Latest news with #Greenlaw
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos roster: LB Dre Greenlaw (No. 57) will make an instant impact
Broncos Wire's 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at seventh-year linebacker Dre Greenlaw, No. 57. Before the Broncos: Greenlaw (6-0, 230 pounds) was drafted by the San Francisco in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Arkansas. Greenlaw made an immediate impact, playing in all 16 games, starting 11 of them. In his rookie year, Greenlaw made 92 total tackles (64 solo, 28 assisted, three tackles for loss), 1.0 sacks, two pass deflections and one interception, all while leading the 49ers to the cusp of a championship, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, 31-20. The following year, Greenlaw again started 11 games, playing in 13 of them. Greenlaw made 86 total tackles (61 solo, 25 assisted, seven tackles for loss), 1.0 sacks and two pass deflections. In 2021, the 49ers once again were on top of the NFC West, but Greenlaw only played in three regular season games, as he was shut down for most of the season with a groin injury. Greenlaw played in the opening two games of the 2021 season, before returning for the regular season finale and the 49ers' deep playoff run that culminated in an NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, Greenlaw had 21 total tackles (10 solo, 11 assisted), one pass deflection and one interception returned for a touchdown. In the next two seasons, Greenlaw played in and started 30 regular season games and six playoff games, making 247 total tackles (157 solo, 90 assisted, eight tackles for loss), 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 10 pass deflections and one interception. In 2022, the 49ers made it to the NFC championship again. In 2023, San Francisco made it all the way to the Super Bowl once again. In the Super Bowl, Greenlaw was jogging onto the field before crumpling to the ground with what was described at the time as a "lower leg injury." It turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon. In 2024, Greenlaw tried to return from his torn tendon, returning in Week 15 and 16, totaling nine tackles (three solo, six assisted) before being shut down with a calf injury. Greenlaw then hit free agency this spring. Broncos tenure: The Denver Broncos didn't waste any time pursuing Greenlaw during free agency. Almost immediately, the Broncos agreed to terms with Greenlaw on a three-year deal worth $31.5 million. If Greenlaw can return back to the player he once was, Denver's defense will be in great shape heading into 2025. Chances to make the 53-man roster: Lock. Greenlaw was brought in to be an additional force in the middle of the field, along with Alex Singleton. When healthy, Greenlaw ranks among the top linebackers in the NFL. He is a lock to make the team and is set to serve as the team's No. 1 linebacker in 2025. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Analytics site misses mark in identifying 49ers biggest position battle
The San Francisco 49ers for the first time in a long time have a handful of position battles set to play out in training camp. One of those is at left guard, which Pro Football and Sports Network identified as the top position battle for San Francisco. The presumed bout between Ben Bartch and Spencer Burford for the starting LG spot will undoubtedly be worth keeping a close eye on. Both players upside, but neither has done anything in the NFL to put a stranglehold on the spot leading up to camp. While the starting LG spot is a big one, our top fight for a starting job is on the other side of the ball. Will linebacker stands out as the biggest position battle for the 49ers as they sort out their new-look unit under new old defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. San Francisco lost Dre Greenlaw in free agency which opened the three-down starting spot alongside Fred Warner. Last season De'Vondre Campbell held down that job while Greenlaw recovered from an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl. Campbell quit playing for the 49ers at halftime of Week 15. Throughout the offseason it seemed as though Dee Winters had the inside track to that job. Then the 49ers selected LB Nick Martin No. 75 overall in the NFL draft and opened a bona fide battle for one of the most important jobs on their defense. While the offensive line may be overall more important for a football team than the linebacking corps, the 49ers' defense has consistently thrived because they've been able to find quality WLB play next to Warner. Having the All-Pro lined up next to another athletic LB with good coverage skills essentially takes away the middle of the field for opposing offenses. Funneling throws to the sideline creates longer routes, makes the quarterback hold the ball longer, and allows the pass rush to get home and generate impact plays. Last season the team struggled in part because Campbell's athleticism had left him in his Age 31 season along with his ability to play coverage or get to the edge in the run game. The Martin-Winters battle will be an important one that could have a long-term impact on San Francisco's defense if one can emerge as a close facsimile to Greenlaw. That improvement is a bigger deal for the 49ers this season and beyond than anything happening at left guard. More 49ers: 49ers finally prepare for loss of future Hall of Famer in 2026 mock draft
San Francisco Chronicle
20-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
49ers third-round pick Nick Martin broke his thumb, but won't need surgery
San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Nick Martin suffered a thumb fracture a few weeks ago, but did not miss any subsequent practices or workouts, a source familiar with the injury told the Chronicle. Martin, the team's third-round pick, won't need surgery and is expected to be fully healthy by training camp in July. After star offensive tackle Trent Williams said in a YouTube video that Martin had broken his thumb during a workout, many 49ers fans on social media assumed the worst. Martin had missed most of his final season at Oklahoma State with a knee injury that likely affected his drafted stock. Pro Football Focus ranked Martin, an All-Big 12 first-team selection in 2023, as the 307th prospect on its big board. The 49ers selected him at No. 75, a vote of confidence by general manager John Lynch, who compared Martin to Dre Greenlaw for his 'run-and-hit' style and similarly long arms as an otherwise undersized linebacker. At 6-foot and 221 pounds, Martin's arms were measured during the NFL Combine at 31 ¾ inches, only a half-inch shorter than Greenlaw. 'Just our type of player all over,' Lynch said in a press conference after Day 2 of the draft. 'Swarms to the football and you feel him on the field. Not the biggest guy but has long arms that kind of mimics Dre in a lot of ways. That's high praise and he's got a long way to go to show that he can be like that.' Martin, 22, appears in line to compete with linebacker Dee Winters for early playing time next to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. 'I thought they were the dynamic duo,' Martin said of Warner and Greenlaw. 'And being able to come in and be that piece, it's going to be a fun thing for me.' While at Oklahoma State, Martin proved adept as a blitzer with sideline-to-sideline speed to be disruptive, a credit to his notable athleticism. At this year's combine, Martin ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, did 26 bench-press reps and recorded a 38-inch vertical jump. 'I'm very athletic — I like to use that to my advantage,' Martin said after being drafted. 'I'm relentless, with the way I always go for the kill shot, with maximum effort or punishing the person with the ball. Just figuring out ways to change the tone of the game.'
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Denver Broncos' Vance Joseph raising bar for top-ranked defense: ‘Let's start over again'
When the dust settled on Vance Joseph's second season as the defensive coordinator in Denver, the Broncos had set a record with 63 sacks. They finished first in defensive efficiency, according to TruMedia's expected points added metric. They boasted the NFL's defensive player of the year in cornerback Pat Surtain II and two other All-Pro selections in outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen. Advertisement However, the victory lap for Joseph and the Broncos' braintrust was brief — if it existed at all. A 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs shoved the Broncos back to the drawing board. 'We watched every clip from last year, and once you watch it all, you get a clear idea of how teams attacked you,' Joseph said Wednesday during his lone meeting with the media before training camp. 'It was obvious. I won't share that, but it was obvious how teams attacked us. You have to go to work to try to prevent some of that stuff. That's what you do in the offseason, and that's every year. You have to change and adjust.' Another day of minicamp in the 📚 — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 11, 2025 What followed was an offseason of major additions for an already talented defense. The Broncos signed a pair of former San Francisco 49ers standouts in safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw. They then used their first-round pick on versatile defensive back Jahdae Barron, who was coached by Joseph's cousin, Terry Joseph, for three seasons at Texas. The additions provided a window into how the Broncos viewed their shortcomings last season defensively. Despite Surtain's lockdown brilliance, the Broncos had too many breakdowns in the secondary, particularly during late-season losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. They struggled at times to cover running backs. Denver opponents produced a 122.1 passer rating when targeting the position last season. Only the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans yielded a higher opponent rating. Hufanga and Greenlaw — physical, experienced players brought in to fortify the spine of the defense — are expected to help with those issues. But the addition of those players goes beyond the schematic adjustments the Broncos are trying to make. Joseph noted that Denver still has a relatively young defense. The playoff game in Buffalo was the first taste of the postseason for the bulk of Denver's defensive starters, and it showed. Hufanga and Greenlaw, meanwhile, have played in 17 combined playoff games. Greenlaw has played in two Super Bowls. Advertisement 'Both guys bring experience of being in big games and being on dominant defenses,' Joseph said. 'That's an attitude in practice and in meetings every day. You see it with those guys. Those guys love football. To add them to our mix has been tremendous. We're looking forward to the fall.' Greenlaw has not participated in the on-field portion of Denver's offseason program, which concludes Thursday with the final practice of mandatory minicamp. He suffered a quad injury while training on his own before the NFL Draft and is expected to be cleared for team activity by the time training camp begins. In the meantime, Greenlaw has been a constant presence on the sidelines at practices and in meetings. Hufanga, who intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix at the end of last week's OTA practice attended by the media, has been part of a new soundtrack for Denver's defense. He has provided a vocal presence in the back end of the defense that has already been apparent. 'You are going to see how special they are,' said nose tackle D.J. Jones, who played with both players in San Francisco before signing with the Broncos in 2022. 'You're going to see why they brought them here.' First look at @TalanoaHufanga 👀 — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 29, 2025 The additions of Greenlaw, Hufanga and Barron, whom Joseph called a 'can't-miss prospect for us,' have helped create massive expectations for a defense that was one of the league's best last season. There is a certain microscope on a unit that is suddenly loaded with top-level talent. But head coach Sean Payton provided a reminder about the calendar on Tuesday. The Broncos, he said, 'have a chance to be a real good defense,' but this is a different group that is still in the building stages. Joseph has conveyed the same message. Advertisement 'We had a great defense. That was last year,' Joseph said. 'This year is totally different. My entire sell this entire offseason has been, 'Let's start over again. Let's keep improving.' Last year counts, but it doesn't matter moving forward. We have to continue to improve.' Here are some other takeaways from sessions with the Broncos coordinators and their newest player, running back JK Dobbins: Payton answered questions about Dobbins after a third straight practice. The running back officially signed a one-year deal with the Broncos after initially visiting the team's headquarters last week. On Wednesday, it was time to hear from the man himself about his decision to join the Broncos nearly four months after his free-agent process began. 'It felt amazing,' Dobbins said about his first day as a member of the Broncos, which mostly included work on a side field as he got acclimated to his new surroundings. 'It's a true blessing to me. I'm so happy to be here. We're going to do some great things this year.' Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, a breakout that came after he missed all but nine games across the previous three seasons due to multiple significant injuries. The Chargers placed a seldom-used unrestricted free agent tender on Dobbins in April, which would have given them exclusive negotiating rights with Dobbins had he not joined a team by the start of training camp. That made for a unique free agency as Dobbins weighed his options before and after the draft, one Dobbins called 'stressful' at times. With a smile plastered to his face following his first Broncos practice, it was clear Dobbins was glad to have the process behind him. 'I'm a pretty patient person, and I was just feeling it out,' he said. '(I was) letting everything play out how it's supposed to be. It was a little stressful with some things that happened in there, but I knew I was going to get to where I needed to be. I am where I need to be.' JK Dobbins: 'It's a true blessing. I'm so glad to be here. We're going to do some great things this year.' — Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) June 11, 2025 Payton has made it clear there is not yet a defined pecking order in Denver's backfield, which also includes rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey and returning players Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estimé and Tyler Badie. 'Don't try to figure out the club right now,' Payton said. 'It's way too early.' But Dobbins, who has been in the NFL since joining the Baltimore Ravens as a second-round pick in 2020, brings an experienced veteran presence the Broncos didn't have in the room. That was an important part of the equation for Denver as it works to find the right mix at a position that must be more productive in 2025. Advertisement 'That is a guy who's had a lot of success in his career,' offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. 'It's someone we've always had a lot of respect for. It adds talent and competition to that room. Obviously, he's been a very productive runner and he's a good pass protector. I think it will help the competition in that room and help the team.' Darren Rizzi hoped to be named the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints after serving as the team's interim coach for the second half of the 2024 season. The job went instead to Kellen Moore, leaving Rizzi in search of the next opportunity. Not that there was a lot of suspense about where the veteran coach would end up. With Payton having an opening for a special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica, a reunion with Rizzi, who previously served the same role for Payton in New Orleans, was not a challenging dot to connect. 'I just think it was an easy match,' Rizzi said Wednesday. 'Obviously, having worked for Sean for three years and having been under him and learned, we're on the same page with a lot of things. He mentioned the word compatibility. I would say the three years I was with Sean, it was definitely that. Even when, obviously, he left the Saints, he still had a big stamp on that organization, so we continued to do a lot of the same things that he did when he was there. Just familiar with the coach, familiar with the person. We always got along great off the field as well, so for me it was an easy choice.' Rizzi has already had a noticeable imprint on the Broncos. Denver signed two potential special teams stalwarts during free agency in wide receiver Trent Sherfield Jr. and safety Sam Franklin. The Broncos used their fourth-round pick on Que Robinson, an outside linebacker who was a prolific special teams player at Alabama. They were also the only team to draft a punter, using their sixth-round selection on Florida's Jeremy Crawshaw, who has already made a strong impression on his new coach. 'Here's a guy that came from Australia, went to an SEC school, a top-level college program, had a ton of success,' Rizzi said. 'His maturity level, he's kind of beyond his years. When we were kind of evaluating all the punters in this draft, his name came up. I really feel like his intangibles, his off-the-field stuff, was A-plus. Now, his talent level is tremendous as well. I really believe that at that position, at a specialist position, your demeanor might be just as important as your ability because it's a one-play-and-done (job). You have to have the mentality of kind of a batter in baseball, if you will, or a golfer. You have to go on to the next swing. I really like his level-headedness.'
USA Today
31-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos' Dre Greenlaw ranked among NFL's best linebackers
Broncos' Dre Greenlaw ranked among NFL's best linebackers Pro Football Focus writer Mason Cameron recently released his list of the top 32 linebackers ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Although a free agent signing from the San Francisco 49ers, Cameron selected Denver Broncos newcomer Dre Greenlaw as one of the NFL's top linebackers. Cameron chose Greenlaw as the fifth-best linebacker, primarily based on his play before his Achilles injury in the Super Bowl in February 2024. While he played two games in 2024, his 247 tackles combined in 2022 and 2023 will help build an impressive resume while showing his reputation as a linebacker. Cameron quickly noted that Greenlaw, when healthy, is a top-tier linebacker; he did draw on the concern that there are questions about his health. 'Although he played just 34 snaps in 2024, Greenlaw was on his way to the upper echelon of linebacker play before his injury," Cameron wrote for PFF. "His profile as one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL was on full display from 2022 to 2023, when he posted a combined 88.9 PFF coverage grade. While there are questions regarding the level he can return to, Greenlaw's ceiling is high and worthy of this lofty placement.' Denver hopes Greenlaw can help further transform the Broncos' defense, which was among the NFL's best last fall. With Pat Surtain in the secondary, Greenlaw's presence in the middle can help Denver get over the hump in 2025, health permitting. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
