The Denver Broncos trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for inside linebacker Daiyan Henley was one that few of us were expecting with all eyes watching for running back news. But it was an underrated move that may pay big dividends down the road.
Henley is in the final year of rookie deal, so he’ll clearly be looking at an extension from the Broncos now that they’ve spent two picks to acquire him. Where does that leave Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton after this season? From a cap savings perspective,
the green dot holding veteran Singleton would be the odd man out next March. Denver would save $4M in cap with $5M in dead money. Plus Strnad is three years younger and would incur $7M in dead money and no cap savings.
The move seems to signal the teams willingness to move on from Singleton either next March or after his contract runs its course through 2027.
Additionally, Henley has worn the green dot for the Chargers the last several seasons and is the leader of that defense — one that was pretty good until the whole team became a dumpster fire this season.
Aside from cap and roster, Henley also fits well into the Broncos’ long-term plans through his coverage ability. This has been an annoyingly difficult area to address and this defense’s biggest weaknesses in pass defense. Coming out of college, scouting reports noted his upside and his sideline-to-sideline speed. He was considered underweight and not a great tackler. However, in the NFL that slight weight hasn’t stopped him from being the Chargers’ leading tackler every season.
I think this trade is exactly what the defense needs to take things to an elite level. All that remains to be seen is how well he fits into the Vance Joseph scheme this year.
Broncos daily recap
Broncos trade for Chargers LB Daiyan Henley
According to ESPN’s lead league insider, the Denver Broncos have traded for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley. The Broncos will be sending a 2027 4th-round pick and a 2028 5th-round pick to the Chargers for Henley.
Broncos at Panthers: The No Bull Review
No Bull thoughts, opinions, and analysis on the Denver Broncos ’ record-setting win over the Carolina Panthers.
Are the Broncos lucky…or just good?
In my pickleball league, we have a common saying, “Better to be lucky than good.” But if Sean Payton were playing in my league, he’d say that because we were good, we got lucky.
Under the radar
The Feed
Post your own thoughts on MHR’s Feed.
