Broncos' OLB Bradley Chubb Gushes Over Baron Browning's Natural Pass-Rushing Ability
In this story:
Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett has made a concerted effort to add more punch to his pass-rushing unit this offseason. While fans will doubtless continue to split hairs over the merits of moving certain pieces around, their dissenting voices might fall away should the Broncos' pass rushers successfully apply constant heat on the AFC West’s elite quarterbacks.
Hackett’s decision to make linebacker Baron Browning a permanent feature in the pass-rushing rotation is a major concern for some fans who feel he would be better served by continuing to man the middle alongside Josey Jewell. What was first seen by many as an experiment now appears to be much more than that.
The Broncos' top edge defender Bradley Chubb has been close at hand to witness how impressive Browning has been so far in his new position.
“It’s crazy when it comes to Baron. The natural skills he has for the position— it’s amazing. You’ll see him out there and he just throws his shoulder down,” Chubb detailed on Monday. “To him, it feels like he’s doing just that, but on film, it looks like the craziest thing ever.”
For the new coaching staff to have spotted so quickly the bend and natural flexibility that might make Browning a nice fit for his new role provides early encouragement that they're on the money. The truth is, the process is still in its infancy, but the network of coaches and veteran players, like Chubb, appears to be firmly in place to keep developing the raw skills that Browning has in abundance.
“We’re trying to keep coaching him up,” Chubb said. “He’s come over to the house and asked me what I see from his play. I’m trying to be there for him like [Bills OLB] Von [Miller] and those guys were for me when I first came in and first moved to the position. It’s been great to see the natural things he has already. Once he starts adding in those little, small details, it’s going to be over with.”
As an added spin-off, it’s allowing the Broncos to start getting more out of Chubb, especially as he now moves into a stage of his career where he’s going to be relied on to provide veteran leadership. After Miller moved on last season, it’s now going to fall on the 25-year-old to lead the new stable of pass rushers… but he is embracing the challenge.
“Just trying to be the same guy every day,” Chubb said. “I try to come in here and say what’s up to everybody, whether it’s ‘Archie’ [Robert Archuleta] or the ladies in the back cooking. Whoever it is, I just try to be the same guy and let people around me see that and do the things that get overlooked. I feel like it’s going to make me better by doing that, and it’s going to make the guys around me better.”
Doing the little things right is absolutely crucial for both Chubb and Browning, although they may have differing timelines for mastering their craft. But in the end, the duo has exactly the same goals.
Crush the quarterback.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
