2014 Free Agent Profile: T.J. Ward
T.J. Ward will bring attitude and playmaking ability to the Denver Broncos' secondary (Image: denverpost.com)
By: Matt Harmon
March 17, 2013
Backyard Banter free agent breakdown tier:
High-end starter
How he fits with the Broncos:
Denver hasn’t had great safety play the last few seasons, so acquiring a player of T.J. Ward’s caliber was a smart move. The secondary was an obvious weak spot on the Broncos’ defense, and Ward immediately becomes the best player on their back end.
Duke Ihenacho was tabbed as the Broncos’ strong safety last season. But he did not carry over his training camp promise to the regular season. The young safety saw his snaps steadily reduced as the year wore on. Ward was signed to replace Ihenacho.
T.J. Ward’s best role is that of an extra linebacker. He can be an enforcer against the run when lined up in the box. Ward is a disciplined player, and takes good angles to the ball. In Denver, he will clean up any mistakes made by a potentially unproven group of linebackers.
Although he is at his best closer to the line of scrimmage, Ward is not a liability in coverage. If Denver deploys any two deep safety looks, they needn’t worry about Ward’s ability to hold up.
Adding T.J. Ward will have a direct impact on Denver’s other starting safety, Rahim Moore. He gets a bad rap as the guy who blew it against Baltimore in the playoffs, but Moore is actually a solid player. There are not many true center field safeties in a league desperate for them, but he can play that role. With Ward next to him, Moore should be able to freelance and roam more often. He was a dangerous playmaker back in college, and perhaps Moore will see more of those opportunities with a better player complimenting him.
It’s cliché to say, “it’s a copy cat league”, but in many cases the NFL cannot help itself. After Seattle dominated these Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, many teams will be on the lookout for their own version of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. The Broncos are one of the few teams who look to have accomplished the task of assembling a tandem that resembles the Seahawks’ duo. Ward can be the enforcer, while Moore roams the deep middle.
What he leaves behind with the Browns:
You could say the Browns were quick in executing their contingency plan for losing T.J. Ward. In fact, it seems they weren’t too interested in bringing him back at all. In the opening moments of free agency, the Browns moved quickly to sign Donte Whitner. The veteran safety will take over Ward’s old strong safety spot.
The timing is what’s interesting about the Whitner signing. The Browns inked the veteran safety before the Broncos picked up their former player. Cleveland also gave Whiter more money than Ward eventually received. Of course, it is impossible to know whether Ward was willing to take less to sign on with Denver—a team much more likely to contend this season.
It seems clear that the Browns were eager to replace Ward, and viewed Whitner as an upgrade. The two players are quite similar stylistically, but the argument can be made that Ward is the better layer right now. He is fresh off a Pro Bowl berth, and is a few years younger.
The most likely theory is that Browns’ new head coach, Mike Pettine, wanted a stronger veteran presence for his defense. The Karlos Dansby signing lends additional credence to this idea.
Whitner has played on one of the best teams in the NFL in recent years with the 49ers. He can bring the “been there, done it” factor to Cleveland’s defense. The unit was a strength of the team early on last season, but fell apart too often down the stretch. Pettine must be counting on the addition of Whitner as a way to combat a similar slide under his watch.
Contract Analysis:
March 17, 2013
Backyard Banter free agent breakdown tier:
High-end starter
How he fits with the Broncos:
Denver hasn’t had great safety play the last few seasons, so acquiring a player of T.J. Ward’s caliber was a smart move. The secondary was an obvious weak spot on the Broncos’ defense, and Ward immediately becomes the best player on their back end.
Duke Ihenacho was tabbed as the Broncos’ strong safety last season. But he did not carry over his training camp promise to the regular season. The young safety saw his snaps steadily reduced as the year wore on. Ward was signed to replace Ihenacho.
T.J. Ward’s best role is that of an extra linebacker. He can be an enforcer against the run when lined up in the box. Ward is a disciplined player, and takes good angles to the ball. In Denver, he will clean up any mistakes made by a potentially unproven group of linebackers.
Although he is at his best closer to the line of scrimmage, Ward is not a liability in coverage. If Denver deploys any two deep safety looks, they needn’t worry about Ward’s ability to hold up.
Adding T.J. Ward will have a direct impact on Denver’s other starting safety, Rahim Moore. He gets a bad rap as the guy who blew it against Baltimore in the playoffs, but Moore is actually a solid player. There are not many true center field safeties in a league desperate for them, but he can play that role. With Ward next to him, Moore should be able to freelance and roam more often. He was a dangerous playmaker back in college, and perhaps Moore will see more of those opportunities with a better player complimenting him.
It’s cliché to say, “it’s a copy cat league”, but in many cases the NFL cannot help itself. After Seattle dominated these Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, many teams will be on the lookout for their own version of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. The Broncos are one of the few teams who look to have accomplished the task of assembling a tandem that resembles the Seahawks’ duo. Ward can be the enforcer, while Moore roams the deep middle.
What he leaves behind with the Browns:
You could say the Browns were quick in executing their contingency plan for losing T.J. Ward. In fact, it seems they weren’t too interested in bringing him back at all. In the opening moments of free agency, the Browns moved quickly to sign Donte Whitner. The veteran safety will take over Ward’s old strong safety spot.
The timing is what’s interesting about the Whitner signing. The Browns inked the veteran safety before the Broncos picked up their former player. Cleveland also gave Whiter more money than Ward eventually received. Of course, it is impossible to know whether Ward was willing to take less to sign on with Denver—a team much more likely to contend this season.
It seems clear that the Browns were eager to replace Ward, and viewed Whitner as an upgrade. The two players are quite similar stylistically, but the argument can be made that Ward is the better layer right now. He is fresh off a Pro Bowl berth, and is a few years younger.
The most likely theory is that Browns’ new head coach, Mike Pettine, wanted a stronger veteran presence for his defense. The Karlos Dansby signing lends additional credence to this idea.
Whitner has played on one of the best teams in the NFL in recent years with the 49ers. He can bring the “been there, done it” factor to Cleveland’s defense. The unit was a strength of the team early on last season, but fell apart too often down the stretch. Pettine must be counting on the addition of Whitner as a way to combat a similar slide under his watch.
Contract Analysis:
#Browns TJ Ward's contract: 4 years, $23 million, $14 million guaranteed.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 11, 2014T.J. Ward was one of the best defensive players on the market, and a top two player at his position. It seems odd that the Broncos obtained him for such a cheap price.
As mentioned, perhaps Ward was eager to leave Cleveland for a true Super Bowl contender. He may have received more lucrative offers, but chose to chase a ring instead of a payday.
John Elway pulled off another free agent heist with Ward’s contract. The former Browns’ safety is being paid just over $5.5 million per year, and is only the 16th highest paid safety in the NFL. Those numbers fall a bit below an accurate reflection of Ward’s play.
Another bonus for Denver is that they control a ton of leverage in the contract’s second year. If Ward fails to meet expectations with the Broncos, they can release him before he gets a $2.5 million roster bonus in 2015.
T.J. Ward’s contract is anything but crippling for the Denver Broncos. Elway did a masterful job in securing a Pro Bowl addition to his defense at a modest price.
Predicting 2014 production and beyond:
Ward stuffed the stat sheet last season, finishing with 112 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions. It’s not inconceivable that he could best those statistics in 2014.
In Cleveland, the former second round pick was probably the best defensive player on the team—at least last season. In Denver, Ward will not carry such a burden. The additions of DeMarucs Ware and Aqib Talib, as well as the presence of holdovers like Von Miller and Terrance Knighton, mean that Ward can play a complimentary role.
With Ware, Miller, and Malik Jackson rushing the passer, Ward will be free to make more plays in coverage. He will also find clear paths to ball carriers with Knighton taking up blocks.
Ward will be a productive defender in the coming season with the Broncos. He is also the most stable veteran the team has in the secondary. Ward could be a nice leader when Denver must transition away from Peyton Manning.
As mentioned, perhaps Ward was eager to leave Cleveland for a true Super Bowl contender. He may have received more lucrative offers, but chose to chase a ring instead of a payday.
John Elway pulled off another free agent heist with Ward’s contract. The former Browns’ safety is being paid just over $5.5 million per year, and is only the 16th highest paid safety in the NFL. Those numbers fall a bit below an accurate reflection of Ward’s play.
Another bonus for Denver is that they control a ton of leverage in the contract’s second year. If Ward fails to meet expectations with the Broncos, they can release him before he gets a $2.5 million roster bonus in 2015.
T.J. Ward’s contract is anything but crippling for the Denver Broncos. Elway did a masterful job in securing a Pro Bowl addition to his defense at a modest price.
Predicting 2014 production and beyond:
Ward stuffed the stat sheet last season, finishing with 112 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions. It’s not inconceivable that he could best those statistics in 2014.
In Cleveland, the former second round pick was probably the best defensive player on the team—at least last season. In Denver, Ward will not carry such a burden. The additions of DeMarucs Ware and Aqib Talib, as well as the presence of holdovers like Von Miller and Terrance Knighton, mean that Ward can play a complimentary role.
With Ware, Miller, and Malik Jackson rushing the passer, Ward will be free to make more plays in coverage. He will also find clear paths to ball carriers with Knighton taking up blocks.
Ward will be a productive defender in the coming season with the Broncos. He is also the most stable veteran the team has in the secondary. Ward could be a nice leader when Denver must transition away from Peyton Manning.
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