Darian Stewart

Broncos Should Make Re-Signing Darian Stewart A Priority

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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One member of the No Fly Zone has been playing well in 2016. And it is not whom you would think. I make my case to why the Denver Broncos should re-sign Darian Stewart before the March free agency period.

For the Denver Broncos “No Fly Zone,” we think of the names Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., and T.J. Ward. For Darian Stewart, there has not been a whole lot of talk about him unless he makes a huge play.

Coming back near his hometown in front of his family and friends, Darian Stewart chose the right time to have himself a game.

The free safety whom the Broncos signed as a free agent from Baltimore last season has quietly become quite the center fielder for the “No Fly Zone.” And he was on full display against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

On back to back possessions for Drew Brees and the high powered offense, Stewart was like a magnet for the football, intercepting the future Hall of Famer twice.

The first one was a remarkable diving catch. The second one felt like the ball popped out of the receivers hands and just fell into Stewart’s lap.

He also recorded a fumble recovery. Similar to the second interception, the ball found its way to Stewart’s lap. Bradley Roby missed an assignment but recovered enough to make the tackle.

In the process, he stripped the ball from the Saints receiver and it happen to land right in Stewart’s hands.

The Denver Broncos defense recorded four turnovers and Darian Stewart was a part of three of them.

Now that I talked a bit about his game, I want to provide my takes on why the Broncos should re-sign Darian Stewart before the free agency period begins.

His stats tell one side of the story. Since he arrived to Denver, he has recorded 106 tackles, four interceptions, forced one fumble, and recovered one. Those are some solid stats for a free safety.

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Second, he compliments the No Fly Zone. Why would John Elway want to break up such a solid defense? I can understand how it might be difficult since T.J. Ward’s contract is also up after this season, but there’s no harm in trying.

Third, he always seems to make big plays in key situations. His first game as a Bronco is a prime example when he intercepted Joe Flacco to seal the win. He had a big interception in the AFC Championship Game last year against the Patriots that killed any potential momentum.

Now that we have seen what he has done, I think there is a possibility for the Broncos to get something done with Darian Stewart. Here is to hoping the No Fly Zone stays in tact. It is a special group.

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Darian Stewart

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