The defense was to the Broncos last season what Ringo Starr was to the Beatles: overshadowed, overlooked, underwhelming.
John Elway was John, Peyton Manning was Paul, and the guys on the other side of the ball were acoustic. The Broncos believe their defense will rock this season, faith that begins with a man who looks like he could crack granite with his fist.
If pass rusher DeMarcus Ware raises expectations, safety T.J. Ward lowers the boom. He represents the identity the Broncos seek. And the transformation began on the first day of training camp.
“If we have a complete team and help each other, where one isn’t better than the other, we can be a championship team,” said Ward, who signed as a free agent after playing his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. “That’s our goal. It has already started. Guys are hungry, eager, excited and it shows. We are communicating well. You can tell the vibe right now is very strong.”
Ward brings to the Broncos a safety thumper, their first since Brian Dawkins in 2011. It’s hard to find a successful Denver team that didn’t have a force at the back line, beginning with Dennis Smith and running through Steve Atwater and John Lynch.
The Broncos want their defense to assume a new persona, preferably one with swag in the walk and froth on the mouth. Elway admitted as much Wednesday when he said the Broncos can’t rely on Manning alone. It’s unfair, if not unwise. The change has been jarring — counting the nickel back position, the Broncos could have eight different starters in their top 12 that faced the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
“We want to have an attitude,” defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “We want to be enforcers.”
The Broncos proved they can outscore teams during the regular season. The NFL playoffs, just like the NBA in June, slow down, rewarding teams that can defend and force offenses into empty possessions.
Ward represents the prototype, a fierce hitter who can double as a linebacker in subpackages, something he “loves to do.” The Broncos will always be Peyton Manning’s team as long as he’s under center. But they might not be a championship team without better defenders.
“We can definitely set the tone in the preseason,” Ward said. “There’s no such thing as half speed once we get into the games.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck
