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According to ESPN's Jeff Legwold the Denver Broncos will activate linebacker Danny Trevathan off the Injured Reserve on Saturday and is expected to play Sunday against the division rival San Diego Chargers.
#Broncos will add @Grindin_59 to roster Saturday -- story:http://t.co/mdrf8GC0cI
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) December 12, 2014
The Broncos placed Trevathan on the Injured reserve-designated to return list after their week five game against the New York Jets. During that game Trevathan suffered a crack in his knee, and hasn't played since then.
While Trevathan has been out linebacker Brandon Marshall has stepped up and played at a high level in his absence.He leads the team in tackles with 109, he has 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and picked up his first interception this past weekend against the Buffalo Bills. Pro Football Focus ranks Marshall as the 3rd best 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL(Only behind the Lions DeAndre Levy and teammate Von Miller).
Defensive end DeMarcus Ware is excited to see Marshall and Trevathan on the field together.
"I think that’s going to be a really good thing because Brandon has been playing really well, been tackling well, making big plays. He had an interception against Buffalo. I don’t know if he had a sack last week but having Danny in there with him it’s like that duo we had at the beginning of the season where you’ve got two guys really perform really well in the middle and demand their dominance when they’re out there playing."
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It will be interesting to see what the Broncos plan to do with Trevathan this week. If they plan on easing him back, we could see Trevathan only play in select nickel packages, and keep him on a "snap count". Safety T.J. Ward has been playing linebacker alongside Brandon Marshall in these packages, so Trevathan would replace him which would allow him to move back to safety. Now if they decide to have move back to his weak-side linebacker spot, we could see Marshall shift inside and play middle linebacker for the Broncos defense.
Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio is excited to be adding a playmaker like Trevathan to this defense at this stage of the season.
"They’re both similar in that they’re instinctive guys, they’ve got good speed, [and] they’re playmakers. So it’s really been a tremendous job by Brandon stepping in when Danny was out and the fact that he’s been able to hold up and help us play at a real high level in a big role. Obviously getting Danny back, who had that role to begin with, should strengthen us down the stretch here.
The Broncos currently have the 4th ranked defense in total yards, and the 2nd best rush defense in the NFL will be getting back one of their best defensive players this weekend. The addition of Trevathan will only make the Broncos defense that much more dangerous as they head into the playoffs.