The Broncos Just Dodged A MAJOR Bullet...

On Tuesday afternoon, the Broncos agreed to a trade with the Chargers for linebacker Deion Henley. Less than 36 hours, the trade is dead. The Broncos are 7-2 on a five game win streak and they have a leak at linebacker. They need extra depth and this was the trade that was supposed to fix that. Instead, it may have actually saved them. So what did Denver find in the physical and did the Broncos just dodge a bullet? Here's how it went. The NFL trade deadline was Tuesday, 4 p.m. Eastern, and ESPN had the Broncos deal at 3.25 p.m. Denver was sending a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder to the Chargers. And the deal was pending a physical, and on Wednesday, Henley took that physical. And late that night, the Broncos said the trade will not be finalized. No reason, just that they have a great respect for Deion and wish him all the best. And ESPN sources say a knee issue turned up And here's the line that changes the story. Adam Schefter says Denver had concerns after the physical, but the Broncos still wanted Henley. The two teams talked about revised terms all day, and in the end, no agreement. The deal was off. And just think about that, because Denver did not walk away from the player. They walked away from the price with that injury risk. So why do they want him so badly, and why might missing out on Deion Henley be the best thing that actually happened? And stick around, because this is not going to be the last time we hear about Deion Henley. And the Broncos are winning with a leak at linebacker, and it's not a starting role, it's the depth, but their defense on the run game gives up 124.3 yards a game, which is 23rd in the league. And it's not just the volume, teams are averaging 4.51 yards a carry against them, that's 24th ranked. It started in week 1 where Kansas City ran for 220 yards on 38 carries. And since then, it has been better. They gave up 142.8 yards a game over the first 4 and 109.6 over the last 5. But the yards per carry never moved. 4.23 over the first 4 games, 4.28 over the last 5. That is the same leak. And the middle of the field is the hole. Story. Alex Singleton and Justin Sternad have started every game at inside linebacker. Singleton is 32 years old, he's played 647 defensive snaps, and he's on the field for basically every single one, the most of any Bronco. Sternad is 30, and he's played 529. And Singleton this year has 104 tackles, Sternad has 42, that's 2.5 times as many, and that gap And the depth behind them is Kareem Reed who has played 0 defensive snaps all year and Jordan Turner who has 3. And that is the hole, Henley was the patch for that, and a patch with a reported knee injury It's more so a risk than a fix, and he was not a flyer. Henley has made 41 starts in the last 42 games over three seasons. ESPN has his career at 317 tackles, 5 sacks, and 4 interceptions, his best year being 2024 with 147 tackles. And this year, he's made about 50 tackles in 8 games for a team that is 0-8. He's also the guy who runs the defense. The Chargers made him a captain two years in a row. His defensive coordinator, Chris O'Leary, said he operates like he's the captain of the defense. So let's be fair, because this matters too. Daylon Henley is certainly a leader and a very good tackler, but not a proven run stopper just yet. This was an upgrade in range and voice, and just once again, another huge part of depth that this team needed. It wasn't going to be a magic fix for anything right away. And the knee concern does not make him brittle, 41 starts over 42 games says the exact opposite actually. The money was never the problem either, his 2026 cap hit is 1.84 million, and he's a free agent after this season. The real question is, how does a trade like this just die, and is it actually good news? Now when this happens, it's a little bit rarer than you think, but we have one in recent memory which is very prominent, and only 8 months ago. In March, the Ravens agreed to trade two first-round picks to the Raiders for pass rusher Max Crosby. And Baltimore backed out after the physical, and AP's sources said Crosby failed it after a January knee surgery. The next morning, the Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson for four years at $112 million instead. And Crosby's response after it fell through, I'm a Raider, I'm back. And back in 2022, the Dolphins traded Adam Shaheen to the Texans for a sixth-round pick. It was voided after a failed physical on his knee. The pattern is the same every time the player goes back to his old team and the picks go back to the buyer. So Denver didn't lose any picks and they're still looking to gain that extra fourth round pick for the draft. Keeps them all the same and they don't have to rebuild or add to the depth on this team surrounding a potential knee injury. And this is where Denver got lucky because after the Max Crosby deal and medical staffers fix was pretty simple, hold the physical first and announce the trade second. The Broncos announced it before the physical, which is a bit of a sloppy order, but the physical still caught it before the deal closed and the deadline passed after. And just taking a look at everybody else and what they did on deadline day, this one was not a quiet one. We saw the Bears get Jeffrey Simmons for two first round picks. The Jaguars got Jordan Davis from the Eagles for a 2027 first and a 2029 second. The Vikings brought back Kirk Cousins back from the Raiders for a The Chiefs got Josh Downs, the Ravens got Brissette, and Denver's only move was Dayon Henley. And ESPN's recap says the Broncos did not add a running back either, not a tight end, and not help in the offensive line. So while other contenders were loading up, the Broncos went in, made one move, and later fell apart, making it the second year in a row that they have not made a trade at the deadline, and maybe that's the best thing that could have happened for right now. And that is a lot of work to end up where you started, except Denver still has its own picks. There's no new risks on the books, and... What's been working, is working. You obviously want help, but the Broncos must feel like they can be able to fix that internally, or at least get someone back into kind of a new role with this team. And here is the schedule, Denver comes off the bye with 8 games left. First is the Raiders on November 22nd, 10 days from today if you're watching on upload day. They average 71.3 rushing yards a game, which is 31st in the league, and a huge benefit for the Broncos. And this is only one free week for this Broncos defense, and maybe that leak they have will look fixed. Then Pittsburgh on November 27th, they averaged 117.9 rushing yards a game, which is 12th, and 4.89 yards a carry, which is 3rd. Then on Christmas, it's Buffalo, 146.6 yards a game, 2nd in the NFL. And on January 3rd, the New England Patriots at 119.9 a game, ranking 10th. So the stakes are real, and Denver is the second seed in the AFC, in a game behind Buffalo, with Kansas City being 6-2 right behind them. And the Broncos' defense is built on points, not yards. It gives up 20.7 points a game, which is 10th, but it allows 355 yards a game, and is ranked 27th. And giving credit to this defense, they have the answers up front, and Zach Allen and Nick Bonito, just to name a few, they have played fantastic with 4.5 sacks each. On the season, 21 quarterback hits for Zach Allen and 6 TFLs for Nick Bonito. Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga each have 2 interceptions in the back end. So let's see where Denver could turn, because they still need to fill this hole eventually. And I want to start with Mark, because that's where the real market is going to be. Spotrac's list of 2027 free agent linebackers is led by Pittsburgh's Patrick Queen. Then Frankie Luvu, Blake Cashman, Divine Deablo. Blake Cashman is 30 and he's been on a 100 tackle pace for his 4th straight year. The catch, ESPN notes, is that most of the top names on that list extend before March. And here's the irony, Ray Greenlight is also on that list too, and once again, a linebacker that Denver cut now leading them to this hole, could he be the answer? That's $2.17 million of dead money on Denver's books in 2026 and again in 2027 for a linebacker who is now back with the 49ers. And there is one very interesting way that Denver could try and go out here and fix this inside linebacker hole with a very familiar name. Because Deion Henley himself is going back into that same pool. He's 26 years old, turns 27 November 18th, and he's in a contract year. That is exactly why the Broncos might not be done. If the knee checks out in March, he's the one name on the list they already know they like, and they would not have to give up any picks to get him. But what does Denver do right now in the present? Insider Ian Rapoport said it plainly. Trade deadline is over, and there's no solution. That means no trade for a linebacker from anyone until the offseason, free agents and waivers, that is it. Meanwhile, Alex Singleton's cap hit goes to $9 million next year, and Sternatz goes to $7.5 million. That is $16.5 million for two linebackers who are 32 and 30. And with Henley being a free agent again in March, there is a real chance Denver comes back for him. So my take is pretty simple, I think the Broncos dodged a bullet right here because they're 7-2, they didn't have to give up anything, and there was an injury risk there, and they've won with the group they already have. That's the lesson of the physical, it didn't take picks, it took them one fixed Denver hat and probably saved them from a worse mistake. And if you want every single Broncos move explained every bit of news, be sure to drop a sub here on the channel, give the video a like, gets all of the Broncos fans right here on the channel. Should Denver trust Singleton or Stern down the stretch or sign a free agent linebacker now, comment T for Trust or F for free agent.