Life without Bradley Chubb begins for the Broncos on Sunday in Nashville.
The planning for life without Bradley Chubb, however, began in earnest eight months ago.
That’s when Denver general manager George Paton signed outside linebacker Randy Gregory to a long-term contract in free agency. Around the same time, Broncos personnel approached Baron Browning about moving from inside linebacker to the edge.
Then, in late April, Paton used his top draft pick, No. 64 overall, on Oklahoma standout Nik Bonitto.
That series of moves did not ensure the franchise would decide against a long-term agreement with Chubb, who entered 2022 in the final year of his rookie contract. But it did help facilitate the ultimate decision to send Chubb to Miami in a trade package highlighted by a 2023 first-round draft pick.
“It speaks a lot to the confidence of the guys in the room and the personnel that we have for management to make a decision like that, that they feel like those guys are in a position to step up,” Broncos outside linebackers coach Bert Watts said. “The challenge now is that, obviously, there’s a void and it’s kind of a natural thing to see who steps into that void.”
Long term, Paton is betting that Gregory can stay healthy, Browning blossoms into a star and Bonitto continues on the path from a rookie who’s shown flashes to a consistent, all-around player.
The ideal version of the plan looks like this: Denver fills a hole, likely on offense, with its first-round 2023 draft pick and deploys the $22 million per year it’s saving by not locking up Chubb long-term to address other needs. Meanwhile, Gregory, Browning and Bonitto form the foundation of a group that continues to be disruptive and dynamic both as pass-rushers and against the run well into the future.
The early returns on the rest of the outside linebacker group are promising but mixed.
The biggest concern so far is Gregory’s availability. The 6-foot-5 veteran agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $70 million that came with $28 million guaranteed. Over the Broncos’ first four games, the former Dallas Cowboy generated eight pressures and a pair of forced fumbles and looked like an upper-echelon player.
He injured his right knee against Las Vegas, though, and has been on injured reserve for the past month. He was eligible to come off the list this past week but is not ready.
“When you put on the teach tapes and you put on the things that you want to see out of that position, you can just go through all of his reps and you’re probably going to get all of the teach tape from it,” Watts said. “He’s such an explosive, violent rusher with the quick twitch and urgency that you love, but he also sets great edges in the run game.
“He’s kind of the model that you put in front of the rest of the group of, ‘Hey, this is what you want to get to.’”
Gregory, though, has missed a lot of time over his career. In seven seasons with Dallas, he played in 50 of a possible 113 games. Most of that absence, including all of the 2017 and 2019 seasons, was due to suspensions related to marijuana use — the NFL has changed its rules on that front — but he also has had injury issues. Gregory missed five games with a calf problem last year and had off-season shoulder and left knee operations.
Then he hurt his right knee against Las Vegas.
That meant more playing time for Browning, who has burst onto the scene in his first year on the edge. Denver may be without him, too, though, against Tennessee as he deals with a groin issue that kept him out of the Broncos’ win in London before the bye week.
Watts called Browning’s ability to bend, “rare,” and it is clear the organization believes he has the potential to turn into an impact player.
Bonitto didn’t play a snap in Denver’s first two games and had just 16 snaps through four games, but has seen his workload increase since Gregory’s injury. He has a sack in each of the Broncos’ past two games and played a season-high 58% of the defensive snaps against Jacksonville.
“A lot of people really don’t know football, man, and when you’re a rookie coming into the trenches, that’s hard,” defensive lineman DeShawn Williams said. “You’re going against guys that are damn near four, five years in (the NFL). These are grown men. It’s not easy. It’s a rare breed that you can see some rookies come in and have right-now success.
“Him getting his feet underneath him these past couple of weeks, he’s been getting a sack each game, he’s been playing the run good. He’s only getting better with reps.”
Bonitto is undersized at 6-3, 240 pounds and wasn’t asked to play the run game at Oklahoma like he has to now. Against the Jags, for example, guard Brandon Schreff pulled and tried to kick out Bonitto at least three times. The first time, the 315-pounder crunched the rookie squarely. The second time, Bonitto maintained outside leverage, dipped under the block attempt and dumped running back JaMycal Hasty for a 1-yard gain. At one point he bit too hard on a counter and lost the edge on a third-and-1 toss that went for a first down, but on another he recognized a bootleg and throw-back from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and ruined the play, forcing a throwaway.
“That’s why it’s really important to watch film and see the formations and know what (opponents) like to do,” Bonitto said. “There’s plays that you can see are coming and you can prepare yourself already before the play and already have an idea of what you want to do”
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said knowing what to expect is “half the battle,” and that Bonitto is making strides in that department. The other part for Bonitto is holding up against guys who may outweigh him by 50 to 75 pounds.
“That’s the challenge is whenever you’re an undersized outside guy, it has to be about how you get off the football,” Watts said. “That’s been his challenge since Day 1 and I think he’s done a good job of understanding that, ‘I’ve got to roll off my front foot and I’ve got to strike people.’ I always compare it to my old days teaching physics: Force is mass times acceleration. So if you take your smaller mass and you accelerate into that point of contact, you’re going to be able to match the force of that bigger guy.”
Bonitto is questionable against Tennessee due to an illness, though Denver may go more with more mass in the likes of Jonathon Cooper and newly acquired Jacob Martin even if the rookie is available. Evero could also play more frequently with four down linemen to help combat the Titans’ run-heavy attack, but going forward Bonitto is a role player no longer.
“I told him it’s his time,” Williams said. “We need him to grow up a little bit more quickly than what he thought he had to, but I think he’s ready for the challenge.”
Cooper’s dealt with injuries, too, but is working back into a rotational role and Martin has been a rotational player for the New York Jets this year after starting 14 games for Houston in 2021.
“Coop’s going to be Coop. Everybody’s waiting on him and he’s going to get his opportunity to do what he’s got to do,” Williams said. “And Jacob, he’s nice, man. I knew about him in Houston. A lot of guys have told me he’s a good player. He can rush, he can run.
“Especially in our defense, you stop the run, you can go have fun.”
Paton has found guys that can do the job consistently, but replacing a player like Chubb on the field and in the locker room is no easy task.
Timing in the NFL is rarely perfect. Paton dealt Chubb coming off a feel-good win in London and knowing he may be without Gregory and Browning for the short term.
The opportunity for Denver’s youth movement on the edge, however, knocks now.
“It’s time to grow up and go play ball,” Watts said.
