Broncos best option to start alongside Dre Greenlaw is painfully obvious
The Denver Broncos announced that they have designated inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw to return from the Injured Reserve list, where he has been since Week 3 due to a quad injury. Broncos Country finally got the injury update they have been waiting for. One of their top free-agent acquisitions is closer to making his debut in orange and blue. Will it be on Sunday against the Giants? We do not know, but the good news is that he is back in practice and did not have any setbacks.
One of Denver's top priorities heading into the offseason was the inside linebacker position. They addressed it in free agency by signing former 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a 3-year, $34 million deal. Greenlaw is a force in the middle of the defense when healthy. In 64 games over six years with San Francisco, he recorded 455 tackles, 3 interceptions, 14 pass breakups, 3.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Greenlaw is an experienced linebacker who will bring a lot of energy to this young Broncos defense led by Vance Joseph. It's a significant upgrade when he's on the field compared to what the team has had recently.
Dre Greenlaw's return leads to a big and very important question...Who starts alongside him?
Broncos' best option to start alongside Dre Greenlaw is Justin Strnad
Greenlaw, when healthy, is a monster. He should be an instant starter at the inside linebacker position. Now the big question is who starts alongside him. My answer would be Cody Barton, but he left Denver in free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. This leads to veterans Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad (the actual starting tandem).
Singleton is an experienced veteran who is very liked inside Denver's locker room. He is a team captain and currently leads the Broncos in tackles with 51. The concern with Singleton is that he is getting older and is coming back from a Torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of the 2024-25 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite leading the team in tackles, Singleton looks slow, which makes sense following that injury, and has been burnt by opposing players, noting significantly Saquon Barkley's touchdown in week 5 on a wheel route. Singleton has missed lots of tackles.
On the other hand, there is Justin Strnad, who, believe it or not, has been one of the team's breakout players so far in the 2025-26 season. He currently has 3.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup. He is a solid inside linebacker who, in the past, was a solid special teams player at best, and now, in my opinion, he is the one who should start alongside Dre Greenlaw. Strnad is a more dynamic and faster player compared to Singleton. I would not be surprised if Denver tries to trade Singleton, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Denver has Drew Sanders, who is currently injured, and also has Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid.
Effort and execution leading to early success for Bruins
The Bruins have looked like a different team under head coach Marco Sturm. The Bruins are off to a hot start with a 3-1 record. And it looks like the Bruins are executing on Marco Sturm’s plan of being difficult to play against. Through the first couple of games, it's obvious that this team is not a high-scoring offense that will dazzle with flashy goals. Instead, this team can win games by treating every game like it’s a game 7 in the playoffs. By playing a strong defensive game that wears down opponents, this team can win many one or two-goal games.
This approach fits what Cam Neely said about how the Bruins needed more 'piss and vinegar' when constructing the team this year. "I thought our guys did a really good job of putting a roster together that is going to give us that piss and vinegar, and it’s going to be hard to play against, and teams aren’t going to enjoy it,” That is the message that was sent to the players and has really resonated so far this season.
There is a noticeable difference in how this team is playing now when compared to the uninspired play at the end of last season. The effort has been there from start to finish in almost every game. Even in the loss against Tampa on October 13th, the Bruins did not give up. This was obvious in the effort shown by David Pastrnak when he had an incredible save in front of the Bruins’ empty net to preserve the team’s chances of tying the game. Pastrnak also threw a huge hit on Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov in the same shift as he was going for the empty net.
Another positive for the Bruins and Marco Sturm's system has been the effectiveness of the depth forwards. The Bruins are not just seeing offense from Pastrnak, who has been great to start the season with 5 points in the first four games. In fact, there are only three players on Boston’s roster without at least a point through the first four games.
This includes Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Hampus Lindholm, who have been injured since the first period of game 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Lindholm's injury also led to Haverill, Massachusetts native Jordan Harris stepping up and recording two points in his first two games this season. This next man up mentality really speaks volumes about how solid the team system has been so far.
Sturm has also not been afraid of using his depth to his advantage. Sturm has often deployed his fourth line against his opponent’s top lines and has been able to shut them down effectively. This creates better line matchups that favor the Bruins and allows them to play their top line, with Pastrnak, against other teams’ second and third lines. Having veterans like Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic, who are responsible defensively, allows them to match up against tougher offensive opponents and shut them down.
There is no doubt that the Bruins are buying into Sturm’s system, and it appears that the players that make up this roster are fitting in perfectly. Although still a very small sample size through just the first couple of games, if the team can maintain this effort for the season they may see a lot of success going forward.
