Could Eric Kendricks make sense for the Broncos in free agency?

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings made inside linebacker Eric Kendricks a cap casualty. The move came as no surprise. Minnesota faces a cap crunch, and releasing the 9-year veteran saves $9.5 million of cap space.

So, Kendricks will move on from the only team he’s ever known since being drafted in 2015.

Any time there’s a prominent ex-Saint or ex-Viking on the market, it’s worth taking notice.

After all, general manager George Paton is a long-time Vikings executive — who, three months into his tenure, traded for a QB he was a part of drafting in Minnesota, Teddy Bridgewater. Just over six months later, he made a midseason trade for Vikings edge rusher Stephen Weatherly.

But at the same time, Kendricks is showing signs of age. Per the data compiled by Pro Football Focus, he allowed a passer rating of 107.2 on 87 times targeted last season and a rating of 107.9 on 59 targets his way in 2021. These are the worst figures of his career since his 2015 rookie season.

His missed-tackle rate also increased in the last two seasons. From 2018-20, he had one missed tackle every 12.2 tackle opportunities. In the past two years, that spiked to one miss every 9.5 opportunities.

But even with Kendricks on the market, the most logical move at inside linebacker could be not to play.

At least on the open market. Because in terms of fit — both schematic and in the locker room — as well as contract value, re-signing Alex Singleton before the league year begins makes sense.

Singleton wants to return. George Paton wants him back, too.

“He’s just a baller,” Paton said at the Combine.

A moment later, Paton added, “He’s a great leader, has a nose for the ball, players gravitate towards him. We’d love to have Alex back.”

But the Broncos intended to start Jonas Griffith heading into the season. They have two more years of team control on Griffith; he’s an exclusive-rights free agent this year and a restricted free agent next year. Injuries torpedoed Griffith’s season by November.

The Broncos’ initial faith in him gives them an option with experience if they stand pat.

But if the Broncos move on from Singleton and make a move, there are some big names worth considering.

LAVONTE DAVID, BUCCANEERS: It seems likely David is about to be the victim of a hard reset in the post-Tom Brady Tampa Bay reality. At age 33, the 12-year veteran is aging well. He remains among the NFL’s best coverage linebackers, something that has been a Broncos sore spot in recent years. He’s also missed just five games since turning 30 — all of which came in 2021.

TREMAINE EDMUNDS, BILLS: His best days should be ahead of him. He broke into the league young — the Bills drafted him when he was just 19 years of age — and he doesn’t turn 25 until May. The two-time Bro Bowlerhad his best coverage season last fall, allowing opposing QBs to post just a 69.9 passer rating when targeting him, per the data from SportRadar.com. Over his career, the Bills blitzed him less, allowing him to improve in coverage. Buffalo’s impending loss could be someone’s huge gain.

BOBBY WAGNER, RAMS: Like Kendricks, Wagner will be a release, not a contract expiration — and, thus, he doesn’t count toward the compensatory-pick calculus. In one season with the Rams, Wagner showed he had plenty in the tank, earning first-team All-Pro honors, flourishing against the run and in coverage. He turns 33 in June, but durability is not a concern for the likely Hall of Fame; he’s missed just one game since 2016.

DAVID LONG JR., TITANS: At 227 pounds and with plenty of speed, Long is very much part of the new breed of inside linebackers. Tennessee has a cap crunch and likely won’t bring him back. The concern on Long? Injuries. He’s missed 12 games in the last two seasons.

BOBBY OKEREKE, COLTS: A tackling machine for the Colts the last two seasons, Okereke is also solid in coverage while being an active playmaker against the run, notching 6 TFLs last season.

DRUE TRANQUILL, CHARGERS: Tranquill emerged last year, starting 16 of 17 games and displaying some thump in the pass rush, with 5 sacks — 2 of which came against the Broncos in their Week 6 Monday Night Football game. But coverage has been an issue at times, and in the three seasons in which he played at least 14 games, opposing QBs had a passer rating of at least 100.0 when targeting him, per SportRadar.

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