The Denver Broncos struggles at inside linebacker in recent years are quite obvious. The room was largely an issue in 2025, and to fix it, the Broncos managed to make it worse. Despite there being a huge number of quality LB free agents, and a deep 2026 NFL Draft class, the Broncos got no one of note.
The team instead re-signed Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad on two and three-year deals. Unsurprisingly, Singleton has played poorly to begin the season. He's already being picked on in coverage and isn't able to create negative plays in the backfield anymore.
It's not a stretch to think that the Broncos should and will address the position by the time the trade deadline rolls around, and while there might not be a legitimate great option available on the trade market, the Broncos could opt for a consolation prize from a team that snagged someone who turned out to be an NFL Draft gem.
Denver Broncos need to trade for a familiar face in Cody Barton
The Tennessee Titans actually have one of the more encouraging LB rooms in the NFL. Former Bronco Cody Barton signed with the team for 2025 and is in year two of a three-year deal with the team. In the NFL Draft this year, the Titans also used the 60th overall pick on Anthony Hill Jr., a rookie who has already played quite well for the Titans.
Hill already ranks 3rd in the NFL in tackles and was a winner of the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month:
The Rookies of the Month for September, presented by @pepsi pic.twitter.com/e4evdnh3z1
— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2026
He's just 21 years old and more than a decade younger than Singleton. What is interesting here is that the Titans took Hill just two picks before the Broncos were originally scheduled to select at the bottom of the second round.
And at pick 61, the Los Angeles Rams took tight end Max Klare from Ohio State, who also could have been someone who the Broncos were interested in. At pick 62, Denver traded down into the top of the third round, and it is reasonable to think that the team had their eyes on one of Hill or Klare.
When both left the board, the Broncos may have felt like a trade down was the best option. Well, while the team can't reverse what happened back in April, they can see if Barton is available for trade. The Titans are 0-3 on the year and might eventually be in a spot where they are sellers.
The new regime in Tennessee, specifically with head coach Robert Saleh, may not value Barton a ton as a player, as Saleh-coached teams typically employ LBs who are on the athletic side, and while Barton isn't a statue, he's not a seamless fit for Saleh's defense.
This is where the Broncos should come into play to bring Barton back for the remainder of the 2026 season. Barton played the 2024 season for Denver and was quite solid - he racked up two interceptions, five passes defended, 106 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and to quarterback hits.
What is interesting is that he allowed a 98.2 passer rating in coverage in 2024, according to Pro Football Reference, but in 20 games for the Titans, he's allowed a 68.3 passer rating. It is too late for the Broncos to make significant change to the room - they simply didn't capitalize when they had the chance, but Barton does, if nothing else, present a floor-raising move that would make the unit a little bit better.
It would be a consolation prize from Tennessee, as their selection of Hill could have easily been a player the team had in mind.
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