ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Vance Joseph has spent almost all of his 14 seasons as an NFL assistant as a defensive backs coach.

In his new job as Denver Broncos head coach, Joseph knows exactly what he has inherited on the team’s depth chart at defensive back. And he’s pretty sure he’s never had another group like it.

“It’s a special secondary," Joseph said. “... It’s rare that you have four guys of a Pro Bowl level in one secondary. That’s rare, and they’re all fully engaged guys. Sometimes you have great players who are really laid back and they pick their moments. Those four guys don’t pick their moment. ... Those guys are fully engaged. You watch them play on defense, that’s the spearhead."

Chris Harris Jr. was a first-team All-Pro selection, as was fellow starting cornerback Aqib Talib, giving the Broncos a formidable defense against the pass. Logan Bowles/USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos finished No. 1 in pass defense this season -- they were the only team to hold opponents to an average of fewer than 200 yards passing per game (185.8) -- and a big reason why is the Broncos feel like they can match up, in man-to-man, anywhere in the formation with any of their defensive backs.

Both cornerbacks, Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib, were first-team All-Pro selections, and along with Bradley Roby, the trio gives the Broncos defense plenty of options in how to defend any top wide receivers. It’s why Joseph, even on his first official day on the job last week, was so optimistic about the Broncos’ potential on defense once again next season.

“They’re engaged, and they’re physical and they love to play no matter where we’re in or what we’re playing for," Joseph said. “So that’s where it starts, in the back end."

And with that, here is the eighth installment of a position-by-position series about what kind of roster newly hired Vance Joseph has upon his arrival.

Today: Defensive backs

Wednesday: Special teams

The Alpha: There are two, because the combination of Harris and Talib means so much in the Broncos locker room. Harris, having made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2011, is the talented, meticulously prepared, experienced hand who has seen the team’s ascension to the five consecutive AFC West titles and two Super Bowl trips before this year’s playoff miss. And Talib is raw energy, with how hard he competes day to day and down to down. Sometimes even his own teammates -- just ask punt returner Jordan Norwood -- are not spared his on-field wrath. The Broncos constantly have to watch Talib to keep him from crossing the line, but it’s noticeable to teammates and opponents alike when he’s not in the lineup. Beyond his coverage skills, the Broncos seem to miss his raw-nerve style when he’s not in there.

Salary cap: In past offseasons, the Broncos have given some of their higher-priced veterans a look for possible pay cuts -- Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware, just to name two over the previous two years. And Talib’s $12 million cap figure for 2017 is the third-highest on the team, trailing only those of linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. But overall the Broncos have enjoyed the fruits of their investment in the defensive backfield, both in free agency and in the draft. Harris will count $9.367 million against the cap next season, safety Darian Stewart will count $7.4 million against the cap and safety T.J. Ward will count $5.75 million. For the four starters and cornerback Bradley Roby ($2.212 million against the cap in ’17), who is a regular, that’s $36.729 million against the cap to have those five players in what is the league’s most accomplished secondary over the last two seasons -- back-to-back No. 1 finishes against the pass, No. 1 in total defense in 2015 and No. 4 in total defense this past season.

Pending free agents: Because the Broncos locked up Stewart to a contract extension before the season’s end and two of the regulars were rookies in safeties Will Parks and Justin Simmons, the Broncos’ only unrestricted free agent at the position is Kayvon Webster. Webster is a player they like -- he was their special teams captain this season -- but he has battled a variety of injuries. Webster may be able to secure a bigger offer elsewhere, as the Broncos have bigger needs. Cornerback Taurean Nixon is an exclusive rights free agent.

What will Elway do? Before the season began, especially after Talib suffered two gunshot wounds to his leg in an incident last May that Talib has never fully explained in a public setting, there was some feeling around the Broncos that Talib’s status with the team could be shaky after the 2016 season ended. But now the choice is more difficult given Talib, strictly from a football sense, played at the highest level of his career, according to many personnel executives in the league. He turns games with plays and he practices with rare intensity, but he also does things on the field that make his bosses worry at times. And they really worry when he goes home to the Dallas area in the offseason, because that’s where he seems to find trouble. His cap figure is one of the team’s highest, but unless he has another off-the-field incident, when the Broncos adjourned for the offseason their intentions seemed to be to have Talib back to see if he could play up to his contract once again. Overall, Elway will continue to look at corners in the draft because he has said often he believes it is a high-priority position each and every year.