Thread: Webster to test market/DJ likely moving inside

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11473959?source=rss

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams will have shoulder surgery Monday. Meanwhile, his younger brother Worrell Williams, an inside linebacker from Cal, has secured his big brother's agent, Troy Fleming. Worrell Williams is projected to go from the third to fifth round in the upcoming round.

Question is: Will big brother again play his little brother's position of inside linebacker? D.J. Williams played strongside linebacker in 2006, middle linebacker in 2007 and his natural weakside linebacker position in 2008. But if the Broncos switch to the 3-4 defense this year, D.J. Williams could become a candidate to move back to the inside. The Broncos are expected to allow Nate Webster to become a free agent, leaving their current roster with far more starting outside linebackers (Jamie Winborn, Boss Bailey, Wesley Woodyard, Williams) than inside backers (reserves Spencer Larsen and Niko Koutouvides).

Because Williams has demonstrated versatility and is not considered a prototype 3-4 outside linebacker, he may be moving again.

Do we even know that we are for sure moving to a 3-4 defense?

"Here's me making a tackle in the backfield. And me celebrating. Lemme just fast forward through that. Mmmm... mmhmm... Heh, kinda taking awhile. Okay here's the next clip, I hit this guy pretty good after he gets the first down. Lemme fast forward through my celebration again..."

Originally Posted by honz

Do we even know that we are for sure moving to a 3-4 defense?

Nolan has run both. A lot of reporters seem to be assuming we will move to a 3-4, but it seems to be mostly based on the fact that it is what NE runs.

I don't see how the Broncos can move to a 3-4 in less than 2-3 years. They've been built for the 4-3 and don't have the personnel to make the switch work. Dumerville would have to move to LB for sure and there's question about whether he could do it. None of our other linemen (with the possible exception of Moss to LB) are fit to play in a 3-4.

Originally Posted by deacon

I don't see how the Broncos can move to a 3-4 in less than 2-3 years. They've been built for the 4-3 and don't have the personnel to make the switch work. Dumerville would have to move to LB for sure and there's question about whether he could do it. None of our other linemen (with the possible exception of Moss to LB) are fit to play in a 3-4.

I think they can make the switch to 3-4 easily:

1) They don't have the players for the 4-3, really.
2) Dumervil and Moss are irrelevant in the 4-3, but can be leveraged big time in a 3-4.

Dang, I miss Nate alrea..... oh, guess I'm over it now.

Collier seems to think it's not too drastic a change, and that the Broncos can do it.

http://www.broncosforums.com/forums/...ad.php?t=31494

If we made a switch to the 3-4 this fast, we'd be the worst defense in the NFL. Oh wait.......


*checks last year's defensive stats*



....... never mind.

Originally Posted by DenBronx

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11473959?source=rss

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams will have shoulder surgery Monday. Meanwhile, his younger brother Worrell Williams, an inside linebacker from Cal, has secured his big brother's agent, Troy Fleming. Worrell Williams is projected to go from the third to fifth round in the upcoming round.

Question is: Will big brother again play his little brother's position of inside linebacker? D.J. Williams played strongside linebacker in 2006, middle linebacker in 2007 and his natural weakside linebacker position in 2008. But if the Broncos switch to the 3-4 defense this year, D.J. Williams could become a candidate to move back to the inside. The Broncos are expected to allow Nate Webster to become a free agent, leaving their current roster with far more starting outside linebackers (Jamie Winborn, Boss Bailey, Wesley Woodyard, Williams) than inside backers (reserves Spencer Larsen and Niko Koutouvides).

Because Williams has demonstrated versatility and is not considered a prototype 3-4 outside linebacker, he may be moving again.

Looks like free agency has started off in the right direction. Bye Nate. As far as switching to the 3-4 this season, if Coach McD decides to, I'm all for it. Joe Collier says it can be done. That's good enough for me.

How good is Worrell Williams? What is his size, could he work in a 3-4?

I can't tell you how disappointed I will be if the Nate leaves through FA I'm sure teams will be lining up to get him...

It's less of a case of Nate testing the waters in FA and more of a case of the coaching staff drowning him

The big problem with the 3-4, IMO, is that it's a cyclical fad...........

It looks to be, and can be, a very effective defense for a number of years. This is because, IMO, teams will only face it 3 or 4 times a season, making it difficult to play against. But it seems to reach a 'critical mass' of teams running it when it starts to lose it's effectiveness as players and coaches get more used to playing against it. Then the number of teams running it drops back down until there's only a couple of teams that are running it, then the whole cycle starts again.

I think we may have missed the 3-4 boat for this cycle

Originally Posted by Den21vsBal19

The big problem with the 3-4, IMO, is that it's a cyclical fad...........

It looks to be, and can be, a very effective defense for a number of years. This is because, IMO, teams will only face it 3 or 4 times a season, making it difficult to play against. But it seems to reach a 'critical mass' of teams running it when it starts to lose it's effectiveness as players and coaches get more used to playing against it. Then the number of teams running it drops back down until there's only a couple of teams that are running it, then the whole cycle starts again.

I think we may have missed the 3-4 boat for this cycle

we are a cycle!

Originally Posted by deacon

I don't see how the Broncos can move to a 3-4 in less than 2-3 years. They've been built for the 4-3 and don't have the personnel to make the switch work. Dumerville would have to move to LB for sure and there's question about whether he could do it. None of our other linemen (with the possible exception of Moss to LB) are fit to play in a 3-4.

Can it really get much worse than what we used in the 4-3? Our entire front 7 is questionable, so now would actually be the time to make a switch. A 3-4 actually could solidify our Safety positions as Wes is way too light to handle 3-4 OLB duties. He'd have to go alongside Barrett, which may actually work out just fine. This draft does have some beefy DLinemen and LBs. DLInemen include Raji, Tyson Jackson, Brace, Kyle Moore, etc. 3-4 LBs include Maulagua, Cushing, Sintim, Worrell Williams, Brinkley, etc. In this draft, we COULD completely reface the front 7 w/ 3-4 personnel. Bring in 1 FA like Chris Canty and give em all a year to gel...watch out in 2010.

That's if we're even going 3-4.