All eyes turn to the middle

All joking aside, D.J. Williams fills gap in leadership

Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 17, 2007 at midnight

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ENGLEWOOD - This was foreign territory for D.J. Williams.

Butterflies filled his stomach. He didn't have time to plot his next move; rather, he had to think on the fly.

His switch to middle linebacker?

No. After an offseason in the film room, that was the easy part, relatively speaking.

Williams on Wednesday was charged with filling another vacancy, one created by Al Wilson's unexpected release by the Broncos this offseason.

Just before the opening practice of passing camp, the fourth-year pro was assigned the task of choosing the daily leader of the club's "breakdown" segment before the stretching period.

That traditional moment of levity often sets the daily tone.

A joke about the teammate who's about to make a fool of himself in front of everyone is the biggest part of Williams' new job description as ringleader.

Whether Williams hangs on to that responsibility still is to be determined.

"Somebody yelled, 'Evaluation period,' " Williams said. "I guess I've got to go against the boys and see how I did."

He proved a harsh critic during his opening trial, sending out No. 1 draft pick Jarvis Moss to dance, then, unhappy with the performance, letting veteran David Kircus finish the right way.

"It's the first day," Williams said of Moss' nervous attempts at humor. "We needed more intensity than that."

If Williams is as much a stickler for detail in his on-field role, the Broncos might have nothing to worry about as he makes the transition from strong-side linebacker to the more cerebral middle of the defense.

Where Williams previously every play or so had to relate a call to a defensive end in front of him, he's now charged with aligning the entire front seven on a play-to-play basis. And he'll do it in a scheme brought to Denver by new assistant head coach/defense Jim Bates.

And Williams knows all eyes will be on him, just because of the nature of the position he'll play and the man he'll be replacing, Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

"I sort of feel added pressure," Williams said. "But at the same time, when it comes down to it, football is between the lines, and I'm confident in myself that I can play football."

Another boost comes from the fact that Bates' system mirrors the one he played in at the University of Miami. Though Jonathan Vilma, now with the New York Jets, was the middle linebacker on that team, just having exposure to the scheme in the film room has proved invaluable.

Williams also has played middle linebacker in high school and in a few nickel situations with the Broncos. "I'm ready for a team- leader role," he said. "I've studied for four years here and played under Al, and when you have a guy like that, and watch him, you automatically learn how to be a leader."

Williams has watched film of other middle linebackers in Bates' system the past couple of months to prepare for his on-field switch.

And though Williams made mistakes Wednesday, the plays he did make, according to Bates, showed he has all the physical tools to handle the role.

"Mainly it's getting through that stage with all the different angles he has to take, how he's going to take on blocks, the gaps he's going to fill, and then the matchups in pass coverage," Bates said. "But once he gets comfortable he's going to be fine, because then he can let his athleticism take over."

Actually, the biggest change figures to come in terms of playing time.

Williams played 68 percent of the snaps last season, compared with 85 percent for Wilson and 86 percent for weak-side linebacker Ian Gold, both of whom stayed on the field in nickel pass packages. And while Williams' former responsibilities included locking down tight ends, his horizons will expand greatly on third down.

"I'm just going to try and be in the best shape possible," said Williams, who doesn't plan to slim down from his current 242 pounds to attack his expanded role. "Because you're out there barking out calls, running sideline to sideline, it takes a lot of energy out of you."

And, of course, he'll have to come up with some material for his new pre-practice responsibilities.

"I'm a jokester, and the guys on the team know that," said Williams, who rarely has shown that side to the media, preferring a serious, almost monotone delivery for three years running. "I'm going to observe all through meetings and find out what jokes to make."

Then let someone else be the center of attention, if only briefly.

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