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Denver Broncos hire DeMarcus Ware as part-time pass-rush coach

By The Sports Xchange
Former Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) takes down Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the second quarter of Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI
Former Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) takes down Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the second quarter of Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo

Former Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware will be hired as a pass-rush consultant for the team, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.

Ware will work "a few days a week, a few times a month" to help Denver's pass rushers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, citing a source.

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The nine-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time first-team All-Pro is no stranger to sacking the quarterback, sitting at eighth-best in NFL history with 138.5 sacks in his career as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and Broncos before retiring in March 2017.

Ware's career-high 20 sacks with Dallas in 2008 are the fifth-most recorded in a single season in NFL history. The 35-year-old Ware, who is the Cowboys' all-time sacks leader with 117, played the final three seasons of his 12-year NFL career with the Broncos.

All-Pro linebacker Von Miller, Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett have played with Ware.

"He's our pass-rush consultant," Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said of Ware earlier this month. "Obviously, he played with these guys. They have great respect for DeMarcus. He's got so much knowledge when it comes to pass rush, not just for the outside guys but for the inside guys also, like [defensive end Derek] Wolfe and those guys. It was good to have him out here and hopefully we can get him back in a couple weeks."

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Bradley Chubb, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, is expected to benefit from Ware's help as well.

The Broncos ranked fifth in quarterback sack rate in 2016 before dropping to 17th after tackling the QB once every 15.9 pass plays.

"We're definitely working on it," Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall said. "I'm not sure where we were in sacks last year (22nd with 33 sacks), but we have these [practice] periods where we have first, second [or] third-down pressures.

"We want to put pressure on the quarterback. I think that's what made us so successful in 2015 when we won the Super Bowl. We put pressure on them. We played Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game and we hit him [17] times. So I think that's the key. Last year we kind of lacked on it, so they want to work on it."

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