While NFL rosters were reduced to 53 players on August 27, this is far from the end of roster changes before the opening game of the regular season.
On August 29, the Denver Broncos cut undrafted rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey and replaced him with veteran linebacker and special teams star Kristian Welch.
The move came just two days after Bailey became one of the preseason’s feel-good stories, making the team after returning a 94-yard interception for a score against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason finale on August 23.
While Bailey joining the Broncos came as a surprise, so did Welch’s release from the Green Bay Packers. He led the team in preseason tackles (16) and led the NFL with two interceptions in three games.
Welch has made his name playing on special teams.
After going undrafted out of Iowa in 2020, Welch hooked on with the Baltimore Ravens and remained with the organization for three seasons due to his ability to play special teams at a high level. Welch has appeared in 57 career games, including 16 in 2021 and 17 in 2022 for the Ravens. He spent one season with the Packers in 2023.
Of Welch’s 27 career tackles, 22 have come on special teams, where he is highly valued, but he can also serve as a competent backup at one of the inside linebacker positions. But special teams are where he’s had the greatest effect, with over 1,100 special teams snaps in his career, including over 200 for the Packers in 2023.
Bailey was undrafted in 2024 after earning four All-Mountain West Conference honours at Fresno State.
Broncos are looking for help at inside linebacker.
The Broncos have a lot of outside linebackers, but they’re really thin at inside linebacker. According to Mike Klis of 9News Denver, veteran Jonas Griffith would have been the better choice.
Griffith spent the last three seasons with the Broncos, starting eight games in 2023.
“The transaction (for Welch) comes as the Broncos could no longer wait to bring back inside linebacker Jonas Griffith, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury,” Klis explained. “Griffith was one of the Broncos’ last cuts Tuesday. On August 28, the Broncos added 16 players to their 17-man practice squad, appearing to save one space for Griffith, who would have been a possibility for promotion on game days early in the season. That could yet happen in a few weeks, but first he has to cope with his ailment.”
Welch is presently listed as Cody Barton’s backup, with Barton starting 13 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Alex Singleton is the other starting inside linebacker, after leading the Broncos in tackles the previous two seasons.
In 2023, the Broncos had the NFL’s 29th-ranked defence. Denver allowed 370.1 yards of offence per game and 24.1 points per game. The Broncos excelled at forcing turnovers, ranking in the top ten in the league with 26 forced turnovers this season, a +3 margin.
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