nunnely worked his way up through the college ranks.  He had a stint with the Saints before moving onto the Chargers.  Here he made an impact with the line in their 3-4 system.   From 2000-2008 the Chargers ranked sixth with (355) sacks.

In this attacking 3-4 system, which allows linebackers to rome and make players will give Andrea Davis and D.J. Williams a chance to shine as so many other have.  Ray Lewis Defensive player of year (2003), Terrell Suggs (2003), Mike Croel (1991), and Patrick Willis (2007) all won Defensive Rookie of the Year under Nolan’s tutelage.

While Nolan is busy calling the plays Don Martindale will be handling the Broncos linebackers.  After five seasons with Raiders, Martindale will have the chance to bring together a unit that struggle to make tackles last season.  If he can help make Thomas Howard into a top linebacker in Oakland, he should be able to help this new crew become a top unit.

As the front seven will be adjusting, the secondary will have strong veteran leadership in Champ Bailey and newly acquired Brian Dawkins.  Along with three new starters the secondary brought back Ed Dontell who won two Super Bowls with the Broncos as the secondary coach.

The defense has brought in a lot of veterans to shore up a unit that has given up over 400 points the last two seasons.  With these players comes a veteran coaching staff that knows how to play some D.

Hopefully the “D” in defense will finally be back in Denver.