What has been quietly talked about since John Fox was hired has become official: the Denver Broncos will use a 4-3 defense as its base option. John Fox confirmed that with the Denver Post earlier this week. The team had played a 3-4 defense under former head coach Josh McDaniels, but it never had the talent to succeed. As witnessed this year, the Broncos were at or near the bottom of every defensive category.
Now it will be up to Fox and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to build a new defense. With Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers likely to play on the line again, that is the first step. The No. 2 pick will also help determine the tenor of this new defense. Even with the likely departure of Champ Bailey, this move to a 4-3 front will highly influence the team's No. 2 overall draft pick. The selection of a defensive lineman over a cornerback like LSU's Patrick Peterson may be more likely.
But as with most moves happening right now, the real question is, will his happen in 2011 or 2012?