John Elway was on a mission to help improve the Broncos’ chances next season to get Peyton Manning his second Super Bowl ring and he committed to spending heavily on the defensive side of the ball. The Broncos did just that early to kick off the 2014 NFL season by signing safety T.J. Ward.
The Broncos were desperate at strong safety after Duke Ihenacho began the season as the starter but couldn’t hold the job down as he struggled both versus the run and in coverage. Now Denver is bringing in a 27-year-old safety that is a master against the run and helps make the Broncos’ defense better.
Ward comes on to a defense that was first in the NFL against the run last season, but struggled versus the pass ranking 27th. But the move helps solidify a secondary that needed a lot of help, and fills a void that otherwise would need to be addressed in the draft.
While Ward’s expertise is stopping the run, he can hold his own in coverage and will certainly provide the Broncos an upgrade against the passing game. He will be going up against more opposing offenses’ that are trailing, which should give him more opportunities to make plays in coverage next season.
Ward is coming off a fantastic season in which he posted 112 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, seven pass deflections, 15 tackles for loss and two touchdowns.
Ward was overshadowed in Cleveland by Joe Haden but even on a 4-12 team, he managed to stand out as one of the best in the game. Ward did miss 13 tackles this past season, a number that the Broncos coaching staff will hope to cut down on into the single digits. But for the production he put up this past season and what he can provide in the future, it was a great move for the Broncos.
What makes this deal more surprising is how reasonably priced it was for the Broncos to sign the player who many considered to be the top strong safety on the market. Ward signed on the dotted line for a four-year deal worth $23 million, but includes $14 million guaranteed. It’s a bargain when you consider Ward’s former team gave Donte Whitner a four-year deal worth $28 million and Whitner is a year older than Ward.
The Broncos already have a Super Bowl-caliber offense in place, and now they are working on putting together a defense that can push them over that final hurdle to win the big game, and not be the same team that gave up 48 points to the Dallas Cowboys and 43 points to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.