Familiarity with Sean Payton continues to land certain players gigs in Denver, as a handful of ex-Saints assistants are also on the second-year HC’s staff. Add Kwon Alexander to the Saints-to-Broncos pipeline.
The veteran linebacker worked out for the team, per 9News’ Mike Klis, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes the club is making a practice squad addition. Alexander will join the Broncos at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, where they are practicing in preparation for their Week 4 game against the Jets.
Coming back from the second Achilles tear of his NFL career, Alexander had previously auditioned for the Falcons and Vikings. The Broncos saw enough to greenlight this reunion. Alexander will join a Broncos team that already houses seven ex-Saints — Adam Trautman, Wil Lutz, Malcolm Roach, Calvin Throckmorton, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Lucas Krull and Jordan Jackson — on its active roster.
Alexander spent 2022 with the Jets and 2023 with the Steelers but was dealt from the 49ers to the Saints in 2020 and played all of the 2021 season — Payton’s New Orleans finale — with the NFC South team. Alexander, 30, started 15 games with the Saints under Payton. He aided a division champion in 2020 and recorded 3.5 sacks, despite operating primarily as an off-ball LB, in 2021
While the Broncos’ ILBs coach (Greg Manusky) was not in New Orleans during that time, ex-ILB Michael Wilhoite — Denver’s OLBs coach — was on Payton’s staff during Alexander’s tenure. Alexander also recovered a fumble against the Broncos during a 2020 matchup best remembered for the AFC West team having no active QBs due to COVID-19.
Formerly a standout Buccaneers ‘backer who earned a lucrative 49ers free agency deal in 2019 despite coming off an ACL tear, Alexander saw his first Saints season end due to an Achilles tear and sustained the same injury — albeit to his other Achilles — in November of last year. The Saints still re-signed the talented defender in August 2021. Alexander has played effectively in spurts. He started 12 games for a top-five Jets defense in 2022. Last season, Pro Football Focus graded the nine-year vet as a plus coverage ILB. Though, the Broncos will surely want to see how he looks in practices given the extensive injury history here.
Denver signed Cody Barton to start alongside Alex Singleton this offseason, letting Josey Jewell defect to the Panthers. Jonas Griffith had competed with Barton for that gig but did not make the team, suffering another major injury. Justin Strnad and Kristian Welch are in place as Denver’s second-string ILBs. Alexander will surely have a chance to move up to the 53-man roster soon.
Kwon was solid as a Steeler once he learned the defense and it was very disappointing to see him have to get hurt and go through rehab again. I hope that he does very well in Denver; if healthy, he should do well.