Should the Broncos sign LB Nick Bolton in free agency?

Should the Broncos add the Chiefs defensive leader to strengthen their defense?

The Denver Broncos linebackers were a question mark heading into the season and took a major hit early in the year when Alex Singleton suffered a season-ending ACL injury. With him sidelined, the team had to start veteran Cody Barton and longtime special teams player Justin Strnad. Both had their moments early on, but as the season progressed, teams began to single these two out as weaknesses and exploited that throughout the season’s final month.

Now, heading into the offseason, improving their linebacker position is a priority and they could look to their divisional rival for help. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton is expected to hit the free agent market and would be an instant upgrade to the Broncos defense.

In four seasons with the Chiefs, Bolton has played in 57 games and started in 53 of those games. In those 57 games, he totaled 458 tackles, 32 tackles for a loss, 17 QB hits, 5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 15 pass deflections. This past season, Bolton played in 16 games and totaled 106 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 7 QB hits, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 6 pass deflections. Bolton has also been a factor in the Chiefs’ postseason success over the past four seasons. He has played in 13 postseason games and has totaled 102 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, and 3 QB hits.

Now, with him potentially hitting the free agent market, could he be the Broncos’ answer at linebacker?

Why the Broncos should sign linebacker Nick Bolton

Bolton has been the Chiefs leader on the defensive side of the ball during their past four seasons and would give the Broncos something they have been missing for years. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo recently called Bolton his Patrick Mahomes due to how much he means to him. He told reporters that he is the key ingredient to their defense and the glue that holds everything together for them on that side of the ball.

“He’s the piece, the key ingredient, just like Antonio Pierce when I was with the Giants in [2007]. They’re that glue that holds everything together.”

Again, the Broncos need that type of leader in the middle of their defense. Bolton would also give them a downhill run defender who can get after the passer as a blitzer. On top of that, he will only be 25 years old at the start of free agency and still has good years ahead of him.

Adding Bolton to the Broncos’ defense would give them a downhill run defender to help improve their run defense that struggled in the final month of the season. The Bills had success against them on the ground in the wildcard game and that is something that needs to be cleaned up moving forward. The Chiefs’ run defense has been solid and Bolton has been a big part of that. His ability to blitz has been utilized by the Chiefs and is something Broncos’ defensive coordinator loves to do. He would be an instant upgrade and a scheme fit in Vance Joseph’s defense.

As for the contract he may receive, it appears he could land in the $12.5 to $14 million a year range. Bills linebacker Matt Milano makes $14 million per year, Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen makes $13.6 million a year, and Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah makes $12.5 a year. So, it makes sense for Bolton to land somewhere in this range. I think that would be a fair price range for the Broncos to land with Bolton.

Why the Broncos should not sign linebacker Nick Bolton

While Bolton is a good downhill linebacker, when he drops back into coverage, he becomes a bit of a liability. This is an area where the Broncos struggled last season and historically, an area a Vance Joseph defense has had issues with in the past. So, while Bolton would be an improvement overall, would his struggles in coverage make it worth it?

This is why I have soured a bit on the idea of signing Nick Bolton. The Broncos need someone who can cover backs and tight ends in coverage and he is simply not that type of player. He is damn good as a run defender but will be picked on in coverage. I am not sure he would be enough of an upgrade to be worth the contract plus, we may have already seen the best of Bolton.

Final Thoughts

I am a fan of Bolton overall but I have concerns about his coverage skills. His leadership, play style, tackling skills, and pedigree are intriguing and would be a great addition to the Broncos’ defense, but he can’t cover. The Broncos linebackers struggled to cover backs and tight ends last season and adding Bolton does not address that weakness at all. So, would you pay a linebacker at least $10 million a year when they do not improve a weakness in your defense? I would not.

At the end of the day, it comes down to this. Do you think his leadership skills, downhill tackling ability, and postseason experience make up for his struggles in coverage? I’m on the fence about it personally and can talk myself into it and out of it but I am probably leaning against it right now.

So, what do you think Broncos Country? Should the Broncos sign linebacker Nick Bolton in free agency or go in another direction?