Broncos Defenders Dish on Changes DC Vance Joseph has Made in 2024

Vance Joseph presided over a car crash of a defense early last season before finding his feet. What's the unit's 2024 outlook?

August 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There's always a danger in professional sports when a coach overly overcomplicates things. Quite frequently, the coach thinks that tinkering somehow justifies the paycheck.

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph enters his second year back with a much younger group of players, so it's no surprise to hear his guys enthusiastically talking up the benefits of keeping things simple.

"A little bit more film study, a little less in the playbook, stuff like that," Broncos defensive lineman Matt Henningsen said, via Andrew Mason of Denver Sports. "It's essentially just trying to make the playbook as simple as possible where every single guy can pick it up, learn it, understand it, and then just go play—go play football. That's it." 

It's no stretch to suggest that Joseph was lucky to hold onto his position, especially after a 70-point debacle down in South Florida. In fairness to Broncos head coach Sean Payton, he stuck with his man when most would have cut and run prior to jumping on the charter plane back home.

Joseph learned that lesson the hard way, and consequently, the Broncos' defensive scheme was stripped back. The unit battled away and started to show some real signs that it had something to build upon for 2024.

Bodyblows were received when experienced veterans and leaders like Josey Jewell and Justin Simmons departed, but Joseph still feels the Broncos have a foundation moving forward. Specifically, Joseph tapped cornerback Patrick Surtain II and linebacker Alex Singleton as Denver's "main players."

"That's the hope, obviously. We have some new guys playing," Joseph said during OTAs. "It takes the spring and the fall to kind of get caught up from the previous year. Every year the defense changes. It's based on the players—always the players first, scheme second. But obviously, it's good to be in the same scheme two years in a row. Our main players, Pat and Alex, it's good to watch them play with comfort. So hopefully that comes true."  

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Unfortunately, many offseason lists and rankings don't agree with Joseph's positive assessments. So, to change the negative narrative once again, it's going to require many players exceeding expectations.

Last offseason, the Broncos made a major splurge to reunite defensive end Zach Allen with Joseph after he had been with him on the Arizona Cardinals. Entering year two as a player/coach duo, the highly-priced former free-agent acquisition sounds like he's finally meshing with this old coach's teachings.

"We play now an attack style," Allen said. "Simple. Only a few calls. And that's all you can ask for—especially as a guy upfront. My successful years in Arizona with 'VJ,' that's kind of how we played, and that's the way I think football is meant to be played. So, the fact that we've been making these steps is awesome."

In theory, putting a firm emphasis on making quicker, easier decisions on the field should allow the guys upfront to pin their ears back and attack. After all, the Broncos have some young, ambitious, and athletic edge rushers who could develop into real difference-makers.

Joseph has talked up the vast potential he sees in second-year rush linebacker Nik Bonitto, and the whole group, which includes fellow incumbents Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper, as well as 2024 third-round rookie Jonah Elliss.

"I think as a group, it's a good group between 'Coop', and Nik and Baron]," Joseph said. "It's a good group. They can all rush the passer; they all are good run-game players. Nik is a special rusher. He had a great year last year. Even with missed time, he had a pretty good year. So obviously, he's a natural rusher and it's my job to find spots for him to kind of showcase that. It's a good room, it's an experienced room. It's a room that should make some hay this year for us."

Schemes invariably need time to be assimilated, and Joseph reportedly tried to retain some of ex-head coach Vic Fangio's system initially. After that approach blew up in Joseph's face early last season, he tweaked things to stay more true to his philosophy, and now confidence is rising within the Broncos' defensive unit.

"Now, it's fully VJ's (defense)," Allen said. "Everyone's comfortable with each other, and everyone understands it. So, we're in a really good spot."

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