Broncos Sign Special Teams Ace MLB Koutouvides

The Denver Broncos announced earlier this week that they signed linebacker Niko Koutouvides to a 3-year, $7.5 million deal. Koutouvides (pronounced KOO-tah-VEE-dees) is a career backup at the middle linebacker position, and will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in training camp this fall.

Koutouvides measures in at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, joining the Broncos in his fifth year after four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He was selected by Seattle in the 4th round of the 2004 NFL Draft coming out of Purdue University. He has played 59 career regular-season games (2 starts), totaling 60 special-teams tackles, 52 defensive stops, one sack and one pass breakup.

Koutouvides’ 60 special-teams tackles rank seventh in the NFL since he entered the league in 2004, and he led Seattle or tied for its team high in special-teams stops during three of his four seasons with the club.

In 2007, Koutouvides tied for fourth in the NFL with a career-high 20 special-teams tackles while posting two defensive tackles in 15 games played for Seattle. A year earlier, he appeared in all 16 games and tied for the Seahawks’ lead with 14 tackles on special teams.

The 26-year-old saw time in 12 games in 2005, posting 10 special-teams tackles on a Seahawks team that went 13-3 and advanced to Super Bowl XL. As a rookie in 2004, Koutouvides registered a career-best 46 defensive tackles and one sack in 16 games (2 starts) for Seattle while leading the club with 16 special-teams tackles.

A first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection as a senior at Purdue, Koutouvides finished his collegiate career with 296 tackles (180 solo) and 23 tackles for losses in 50 games (32 starts). He helped the Boilermakers earn postseason bowl berths during each of his four seasons.

An honorable mention all-state pick at Plainville High School in Plainville, Conn., Koutouvides was born on March 25, 1981.

When I hear “special teams guru,” “backup linebacker,” and Seattle Seahawks all in the same bio, I immediately think of uber-bust D.D. Lewis last year. However, Koutouvides is younger and appears to be in better shape than Lewis was last year. I like his upside and potential to start a bit more than Keary Colbert‘s, and I’m looking forward to seeing him in action soon.