The Denver Broncos made a series of moves today, including a pair that solidifies their inside linebacker group. After re-signing Justin Strnad, the Broncos chose fellow linebacker Alex Singleton over Dre Greenlaw, who becomes a one-and-done free agent gamble that failed.
Singleton’s deal is for two years, $15.5 million, with $11 million guaranteed, according to sources used by Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. Singleton is a favorite of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, and when Joseph didn’t land a head coaching job this offseason, retaining Singleton became more of a priority, as Singleton often helps coordinate assignments in the middle of the field for the Broncos. Joseph has referred to Singleton as his “eyes and ears” on the field.
Greenlaw’s situation with the Broncos was more problematic. He injured his quad doing offseason workouts on his own, which rarely sits well with any NFL team, much less one that just gave him a new deal. The linebacker promptly got himself suspended for a single game when he returned for reportedly threatening an official after incurring a crucial late-game penalty.
Greenlaw also didn’t provide enough of the physicality that was his calling card, partly due to the fact that he wasn’t on the field enough. Instead it was safety Talanoa Hufanga who supplied that physical presence with big hits, while Greenlaw was often exposed in coverage due to his lack of speed and quickness compared to the rest of Denver’s linebacking group.
Singleton was also something of a character signing. He’s considered a team leader as well as a fan favorite, and his popularity surged when he returned to the field much more quickly than anticipated after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer.
Releasing Greenlaw hurts, but it’s unlikely that Denver tries to replace him with another free agent. The Broncos are tight to the cap ceiling, especially after the moves they made this weekend, and Denver still needs to add a significant playmaker or two to help solve the inconsistency suffered by the offense throughout the season.
Defensively, though, this move will keep the Broncos’ top-rated defense strong. Nearly every important member of the defense has either been extended or re-signed, and retaining Strnad was also part of that strategy.
The Broncos are seemingly done making big moves, but the opening day of the so-called free agent “legal tampering” period resulted in a slew of signings, and Denver could still be part of that onslaught going forward.