In their first full seasons as starting inside linebackers in Vic Fangio’s defense, Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell have settled in. The duo leads the team with 98 and 85 total tackles, respectively, as the position has been steadier than the injury-plagued defensive line and cornerback corps.
“We’re able to make the checks (without second-guessing),” Jewell said. “We’re able to communicate with the safeties really well and the line right in front of us. We can look at those pre-snap reads on the offense and actually understand that stuff. I’m not thinking about, ‘What do I have to do here?’ I already know what I have to do and it’s just second nature now.”
In another lost season where the Broncos are once again planning for next year in December, the question is whether or not the duo has displayed enough for the team to stand pat at the position this offseason.
Johnson, 28, is playing on a $750,000 salary this year and will be a restricted free agent in 2021. Jewell is making the same salary, and is under contract on his rookie deal through next season. Both came to the Broncos in 2018 — Jewell as a fourth-round pick out of Iowa and Johnson as a college free agent.
The two took varying trajectories to their starting jobs, with Johnson spending most of his rookie year on the practice squad before getting his chance amid Denver’s 0-4 start last year. He made his first NFL start in Week 5 and went off for eight tackles in Los Angeles. Johnson ended up racking up 41 tackles in his first five starts of 2019, the most for any Broncos player in his first five starts.
Jewell, 25, started nine games as a rookie but just three last season after Johnson took his job. After the Broncos waived Todd Davis before the start of this season, the door re-opened for Jewell, who was not only a more cost-effective option (cutting Davis created $4.5 million of space the Broncos can roll over to 2021), he also outplayed Davis in camp as the latter was limited by a calf injury.
When asked for a critical assessment of his starting inside linebackers, Fangio offered an endorsement for both. He believes Johnson has “a really good future moving forward here,” while Jewell has “played even better than I thought he would.”
“(Johnson) is occasionally still guilty of some reckless driving out there, but not as much (as last year),” Fangio said. “I like A.J. I’ve liked him since we started playing him day one. I think he’s a really good inside linebacker both versus the run and the pass.
“Josey’s been solid all the way, both versus the run and pass. He quarterbacks our defense when he’s in there, and we ask him to do a lot of things from an adjustment standpoint. He handles it very well and he helps other people with their assignments and getting lined up. He’s had a really good year.”
Despite the high praise, in a league where nothing’s guaranteed, the Broncos could very well look at other options alongside Jewell in 2021 if they elect not to bring Johnson back.
Rookie Justin Strnad and veteran free agent signee Mark Barron were intended to fill that depth role this season, but Strand went down in camp with a season-ending wrist injury while Barron never got to the starting gate due to injures after being signed Aug. 30. Both Strnad and Barron were expected to play in sub-packages before getting hurt.
“(Johnson) has done a great job this year to follow up last year of what he did and how quick he came in and was able to turn some heads and make plays,” Jewell said. “So hopefully, that keeps on going on.”
