The legal tampering period of NFL Free Agency begins on Monday and the new league year opens at 2pm mountain time on Wednesday. The free agent mania is always a fun event and with the Denver Broncos having a championship window opened up, they should be aggressive this year.
We began with the offensive needs in free agency, now we’re going to talk defense. Here’s where we think their top priorities should be on defense next week.
Broncos top FA needs on defense
Tim Lynch: The loss of JFM is going to sting, but I don’t think they can afford to go big at that position right now. The draft there is going to be important.
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The biggest need is really at inside linebacker and part of me is warming to the idea of re-signing Alex Singleton as a gap-stop and going after a quality ILB in the draft.
Replacing a guy like Singleton as a captain of the defense isn’t super easy, so I’m okay with running it back there.
Christopher Hart: There is one obvious hole on Denver’s defense and that’s at inside linebacker. With Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad slated to hit free agency, the Broncos are looking at replacing nearly 1,500 snaps.
My instinct tells me Denver will wind up keeping one of them. There have also been rumors the team could move on from Dre Greenlaw. The position group is loaded with quality free agents. Perhaps they make an outside addition there considering most of the starting caliber players would be upgrades.
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As for everywhere else? I think they are good. Secondary is set, outside maybe kicking the tires on a P.J. Locke replacement at safety. Making up for John Franklin-Myers production won’t be easy, but I believe the hope inside Dove Valley is that a combination of Sai’vion Jones and Eyioma Uwazurike can replace his snaps for next year.
Scotty Payne: Linebacker is the top need. Singleton and Strnad are FAs and Greenlaw is injury prone. Need to either retain one of Singleton/Strnad and/or add some depth to the position. Their depth is inexperienced and unproven too.
After that? Keep adding to the DL if you can and safety depth.
Ross Allen: The main gap has been made obvious by their defensive shortcomings during the season and from these responses as well. I don’t think the Broncos have had a bonafide MLB since Brandon Marshall. At least it feels that way. If they could land a real centerpiece for this defense then that would make them absolutely lethal defensively.
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And it’s never a bad thing to bolster the interior defensive line, and then maybe get some depth at the safety position.
Sadaraine: The biggest need for this defense to take a step forward is to upgrade the Inside Linebacker position. Running it back with Singleton or Strnad is not an option in my mind. That’s just kicking the can down the road and holding the defense back. I like our depth everywhere else and would only sign another defender in free agency if it were a great deal, honestly.
Ian St. Clair: It seems we’re all in agreement that inside linebacker is the top need for this defense. As others have noted, running it back with what the team had last season won’t cut it. No, it wasn’t an issue last season, but that’s not something you can rely on. The Broncos tried with Greenlaw, but he couldn’t stay on the field. Singleton is a great leader, but it’s clear he’s the weakest link on this defense. This reminds me of John Elway and the right tackle when he was GM. It was his blind spot, middle linebacker appears to that for this current regime. After that, depth along the defensive line and the secondary.
Adam Malnati: I’m just going to pile on here with the ILB love. It’s always a position of need.
Well, that was a lot of linebacker talk. I honestly think the linebacker market is a bit thin in free agency and keeping Singleton while drafting a rookie could be the smartest move the Broncos could make here. Denver’s defense is mostly in good shape and was one of the NFL’s top units last season. Running it back with Vance Joseph remaining on staff isn’t a terrible idea.
Where do you stand on this discussion? Give us your top free agent needs on defense and how you hope the Broncos address them next week.
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