Which players on the Broncos defense can replace Justin Simmons? | Orange and Blue Today podcast

The Denver Broncos moved on from veteran S Justin Simmons. They’ve added talent to take his place, but which players can step up into those large shoes? Watch Orange and Blue Today with Cecil Lammey and Andrew Mason!

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Topics: bo nix, orange and blue today, denver broncos qb, denver broncos quarterback, denver broncos, denver broncos podcast, denver broncos news, denver broncos insiders, sean payton, javonte williams, courtland sutton, garett bolles, baron browning, pj locke, nfl, nfl news, football, cecil lammey, andrew mason, playoffs, NFL, NFL draft, Jarrett Stidham, AFC West

well how do you replace a star how do you replace such an important veteran on your team and a leader on your defense that’s what we’re talking about on today’s edition of orange and blue today C salamy Andrew Mason and replacing Justin Simmons it’s gonna be the aggregate ma as we’ve mentioned but there’s a couple players to really focus on on today’s show yeah well the obvious one is the replacement Brandon Jones coming in in free agency um but that’s not going to be an Apples to Apples replacement I think the more interesting elements of replacing Justin Simmons and trying to do it an aggregate are the guys who are the internal options we won’t see delarian interner yell until maybe at some point in training camp he’s rehabbing from the tourn ACL but we’re already seeing PJ lock and we’re already seeing JL Skinner PJ lock started last year made a good account of himself one of the first moves in the around the new league year was to resign him and JL Skinner you know barely saw the field last year but remember the Broncos thought enough of him to keep him on the 53 even though they weren’t going to use him because they’re playing the long game with him and we actually saw him getting some first team run earlier this week when brand bring Jones wasn’t there and I think there is a place for JL Skinner to be in a position where he ends up maybe starting some games this year as at least an injury replacement for either Locker Jones Broncos are still high on him yeah and as we’ve mentioned multiple times like watch what they do not what they say when they keep Skinner away from available availability to other teams via waivers or the practice squad it’s like that’s a sign when they go to lock immediately pretty much in earlier this year it’s like okay that’s a sign as well both of these players are coveted and this team wants to see more of them they do and the other thing also you don’t you still don’t have Kaden Sterns out there as well and I think with Kaden Sterns it’s kind of like the Greg dolc thing in that you’re not relying on him being available if he’s in the mix it’s nice but you better start developing some contingency plans maybe that become more of your primary plans and you know lock certainly resigned to be a starter but it’s SK but Skinner it’s more interesting because he had that rookie season where effectively it seemed like he was almost forgotten cease I mean how many you know they had injuries at the safety position but they you know they they would they would activate um they would activate practice squad guys they would act acate Devin key to play right and JL Skinner wouldn’t and I you and I would talk about hey is this the week that we’re gonna see a lot of JL Skinner right it never happened part of that was because the Broncos decided very early they were gonna play the long game with JL Skinner coming off of a an off season that he spent in injury rehab and also trying toh figure out okay how are we going to maximize the phys physical Gifts of this 220lb 64 guy man he is big when you when you go up to him right he is a presence at safety but he’s still incredibly raw how are we gonna take that raw and smooth it out to where we can find a potential viable long-term safety well and you mentioned safety I’m going to play this clip from Shawn pyton because not only did they take the long game with it right what is he and when pton answers this question you’ll see what I mean but it’s like is he an Isaiah Simmons type where he’s a inside linebacker and a saf here’s what Shawn pton said about JL Skinner this is going to be one of those you know we talked about this training camp we’re going to we’re going to see a lot when the pads come on and we’re in these team run pass periods you know do we feel like he’s better with the versus The Run do we feel like he’s better versus the pass I do think he has good instincts we I’d say the second half of last season even when he’s running scout team we noticed on offense quite a bit man this guy all of a sudden was was jumping routes and he he was someone that was you know that stood out on the tape so um I think he’ll want to build off of that now Shawn Payne also did say he still saw the vision for JL Skinner at safety did he say safety for now cuz remember was it you somebody asked about what’s your vision and Sean said it’s still safety or he said it’s safety for now I think he said it’s still safety so when he used that those words mace I was like wait a second still safety is he thinking about something else potentially yeah what is that mean still safety should it should be safety right I mean it should be safety but are you also talking about the type of situation where he ends up you know we we refer to the Joker on offense right is he something of a defensive Joker I mean they would you you would see some some Coles call it kind of a Rover right Rover Joker yeah yes is that something yeah and it the quote was still safety so okay you’re yeah you’re you’re you’re trying you’re trying to imply something there I I that’s interesting yeah um when he says still safety I was like what else would it be you know other than S linebacker Rover Joker we called it a Rover so I’ll just say Rover but like you know what huh I mean I guess he could be like Isaiah Simmons who Vance Joseph did coach in Arizona yeah true Red Rover Red Rover bring JL right over is that what we’re talking about I guess so right but either way it’s good to hear his progress on the scout team that was important especially because his coverage we know he can thump we know he can do that but the coverage stuff is very important because it tells me he’s diagnosing he’s learning how to how to replays how to react to them and and serving on the scout team obviously there’s a very specific kind of role to that but it doesn’t mean that you can’t Flash and show the and and show something you’re trying to obviously display and look for the opposing offense but you also don’t when you’re in practice you don’t want the opposing defense to sandbag you want them to play the schemes but you want them to make the quarterback think a bit right not have it be easy create something of a challenge and that’s what JL Skinner uh evidently was doing and you know that being said it was not what he hoped to get from last year and that was something he talked about what he learned from going through this and he talked about this in January and here’s what he had to say I mean of course I had a different rookie experience than most guys who get drafted but I I really just took it as gratitude you know I was able to sit back and learn from Justin Simmons and PJ lock and Karine Jackson and Kon Stern so I mean of course you you get upset personally because you’re not playing but you know end of the day they probably have a longer plan for me and you know just being in position I am to come in with a group of guys like this where it’s two all PR or two pro bowl players in one room I’m is grateful to really just continue to have this year to learn you know I don’t never look it as a down year I look it as a year either use it to grow and learn or and let it never let it happen again or you know you’re just gonna stay the same and I I’ll make sure I’m ready for sure yeah it was funny because he’s talking about having those guys that are in the room um he talked a little bit more about them uh in the course of this interview but if it’s like with Shawn pton you had one year of Justin Simmons you had one year of King Jackson one year with the veterans in the room and now it’s okay the teaching is done they’ve left and effectively now you’re gonna tell these young guys PJ P actually PJ Lock’s not all that young he’s been in the league a while but it’s like okay right it’s time to see if these birds can leave the nest and fly you know you’ve got they you they’ve taken all they can can now now what do they do what you now are they ready for a bigger role we talked about it a few days ago with PJ lock as a potential glue guy and learning how to be a a leader like he talked about the DB dinners that they’d have and one of the cool things about those DB dinners is how they include everybody even the guys that are injured and PJ talked hey you know I was dealing with a toe injury last year remember you started the season on IR which is part of why the Broncos were in such a in such a desperate situation in Miami in week three at safety was because they didn’t have lock available and you know all the while while he’s on IR he’s still being kind of kept in the loop which really helped him when he came back but now it’s but now it’s PJ organ helping organize those dinners right a little bit of patain but PJ is the elder Statesman right he’s the guy that’s been around I mean in of the entire defensive back core not just the safety core he’s the longest tenear Bronco in fact shoot I mean PJ was there gosh man you gotta kind of look this up here uh is PJ lock now the longest 10e defensive player wow okay we can look that up and consider I just had yeah I just had a I just had a brain wave here because remember he came over to the Broncos um in 2019 late in 2019 on their practice squad right so you start going through their defense here um yeah what you know Baron Browning came over in 2021 in the draft so Jonathan Cooper right um Josie juwels gone you know you’ve got your your senior inside linebacker is Alex Singleton on the defensive line your longest 10e player is um oh DJ Jones is in his third year you don’t have Mike don’t have Mike Purcell anymore right yeah PJ Lock’s the longest 10e player on the Broncos defense wow think about that for a moment that is like things happen fast they do they do when did Jonas Griffith the come over cuz he’d be the other one I’d be like he’s been around a while he he came over in I believe it was um either 21 or 22 21 2 long right no no yeah PJ’s December 2019 wow holy cow that that just blew your mind a bit didn’t it that PJ lck’s the longest Tanger defensive player yep on this team I’ll bet wow that you know people may watch this show in the I know some other media members watch this show and so I feel like I can’t go around and ask people at mini camp next week hey who’s the longest tenear Broncos defensive player that is yeah that is something that’s why he stepping in a leadership role yes oh my gosh he been there he’s seen a lot he’s been there he’s seen he he’s seen a lot and and he’s and also he earned the respect of Shawn Payton this is another thing people talk about who are Shawn Payton’s guys it’s like oh he’s bringing a bunch of saints it’s not necessarily just that though he’s finding his guys here the glue guys he was talking about a few days ago clearly PJ lock has become one of his guys and here’s what Shawn had to say about PJ last season I think he began to create that vision for himself to his credit and closer to the ball as a pressure player also in coverage um it’s great to see him out there healthy and I think he earned you know some of those snaps and and the confidence level for him you know he’s one of those players when I talk about you see confidence through demonstrated you know he saw it felt it we saw it and then it’s pretty powerful and uh and he’s smart he’s tough um the first time I remember talking to him a long time about his role was when we we were on a plane to go to Justin’s uh father’s funeral and his grandmother’s funeral and PJ was on that plane and we had a long conversation about you know um about that so you know those are those are snaps he’s earned and and he’s put put himself in a good position earned is the key word yes he earned it yep um now that being said you earn it but sometimes it happens the opening happens because of something else for PJ the opening happened with the combination of kadence Stern’s week one injury Kareem Jackson suspension upon suspension at infin item right and the thing is though you do you earn you get that chance and then you earn more chances remember the Broncos reached a point where they just said they’re done we’re done with with keme Jackson they cut him why could they do that when when they still had you know they were still kind of On The Fringe of the playoffs they still had some hope they could do that because they realized PJ Lock’s a good player right and he’s he’s their future Kareem Jackson was not their future anymore and then the other layer to it is with Kaden Sterns effectively PJ played his way above Kaden in the Broncos algorithm doesn’t mean the Broncos still don’t have hope for him having a role in there but because lock did something well with the snaps he earned and by the way remember that moment in the Packers game where Shawn pton was in PJ’s Grill yelling at him okay you and I talk about this when Shawn Payton is in your face that means you matter yes yep it you know he’s he’s trying to get more out of you and I think back to that moment because that was right after PJ lock came into the lineup and was starting to play and like okay there’s there’s some kind of connection between these two because at that moment you know you know lock is you know still you know he’s still kind of a backup type in a contract year you’re not trying you know you’re kind of figuring out okay what’s his role here and at that moment you understood that Shawn Payton was trying to get more because he believed he was part of the plan and here we are talking now about P lock being not only the longest 10-e defensive player but maybe a guy who could be team captain on the defensive side yep like he’s one of those leaders right now so this is this is a moment for PJ he’s he’s got a huge opportunity now that being said it’s a huge opportunity in a moment where maybe it’s not going to be as lucrative as it might have been before because with shell coverage all over the place safety contract values yep yeah they were already down then they jumped up and then and then Vic fangio’s defense went this yeah this year they’ve cratered I mean the reason why Justin Simmons is still out as of this recording exactly for those you know a lot of people watch these shows weeks or months after so it’s almost like we have to say as of this recording all the time Prim this yeah because these things get out date well I mean usually you’re watching on YouTube you can see that oh this thing if you’re watching it like in a few weeks like oh this was like seven weeks ago so but yeah the the future at safety PJ lock and potentially JL Skinner Skinner has belief but he hasn’t he doesn’t have the skins on the wall just yet right and that’s why Shawn pyton talking about when the pads go on is interesting because I think with Skinner more not just when the pads go on but specifically pre-season games or that joint practice against the Packers he may need to seize that moment with a thump and it’s a thump that you know he has the ability to execute but he’s going to have to read diagnose and attack in order to make that happen but he’s the kind of his equation I think may involve that one visceral moment where you’re like oh okay this dude’s this dude’s got it right whereas with p with PJ it’s more the collective as well as how he leads in the locker room in the Huddle how he gets everybody set up pre- snap being in the right spot with JL it’s going to be are we sitting there watching that preseason open in Indianapolis and up in the very high stratospheric Press Box at lucasol Stadium you can still feel a thump from him from down there on the field you’ll see it and you’ll know yes if it’s there the moment he’s arrived and Kaden Sterns to me is Greg doul of the safety position like we know he’s talented he’s just got stay healthy if he does you got to Star there now to wrap up but here’s the thing though he’s also in year four too right and this is another thing not only is he injured he’s in his contract year so it’s getting even later early for Sterns than it is for doul who’s still only in year three with two more years on his rookie deal so there’s even more I think there’s even more urgency to Kaden Sterns for him to try to get things right but he didn’t practice any of the first three weeks and uh you know we haven’t really we haven’t seen him out there so it’s rough still safety for Jil Skinner so to wrap up today’s program Ma I will ask you this very gently because we’re not here to blow bubbles it’s not what we do on this show but I’m gonna ask you something I’m gonna ask you something then this is real right Jail’s making plays yeah he’s making plays on the scout team against Russell Wilson or Jared stum okay so like we’re excited hey coach said J Skinner is making plays on the scout team he’s in coverage that was on Russell Wilson not running the offense you know is is there something to learn there and I we’d always search out JL just a little behind the scenes note you and I every week when we’re thinking like is this the week for JL we would search him out we you know you know kept in contact with jail when a lot of people forgot about him one one of the guys we would come we we Circle back to yes yeah exactly and so it’s like okay he was making plays but you know what kind of plays would he make this year he going against a better either Jarett s him in a second year or Bo Knicks running the system running the system that’s the key thing but maybe that’s sort of the next step on it is that he makes those plays in practice against something where you see the quarterback holding the ball too long then do you see those moments where he’s in the right position to make a play against an offense that’s operating more on time because you get to the game and you get in the chaos the moment it’s not going to be as designed it’s how can you capitalize off that chaos so no matter what quarterback you’re going against What offense you’re facing you get pressure from up front you get the quarterback the eyes darting a little bit trying to figure things out and the aant throw is J in position to make a play or if we’re talking about him being that Rover type is he somebody you’re creeping up and using on a safety Blitz and that’s really intriguing because again 6’4 and 220 lbs coming at you coming full speed is a problem admittedly that’s probably what gives JL Skinner more chances than some others might get is you can’t coach that size at safety uh in terms of frame there’s a little bit of Steve Atwater in JL Skinner and I think that’s part of why people were so excited last year because are there more than three players in Broncos history more beloved than Steve Atwater I’d say not yeah was right up there makes everybody feel the warm and fuzzies now safeties can only do but so much in today’s game and we went through the year talking about kjack and all the times he got fined kjack was a small safety so he had to compensate for that size compensate for the loss of a step as he got into year 13 year 14 and that led to some hits that were at least on the edge if not outright illegal by what the league has defined those standards to be JL Skinner on the other hand has a big frame a long frame he can make those hits and make that kind of impact while staying more within the framework of the rules he doesn’t have to launch he doesn’t have to go lower his head because he’s got a big body that can be a truck and bring people down in a way that remains perfectly copasetic with what the league is demanding today and that is another reason why you keep giving him chances because if he can figure out how to read quarterbacks effectively how to diagnose that there’s there’s some high level potential there because of the size that he brings you can make those hits when you have that length we’ve made this show a hit we want to continue making it a hit but mace we need the help of our audience how can they help us out on YouTube like comment share subscribe hit that notification Bell so that you never miss a that’s right he’s Andrew Mason you follow him on all the socials at Ma Denver I’m at C salamy say T’s BFD thanks for watching stay tuned and stay frosty