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Outside of Dove Valley, the Broncos’ decision to move Baron Browning from inside linebacker to outside linebacker was met with confusion.
To Browning the change made sense.
“I kind of had a feeling,” Browning told reporters about the switch. “I was happy with the change because I was looking forward to being able to do outside more full-time.”
Browning had turned himself into a mainstay on the Broncos’ defense in the second half of his rookie season. He started nine of the team’s last 10 games and played at least 95% of the team’s defensive snaps in eight of them.
Instead of letting Browning stick on the inside—where the Broncos have three players competing for two starting jobs—the team moved him outside, where he’ll compete with Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb, new $70-million man Randy Gregory, top draft pick Nik Bonitto, the ever-steady Malik Reed and second-year prospect Jonathan Cooper, who put up two sacks in a start against the Cowboys last year, for two starting jobs.
The numbers don’t make much sense, at least outside of the team facilities.
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“You can never have too many rushers,” Nathaniel Hackett said on Friday. “In this league, it’s about getting to the quarterback, first and foremost.”
That theory is being put to the test. And, at least so far, Hackett is standing by his decision.
“Watching him play that [outside linebacker] position has been definitely even better than we thought,” Hackett said. “We kind of had a feeling that he might be good there, but it’s his ability to bend, his ability to anchor, and just being able to shut that edge off.”
At Ohio State, Browning primarily played inside linebacker on early downs and moved outside on third downs. In other words, he played the most important linebacker position in just about every situation. Instead of learning how to play one position well, the coaching staff asked him to use his raw athleticism to watch plays develop then chase them down. He didn’t need to think too hard or play with perfect technique. That left him unrefined, but also malleable.
“I had raw talent, but now it’s developing the skillset for it,” he said. “Eventually raw talent runs out.”
Raw talent is an understatement. Browning was the No. 11 recruit in the country in the 2017 class and the top outside linebacker. Now, the 23-year-old is working on his stance, he’s working on how he uses his hands, and he’s working on setting the edge in the run game.
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Seeing the game from a new perspective might be the toughest change.
“Inside you have more time to read things,” Browning said. “When you’re on the line everything is happening fast. You don’t have too much time to think. So learning how to pin my ears back and be quick and decisive of what I’m seeing and reading.”
So far in camp, Browning has been plenty decisive, plenty quick and he’s become one of the Broncos’ top options with his ears pinned back. He’s getting himself into the backfield regularly and he’s clearly climbed toward the top of the pecking order at outside linebacker.
It’s easy to day-dream about Browning. His history as a run-and-chase linebacker helps him rack up tackles even when the offense is running away from him. His athleticism made him a solid cover linebacker from the inside last year and his cover ability should play up now that he’s working off the edge, where his responsibilities will be simplified. His bend around the edge and developing pass rush moves make him a threat to get to the quarterback. The strength in his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame should help him set the edge.
Just about anything you could ask a linebacker to do, he’s put on tape at some point in his football career.
In a modern 3-4 defense, any of Browning’s skills could be used on any given play, making him a Swiss Army knife off the edge of the defense. The right coach could turn him into a monster.
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“He had a couple moves early when we first got pads on—some up and under [moves] that were just unbelievable,” Hackett said. “I think he’s really embraced it and likes it, too. It’s fun to see him [out there].”
Browning still has plenty of competition for snaps but it’s tough to imagine he doesn’t have some sort of role this season.
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