The Denver Broncos had a lot of questions at inside linebacker coming into the season from a health standpoint, and early on in training camp they’re being tested. It’s also the perfect opportunity for them to see what a veteran and ascending second-year player can do.

Denver Broncos navigating around injuries at inside linebacker

After Drew Sanders’ foot injury that’s expected to sideline him north of six to eight weeks, and Alex Singleton having surgery on his finger, the Denver Broncos are in a position to invest more trust into their player development program by giving extended looks to two of their most ready players next to Dre Greenlaw.

While Singleton will only miss a week of action, the team has to answer whether or not their current depth is sustainable in the event of more injuries.

During the Broncos’ second padded practice in Dove Valley on Tuesday, second-year linebacker Levelle Bailey stood out and has continued to put forth a strong training camp. After Singleton’s surgery yesterday, Bailey and veteran linebacker Justin Strnad both saw opportunities playing alongside Greenlaw, and it gives Denver the perfect opportunity to see the progression of them as potential starters.

ICYMI: Sean Payton on Denver: ‘This is a place where guys want to be.’

Bailey is noticeably faster this training camp compared to his rookie season, and there’s a noticeable level of comfort and confidence he’s found in Vance Joseph’s defensive scheme, which Sean Payton highlighted on Tuesday.

“He’s had a few good days,” Payton said. “Real good days. I think you’re getting a player into his second year with confidence. He’s in good shape. He looks like an NFL linebacker too. It’s funny because I can recall these stories of post-draft conversations and like an hour recruitment of him. You’ll have that happen with a number of players, and then a couple might go somewhere else. Then you’re pulling out all stops, and I’m glad we stayed patient in that process with him, and we were able to get him because there were a number of teams interested. I would say I’ve clearly seen a jump from Year 1 to Year 2 in his confidence.”

With the Broncos’ first preseason game approaching in 10 days, we’ll have a chance to see Bailey and Strnad play live reps against the San Francisco 49ers. Denver will travel to Santa Clara next Thursday for a joint practice leading up to their first game, and it will be interesting to see if Payton plays Greenlaw, who has looked stout in camp after he missed the team’s offseason program with a quad injury.

Regardless, both Strnad and Bailey will have plenty of snaps this preseason that will help Denver evaluate the sustainability of the room and their depth.

Morning coffee news and notes

  • Per the league’s transaction wire, Denver held several tryouts on Tuesday, working out linebackers Krys Barnes, Anthony Hines, Jailin Walker, and Garret Wallow. They hosted wide receivers Grant DuBose, Dax Milne, and Braylon Sanders but did not sign anybody.
  • Mike McGlinchey was back at practice Tuesday for the Broncos after missing the last handful of days with an undisclosed injury.
  • Rookie pass rusher Que Robinson seemed to be hobbling after yesterday’s practice, but we’ll see how he looks this morning for Wednesday’s practice and will see if Sean Payton has an update for us.

Denver practices this morning at 10:00 a.m. and we’ll have you covered with post-practice updates and more.