Alex Singleton – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Broncos’ updated ILB depth chart after losing Jonas Griffith

Broncos rookie Drew Sanders might be in line for more playing time following the Jonas Griffith injury.

After losing Jonas Griffith to a season-ending torn ACL, the Denver Broncos signed Austin Ajiake to add some more depth at inside linebacker.

Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell remain the team’s starters at ILB. Behind them, rookie third-round pick Drew Sanders has a good chance to emerge as the top backup ILB following the Griffith injury.

In addition to Sanders, the Broncos also have fourth-year special teams contributor Justin Strnad, undrafted rookie Seth Benson, the newly signed Ajiake and Ray Wilborn (although it’s still unclear if Denver plans to use Wilborn primarily on the inside or on the outside).

Here is our projected updated ILB depth chart going into the first week of preseason.

ILB1	Josey Jewell	Drew Sanders	Seth Benson
ILB2	Alex Singleton	Justin Strnad	Ray Wilborn	Austin Ajiake

The Broncos are expected to release an official depth chart ahead of their preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals sometime this week.

Here are the Broncos’ linebacker ratings in ‘Madden NFL 24’

Broncos ILB Josey Jewell is rated 80 OVR (up from 76 last year) and Alex Singleton is rated 79 OVR (up from 72 last year) in ‘Madden.’

EA Sports has released player ratings for “Madden NFL 24” and we now know the ratings for every Denver Broncos inside linebacker in the popular video game.

Josey Jewell is the team’s best linebacker with an 80 overall rating. Fellow starter Alex Singleton is the second-best with a 79 OVR rating.

Those represent notable rating increases for both Jewell and Singleton, who were rated 76 and 72, respectively, in last year’s version of “Madden.”

Broncos rookie Drew Sanders and vet Jonas Griffith are both rated 72 OVR this year. Justin Strnad rounds out the team’s ILB depth with a 64 OVR rating. Griffith was 69 OVR last year and Strnad was 64 OVR.

Singleton has the best tackle rating (92) among the team’s linebackers, followed by Jewell (89), Griffith (83) and Sanders (78). Strnad’s tackle rating is 75.

EA Sports did not include Seth Benson or Ray Wilborn on the Broncos’ roster, so neither of them have ratings in “Madden” yet.

“Madden NFL 24” will be released on August 15.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Ranking linebacker corps in the AFC West

How does each team in the AFC West compare to each other at the linebacker position? Let’s rank them.

Broncos offseason roster: No. 49, ILB Alex Singleton

Alex Singleton dominated the CFL before getting a real opportunity in the NFL. He later joined the Broncos and emerged as a key player.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at fifth-year inside linebacker Alex Singleton, No. 49.

Before the Broncos: Singleton (6-2, 240 pounds) has had quite a football journey. After playing college football at Montana State, he went undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft and signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a college free agent. He went on to spend time on the practice squads of the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings as a rookie.

After his first season in the NFL, Singleton was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 CFL draft and the linebacker decided to play in Canada. Singleton went on to earn CFL All-Star recognition in 2017 and 2018. He was named the league’s Defensive MVP in 2017 and won a Grey Cup (Canada’s Super Bowl) in 2018.

After three seasons in the CFL, Singleton returned to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He appeared in 42 games in Philly from 2019-2021, earning 19 starts. Singleton totaled 137 tackles in his final season with the Eagles in 2021.

Broncos tenure: Denver signed Singleton to a one-year deal in 2022 and he was originally expected to serve as a key special teams player while getting rotational snaps on defense. Singleton ended up starting 12 games at inside linebacker due to injuries at the position and he led the Broncos with 163 tackles. After an impressive first season in Denver, Singleton was rewarded this offseason with a three-year contract extension.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Singleton is a lock to make the team and he will likely start next to Josey Jewell as one of the team’s top two inside linebackers in 2023.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Sean Payton praises LB Alex Singleton’s consistency and performance

Broncos coach Sean Payton praised LB Alex Singleton for his consistency, performance, vision, football IQ and communication.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Broncos position preview for 2023: Inside linebacker

With Drew Sanders and Jonas Griffith behind Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton, the Broncos have good depth at ILB going into the summer.

After using a third-round pick to select Arkansas inside linebacker Drew Sanders in April’s draft, the Denver Broncos now have six ILBs on the 90-man offseason roster: Josey Jewell, Alex Singleton, Jonas Griffith, Sanders, Justin Strnad and Seth Benson.

Jewell and Singleton are returning as the team’s starting inside linebackers with Griffith and Sanders projected to serve as the top backups. Strnad and Benson will be competing for reps this summer as well.

Denver also has Ray Wilborn listed as a “linebacker” on their offseason roster. It’s unclear if Wilborn will play primarily as an inside linebacker or outside linebacker this season.

Broncos’ (Projected) ILB Depth Chart

Broncos’ updated ILB depth chart following the NFL draft

After drafting Drew Sanders, the Broncos have great inside linebacker depth on paper.

ILB1	ILB2	Depth
Josey Jewell	Alex Singleton	Justin Strnad
Jonas Griffith	Drew Sanders	Ray Wilborn
		Seth Benson

There are no surprises on the Denver Broncos’ projected inside linebacker depth chart following the 2023 NFL draft.

Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton are both returning as projected starters, and the team has quality depth behind them. Drew Sanders joins the club as a third-round pick out of Arkansas and while he projects as a future starter, he seems unlikely to start over Jewell or Singleton in Week 1.

Jonas Griffith is also back after starting eight games as an injury fill-in last year. Having Sanders and Griffith, arguably two starting-caliber LBs, available as backups is great for the team’s depth.

Last year, Denver carried four inside linebackers on its initial 53-man roster. If that’s the plan again this year, Justin Strnad, Ray Wilborn and undrafted rookie Seth Benson would be the odd men out. They could all be candidates for the practice squad, though.

The Broncos will set a 53-man roster in late August.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Broncos WR Jalen Virgil, LB Alex Singleton tweet encouragement to UDFAs

“All you need is an opportunity. Get into a building and keep that chip on your shoulder. It’s not where you start it’s where you finish.”

More than 250 college football players were picked in the 2023 NFL draft over the weekend. Thousands more went undrafted. Some of those undrafted players will get opportunities as college free agents.

The Denver Broncos have begun filling out their 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents, and two of their current players took to Twitter on Saturday night to share encouragement for this year’s UDFA class.

“For all the guys who didn’t get picked up during the draft, I know how you feel,” wide receiver Jalen Virgil tweeted. “Being passed up after all the work you put in is tough, but all you need is an opportunity. Get into a building & keep that chip on your shoulder. It’s not where you start its where you finish 🙏🏽💯”

After going undrafted out of Appalachian State last year, Virgil signed with the Broncos as a UDFA and made the 53-man roster. He later scored a 66-yard touchdown on the first catch of his career.

Denver linebacker Alex Singleton tweeted this message on Saturday: “Being undrafted doesn’t mean anything! Everyone with their head down today just go to work! Just your beginning!”

After going undrafted out of Montana State in 2016, Singleton spent two seasons playing in Canada before breaking into the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He joined the Broncos last spring and went on to lead the team with 163 tackles in 2022. Singleton was then rewarded with a three-year, $18 million contract extension this spring.

Going undrafted doesn’t have to be the end of a football player’s journey — just ask Virgil and Singleton.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Sean Payton comments on Broncos re-signing LB Alex Singleton

“Those two inside guys played well,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of LBs Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell.

After originally signing with the Denver Broncos last spring as a rotational defender and special teams ace, inside linebacker Alex Singleton ended up starting 12 games on defense and led the team with 163 tackles.

After that productive debut season in Denver, Singleton was rewarded with a three-year, $18 million contract extension.

“He was productive,” coach Sean Payton said of Singleton at the NFL owners’ meetings last week. “I thought there was a lot of things we did well defensively. If he wasn’t [returning] — then where were we going if not [with] Alex?”

Payton noted that the linebacker — and defense overall — made some mistakes in 2022, but he took those with a grain of salt based on the situations the defense was put in.

Singleton and Josey Jewell were a solid duo at inside linebacker, and Payton wanted to bring them back for 2023.

“Those two inside guys played well, and they were available,” Payton said. “The defense in a lot of ways played well considering the time of possession, considering the field position, considering — like it’s hard to play good defense if you’re not playing complimentary football. It sounds like I’m being critical of the special teams and the offense — and I am.”

After addressing the offense and special teams units this offseason, Payton and Co. are confident the defense will have another strong showing this fall — with Singleton leading the way at inside linebacker.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Broncos officially announce 6 free agent signings

The Broncos have officially confirmed six of their free agent signings.

The NFL’s new league year started at 2:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday, marking the official start of free agency.

It felt a bit anticlimactic because most of the NFL’s biggest free agents already agreed to terms with teams on Monday and Tuesday. Those deals did not become official until Wednesday, but it was just a formality.

The Denver Broncos, for example, agreed to terms with six free agents on Monday and two more on Tuesday. Since the start of the new league year, the team has officially announced six of their signings so far, and the rest will be announced soon.

Denver has confirmed the signings of OL Ben Powers, QB Jarrett Stidham, OT Mike McGlinchey, TE Chris Manhertz, LB Alex Singleton and DL Zach Allen so far. Three more players — RB Samaje Perine, FB Michael Burton and CB/KR Tremon Smith — just have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s before their deals become official.

The Broncos also brought back three of their exclusive rights free agents on one-year tenders: punter Corliss Waitman, offensive lineman Quinn Bailey and linebacker Jonas Griffith.

Here’s a quick recap of Denver’s free agent signings, including both the official and not-yet-quite-official contracts.