Broncos appear poised for changes at inside linebacker

When Broncos head coach Sean Payton pointed to inside linebacker as one of the primary positions of need heading into the offseason, it was no surprise.

First of all, the issues at the core of the defense became more pronounced as the season progressed, reaching their apex as the Buffalo Bills ran through the defense in the 31-7 wild-card loss on Jan. 12. Sixteen days later, he dismissed inside-linebackers coach Greg Manusky in a move that likely serves as a harbinger of change ahead.

It’s a unit that has more questions than answers — which is why the potential availability of Bengals team captain Germaine Pratt could stir some public interest. Pratt reportedly requested a trade from Cincinnati, and his contract would be a team-friendly one — with one year remaining and a cap figure of just under $6 million.

But with a free-agent class that is set to include notable veterans like Philadelphia’s Zach Baun, Kansas City’s Nick Bolton and San Francisco’s Dre Greenlaw, the Broncos have some options if they want to make a splash and add some immediate help.

WHERE THE BRONCOS INSIDE LINEBACKERS STAND

STARTERS:

• Alex Singleton (injured reserve)
• Cody Barton
• Justin Strnad

Singleton’s Week 3 torn ACL changed everything at the core of the defense.

Barton, who beat out Jonas Griffith for the starting spot in training camp, assumed the “green dot” role of relaying the play calls. Strnad, mostly a special-teams contributor since a brief starting spell due to injuries in 2021, stepped into the lineup, but at times didn’t appear to have a firm grasp on the starting job.

Denver quickly signed Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to its practice squad, and even gave Alexander a start in Week 7 at New Orleans. But neither veteran showed quite enough to wrest the job from Strnad, who got a sack on his first snap as a first-teamer against the New York Jets in Week 3.

Both Strnad and Barton were mid-level in coverage; per data compiled by Pro Football Focus, Strnad allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 104.2 rating when targeting him, while Barton allowed a 102.7 rating. This placed Barton 22nd and Strnad 27th among 54 linebackers who had at least 500 snaps aligned in the box.

Barton was one of the NFL’s best at avoiding missed tackles; with one miss every 20.5 chances, he ranked second among those 54 inside linebackers. Strnad had one missed tackle every 6.14 chances, placing him 50th in that group.

Singleton did not suffer the type of complex knee injury that befell running back Javonte Williams two years earlier. Within a few weeks of surgery, he was back to workouts as he went through his rehab.

“I’m exactly where I should be to be able to be 100% for next season,” Singleton said last month.

RESERVES:

• Levelle Bailey
• Zach Cunningham
• Drew Sanders

Bailey saw special-teams work in 10 games of action, playing 147 snaps in that phase. He also experienced a defensive cameo in Week 11, playing 5 snaps during the 38-6 romp over Atlanta.

But the most intriguing name here is that of Sanders, who didn’t play until December due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered during a workout last April.

As a rookie in 2023, Sanders began on the inside before moving to edge rusher at midseason. He began his 2024 work there, but within weeks of his November return to practice was warming up and aligning with the inside linebackers.

Heading into Week 17 of the regular season, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph made it clear that Sanders was neither an inside linebacker nor an outside linebacker — but simply a “linebacker.”

“He’s progressing, and he’s not an inside linebacker. I mean, he’s a linebacker for us, so he’s progressing,” Joseph said. “He’s a good young player. I wish we had him earlier, but he’s progressing to help us win.”

Most of Sanders’ work came on special teams as he played in five contests, not making his debut until Week 15 against Indianapolis and then playing the rest of the way. He made a significant impact in that phase, and that likely is his ticket to a roster spot for 2025.

Drew Sanders practiced today. It was his first practice work since tearing his Achilles last April. The Broncos now have 21 days to decide whether to activate him from the PUP list. pic.twitter.com/SAVAsLc2DE

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 6, 2024

EXPIRING CONTRACTS:

• Cody Barton
• Zach Cunningham
• Justin Strnad

Barton and Strnad are cap-friendly contributors, their combined 2024 salary-cap figure was just under $4 million. But with greater cap flexibility as the dead-money figure for Russell Wilson drops from $53 million to $32 million, the Broncos can peruse a different market level if they see fit.

The Broncos could create $5,580,000 of cap space by cutting Singleton, leaving a minimal dead-money figure of $1.33 million. But his value within the locker room as a team leader and NFLPA representative — along with his constant presence remaining in the locker room despite his season-ending injury — shows the breadth of his value as he heads into the final season of his contract.

Cunningham is likely to move on, just as Alexander did down the stretch after not being promoted from the practice squad and being out of elevations.