Those who played in the NFC North at some point between 2015 and 2018 know all about Vic Fangio and what his defenses could do.
That familiarity is a significant part of why defensive lineman Shamar Stephen, a starter for the last three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, chose to sign with the Broncos for what is likely to be a rotational role behind projected starters Shelby Harris, Dre’Mont Jones and Mike Purcell.
“The first thing about his defense — it’s multi-faceted, so you’re able to do a lot of things out of that defense,” Stephen said. “[He’s] able to bring a lot of pressure and determine where you want to get the ball on a second-and-long and third-and-long. He does a lot of good things with the pressure and he’s able to force people to do what he wants them to do.”
Fangio also likes interchangeable parts on the defensive line, and Stephen might fit that bill, with the ability to play all three spots in a rotational role.
“He expects the same thing out of all the D-linemen,” Stephen said. “Being able to be more than just pigeonholed into one position is very, very key for me and for any d-lineman that wants to play.
“You want to be a complete player, and that’s what this defense allows you to do — become a complete player.”
Defensive linemen rotate more liberally than players on the other lines of defense, which ensures that Stephen will have value, even if Harris, Purcell and Jones remain healthy.
But last year, the Broncos learned the necessity of depth.
Denver’s defensive-line complement was tested last year in ways the team could not have foreseen when the season began — and to a degree never before experienced by the franchise.
How so? Consider this: No defensive lineman started more than 11 games. That had never happened for a non-strike season in Broncos history until the 2020 campaign.
Only in 1982 — a season truncated to nine games because of an eight-week strike — had the Broncos not had at least one defensive lineman in the starting lineup for at least 12 games. But last year, Shelby Harris and DeShawn Williams each led the way with 11 starts. Four other players — Purcell, Jones, DeMarcus Walker,and Jurrell Casey — each started between three and eight games.
Don’t expect the Broncos to have another season quite like that. But do expect to see plenty of Stephen, who likely projects as the first backup in to relieve any member of the starting trio.
Stephen spent the last three seasons as a starter — including the 2019 and 2020 campaigns in Minnesota, where current Broncos general manager George Paton was a personnel executive. Now he’s a reserve with ample experience that gives the Broncos a quality and versatile D-line backup most teams lack.
