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NFL

With combine looming, Broncos work to 'stay great' on defense

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With the NFL’s scouting combine just over a week away, the Denver Broncos’ biggest roster need is undeniable as they evaluate the prospects.

That’s the offensive line. But in the quest to “stay great” on defense, John Elway knows has to look at that side of the ball as well. In particular, he will focus on stopping the run.

“That’s an obvious question,” said Joe Woods, promoted to Broncos defensive coordinator in January after two seasons coaching the team’s defensive backs.

“I’ll give you the obvious answer: Obviously, it’s the run game,” Woods said. “Last year was a little bit different for us in terms of how teams attacked us.”

Joe Woods takes over a Denver defense that sprung a leak against the run in 2016. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

It is painfully obvious to the Broncos, because despite all that was good in 2016 — finishing No. 4 in total defense, No. 4 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense — Denver’s inability to close down the opposing run game meant it often couldn’t close the deal.

Opponents rumbled to 130.3 yards rushing per game, 28th in the NFL, ahead of only Buffalo, Miami, Cleveland and San Francisco. That isn’t exactly fast company: Cleveland has the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, with San Francisco second and Buffalo selecting No. 10.

It’s why the Broncos will take a long look at defensive linemen in the draft and free agency; inside linebackers will also be a focus. Because until Denver shows teams the repairs have been done, it can expect more of the same approach from opposing offenses.

With the Broncos’ secondary often making throwing an exercise futility — all four starters have played in at least one Pro Bowl over the past two seasons — opponents were more than content to pound away. The Broncos faced 482 rushing attempts in 2016.

Only San Francisco (548) and Cleveland (498) faced more rushes than Denver and, again, their combined three wins last season got them the draft’s top two picks.

“We just never got it done,” cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “There were times we couldn’t get off the field or keep [offenses] in those situations where you can rush the passer and maybe force some picks, get some hits on the quarterbacks. … We let people off the hook too much.’’

It was an odd mixture of run plays that often saw the Broncos done in by a committee approach. Only two opposing backs rushed for at least 100 yards against the Broncos: the Chargers’ Melvin Gordon and the Raiders’ Latavius Murray.

And those two backs did it in consecutive weeks. Many opposing coaches have said it was a combination of issues for the Broncos — missed tackles and missed gaps — but offenses also felt the Broncos could be worn down because of a lack of depth.

After Malik Jackson departed in free agency and Vance Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, the Broncos weren’t able to totally overcome those losses. Toss in a couple of injuries for Derek Wolfe, a hamstring injury to linebacker Brandon Marshall and the recipe was there for some struggles.

NFL DraftRound 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
Rds. 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
Rds. 4-7: April 29, noon ET
Where: Philadelphia

NFL draft home page »

• 2017 NFL draft order »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Mock 2.0 »
• Todd McShay’s Top 32
• McShay: Top prospects by position
• Todd McShay: Mock 2.0 »
• Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Top 10 by position »
• Pro day schedule for prospects »
• Underclassmen who have declared »
• NFL draft player rankings »

So the Broncos will almost certainly use both their impending cap space — expected to top $40 million — to go with some of their expected 10 draft picks to make the repairs.

Coach Vance Joseph has said the team will continue to use a 3-4 scheme as the base defense, as the Broncos have done for the past two seasons. And with nose tackle Sylvester Williams an unrestricted free agent, the Broncos will have a keen eye on that position, as at defensive end, where Walker is also a free agent.

While Joseph is quick to point out that “it’s a passing league” and the Broncos have spent at least 60 percent of their defensive snaps in recent seasons in something other than their base defense, it’s clear Denver won’t force teams to throw into the teeth of its pass defense if it can’t limit the damage better on early downs.

“You look at it overall with what I would call a secondary mindset, because you have to be good against the pass,” Joseph said. “But there’s no question if you let teams run it at you, you don’t get them in those down-and-distance situations where you can do some things.”

NFL

With big job ahead, Kyle Shanahan moves past Super Bowl loss

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — By his own admission, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will go back through every play of the Atlanta Falcons’ devastating loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI for the rest of his life.

In the first overtime game in Super Bowl history, the Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit, shattering the record for the largest comeback in a Super Bowl. The comeback was also the third largest in NFL postseason history overall and the biggest in Patriots franchise history. At its peak, the Falcons had a win probability of greater than 99.5 percent at one point in the third quarter.

But Shanahan’s Atlanta offense couldn’t close it out. When the game needed salting away, Atlanta either didn’t run the ball at all or didn’t run it effectively. As the offensive coordinator, Shanahan became the focus of postgame criticism, especially for a sequence late in the game when he opted to throw instead of run when the Falcons were in field goal range.

“Obviously, you guys know the result of that, which wasn’t easy,” Shanahan said. “It’s as hard as anything I’ve gone through.”

Such a disappointment on such a big stage will surely stick with Shanahan for a long time. But if there ever was a task that would help him move on and focus on the present and future rather than the past, it’s the one now in front of him.

In the immediate aftermath of the overtime loss to the Patriots, 49ers CEO Jed York offered Shanahan a day to stop, reflect on, and grieve the loss with his Atlanta players. Shanahan referred to it as getting “closure” before officially taking the job in San Francisco.

As you’d expect, Shanahan received no shortage of support and advice on how to forge ahead.

“Everyone just tried to tell me to be proud of yourself,” Shanahan said. “Don’t kill yourself. Everyone tries to compliment you and stuff, make you feel better, and it doesn’t work. It’s like, thank you, thank you, thank you, I’ve got to deal with this a little bit. Time helps, but getting out here was the best thing.”

Indeed, Shanahan has no time to fret about how things ended in Atlanta if he wants to create a happier ending with the 49ers. Upon arrival in the Bay Area, he took over a team that has gone 15-33 over the past three seasons, seeming to bottom out in 2016 with a 2-14 record. It’s a team with little in the way of clear roster building blocks and in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. More than anything, it needs some real, genuine stability after changing coaches for a third time in as many offseasons.

Shanahan will have plenty of help in all of those facets from new general manager John Lynch, who should help take some of the face-of-the-franchise responsibilities off Shanahan’s plate. That should clear the way for Shanahan to focus on the football aspects of the rebuild. That includes finalizing his coaching staff and meticulous film study of the Niners from last season, as well as getting up to speed on potential free agents and draft prospects.

And while Shanahan has been accused of being cocky or arrogant in the past, he isn’t making any outlandish promises about the immediate future. Neither he nor Lynch offered any clues that they believe this will be a quick turnaround as they attempt to re-establish what York calls a “championship culture.”

“You get humbled every single day [in this game],” Shanahan said. “As soon as you feel good about yourself, you’re going to get humbled very quickly. So I never really feel that good. I don’t think it’s fair to say I’m cocky and arrogant. I’m a very focused person. I’m either 1,000 percent focused and overly focused, or I’m totally checked out on vacation. It’s very extreme.

“When I come into an office, I’m pretty locked in on my job. I don’t just hang out there just to hang out. I do my work, and I get home to my family. I think that can come off to people who don’t know me like, ‘Man, that guy just walked by me and didn’t even say hi.’ Well, I promise I didn’t even know that person just walked by me. I am a very social person; I’ve always had friends and been liked. I haven’t always been liked when things don’t go well in the football business.”

It’s a feeling Shanahan has lived for nearly two weeks after his biggest letdown in the sport, but he’s also determined to make sure it doesn’t define him. After all, there’s too much to do to make sure there are better days ahead.

NFL

32 NFL players who need a change of scenery

NFL Nation reporters pick a player who needs a change of scenery for all 32 NFL teams.

AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West
NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

AFC EAST

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor

I’ll go with Taylor, whose relationship with the Bills was clearly strained after the front office decided to deactivate him for the season finale. Taylor believed the decision showed a lack of faith in him as the starting quarterback, which will be confirmed if the Bills release Taylor before $30 million of his contract becomes guaranteed on March 11. Taylor could be successful for another NFL team, but it does not appear the Bills view him as their long-term answer at the position. — Mike Rodak

Defensive end Mario Williams

It’s been only one year, but the former Pro Bowl defensive end was a bust in Miami from the beginning. Williams never quite fit in and had a career-low 1.5 sacks. Look for Williams to be a cap casualty for Miami after the team signed him to a two-year contract last offseason. — James Walker

Cornerback Cyrus Jones

There is nothing that says the Patriots’ top draft pick from 2016 (No. 60 overall) can’t turn it around, and from that standpoint, it is way, way, way too early to give up on him. But this was as rough a rookie season as a top draft pick has had in coach Bill Belichick’s 17-year tenure, and in a year when there isn’t a standout candidate for Patriots player who needs to move on this offseason, Jones gets the nod because of his first-year struggles that led to him being inactive for five of the final six games and four other games during the middle of the season. Ball-security problems as a returner, as well as questionable judgment, were issues for Jones. — Mike Reiss

Defensive end Sheldon Richardson

Richardson is a talented player, but his four seasons in New York have been marred by two league suspensions (total: five games) and a lack of maturity in his own locker room. He needs a fresh start. So do the Jets, who considered trading him last October at the deadline. Chances are the Jets will restart trade talks later this month. He has one year and $8.1 million left on his contract. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Linebacker Elvis Dumervil

Dumervil just turned 33 and missed eight games in 2016 because of Achilles surgery. The Ravens could save $6 million by releasing him and letting him prove he has more left in the tank with another team. — ESPN staff

Cornerback Adam Jones

Although he has been with the Bengals since turning his career around in 2010, he’ll also be 34 next season and is scheduled to make $7.5 million in salary and bonuses. Cornerbacks rarely continue to play at a high level past their mid-30s, and Jones, who was recently arrested, has a history of off-the-field issues and could fall under the league’s personal conduct policy, potentially resulting in a suspension this season. The Bengals might consider re-signing Dre Kirkpatrick, 27, instead and moving on with 2016 first-rounder William Jackson III. — Katherine Terrell

Quarterback Robert Griffin III

Griffin gave everything he had to make it work in Cleveland, but injury derailed his season. Though he returned and led the Browns to their final win, he was concussed in that game. To ask a quarterback who can’t stay healthy to carry a franchise is asking too much. Griffin would do well to join a team where he’s not the focal point and can merely be one part of the whole in trying to restore his career. — Pat McManamon

Wide receiver Markus Wheaton

The Steelers’ depth chart doesn’t feature many maligned parts — no, Antonio Brown isn’t getting shipped out of town — but Wheaton is one unrestricted free agent who should sign elsewhere to get his value back up. Wheaton was once the Steelers’ No. 2 receiver before a nagging shoulder injury eventually required corrective labrum surgery. Wheaton finished the season with four catches, and with Martavis Bryant returning on the outside and Eli Rogers entrenched in the slot, Wheaton can establish his own identity for a team that needs him more. Wheaton has adequate speed and caught 97 passes with seven touchdowns in 2014-15. — Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Quarterback Brock Osweiler

Though it may be unrealistic for the Texans to find a team willing to trade for Osweiler and take on his contract, he’s the Texan most likely to move on this offseason. Osweiler struggled in his first season in Houston, throwing more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (15) during the regular season, and he was benched in Week 15 for Tom Savage. Osweiler had huge expectations to live up to in Houston after signing a four-year, $72 million contract during the offseason, but so far he has not been able to do so. If guaranteed money wasn’t a factor, Osweiler would likely not be on the team next season. — Sarah Barshop

Defensive lineman Arthur Jones

The Colts keep giving Jones chances, but it’s not working out for the two parties because of his inability to stay healthy. Jones has appeared in only 17 games in three seasons with the Colts because of an assortment of injuries. He took a pay cut to remain with the team last offseason, and he rewarded the Colts by being suspended for four games for using performance-enhancing drugs and playing in just half of the games in 2016. Cutting ties with Jones will also save the Colts about $5.1 million in salary-cap space. — Mike Wells

Defensive end Jared Odrick

Odrick played well in 2015 (he led the Jaguars with 5.5 sacks) but injuries limited him to just six games in 2016. He’d like to play some 3-technique defensive tackle, but the Jaguars have a glut of talent there with Malik Jackson, Sen’Derrick Marks, Sheldon Day and Michael Bennett. He has some different ideas regarding rehab and preparing his body, and that causes some minor friction with the team. There’s a chance he’ll be gone anyway because he’s due a $2 million roster bonus and has $3.5 million of his salary guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. — Mike DiRocco

Wide receiver Kendall Wright

Wright will be a free agent and said as the Titans wrapped up their season what everyone has thought for some time: He’s not going to get a contract offer to remain in Tennessee. He’s a skilled pass-catcher who can be an effective slot receiver in the right situation. He needs to stay healthy, bond with coaches and a quarterback, and work to stay on his feet and get what he can on every play without going backward. He could flourish in a new setting, but it won’t mean the Titans made a mistake in moving on. — Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

Nose tackle Sylvester Williams

Williams was the Broncos’ first-round pick in the 2013 draft. He has been a hardworking, rotational player who played much of the time on early downs in the base defense. At his best, he was a starter in an elite defense overall. But he was never quite the impact player the Broncos had hoped for, and last season they didn’t pick up the fifth-year option in Williams’ deal. There were some hard feelings, and Williams is now poised to be an unrestricted free agent. And while Denver will always bring back players at the right price, Williams figures to move on, as the Broncos have made their feelings pretty clear. — Jeff Legwold

Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas

The Chiefs drafted Thomas in 2014 to be their kick returner and offensive gadget player who could be a problem for opponents because he’s fast. Then last year, the Chiefs drafted Tyreek Hill to do those same things, and he does them a lot better than Thomas. Thomas’ impact in his three seasons with the Chiefs has been minimal. Since Thomas no longer has much of a role with the Chiefs, they should either find a team to trade him to or give him his release. — Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

Linebacker Manti Te’o

While I believe he would be a good fit in new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s scheme, I could understand if Te’o wanted to take a look at his options. The Notre Dame product has missed 26 games over four NFL seasons with the Chargers due to various injuries. An unrestricted free agent, Te’o may want to explore a fresh start with another organization. — Eric D. Williams

Cornerback D.J. Hayden

The Raiders’ first-round draft pick from 2013 just has not panned out. Hayden had high expectations entering his contract year last summer, with the cornerback saying he expected a pick-six or two and he was embracing the move to the slot. But for the first time in his career, Hayden did not register an interception, while his 34 tackles and six passes defended were his fewest since his rookie season. Sure, Hayden played in 11 games, starting two — his season ended prematurely and on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury — and he became a more sure-handed tackler. But Hayden has not become a game-changer that Oakland thought it was getting when it drafted him at No. 12 overall with future Pro Bowl corners like Desmond Trufant and Xavier Rhodes still on the board. Going somewhere — to his hometown Houston Texans, perhaps? — where first-round expectations are nullified might be best for all parties. — Paul Gutierrez

NFC EAST

Cornerback Morris Claiborne

Both sides tried to make it work, but Claiborne’s health prevented him from being the player the Cowboys hoped he could be when they moved up to No. 6 in the 2012 draft to take him. He missed nine games in 2016 because of a groin injury after the best start of his career. He was flashing the ability many thought he had coming out of LSU. He was the Cowboys’ best cornerback. But then he got hurt. While there is an admiration for the loyalty he has shown the Cowboys and that they have shown him, it’s better to make a clean break and see what else is out there on both ends. — Todd Archer

Quarterback Ryan Nassib

The Giants traded up to grab him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. Nassib never really received his chance to play or compete for a starting job with the indestructible Eli Manning in front of him. After an unconvincing preseason last year and elbow surgery in December, Nassib could benefit from a fresh start after he failed to win over the Giants organization in his four years as Manning’s caddie. The only way for him to prove himself will be to do so in real games. He will get that opportunity only elsewhere. It’s time to move on. — Jordan Raanan

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks

The 26-year-old has a world of talent but was used sparingly in 2016 under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Look for him to be moved to a team that values athletic linebackers who can be deployed in the blitz game. — Tim McManus

Nose tackle Kedric Golston

This is a tough one because Golston has been a terrific Redskin for a while. But he’ll be 34 in May and is coming off a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 2. Golston is a terrific leader and a sane and inspirational voice in the meeting room, but the Redskins need to get serious about upgrading their front with younger players. Perhaps they could keep him around for the spring, allowing him to show any younger players the right approach. But for the defense to improve, they need to restock the front. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

Quarterback Jay Cutler

Cutler’s time in Chicago is over. Both sides are ready for a clean break after the veteran quarterback appeared in just five games in 2016. Cutler holds every significant passing record in franchise history, but tossed 109 interceptions in 102 career games with the Bears. Since Cutler arrived in 2009, the Bears reached the playoffs one time (2010). Cutler wasn’t the entire problem — and at times played very well — but he never lived up to expectations. Not even close. — Jeff Dickerson

Defensive end Devin Taylor

The free agent-to-be had a real opportunity to have a breakout season in 2016, his first as a full-time starter opposite Ezekiel Ansah. It just never really panned out, though. He still had some success rushing the passer but wasn’t an edge-setter against the run and did not make the impact the Lions had likely hoped for last season. He recently switched agents, too, signing with Drew Rosenhaus. So that could mean he’s looking for the best possible deal and trying to get paid. He has a unique skill set and could blossom somewhere else, but it just doesn’t seem to be working in Detroit. — Michael Rothstein

Tight end Richard Rodgers

Rodgers will always be remembered as the player who caught Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary to beat Detroit in 2015. But the former third-round pick hasn’t done much since. When the Packers signed Jared Cook last offseason, he immediately moved ahead of Rodgers on the tight end depth chart. The Packers are expected to bring back Cook, which would further limit Rodgers’ role. — Rob Demovsky

Wide receiver Jarius Wright

He received a contract extension before the 2015 season, but caught only 11 passes for 67 yards and was active for just seven games as he fell out of favor in the Vikings’ offense. The Vikings had receivers who could play multiple positions as well as on special teams, and the emergence of Adam Thielen in particular helped push Wright to the margins of the offense. The Vikings will have a decision to make on Thielen, who’s a restricted free agent, but they’ll likely push to keep him, which means the 27-year-old Wright could again find himself on the outside looking in. He has a cap figure of $3.16 million for 2017, but only $800,000 of that is guaranteed. He could be moving on this spring, and a fresh start might be the best thing for him. — Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

Quarterback Matt Schaub

Schaub told me last week he wants an opportunity to start in the NFL once again. The chances of him doing so in Atlanta are slim to none, with reigning MVP Matt Ryan going nowhere for “many, many, many” years, as general manager Thomas Dimitroff put it. ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously reported Schaub could be headed to San Francisco to reunite with new 49ers head coach and former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Schaub, 35, could help Shanahan buy some time before finding the franchise QB of the future. — Vaughn McClure

Left tackle Mike Remmers

Remmers did an admirable job moving from right to left tackle for the final 13 games after Michael Oher was diagnosed with a concussion. He also gave up nine sacks and 49 quarterback pressures and was penalized 15 times. This is where it gets dicey. The Panthers want to upgrade their talent at tackle, particularly with uncertainty around Oher’s condition. Adding Minnesota tackle Matt Kalil, the brother of Carolina center Ryan Kalil, makes sense. If Oher comes back, then he could move to the right side, where Daryl Williams failed to make the position his after replacing Remmers. Paying Remmers a high salary that he likely will demand would put a lot of salary-cap space at one position, particularly if another team is willing to offer Remmers left-tackle money. Much here depends on Oher’s improvement over the next few months. — David Newton

Linebacker Stephone Anthony

A first-round pick and full-time starter in 2015, Anthony suffered a stunning drop-off in 2016, barely seeing the field. Coach Sean Payton was very candid about Anthony’s struggles with simple reads like run vs. pass. The Saints tried moving him from middle linebacker to strongside linebacker, but it didn’t take. Anthony played better in a one-game cameo at middle linebacker late in the season. And the Saints switch linebackers coach this year to Mike Nolan. But if Anthony doesn’t make big strides this summer, his future in New Orleans will be in doubt. — Mike Triplett

Quarterback Mike Glennon

Glennon is set to become an unrestricted free agent and will want an opportunity to challenge for a starting quarterback spot. Considering there is always a market for veteran starting quarterbacks, he’s got 18 starts under his belt and his 2-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is actually better than a slew of NFL starters, he should get a shot. He’s best suited for an offense that likes to push the ball downfield, and with the right supporting cast, he could be a serviceable starter. Does he have the “it” factor to win games though? If you ask talent evaluators and coaches around the league that question, you’ll get mixed responses. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Safety D.J. Swearinger

He turned in one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2016 but put his versatility on display while playing free safety late in the season. The Cardinals gave Swearinger a shot at career redemption, and Swearinger changed the perception of him around the league. Now it’s time for him to find a team where he can be an every-down safety, which he wasn’t in Arizona and may not be in 2017, depending on how well Tyvon Branch and Tyrann Mathieu return from injury and if the Cardinals re-sign Tony Jefferson. This is the offseason Swearinger can find a long-term home for himself. — Josh Weinfuss

Wide receiver Kenny Britt

The veteran receiver is coming off his first 1,000-yard-receiving season, which was also the Rams’ first since 2007, and will now be an unrestricted free agent. Chances are that the Rams, now under the direction of the offensive-minded Sean McVay, will move on. They’ll prioritize other targets in free agency, perhaps the likes of DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Stills and the real prize, Alshon Jeffery. Britt may be better off moving on, too. He’s an eight-year veteran, coming off his third season with the Rams, and may want to pair with a more established quarterback than Jared Goff. — Alden Gonzalez

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick is expected to opt out of his contract, and although he has reached out to general manager John Lynch about meeting and discussing his future, it’s probably best for both sides to part ways. Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense requires an accurate quarterback, and although Kaepernick had his best season since 2013 last year, Shanahan will probably want someone who checks that box better than Kaepernick. From Kaepernick’s perspective, a fresh start might allow him to find a scheme that would put his mobility to better use. — Nick Wagoner

Kicker Steven Hauschka

He has been with the Seahawks for six years but is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and the team signed Blair Walsh on Thursday. Hauschka has missed 10 extra point attempts the past two seasons, and coach Pete Carroll often pointed out that his low kicks were part of the problem. Hauschka still has a strong leg (he hit nine of 11 field goals from 40 yards or longer in 2016) and was good on kickoffs. But he will likely want to get paid as a top-10 kicker. The Seahawks should let another team pay that, allow Walsh to compete with a rookie and use the financial savings elsewhere on the roster. — Sheil Kapadia

NFL

Uni Watch: Has the black uniform trend finally peaked?
10:00 AM ET

  • Paul LukasESPN.com

    Close

    • Sports journalism’s foremost uniform reporter
    • ESPN.com columnist since 2004
    • Also blogs at uni-watch.com

In 2003, the Detroit Lions made a series of changes to their uniforms. The changes all had one thing in common: They involved the color black.

The helmet logo was given a black outline. Black trim was added to the striping on the helmet, jersey sleeves, jersey collar and pants. The jersey numbers were outlined in black. Black “Lions” lettering was added to the jersey chest. Even the team’s face masks were affected, changing from blue to black. The team upped the ebony ante in 2005, adding a black alternate jersey that was accessorized with black socks.

The Lions’ move toward the dark side has frequently been attributed to then-GM Matt Millen, who wore black during his playing days with the Oakland Raiders and was known to favor the black-centric look. But while Millen left the team in 2008, the black uniform elements have remained. Just last year, in fact, the Lions unveiled a black Color Rush uniform (although it wasn’t worn because the team didn’t have a Thursday night game on its schedule).

This has put the Lions squarely in the middle of the biggest uniform trend of the past generation, a trend that has rippled through all sports and all leagues: the sudden, often confounding embrace of black by teams that had never previously used it in their color schemes. Some teams did it to look more intimidating; some teams did it to sell more jerseys and caps; and some teams just did it because so many other teams were doing it. But regardless of the reasons, the effect was the same: a huge influx of black and black-accented uniforms. This phenomenon, which began in the late 1990s, has become known among uniform enthusiasts as BFBS — short for “black for black’s sake.”

But that’s about to change, at least for the Lions. The team will be unveiling a new uniform set on April 13 and has already announced one aspect of the revamped design: Black is being banished from the team’s visual program.

That will put the Lions on the leading edge of what appears to be another trend, albeit a newer and, so far, smaller one: The move away from BFBS by teams that had previously adopted it. That’s not to say BFBS is dead — it isn’t, not by a long shot — but the pendulum has begun to swing in the other direction.

“The shark definitely got jumped,” said Todd Radom, a sports branding expert who’s created uniforms and logos for a variety of pro teams. “And the Lions are a perfect example because black didn’t add anything meaningful for them.”

But Radom sees another factor at work aside from the inevitable cycle of trends running their course. “I think we’ve now gotten used to seeing things, including streaming sports content, in a digital space, especially on our phones,” he said. “When you’re dealing with that small digital space, vibrant colors now drive our perceptions, and black is not vibrant. Also, when you think about stadiums and arenas, we’re now in an LED world, and again, all of that is vibrant. I think that’s a huge factor driving this.”

Just to be clear, black is, and always has been, a perfectly fine uniform color — for some teams. If you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, the San Antonio Spurs, the San Francisco Giants, or the Boston Bruins, for example, the color is part of your DNA. And black can even be a good alternate color for certain teams, like the Baltimore Ravens. (Real ravens, after all, are black.) But it was never a good fit for the Lions or for many of the other teams that hopped aboard the BFBS bandwagon over the past 20 years.

So what is the current state of BFBS? Let’s find out by taking a sport-by-sport look at the four major pro leagues. The rundowns that follow are not meant to be all-inclusive (going over every single team that used gratuitous black over the past 20 years would take all day), but they provide a good overview of how the use of black has waxed and waned in the various sports.

NFL

The Lions’ upcoming uniforms will be a major blow against BFBS, but there’s still plenty of work to be done on the gridiron. Teams to keep an eye on include the following:

• Cardinals: The Cards have worn a BFBS alternate uniform, complete with black-trimmed pants and black socks to go along with the black jersey, for the past seven seasons. It has never made sense and has never looked good on the field. Granted, this team’s uniform program has bigger problems than an alternate uni that’s worn only twice per season, but still, this design needs to go.

• Eagles: Technically speaking, black is an Eagles team color (the club’s standard uniforms include black socks and black trim), but come on — do they really need that black alternate jersey? They’ve worn it with three pant colors since introducing it in 2003, and it still doesn’t feel very Eagles-y. It’s time to get rid of it and go with a kelly green throwback instead.

• 49ers: The Niners are an interesting case. In the late 1990s they added lots of black trim to their helmet, jersey numbers and pants (sort of a junior version of what the Lions would do in 2003). The good news is that they got back to basics and scrapped all the black elements in 2009, so it looked like they were leaving BFBS behind. The bad news is that they added a completely ridiculous black alternate uniform in 2015. Memo to 49ers HQ: You know that uniform doesn’t work. Everyone knows it doesn’t work. Please scrap it and leave black for the NFL’s other Bay Area team.

MLB

The baseball diamond is arguably where BFBS first took root, but many teams have since either moved away from it or at least dialed it back. For example:

• A’s: For more than half a century now, the A’s have been all about green, gold and white. But they’ve dabbled with two black jerseys — one in 2000 and the other from 2008 through 2010. But they’ve been happily BFBS-free since then.

• Blue Jays: It seems pretty obvious that a team called the Blue Jays should wear, you know, blue. But from 2004 through 2011, the Jays inexplicably went heavy on the black. Fans and ornithologists alike cheered when the team went back to wearing blue in 2012.

• Mets: The Mets were among the teams that went all-in for the dark side. At various points from 1998 through 2011, they had two black alternate caps, two black alternate jerseys (which at one time were listed in the official MLB style guide as “club preferred,” even though they were supposedly alternates), black drop-shadows on all of their jersey lettering and numbering, black undershirts and even a black alternate logo. But they left most of that behind in 2012 and eliminated the last vestiges of BFBS in 2013. This is a case study of a team embracing gratuitous black and then moving away from it. (The full backstory on how the Mets started using black in the first place can be found here.)

• Rangers: The Rangers have never had a black jersey, but they did experiment with a short-lived black-brimmed cap.

• Reds: The Reds went a little black-happy in 1999, adding black caps, black undersleeves, black socks and a variety of black accents and drop-shadows. The drop-shadows are still there, but they’ve dialed back the other black elements.

• Royals: The Royals’ BFBS era was short but packed. From 2002 through 2006, they wore a black alternate cap, two black alternate jerseys, black drop-shadows on their jersey lettering and numbering, road vest jerseys that were paired with black undershirts and even a black-crowned sleeve patch (which, when you think about it, makes no sense at all). But by 2007, they were back to their classic look.

NHL

Lots of NHL teams have dabbled with gratuitous black uniform elements, but most of them have either scaled it back or abandoned it altogether, so hockey’s BFBS trend line is clearly on the downswing. Here’s a selective rundown:

• Blackhawks: Black has always been part of the Blackhawks’ color scheme (they are the Blackhawks, after all), and it’s worth noting that the uniforms from the team’s earliest years were very black-centric. Still, the black alternate uniform that the team introduced in 1996 felt like a classic BFBS move. And sure enough, they mothballed that design in 2009, when the BFBS trend began to ebb.

• Capitals: Remember how the Caps wore a black uniform from 1997 through 2007? No? Well, you’re probably not the only one who’s tried to forget that design.

• Flames: The Flames were part of the first wave of BFBS. In 1998 they added a black alternate uniform, which was upgraded to primary status and become the team’s road design. Although that uni was scrapped in 2006, black has maintained a prominent place in Calgary’s visual program, most notably on the chest of the team’s home jersey.

• Flyers: Black has always been part of the Flyers. Still, it seemed like a bit much when the team unveiled a black alternate uniform in 1997. That design was soon redesignated as Philly’s road uni, and then it became the home design in 2003. But like so many other teams that experimented with black, the Flyers eventually decided to get back to their roots, jettisoning the black design in 2010.

• Islanders: The poor Isles can’t do anything right. They waited until 2011 to go BFBS, by which time most other teams had scrapped the black. Even worse, their BFBS design was laughably bad.

When the Isles moved to Brooklyn in 2015, they came up with a new BFBS uniform to match the black-and-white color palette of their fellow arena tenants, the Brooklyn Nets. Nice idea, but now it appears that the Isles might soon be leaving Brooklyn, so the whole point of the black uniform will be rendered moot. Just stick to blue and orange, guys!

• Sabres: Buffalo’s core colors have been blue and gold for most of the franchise’s history, but they had a black-centric color scheme from 1996 through 2006. They’ve had other uniform problems since then (remember the Buffaslug logo?), but BFBS hasn’t been among them.

NBA

The hardwood appears to be where BFBS is making its last stand. While a few NBA teams have moved away from the dark side (the Knicks, for example, added lots of black trim in 1997 but scrubbed those elements from their uniforms in 2012), a larger number of teams have added black uniforms to their wardrobes in recent years, including the Bucks, Cavaliers, Clippers, Hornets, Lakers, Rockets and Warriors. Then there are teams like the Celtics, who have had a black-trimmed alternate uni for more than a decade now.

But NBA uniforms will soon be undergoing big changes. Nike is taking over from Adidas next season as the league’s uniform outfitter; advertising patches are being added to team jerseys; sleeves might be on the way out; and wholesale changes could be in store for many teams.

Will those changes include a move away from BFBS? We’ll find out soon enough. But in the other major pro leagues, it’s clear the black plague is on the wane. Here’s hoping the pendulum keeps swinging in that direction.

Paul Lukas, a lifelong Mets and 49ers fan, has felt the pain of BFBS on a very personal level. If you like this column, you’ll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program, be added to his mailing list so you’ll always know when a new column has been posted or just ask him a question? Contact him here.

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