The Denver Broncos have completed their first week of OTAs and are beginning to evaluate the 90-man roster in preparation for the 2024 season. But just as OTAs opened, the team had some unfortunate news to announce.
Second-year linebacker Drew Sanders suffered a torn Achilles and will miss a considerable amount of time. Though the hope is that the injury is not season-ending, the team may need to look at some outside options.
The Broncos have Alex Singleton as one of the starting inside linebackers. At the other spot, there will be a competition to replace Josey Jewell between Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith, at least as things currently stand. Other inside linebackers on the roster are Justin Strnad and a pair of undrafted free agents, Levelle Bailey and Alec Mock.
That's not really encouraging. The Broncos signed Barton in free agency but he struggled at times with Washington last season. Griffith has an injury history. The other players are spot starters at best unless Bailey or Mock breaks out this summer.
The Broncos may need to consider adding one of these veteran options to shore up the position before training camp.
3 veteran linebackers for Denver Broncos to consider
Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander has made sense as a fit in Denver several times in the past, but the team has never decided to pursue him. A fourth-round pick in 2015, he has played for five NFL teams including last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He led the NFL in tackles in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in 2017. For his career, he has over 600 tackles, 13.5 sacks and nine interceptions. He will turn 30 in August so there may not be a ton of tread left on the tires, but he still has something to offer.
Current free agent ILB Kwon Alexander making more progress with his injury rehab. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/XHlKwP30c9
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) May 24, 2024
Like Sanders, Alexander suffered a torn Achilles last November. That is the main reason he is still available. If he has recovered completely from that, he should be on a short list for teams looking for help.
Jarrad Davis
Jarrad Davis was drafted in the first round in 2017 and has had two separate stints with the team that drafted him, the Detroit Lions, before playing the past two seasons with the New York Giants. However, he played in just one game for the G-Men.
Davis suffered a knee injury in OTAs last year and was placed on injured reserve during the summer, ending his season. He has not stepped onto the field for some time now and could be a bit rusty, but he's 29 years old and could still bring something to the table for a team looking for help.
Shaquille Leonard
Drafted in the second round in 2018, Shaquille Leonard was well on his way to becoming one of the best defenders in all of football. He was Defensive Rookie of the Year that season and made three straight Pro Bowls from 2019-21.
Undergoing back surgery following that 2021 season seemed to change the trajectory of his career. He played in just three games in 2022 and about halfway through the 2023 season, the Indianapolis Colts chose to waive him. He was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles and made three starts for the team, collecting 23 tackles and one sack.
The Eagles didn't see enough in him to bring him back for another season and he remains a free agent. He is 28 years old until late July. He offers a good potential reward for a pretty low risk. The Broncos don't have much reason not to take a shot on a guy like this.
