Mile High Report
This move was speculated yesterday after Greenlaw had a full practice, and the Broncos opened up a spot on the 53-man roster, and now today, they make it official. They have announced that they have activated veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw from the injured reserve ahead of their game on Sunday vs. the New York Giants.
As we know, Greenlaw was a big free agent addition for the Broncos this offseason, but a nagging quad injury has kept him off the field throughout the offseason, for most of training camp, all of the preseason, and through the first month and a half of the season. However, the veteran linebacker appears healthy and finally ready to join this already dominant Denver Broncos defense.
Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph told reporters that Greenlaw will be a “part-time player” if he were to play on Sunday, so expect them to limit his snaps in this one. However, Joseph added, “Once he’s out there, you will feel him. Everyone will”.
Greenlaw is a high-energy leader on and off the field, and his presence alone will add some juice to an already very good Denver Broncos defense. He’s explosive, can cover, and is a very physical player who is not afraid to lay the wood whenever he has the chance. If Greenlaw is healthy and back playing like he has in the past, this will be a significant addition to the Denver Broncos’ defense.
It will be interesting to see how this impacts the playing time of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. Singleton is a team captain, has the green dot on his helmet, and rarely comes off the field for the Broncos. However, veteran Justin Strnad has been playing well, has been a good pressure player, and Joseph indicated that he has “absolutely” earned snaps moving forward and that there will be a package for him moving forward.
In other news, the Broncos re-signed quarterback Sam Ehlinger to their practice squad while releasing defensive back A.J. Woods and wide receiver Thayer Thomas(injury settlement) from the practice squad.
At the end of the day, this is a very promising development for the Broncos. Hopefully, Greenlaw can stay healthy moving forward and be a key piece for this defense as the team pushes for an AFC West title as well as a deep postseason run.
