With so many injuries and a lack of cohesion among the Broncos' inside linebacker group, they have needed to rely on their depth and backups more than Vance Joseph would have liked to. Even with signing Dre Greenlaw, a move that many thought would resolve their inside backer issue from last season, he played less than half of the Broncos' games this year thanks to injury and a one-game suspension. Opportunity, however, can lead to new faces stepping up.
In the absence of Alex Singleton last year, Cody Barton stepped up and played well, which led to him parlaying his performance into a solid contract with the Titans. With him now out of the picture, the Broncos' linebacking depth rested solely on the shoulders of a fairly unknown Bronco who had mostly played special teams in his career before seeing more snaps up the middle last year when Singleton went down.
Justin Strnad has quietly turned into an incredibly solid inside linebacker for the Broncos, and it comes at the best time for him. With his recent one-year extension with the Broncos set to run for only the 2025 season, he is hitting the open market this spring with no new deal in place in Denver. His play this year might make the Broncos rethink that option, especially after their attempt to solidify their longterm outlook at inside linebacker failed.
Justin Strnad is making the Broncos think twice about letting him walk this spring
With the opportunities provided to him over the past two years, Justin Strnad has taken advantage of the playing time and made a strong case for the Broncos to keep him. All signs would point to Strnad getting a solid, multi-year contract on the open market, and it could lead him away from the Broncos. If he plays well in the playoffs, he could quickly become one of the more interesting names on the market.
What makes Strnad interesting is that he is one of the best run-stopping and pass-rushing inside backers in the entire league, but he struggles in other aspects of the game. He notched 4.5 sacks this season, which was good for 79th in the league, which is actually a solid mark for a player with only eight starts. His mark also ranks as one of the best for inside linebackers, and helps continue to disguise what has been an incredible Broncos pass rush all season.
The Broncos have Singleton as a pending free agent, Greenlaw is seemingly unreliable, and Denver will once again be looking for a new foundation for their linebacking group. Strnad could help provide stability to Denver, and keeping him could quickly become a priority. If the Broncos match Strnad's asks, he could become one of the more important starters on their defense next year.