The Denver Broncos will use three players to try to replace the production of linebacker Jonathon Cooper.
The Denver Broncos have a problem at linebacker, and it’s not one they were expecting to face when OTAs started. Jonathon Cooper was penciled in as the automatic starter and established star, but Cooper is mostly wearing suits now that he’s on the commissioner’s exempt list and making his required court appearances.
Replacing him won’t be easy, and according to Sam Jane of the Denver Post, the Broncos will use three players to fill the void: Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called Cooper the team’s “best guy” when he arrived in 2023, and while the character aspect of that label might be very much up for debate, the on-field part replacing him won’t be easy at all.
Expect a lot of rotation, according to Jane, as that tends to be a staple of Joseph’s defenses even without prominent injuries and absences in the mix. Coach Sean Payton indicated that there will be a snap count for all three players against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.
“There’s certain strengths that they have, whether they fall into more third-down or passing situations. One of the strengths of that front has been our ability to play more than just the starting unit,” Payton said.
Replacing Cooper’s estimable production seems like wishful thinking to at least some extend, but the Broncos have been talking up Elliss in particular throughout OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
“The coaches have spent a little extra time with me, really talking about what I needed to improve on, areas I needed to grow,” Elliss said about his improvements this offseason.
Tillman isn’t a big name, but Jane identified him as the most proven of the three pass rushers. He’s recorded at least two pressures in eight games last season, along with hurrying the opposing quarterback 16 times, according to Pro Football Focus.
He’s one of those Broncos players who came out of the United Football League, and according to Jane he’s fit in with the Broncos’ edge rotation well over the past few years and could be expected to play a bigger role this year.
Robinson is the wild card in this positional equation. He’s impressed both teammates and coaches, and Joseph has said he can be a “future starter.”
“The guy I have been super impressed with, and I’ve told him, is Que Robinson,” said tight end Evan Engram. “He’s been a force all camp… He’s definitely growing as a player and he has a bright future ahead of him for sure.”
