Broncos on the Bubble: Justin Strnad | LB
After essentially red-shirting his rookie campaign in 2020 due to a season-ending wrist injury suffered in training camp, hopes were high that Strnad would be the linebacker to finally help the Denver Broncos solve their coverage woes.
In the short-term, the team wasn't expecting to get the answers on Strnad because of the presence of starting duo Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell but both suffered the same pectoral injury and were soon lost for the 2021 season.
This catapulted Strnad into the starting lineup and suffice to say, he wasn't equal to his opportunity. The kid was an all-around liability when he was on the field, leading the previous coaching staff to bench him in Week 9 for rookie Baron Browning and a linebacker who'd been on the team for about a week, Kenny Young.
Strnad never managed to regain his starting footing and now, it's very difficult to imagine him sticking around with this new coaching regime. The Broncos re-signed Jewell, signed free agent Alex Singleton, retained the darkhorse from late last season Jonas Griffith, and signed undrafted rookie Kana'i Mauga, the latter of whom has already garnered public praise from the coaches.
It's possible Strnad could stick but there are serious doubts at this stage. Plus, he's not a George Paton pick. Strnad was part of John Elway's final draft class as Broncos' GM.
The Broncos are under new leadership. Paton is now in his second year at the helm and is coming off his first-ever head-coach hiring cycle.
Nathaniel Hackett became the Broncos' 18th head coach all-time and as he's settled into the job, he's had more than a passing opportunity to survey the roster. He's probably already forming an idea of just what shape the Broncos' roster is ultimately going to take come September.
Hackett already has a gut feel for which holdovers from the previous regime, even the favorites, have a place on his squad. And the head coach knows whose days are numbered, too.
Of course, any player that might currently reside on the bubble in the mind's eye of Paton and Hackett will get the opportunity to reverse his fortune during training camp and the preseason. Such will be the dispensation given Strnad. But he doesn't have too many chances left to prove his value to the Broncos.
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