NFL spotlight goes back on Broncos defensive backs

Champ Bailey (Denver Post file)

Key Position: Secondary

Spotlight goes back on Denver's defensive backs

You already can hear the coast-to-coast chatter about the Denver offense, about its potential to pile up the yardage and spin the numbers on the Jumbo-Tron.

That's all well and good, but the Broncos scored 35 points against Baltimore in January and still got bounced from the playoffs. In back-to-back playoff losses, they have allowed a total of 694 yards passing and nine touchdown passes and have made only one interception and one sack against Tom Brady to close out the 2011 season and Joe Flacco to close out 2012.

Chucking it around is all well and good too, but whether or not the Broncos put another trophy in their well-appointed lobby likely depends on what Jack Del Rio's defensive unit does this time around.

That means a Denver secondary that entered the 2012 season as the unit to watch ? and the unit that ultimately didn't hold up in the stunning playoff loss to the Ravens ? is once again front and center.

A look at the key players:

Champ Bailey

He is 35 years old and entering his 15th season at the most unforgiving position to age gracefully in the NFL. Bailey, above, doesn't have the speed he had a decade ago, and it's misguided to expect he would. But he is one of the league's most intelligent players and still a better athlete than most at his position. Though the playoff loss to the Ravens was one of the most difficult days of his career, his body of work through the 2012 season was in the upper tier. The Broncos will give him a little more help than in the past, but he's still a defensive mainstay who desperately wants to play in his first Super Bowl.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

This guy has to be everything the Broncos hope he can be for the defensive game plan to work. Rodgers-Cromartie, right, is a phenomenal athlete whose

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Denver Post file)

attention to detail and on-field technique has wavered. The Broncos need him to resurrect his Pro Bowl performance of 2009. "The Broncos were really the first team to say what was wrong with me and what I could do to fix it," he said. "I'm ready to do that."

The safeties

Given the amount of time the Broncos expect to be in their specialty defenses this year ? with five, six and even seven defensive backs roaming the field ? the safeties have to hold up defending the run in addition to the pass. It's a tall order in this age of specialization, but the Broncos signed veteran cornerback Quentin Jammer to be a physical-speed hybrid player in those looks. And they will be looking for David Bruton to find a niche in there because of his athleticism.?

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Open practices

Thursday 8:50-11:30 a.m.
Friday 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Saturday 8:50-11:30 a.m.
July 28 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
July 29 8:50-11:30 a.m.
July 31 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Aug. 1 8:50-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 2 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Aug. 5 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Aug. 6 8:50-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 10 8:50-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 12 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Aug. 13 8:50-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 14 10:25 a.m.-1:05 p.m.
Aug. 15 8:50-11:30 a.m.

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Summer scrimmage

This year's summer scrimmage is at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Aug. 3. Gates open at 5 p.m., on-field activities begin at 5:50 p.m. and the scrimmage starts at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public with free admission. Fans are encouraged to take public transportation, bike or carpool.

Source: http://feeds.denverpost.com/~r/dp-sports/~3/wHdqbjTvAjQ/spotlight-goes-back-denvers-defensive-backs

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