If everyone can stay healthy, Denver's defense promises to be a tougher outfit than last year's incarnation.
It starts in the front seven, where pass rusher Von Miller is set to return from January's season-ending ACL surgery across from free-agent pickup DeMarcus Ware.
In our AFC West training camp preview, we pointed to Ware's durability on the heels of elbow surgery as a core piece of the puzzle for a team in "Super Bowl or bust" mode. The former Dallas Cowboys star says he's primed for a big campaign.
"I feel better than I did the last two years going into the season," Ware said Thursday, per Mike Klis of The Denver Post. "Stronger, faster. I feel flexible."
Ware missed just three games last year, but he saw his sack total dip to a career-low six takedowns after averaging 15.5 sacks per season prior. Handing $20 million guaranteed to a 31-year-old sack master is risky, but a fully operational Ware and Miller give Denver the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL.
Throw in a rebuilt secondary with hammer-dropping safety T.J. Ward and rugged cover man Aqib Talib, and these Broncos won't be easy to push around on defense. The expectations are as high as ever in Denver.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" invites Bucky Brooks in-studio for a team-by-team AFC training camp preview.
