The Denver Broncos went into camp with the idea of testing Jonah Elliss inside at linebacker. After the first few practices, that plan has been shelved.
According to reports from Jeff Legwold of ESPN, Denver’s early work has pointed Elliss back toward the edge, where the Broncos now appear more likely to use him as a bigger part of their pass rush. The original thought was to create competition for Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, with the outside chance that one of those two could slide into more of a depth role. Instead, Elliss looks set to stay where he’s most natural.
Coach Sean Payton made it clear why the team backed off the move.
"For me, it felt like man, we're taking a position that's harder to find and moving him to a position that we think might be a little bit easier to replace," Payton said. " ... I just think we felt like man, he's really ascending as an edge player."
That shift also fits the reality of Denver’s current linebacker situation, which remains unsettled. Jonathon Cooper is practicing with the team, but his status is still clouded by what comes next with his scheduled arraignment tied to a pair of arrest in June as part of a domestic violence incident. Payton has tried to keep that issue in the background, but it remains part of the picture.
What seems more certain is that Elliss is headed for a bigger defensive role than he had a year ago, when he played 318 snaps. The Broncos’ plans are still fluid, and that’s especially true over the next few weeks.
The front line is another piece of the puzzle. Denver lost John Franklin-Myers in free agency after he became the odd man out when the team began handing out extensions to most of its core players. The Broncos tried to address that by drafting Tyler Onyedim, though it’s still too early to know whether he’ll be part of the regular rotation this season.
No matter how the pieces settle, Denver needs its pass rush to keep humming or get even better. That was one of the team’s biggest strengths last season, and at this stage it still looks like a calling card. The offense remains unfinished as the Broncos keep sorting out what new receiver Jaylen Waddle can bring, which puts even more weight on a defense that will be asked to carry a heavy load through a brutal early schedule.
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