Broncos Adding $31 Million Playmaker, Cut QB in Roster Shakeup
The Denver Broncos are adding a dynamic presence to their roster, with veteran linebacker and 2025 free agency signing Dre Greenlaw returning from a one-game suspension. However, Greenlaw’s return forced the Broncos to shake up their roster.
That is where history repeated itself for one currently-former Broncos player.
However, the Broncos did not stop there. They also parted with two more players, bringing their total number of transactions to four on a busy supposed off day.
Broncos Cut Sam Ehlinger for Dre Greenlaw Again
Greenlaw received a one-game suspension without pay for using verbally abusive language towards an official in Week 7 against the New York Giants.
Sam Ehlinger filled Greenlaw’s roster spot in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
“With #Broncos needing a roster spot to put LB Dre Greenlaw back on the 53, source says they plan to release third-string QB Sam Ehlinger,” The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reported on X on October 28. “But they plan to re-sign Ehlinger to the practice squad and that is what he wants to do.”
The Broncos took a similar approach with Ehlinger and Greenlaw earlier this season. Ehlinger signed with the Broncos in free agency this past offseason, but they cut him ahead of Greenlaw’s regular-season debut in Week 7 following a quad injury.
Ehlinger has bounced between the practice squad and active roster, but remains in the plans.
“#Broncos want QB Sam Ehlinger to continue to get full game checks so he’s a candidate to be elevated Sunday at Houston,” Tomasson reported in a follow-up post. “He can be elevated up to 3 times this season by Broncos but they haven’t needed to use one yet. He’s gotten a full game check for each of the first eight weeks.”
Dre Greenlaw Set for Second Game With Broncos
Greenlaw is one of three key Broncos signings this past offseason. He joined former San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga and ex-Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram. The standout linebacker is on a three-year, $31.5 million contract.
All three players came with significant injury histories.
Like Greenlaw, Engram has already had to navigate injuries this season, albeit on a smaller scale. He missed Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers with a back injury.
With Greenlaw back, the Broncos get a boost for a defense that will not have cornerback Pat Surtain II for multiple weeks. The Reigning Defensive Player of the Year suffered a pectoral strain in Week 8.
The Broncos need Greenlaw and all other hands on deck until – and after – Surtain returns.
Broncos Cut Former Cornhuskers
The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel corroborated the news, noting Ehlinger should be back on the Broncos’ practice squad in time for the first practice of Week 9. Gabriel was also the first to report that the Broncos made two other roster moves.
They cut outside linebacker Garrett Nelson and fellow veteran Samori Toure from their practice squad.
“A tough day for pro #Huskers in Denver,” Gabriel posted on X on October 28.
Nelson was part of an earlier, larger shakeup that included the Broncos adding safety J.T. Gray and promoting offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton to their active roster. The Broncos also added Karsen Barnhart in that flurry, but they placed fellow OL Matt Peart on injured reserve.
Toure replaced linebacker Garret Wallow on the Broncos’ practice squad when Denver signed the latter to its 53-man roster.
Buccaneers Urged to Trade for $26 Million Former First Round Pick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hit the midseason point of the regular season with all of their goals very much still intact, and then some.
After surviving one battle after another, the Buccaneers are now 6-2 despite missing large chunks of their starting lineup for large chunks of games — thanks in large part to the brilliant play of quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Baker Mayfield.
With Mayfield, the Buccaneers have more often than not performed like NFC contenders on offense. On defense, it’s been another story. Not a bad one, just different.
On defense, the Buccaneers have been keeping their heads above water. They’re ranked 16th out of 32 NFL teams in total defense and done so without an elite edge rusher, an aging middle linebacker in Lavonte David and a middling, overpaid secondary.
Any infusion of talent — especially in the front 7 — would be welcome.
ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks that could come in the form of a trade with the Miami Dolphins for talented inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who currently leads the NFL with 85 tackles.
In Solak’s scenario, the Buccaneers would send the Dolphins a 2026 fifth round pick and safety Christian Izien in exchange for Brooks.
“A smooth coverage linebacker with great instincts and field sense, Brooks is one of the few linebackers in the league who can truly be trusted to carry a tight end down the field, or drop into the intermediate middle and not get bamboozled by route combinations or quarterbacks’ eye fakes,” Solak wrote on October 28. “Coverage linebackers in their athletic prime are rare and impactful players, and such a player is sorely needed in Tampa Bay.”
The NFL trade deadline is November 4. The Buccaneers have a bye in Week 9 and return to action at home against the New England Patriots on November 9.
Brooks Could Be Bucs’ Long Term Solution
Getting Brooks could end up being a formidable, long term solution for the Buccaneers — especially if David decides to retire after this season.
Brooks, 6-foot and 240 pounds, has been a tackling machine since the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the first round (No. 27 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
He was a part time starter as a rookie in 2020 then became a full time starter in 2021 and he’s on track for his fifth consecutive season with over 110 tackles.
Brooks, who led the NFL with 109 solo tackles in 2021, signed a 3-year, $26.5 million free agent contract with the Dolphins in March 2024 and is under contract through the end of next seasons.
If the Buccaneers trade for Brooks and he turns out to be a good fit, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him signing a similar deal to the one he’s on. The market for inside linebackers isn’t that robust and doesn’t usually re-set itself in a meaningful way.
Bucs Haven’t Gotten Great Results From Dennis
In 2023, the Buccaneers drafted SirVocea Dennis in the fifth round and while he flashed early, he missed 17 games due to injuries over his first 2 seasons.
While Dennis has become a full time starter in 2025, he’s also a liability in pass coverage. He currently ranks 70th out of 80 inside linebackers with a 45.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
