Denver Broncos Defense Will Improve Upon the Return of Danny Trevathan
The Denver Broncos defense underwent many changes this offseason. The Broncos added free agents and draft picks to help improve the play on the defensive side of the ball. One player who isn’t a new addition, but arguably the most important Broncos defender, is weak-side linebacker Danny Trevathan.
Last year, Trevathan played 901 defensive snaps and led the team in tackles with 125. He also picked off three passes and was known as a playmaker that teammates looked up to.
Earlier this year in training camp, Trevathan fractured a bone just below his left knee. That injury has knocked him out for the start of the 2014 season. He’s worked hard to return from this injury, and Trevathan has always been targeting the week after the bye as his return date.
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Troy E. Renck, from The Denver Post, reports that Trevathan is expected to be a starter against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
Reserve linebacker Brandon Marshall has done a decent job filling in for Trevathan during his absence. Marshall is a good player, but Trevathan is a great player who can excel on all three downs.
Here’s a look at how Trevathan will improve the defense upon his return to the lineup.
Run Defense
Even though Trevathan is a weak-side linebacker, his nose for the ball helps him as a run defender. The Broncos rank 13th in run defense, allowing an average of 105.3 rushing yards per game.
Trevathan can find the ball quickly, and he rarely takes false steps as the play unfolds in front of him. Once at the ball-carrier, Trevathan arrives with natural violence. He’s not the biggest linebacker, but he does play with an “enforcers” mentality.
As a defensive leader, Trevathan will help put his teammates in the correct positions before the snap. This skill will help all defenders as they attack the run.
Pass Defense
Trevathan plays the linebacker position with the quickness and speed of a safety. He will often bait opposing quarterbacks into making bad throws. This skill is a big reason why Trevathan picked off three passes in 2013.
Below, we see a play against the Chiefs where tight end Anthony Fasano gets open underneath.
Both Nate Irving and Brandon Marshall are late to the play, and it’s an easy throw for a decent gain.
This picture highlights Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen as he pulls away from Marshall for a 41-yard touchdown.
The tight end position is no longer an extra blocker for a lot of teams. In today’s NFL, the tight end is a weapon in the passing game, and defenses have had to adjust to this trend. Trevathan is a coverage linebacker first, and he can stick with receivers or move tight ends as they work through the route tree.
This picture shows where most pass attempts are being thrown against the Broncos defense.
This graph shows where most passes are being completed against the Broncos defense.
With Trevathan back, expect those numbers on the outside at 5-10 yards deep to decline. Currently, the Broncos have allowed an average of 285.3 yards passing per game. That ranks them 31st in the NFL in that category. Clearly, the pass defense is the biggest area in need of improvement.
Quotes
Broncos head coach John Fox had plenty to say about Trevathan on Monday. First, Fox was asked about the defensive performances so far this season without Trevathan.
“It is hard to pin it all on one guy or one substitution, but I think when you have as many new starters as we have, it’s going to take a while to build that in-game chemistry it takes. I thought the first two games—the situations at the end of the games I thought were good learning experiences, character-building type of situations where the game is on the line. We didn’t fare quite as well in Seattle in that same situation in overtime, but I saw growth and I saw us get better.” Fox concluded, “It will be interesting to see how when we form back up on Wednesday, how we pick up where we left off.”
Fox feels like the linebackers came together nicely even though Trevathan was missing.
“I thought [LB] Brandon Marshall stepped in and did a really good job. We’ve got some youth at that position. Obviously there were some errors made, but all in all, just like our record—I think two of the situations were better than the third.” Fox continued, “But we’ll welcome back Danny because he was one of our better players, and it’s good to have him back.”
The Broncos added Trevathan in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft. Fox believes there’s a reason why so many talented linebackers fall in the draft process.
“One of the things you find in the league a lot of times, it is easier to evaluate offensive players because there are guys’ catches, the runs, all that stuff, and I think sometimes defensive players get pushed down a little bit in the evaluation process because the statistics don’t ring quite as true.” Fox said, “But if a guy is big, strong and fast, he is usually going to go pretty early.”
Summary
The Broncos defense has had some struggles during the 2014 season. It should be a better unit now that Trevathan is back.
Fox likes what he has in the third-year linebacker. “He’s got tremendous speed and explosion, and those things all ring up pretty well when you’re getting more experience, as he is a young player. I’ve seen him progress really every season and every game.”
Broncos fans should like the way this defense looks as well. Trevathan’s playmaking ability will show up in better run defense. Fans should notice the biggest difference when the team is tasked with covering an athletic move tight end.
The Cardinals offense doesn’t use the tight end that much, so Trevathan’s impact there won’t be felt as much in Week 5. However, in the next month the Broncos will face talented tight ends like Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers), Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots) and Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers). Trevathan’s presence in coverage will certainly be felt in those contests.
The Broncos went 2-1 without Trevathan in the lineup. Now that he’s back, he’ll help the team stay in the “W” column.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record information provided via email from the Denver Broncos or from ESPN Stats & Inc.
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