4. T.J. Ward
Two seasons ago, T.J. Ward got torched in pass coverage. Every time he got matched up on a tight end or receiving back, opposing quarterbacks would have a field day. That changed last season, for a multitude of reasons. For one, Wade Phillips found more ways to get Ward playing in positions where he could do what he does best: Lay the hammer.
At the same time, though, the emergence of David Bruton was huge. Bruton’s increased role, especially in pass coverage allowed Ward to face less one-on-one matchups than he had the previous season, and it paid off. Bruton — a faster, more-athletic safety — was able to stick in coverage much more easily than Ward, and it helped turn the Broncos defense from great to historic.
With Bruton leaving for Washington, and with Danny Trevathan leaving for Chicago, that likely puts more pressure on Ward to succeed in pass coverage. Now, to be fair, I honestly think that, when given the opportunity, Ward was actually better in coverage than he had been in the past, but that was because it was on a limited basis; I’m not sure that more opportunities doesn’t mean more opportunities to get burned.
Ward is an awesome football player and he’s an awesome safety, but everyone has their weaknesses. If he can turn pass coverage into a strength, we could be talking about him as one of the best safeties in the NFL, if we aren’t already.
