It’s well known to fans of the Denver Broncos that the “No Fly Zone” is made up of five main members.
In his fourth season, cornerback Bradley Roby is making sure that his contributions as the fifth member of the unit don’t go unnoticed.
Any conversations regarding the best cornerback duo in the NFL has to include Denver’s tandem of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., but Roby believes that the Broncos have the best trio in the NFL.
“I think we could be a top three,” Roby said after Thursday morning’s training camp practice. “I don’t know why they act like there’ only two corners out there now. I can see back in the day with two corners but now there are three corners a lot of the time, so they need to change that conversation. We’re already the top trio so there’s no debate on that.”
Roby has made an impact from the day the Broncos took him with the 31 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he just seems to keep improving.
In his first three seasons, Roby has made 144 tackles, forced four fumbles, recovered three, defended 31 passes and picked off five more, turning two of those interceptions into touchdowns. He’s also stepped up when his teams needs him to, and that’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“He knows it’s a big year and you’ve just got to keep playing,” Chris Harris Jr. said of Roby. “It’s a new battle every day and I think he’s learned that from when [CB Aqib Talib] ‘Qib’ missed some games and he had to come in and step into that role. He’ll be more prepared for it this year.”
If he hasn’t already, Roby knows that the only way to earn people’s respect is to do what he’s done since he’s been in Denver, keep making plays.
“It’s still a two cornerback league for some reason so I have to keep making plays to broaden people’s mindset on that,” Roby said. “I have to make people realize there are three people out here balling.”
Having played along side Champ Bailey, Harris Jr. knows what it’s like to be a young guy in a secondary stacked with talent, so he has an idea of where Roby is coming from.
“I remember when I was young, I was trying to get as many accolades as [former Broncos’ CB] Champ [Bailey] could get and try to be in that same role,” Harris Jr. said on Friday. “I could see where he’s (Roby) coming from and he’s definitely improved.”
While Roby continues to carve out a space for himself, he knows that competing with Harris Jr. and Talib is only helping him grow as a defensive back.
“Just playing with those guys and competing, I want to be better than them [by] competing with them and learning from them and all that type of stuff,” Roby said. “Those are two Hall of Fame guys, so why would I not want to compete with them and try to be just as good, if not better.”
The better that Roby is, the stronger the “No Fly Zone” gets.
“We’re trying to continue to play at a high level, an all-pro level,” Harris Jr. said. “Roby aspires to be that and he aspires to be at a Pro Bowl level. There’s nothing better than when you’ve got two guys here that have done it before and been there multiple times. I think that’s enough motivation right there.”