D.J. Williams returns to an uncertain role

Broncos LB D.J. Williams spent most of the calendar year dealing with trouble that he brought upon himself, from a March violation of the league's PED policy to tweeting a picture of a formation from the Broncos' iPad-based playbook in June to an August conviction on charges of driving while ability impaired.

The playbook tweet was harmless, but the other two resulted in six- and three-game suspension that kept him out until Monday, when he officially returned to the roster and tried to strike a conciliatory tone.

"I did the crime, gotta do the time, but it's over with now," Williams said. "Hopefully I can move on and help my team continue to keep winning."

Williams has been at team headquarters the last three weeks, as the three-game suspension for the DWAI conviction -- his second alcohol-related offense since joining the Broncos in 2004 -- permitted him to be at team headquarters to receive guidance from club officials. It also gave him the chance to work out with the team's strength coaches, which might help him get back up to speed more quickly.

"I wouldn't say that I'm ready to go 70, 80 plays, but I'm in pretty good shape," Williams said. "I've been back here the last few weeks working out with the strength coaches here and getting the altitude in my lungs, things like that. So, you know, I feel pretty good."

Where Williams fits is up in the air. The Broncos' defense has steadily improved this season, particularly against the run. The shift of Keith Brooking from weakside linebacker to middle linebacker gave Wesley Woodyard the every-down job on the weak side, and he responded with some of the best play of his career and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 8. Brooking, meanwhile, has stabilized the run defense after it struggled with Joe Mays at middle linebacker, has been a calming influence and has made few mistakes.

The Broncos have allowed just six touchdowns in the last 14 quarters of play, so they may not want to fix what isn't broken, which would leave Williams struggling for playing time, since Woodyard has flourished in Williams' previous role on the weak side.

"You know, I hope sooner or later, I could get back to the role that I had before I left," Williams said. "But I realize it's going to be difficult just to jump back into that but you know I'm ready to go whenever they throw me out there."

At the same time, if Williams is limited to rotational work, he would provide also give a gargantuan upgrade to the quality of their depth, since Williams has been a starter throughout his previous eight seasons. He also gives the Broncos another option in covering opposing tight ends, something they have failed to do well in recent weeks, having allowed consecutive 100-yard games to Cincinnati's Jermaine Gresham and Carolina's Greg Olsen the last fortnight and five touchdowns to various tight ends in their last four games.

"I know what D.J. can do. He's a playmaker. He's a physical, hard-nosed football player," S Rahim Moore said.

"He'll be a little rusty, but once he gets his legs underneath him, sheds a few blocks, makes a few hits and makes some plays, it's the same old D.J. that they drafted him to be."

Williams barely practiced during training camp as the Broncos opted to give Woodyard and rookies Danny Trevathan and Steven Johnson extra repetitions to bring them up to speed. Thus, he not only has to knock off the rust of the suspension, but of the six weeks of relative inactivity, when he was often consigned to an auxiliary field, running wind sprints.

"I don't know about that," Broncos coach John Fox said when asked about whether Williams would be rusty on his return. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm just looking forward to seeing where he's at.

"I haven't seen him since the end of last season," Fox added. "I just know a season ago he was arguably our best linebacker and we'll work him back in."
No matter what his role is, his teammates were generally pleased to have him back.

"As a friend, I'm happy to see him back," Moore said. "He's smiling a lot more; that's a good thing."


(cbssports.com)