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While NFL rosters cut down to 53 players on Aug. 27, that is by no means the end of making moves before the first game of the regular season.
The Denver Broncos sent that message home to undrafted rookie linebacker Levelle Bailey on Aug. 29 when he was released and the team signed veteran linebacker and special teams standout Kristian Welch in his place.
The move came just two days after Bailey was one of the feel-good stories of the preseason after making the team following his 94-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason finale on Aug. 23.
While Bailey making the Broncos was a surprise, so was Welch getting released by the Green Bay Packers. He led the team with 16 tackles in the preseason and led the NFL with 2 interceptions in 3 games.
Welch Has Made Name Playing on Special Teams
After going undrafted out of Iowa in 2020, Welch caught on with the Baltimore Ravens and stuck with the team for 3 seasons thanks to his ability to play special teams at a high level. Welch has played in 57 career games, including 16 games in 2021 and 17 games in 2022 with the Ravens. He played one season for the Packers in 2023.
Of Welch’s 27 career tackles, 22 have come on special teams, which is where he has high value but can also be counted on as a reliable backup at one of the inside linebacker spots. But special teams are where he’s made his biggest impact, with over 1,100 special teams snaps in his career, including over 200 for the Packers in 2023.
Bailey went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2024, where he was a 4-time All-Mountain West Conference pick.
Broncos Looking for Help at Inside Linebacker
While the Broncos have a bevy of outside linebackers, they’re a lot more thin at inside linebacker. According to Mike Klis of 9News Denver, veteran Jonas Griffith would have been the preferred option.
Griffith played the last three seasons for the Broncos and started 8 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 wrote. “Griffith was among the Broncos’ final cuts Tuesday. On (Aug. 28), the Broncos signed 16 players to their 17-man practice squad, appearing to save one spot for Griffith, who would have been a candidate for elevation on game days in the early part of the season. That could still potentially happen in a couple weeks but he first must deal with his injury. ”
Welch is currently listed as the backup to Cody Barton — Barton started 13 games for the Washington Commanders in 2023. Alex Singleton is in the other starting inside linebacker spot after leading the Broncos in tackles the last 2 seasons.
The Broncos had the 29th ranked defense in the NFL in 2023. Denver gave up 370.1 yards of offense per game and 24.1 points per game. One area the Broncos were strong in was forcing turnovers, where they ranked in the Top 10 in the league with 26 forced turnovers, which was a +3 margin for the season.
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