With each passing offseason, the Broncos seemed content to allow some of their best defensive linemen and pass rushers retire or depart in free agency without much of a fight.
And in each instance, they have placed more faith and trust in Derek Wolfe, a player wonderfully described by Broncos longtime beat man Mike Klis as both "brutish" and "unvarnished."
That is not to say Wolfe, now 27 and in the middle of a four-year, $36.7 million deal, hasn't learned a thing or two about himself over the years. Maybe leadership suits him better now than ever.
"When I see guys not doing the right thing, I'm going to tell them," Wolfe told 9News in Denver. "I'm not going to sit back and let that (stuff) slide. Me, it's either confrontation fist-fight or say nothing. I'm learning how to not fight people if that makes sense."
While the Broncos can expect a yearly, out-of-this-world performance from Von Miller, Wolfe is in the mix to ensure they get the same from Shane Ray, 2017 second-round pick DeMarcus Walker and 2016 second-round pick Adam Gotsis. General manager John Elway is toeing the line between rebuilding project and last-chance playoff contender, with a roster that could easily slide in either direction this year. The continued success of their defensive line under imaginative head coach Vance Joseph could tip the team in either direction.
Wolfe credited his perspective to marriage and fatherhood, both items that became official this offseason. Can he now pass that on to the next wave of great Broncos pass rushers?
