Sean Payton Shines Light on LB Levelle Bailey Amid Rash of Injuries

The Denver Broncos got some bad news when starting linebacker Alex Singleton suffered a broken thumb in the first padded practice on Monday. However, injuries also provide opportunities in training camp.

Second-year linebacker Levelle Bailey, who had a hot start to camp, is benefiting from Singleton’s absence with increased opportunities, and he is seizing the day — carpe diem. 

Bailey got off to a quick start with an interception for a touchdown and a pass broken up on passes to Lucas Krull on Day 2, and he has consistently built off that since. Since Singleton's injury, which is thankfully not long-term, Bailey has stepped up even more. 

Bailey went undrafted out of Fresno State last year, and the Broncos had to compete with other interested NFL suitors. Fast forward to this week, and head coach Sean Payton is certainly glad that he was able to successfully convince Bailey to choose the Broncos.

“He’s had a few good days. Real good days. I think you’re getting a player into his second year with confidence," Payton said on Tuesday of Bailey. "He’s in good shape. He looks like an NFL linebacker, too... I’m glad we stayed patient in that process with him and we were able to get him because there were a number of teams interested. I would say I’ve clearly seen a jump from Year 1 to Year 2 in his confidence.”

Of course, the Broncos are still in their first week of practices, and it often comes down to how players finish and how they do in preseason games, rather than how they start. Over the years, there have been multiple hot starts to camp, only for players to fade as camp bleeds into the preseason, and they ultimately fail to make the roster. 

This is only the start for Bailey, and as I have written before, his emergence could push Singleton off the roster, if the second-year player can sustain this level of performance. There's a chance, but it's doubtful that Denver would move on from Singleton, based on Payton's recent comments.

Singleton's injury and that of Drew Sanders only provide Bailey with more opportunities to step up and make that push. Whether Bailey pushes Singleton off the roster or not, the Broncos need the former Bulldog to sustain this level of play.

There are injury concerns surrounding the linebacker position, and the increasingly thin depth doesn’t inspire much confidence. If Bailey can keep it up, the Broncos' depth could get a significant boost, even if Singleton returns to his starting job in a week and Bailey serves as the third linebacker behind Dre Greenlaw.

All signs are pointing toward Bailey making the roster, but in what role and capacity? That's the question, provided this explosion of production has legs.