With the NFL's scouting combine set to open Tuesday and free agency to follow March 10, today marks the sixth installment of a position-by-position look of where things stand for the Denver Broncos at each spot on the depth chart, the salary-cap commitment, free agents and where their needs are greatest.
Today: Defensive line | Sunday: Linebackers | Rest of the series
Newly hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips likes the Broncos’ personnel on defense -- why shouldn't he? He has two Pro Bowl edge rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware and three Pro Bowl players in the secondary in cornerback Chris Harris Jr., cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T.J. Ward.
That’s enough riches on the depth chart that Phillips, who is nearing four decades of coaching in the NFL, has said it might be “the best situation’’ he’s ever had when starting a new job. But as the team moves from a 4-3 base defense that used some 3-4 principles to a more traditional 3-4 look under Phillips, the position group with at least some question marks attached in terms of personnel is the defensive line. Longtime Broncos defense coordinator Joe Collier routinely said finding a nose tackle was the first priority in the 3-4 and that's certainly the starting point this time around as well.
The Alpha: Consider nose tackle job open if Terrance Knighton, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, is not re-signed. Ware and Miller are the marquee players in the pass-rush sets, so the Broncos need someone among their interior defensive linemen to step forward in some kind of leadership role. If Knighton moves on, the front three players would be Sylvester Williams on the nose to go with Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson at the two end spots. Knighton’s presence was a powerful one in the locker room and his departure would create a vacuum someone else would need to fill.
Salary cap: Williams, because he was a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, has the biggest cap hit of the group at $2.067 million. Wolfe and Jackson are still on their original rookie contracts; they will count $1.657 million and $1.627 million respectively against the cap in ’15. Quanterus Smith, who finished the ’14 season on injured reserve and will have to carve out a role in the 3-4, will count $633,000 while defensive tackle Marvin Austin Jr. is slated to count $660,000.
Pending free agents: Knighton is the highest-profile player in the group set to hit the open market. He would be an easy fit into the nose tackle position, but can likely get a bigger offer elsewhere. Mitch Unrein, who has been a productive rotation player at times for the Broncos in recent seasons, is also an unrestricted free agent. Unrein played just 46 snaps this past season on defense, but will get a look from the incoming coaching staff.
Who could stay: Jackson is poised for bigger things. He has already been one of the most efficient, productive defensive players in the league when it comes to taking advantage of his opportunities. He consistently makes things happen and will be a priority in free agency in ’16 if he has another quality year. The Broncos will need Wolfe, who has flashed top-shelf ability at times in his career, to raise his play another notch. He’s a high-effort player and the Broncos will need him to consistently be an impact starter.
Who could go: Knighton has said the “grass isn’t always greener,’’ that he wants to play for a team with a chance to win. But it’s a matter of what the Broncos can offer since they have some other issues to address like the offensive line and an impending franchise tag for Demaryius Thomas. It’s kind of lost in the discussion these days, but Knighton’s representatives tried to re-negotiate his deal following the 2013 season and the Broncos made it clear they were not interested in doing that at that time. Jack Del Rio is also the new coach in Oakland. Knighton likes playing for Del Rio and Knighton was one of the first players Del Rio wanted in Denver after he accepted the defensive coordinator’s job.
What they like/want: It’s a scheme change, so they need more depth with guys who can play it. They will certainly need to find at least one other player who can play at nose tackle and will need to address depth across the board. Bill Kollar is one of the most highly respected defensive line coaches in the league and he will certainly tighten things up in a group that wasn't always fundamentally sound enough this past season.
Need index (1 is low priority, 5 the highest): It’s a 4. They have some guys who fit such as Williams, Wolfe, Jackson and Austin, but will need to bolster things here as they move forward with the new playbook.