For Shaquil Barrett, the Broncos’ decision to let the outside linebacker walk in free agency prior to last season led to a career year in Tampa Bay.
Barrett, a Colorado State product, led the league in 2019 with 19.5 sacks along with six forced fumbles (2nd in NFL) and 23 tackles for loss (tied for 2nd) as he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and a Buccaneers’ franchise tag this year that guarantees him $15.88 million this season.
So, yes, Barrett will take the field against the Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High with a smile on his face.
“I just want to show them that they did have the chance to have me and they let me go,” Barrett said. “I’m happy with my situation down here — I love it. It’s literally the best plan that could have happened and it worked out.”
The Broncos, meanwhile, have seen their fortunes go the opposite direction at outside linebacker since Barrett left town after five seasons as a reserve in which he totaled 14 sacks. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb as the team’s cemented starters at the position, there weren’t going to be enough reps to go around for the up-and-coming Barrett, not to mention the fact general manager John Elway didn’t want to pay a backup like a starter.
So Barrett signed a one-year, $4 million deal with Tampa Bay instead, and parlayed that into an even bigger payday — although Barrett was unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal with the Buccaneers. The Broncos, meanwhile, have seen their pass rush diminish with Chubb sidelined the final 12 games of 2019 with an ACL injury, and Miller out indefinitely this season with an ankle injury.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio described Barrett as “a slippery pass rusher.”
“He does a good job when they do drop him (into coverage too),” Fangio said. “He’s a really good football player that was stuck here behind Von and Bradley. He got himself an opportunity and has made the most of it, for sure.”
Barrett said his time in Denver as a young pro helped shape him into the dominant pass rusher he’s been since the start of 2019, when he burst onto the national scene with nine sacks in the first four games. The Broncos originally signed Barrett as an undrafted free agent out of CSU in May 2014.
“Back then I just was comfortable doing the moves I knew,” Barrett said. “I wasn’t really trying to learn any moves because I was scared to do them and scared of failing, because nobody wants to do a move and get stuffed or look bad out there. As time progressed, I kept watching Miller and (former Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware). I was on the scout team and practice squad, so I’m up there going against the first-team tackle. I started working stuff, started working on my get-up, just gaining confidence slowly but surely to actually go out and do it in a game.
“It was through the repetitions and practice that I got the confidence. The Broncos practice squad helped me out a lot to be able to build the confidence to go out there and just trust myself and trust my keys to go out and make plays, have a great get-off and not be scared to jump offside every once in a while.”
Barrett’s been receiving plenty of attention from opposing blockers so far this season, and has no sacks in the first couple of games. He and the rest of the Buccaneers’ front, which also features Pro Bowlers in tackle Ndamukong Suh and linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, face off against a Denver offensive line that allowed seven sacks and 19 quarterback hits in the Week 2 loss in Pittsburgh.
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