On Wednesday, it was announced that the Denver Broncos would sign veteran inside linebacker Kwon Alexander to their practice squad. I can't tell you how long I have wanted the Broncos to make this signing.
Kwon Alexander is 30 years old and is a quality inside linebacker who the Broncos signed. He's played for Sean Payton before in New Orleans and is someone who brings a hard-hitting and explosive presence to the LB room. If you ask me, I bet we see Alexander on the field sooner than you think.
Alexander was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2015 and made a Pro Bowl in 2017. He's played for the Bucs, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Across a 17-game season, Alexander has averaged 73 total tackles, six passes defended, nine tackles for loss, and five QB hits.
He's definitely a quicker player at the position and has shown strong ability to get into the backfield. Alexander has dealt with injuries for most of his career, as he's played just two full seasons. Injuries derailed what could have been a very good career, but he's still just 30 years old and could have some gas left in the tank
Denver has been primarily working with Alex Singleton and Cody Barton at the position, and they've really not had a true game-wrecker at ILB for quite some time. My hope is that the team looks to address ILB in a big way this offseason,
Sean Payton did have the luxury of having stud ILB Demario Davis in the middle of his Saints' defenses for years, so I am sure he knows the value of having a great player on the inside. Denver has fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL this year. They're creating insane pressure and also have a top-3 secondary.
The team faces the New York Jets in Week 4, who Alexander has played for, so perhaps he can provide some defensive intel in that regard. I'm not sure Alexander is someone who can start weekly for the team, but I also can't imagine he's any worse than Alex Singleton and Cody Barton.
The Broncos making an in-season move like this, especially in a very good unit, tells me that they may like their chances this season. That sounds crazy, but what happens if the team beats the Jets and get to 2-2 on the season?