The Denver Broncos are in a position to make a big splash in NFL Free Agency if they want to next week, but could that big splash come at the inside linebacker position? Who would be the best ‘big splash’ options for the Broncos to look into at off-ball linebacker?
Denver Broncos big splash options at inside linebacker in NFL Free Agency
The NFL Combine is a place where agents, coaches, and executives from around the league gather to observe NFL Draft prospects, but also discuss trades, contract extensions, and a lot more. Some of the buzz coming out of the Combine in Indianapolis last week is that the Broncos could make a big splash in free agency if they wanted to.
George Paton and Sean Payton have maintained their stance on having a measured approach, but even within that, there is still room to be aggressive if they believe there is a player who is available next week that can make the team even better around Bo Nix as he prepares for his second season in the league.
Linebacker is one of the Broncos biggest positions of need going into the offseason, and while Alex Singleton is coming back off of having ACL surgery, Drew Sanders is firmly locked into playing off-ball instead of off the edge. The depth at the position is not strong enough and Paton himself mentioned that the team will bring in players to compete there.
So what does that look like? Could the Broncos make a big splash at off-ball linebacker? What would that look like?
Broncos could look at Zack Baun who has Payton ties
Zack Baun is one linebacker in NFL Free Agency who is set to have a strong market. Coming off of a Super Bowl win as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baun turned in a season that had him in consideration for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, which ultimately went to Patrick Surtain II.
Estimated Market Value Per Spotrac: 2-year, $19.4M, $9.7M average annual value
Baun turned in a career year in 2024 at inside linebacker, racking up 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles, and four passes defensed.
When you watch the tape of Baun, you see the highly athletic traits he possesses that allow him to play the run effectively but also cover in zone or man coverage in the middle of the field. You can argue that he possesses the ability to cover at linebacker that the Broncos defense hasn’t had since Brandon Marshall or Danny Trevathan.
His estimated market value is interesting considering the price of premier linebackers, but his market may be what it is because of his recent transition from edge rusher to playing off-ball under Vic Fangio. Some detractors pinpoint that Baun was a product of the Eagles defensive line, the tape shows he plays well regardless of the line.
If we want to go further into detail, the Broncos’ defense also had one of the best defensive lines in the league last year, too, so how that narrative would impact Denver is irrelevant.
Dre Greenlaw could be a strong fit for the Denver Broncos
After a freak injury knocked him out of the Super Bowl in 2023, Dre Greenlaw missed a large portion of the 2024 season with the San Francisco 49ers and ultimately didn’t play meaningful snaps last season. If the injury hadn’t occurred, Greenlaw might be considered one of the top linebackers in this year’s free agency cycle and would have carved out a larger payday.
Estimated Market Value Per Spotrac: 1-year, $6.7M
Just a season ago, the NFL world was wondering how the 49ers were fortunate enough to have Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw as their two linebacking options, one of the league’s most versatile linebacker duos. With Greenlaw hitting free agency, he’ll have interest in the market, with him being fully healthy going into the offseason.
This could also work out well for the 49ers, who could end up re-signing him at a value, especially with Robert Saleh’s return as the team’s defensive coordinator. Greenlaw would be a low-risk high-reward type of signing for the Broncos defense if they paired he and Alex Singleton up as the team’s two inside backers.
He has the ability to drop back into coverage and can be a sideline-to-sideline run-stopper.
The overall linebacker market seems to favor players like Baun, Greenlaw, and potentially some other veteran options. Denver would be wise to add one of these two players this offseason to help boost production at the position.
