KUSA – When the Broncos set their 53-man roster, some of their toughest decisions will come from their defensive line.
A familiar name or two will be cut. It can’t be helped.
“On the D-line, our room is loaded,’’ Shelby Harris said in late-May.
“I honestly believe that this is probably the most talented unit that I’ve been a part of,’’ said Zach Kerr.
Defensive line is usually one of the Broncos’ most fluid positions but in general it gets six roster spots.
Here are eight: Derek Wolfe, Domata Peko Sr., Kyle Peko, Clinton McDonald, Adam Gotsis, DeMarcus Walker, Harris and Kerr.
The three-man defensive front was comprised mainly of Wolfe, Domata Peko and Gotsis on first down last year; Wolfe, Harris and Gotsis on third down.
After finishing 28th against the run in 2016, the Denver D improved to No. 5 last year. It wasn’t so effective getting to the quarterback. Harris, the team’s biggest surprise, had 5.5 sacks but just 6 more sacks came from Wolfe (2), Gotsis (2), Peko (1) and Walker (1).
It’s one reason why the Broncos signed the free-agent McDonald from Tampa Bay. A 297-pound defensive tackle in the Bucs’ 4-3 front, he had 5.0 sacks last year, 8.5 in the past two seasons.
However, McDonald has a shoulder issue that forced him to miss the Broncos’ entire offseason. When he couldn’t pass the physical leading into the mandatory minicamp in mid-June, he had to restructure his contract so that his $4 million for this season is no longer guaranteed.
There is hope McDonald will be cleared for the start of training camp but that will be determined by his physical on Friday.
With the Broncos’ first training camp practice a week away, 9News continues its positional preview with a look at the team’s defensive line.
Overview: Good as it looks on paper, there are some ifs. If Wolfe can return to form after his offseason neck procedure, if Gotsis is cleared from a rape investigation by a Georgia district attorney, if McDonald can get healthy, if Walker can come on after his disappointing rookie season, and if Peko does not fall off at 33 years old, the Broncos can have one of the league’s best 3-man fronts.
Strength: Led by Wolfe, the defensive end position is deep and formidable.
Question mark: Gotsis, the Broncos’ second-round draft pick in 2016, was arrested in Atlanta on March 7 on suspicion of a strongarm rape charge stemming from an incident five years earlier while he was a student-athlete at Georgia Tech.
In late-March, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office announced it expected results of its investigation to come within 90 days. It’s now been more than 120 days and still no decision on whether to indict or clear Gotsis. He did participate in the Broncos’ offseason program and the plan is to continue practicing in training camp as he awaits his fate.
Pro Bowl material: No Bronco defensive lineman has ever been selected to the Pro Bowl as the system is set up for outside linebackers to get sacks and inside linebackers to get the tackles. Wolfe and Peko, though, have previous played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level.
Sleeper: DeShawn Williams. He’s a D-line tweener at 6-foot-1, 292, but his frame works as a 3-4 end. Undrafted out of Clemson in 2015, he spent three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, where Broncos head coach Vance Joseph observed him for two years.
Williams spent two seasons on the practice squad but played some in 2016. In Cincy he was mentored by Geno Atkins. Williams had a strong offseason.
