Broncos' Signing LB Dre Geenlaw Ranks in NFL.com's Top-10 FA Moves

The Denver Broncos have made a number of great moves so far this offseason. Practically every hole the team had on the roster has been filled, not only with solid past contributors but also younger players with the potential to have many good seasons in the league before reaching an age-based drop-off in play.

Specifically, the Broncos' ability to woo linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency was a move that has garnered praise, although it possesses a modicum of risk given his limited play last season coming off of an Achilles tear in the 2023 Super Bowl.

NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha has certainly taken notice and ranked the Broncos' coup of Greenlaw as one of the 10 best moves in the NFL this offseason.

“We get it -- Greenlaw sustained a torn Achilles while playing for the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, and he only played 34 snaps last season after returning. It's also important to note this part: He turns 27 years old in May and is one of the best linebackers in the league when he's healthy. The Broncos gave Greenlaw a three-year, $35 million deal because they can envision what he can do for a defense that turned elite last season," Chadiha wrote. "Denver led the league with 63 sacks in 2024 and ranked third in points allowed, and Greenlaw could be the piece that makes the group even better. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has a unit blessed with dynamic edge rushers (Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto), one of the game's most disruptive interior players (defensive end Zach Allen) and arguably the league's best cornerback duo (2024 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss). You throw Greenlaw in the middle of that and it's hard to see any offense gaining much traction against this bunch.”

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After the linebacker market exploded before free agency even officially opened up, with many of the pending free agents at the position re-signing with their teams with lucrative contracts, Greenlaw was one of the few coveted guys at the position that even hit the market. Denver held off Greenlaw’s former team — the San Francisco 49ers — and Houston Texans and his former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans for the linebacker’s services.

Greenlaw will join Alex Singleton to man the middle of the defense and give the Broncos a much-needed boost in athleticism and coverage to a unit that struggled last season. While Cody Barton and Justin Strnad filled in admirably in the wake of Singleton’s season-ending injury, the Broncos’ obvious Achilles heel on defense was the lack of talent at linebacker. On paper, that issue should be solved in 2025.

Of course, the Broncos inherent a good amount of risk in adding the injured Greenlaw to go with Singleton. The duo played a combined 224 snaps last season, so it wouldn’t be shocking for Denver to add further to the room in the draft and if the linebackers took some time next season to find their groove.

Still, Greenlaw adds an investment to a position the Broncos have not made a splash at in quite some time. How much his addition will further amplify an already great defense remains to be seen, but if Greenlaw can return to his pre-injur form, the Broncos will have landed a steal that could help reshape the heart of their defense for the next few seasons.