One of the Denver Broncos’ big in-house free agents this spring was inside linebacker Alex Singleton. The Broncos made re-signing Singleton a priority and ultimately gave him a three-year, $18 million contract.
“With regards to [ILB Alex] Singleton, it was just the consistency, the performance, the vision, him knowing the defense, playing well on a good defense a year ago, and his communication skills,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on June 14. “It’s a harder position to evaluate in the draft because you are getting lighter and lighter in the college game.
“Twenty years ago, there were certain positions that were hard to evaluate, and 20 years later, you have safety-body types playing linebacker. You are constantly projecting where you see a player in college. It’s hard to find a fullback. We drafted a linebacker who we think is a prototype. You will hear me use that term. I like bigger players. With him, it was his production, and you know what you are getting, which is a great trait to have as a player.”
While rookie Drew Sanders projects as a “prototype” future starter, Singleton represents the present for Denver. Singleton is coming off a 163-tackle season in 2022 and he has four years of NFL experience to lean on. The Broncos know exactly what they’re getting with Singleton.
One day — perhaps even later this season — Sanders will likely emerge as a starter for the Broncos. Meanwhile, Singleton will remain one of the team’s top defenders as Denver prepares to begin training camp next month.
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