For a chance to spread his wings as a defender, Brandon Jones left South Beach and ventured to the mountains of Colorado.
With the Miami Dolphins, Jones felt he was only viewed as a box safety who could pressure quarterbacks and make plays at the line of scrimmage. While those traits are important, the former Texas standout thinks he has more to provide.
And the Broncos are giving him the chance to prove it.
“It’s just a (wide) variety of situations I will get to be in that I usually haven’t been in during my career. I’m excited because I know what I am capable of doing, and I’m excited to get that opportunity,” said Jones, who signed a three-year deal worth up to $22.5 million this offseason.
In four seasons with the Dolphins, Jones played 789 defensive snaps as a box safety compared to 683 at free safety, according to Pro Football Focus. During his first two years before suffering a season-ending injury in 2022, Jones was sent to blitz the quarterback quite a bit. In 2020, he was sent to blitz 41 times, resulting in a sack and four pressures.
Those numbers ramped up during his second season — the best of his career — when he blitzed on 69 occasions, totaling five sacks, 14 pressures and five quarterback knockdowns in 15 games (13 starts).
Playing under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s scheme, Jones will still be able to showcase his ability as a blitzer while also getting the opportunity to make plays in the middle of the field.
“I’m going to have a lot more freedom,” he said. “…I think throughout my career, I’ve had situations where I would (play free) in certain games and certain games I wouldn’t.”
If Jones believes he has untapped potential, it will be important for him to unlock it. He’s tasked with replacing former Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who was released in March. The two-time Pro Bowl selection recorded 30 interceptions since 2016 — the most by any player during that span — as one of the league’s top safeties.
Jones has only three interceptions, including a career-best two picks last year, and nine passes defended in 54 career games. At Texas, he had four interceptions and seven passes defended in four seasons. It’s hard to ask Jones to replicate Simmons’ production since they play differently. But it would be beneficial for Jones to continue to improve on his ball skills given that Denver’s five-game win streak in 2023 was spear-headed by the defenses’ ability to create turnovers.
“(Simmons is) one of the best to do it in my opinion,” Jones said. “…It’s definitely some shoes to fill, but I kind of look at it as a new journey and a new road to be able to pave for myself.”
As a whole, Denver’s secondary has looked solid during the first week of training camp. However, the Broncos’ depth at safety is already in question. Jones is expected to be out for one to two weeks after injuring his hamstring on Friday. Head coach Sean Payton said Caden Sterns has a long road ahead of him in his recovery from a knee injury he suffered in last year’s season opener . Sterns returned to practice on Saturday, but was limited. Meanwhile, Delarrin Turner-Yell continues to rehab from a torn ACL he suffered near the end of the 2023 campaign.
The curious case of Troy Franklin
It’s still early, but it already appears that the Broncos are going to have to make some tough decisions at wide receiver — particularly with rookie Troy Franklin.
Denver traded its 121st, 136th and 207th overall picks to Seattle to select Franklin with the 102nd pick in the fourth round. The Broncos’ decision to move up and take Franklin was understandable. The former Oregon standout adds much-needed speed to Denver’s offense.
But since the team’s offseason program, Franklin has had a hard time settling in. He has rarely stood out during the team period, struggling against press coverage. Payton values Franklin as a deep-play threat. But in the two instances in which he had a chance to show that skill, rookie quarterback and college teammate Bo Nix overthrew him.
There’s no need to write Franklin off just yet. However, if he doesn’t show improvement, Denver could be put in a tight spot. Last season, the Broncos had five wideouts on the initial 53-man roster. At the moment, Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims Jr.’s spots appear secure.
That leaves two spots in the wide receiver room. Despite Tim Patrick coming off two season-ending injuries, a strong argument can be made for him taking the fourth. Patrick has moved around well since the spring and is a strong veteran presence.
The final spot could come down to Franklin and seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele, who is viewed as another version of Patrick. In a perfect world, Franklin comes out on top, given his skillset and what the Broncos gave up to get him. But he needs to start racking up good practice days.
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Originally Published: July 28, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.
