The Denver Broncos have a transformative offseason in front of them. For the first time in a decade, the Broncos have their answer at quarterback and are now tasked to build around him. The Broncos' defense was one of the better units in football last year, but they faced major issues up the middle with their inside linebacking group.
With Alex Singleton likely on the outside looking in on the Broncos 2025 roster and all other inside backers from 2024 being pending free agents, the Broncos might be looking to overhaul the position for the 2025 season. One of the best and most obvious fits for Denver would be Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, who is set to hit the open market at just 24. ESPN ranked Bolton as the 23rd-best free agent on the market this year and tabbed the Broncos as the best team fit for Bolton.
Broncos named as best team fit for LB Nick Bolton in free agency
On Bolton, ESPN articulated that "Bolton would be a big upgrade for Vance Joseph's defense in Denver. Bolton fits with the Broncos as a downhill thumper against the run -- he had 11 tackles for loss last season. In coverage, Bolton lacks elite second-level range, but he has four career interceptions."
The Broncos have cycled through inside linebackers the last few years, and their first try at replacing the play and value that Josey Jewell brought them did not exactly go well. Alex Singleton was playing well to start the year, but blew his knee out in week three and missed the rest of the season. Cody Barton played fine but was not at the level of what you would want from a starting inside linebacker on a playoff team. Justin Strnad was exposed pretty consistently by the end of the year, and will most likely have to be a backup again next year, and that very likely will not be with the Denver Broncos.
One of the issues facing the Broncos is that their offensive holes are at multiple positions, and there is no clear consensus on which direction they will go in the draft to address those needs. By signing Bolton, the Broncos could knock out one of their biggest needs before the draft, and bring in arguably the best, young player at that position to hit the open market in some time.
Given his age, even a six-year deal likely keeps Bolton in town through the duration of his prime. The priority for the Broncos in free agency should be to address as many needs as possible before the draft, and given the wealth of offensive talent that might be on the board at 20th overall, Denver should seriously look into addressing inside linebacker by signing Nick Bolton.