It looks like at
least one of Kentucky's former linebackers will win the Denver Broncos starting weakside linebacker job. Both Danny Trevathan and Wesley Woodyard were listed behind incumbent starter D.J. Williams on the Broncos' first depth chart of the season, but with Williams' facing a six-game suspension, and possibly another one on top of that, his future is very unclear. Woodyard, who started seven games in 2011 for an injured Williams, is filling in as the starter so far in camp. Woodyard is coming off an outstanding year where he compiled a career-high 97 tackles and two forced fumbles. Most people around the Broncos camp assume that either Woodyard or newly-signed veteran linebacker Keith Brooking will eventually be named the starter, but linebacker coach Richard Smith says "not so fast."
“[Trevathan] was much faster on film,” Smith said in response to Trevathan's poor forty-yard dash time. “You watch him on film, he was a playmaking machine. It might be a steal in terms of where we drafted him. This guy’s an extremely instinctive football player. He’s done a great job during OTAs. Right now he’s running with the 2s and he’s going to be helping us in our sub package.
“Maybe he’ll be able to unseat everybody at that will linebacker position and be an every-down player,” Smith said. “If it happens, that’s a big load on a young guy. Maybe he can handle it, we’ll wait and see.”
When a close position battle like this surfaces it usually goes to the person who makes the most of the preseason. The Broncos travel to Chicago to take on the Bears tomorrow and it looks like both players will get equal playing time. The battle is sure to continue through all four preseason games, but for Kentucky fans
it's a shaping up to be a win-win situation.
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