ENGLEWOOD – For two seasons, linebackers Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell were best friends on the Broncos and worked well together on defense. Sometimes, Singleton forgets Jewell is gone.

“There’s times when I’m like, ‘Hey Josey,’’’ Singleton said of yelling out during spring practice drills.

Singleton then figures out that instead of Jewell, alongside him is Cody Barton, Jonas Griffith, Justin Strnad or undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey, other inside linebackers on the team.

Jewell, meanwhile, has been taking part in spring drills with the Carolina Panthers, who signed him last March to a three-year, $18.75 million contract. He left Denver after six seasons, the past two with Singleton starting alongside him at inside linebacker.

“I’m happy for him,’’ Singleton said after Tuesday’s first day of a three-day mandatory minicamp at Broncos Park. “He got a lot of money. That’s all you can ask for your friends. … It’s just so natural to have played with him in the last two years. … We still talk almost every day.”

With Jewell gone, Singleton, 30, is expected to take more of a leadership role on defense.

“He’ll wear the green dot more likely,’’ Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Singleton yelling out the play calls. “And he’ll have a leadership role. He’s got a way about him. … He’s arrived here the hard way and to his credit a guy like him has earned everything he’s gotten and so definitely you see his leadership.”

Singleton was undrafted in 2015 out of Montana and played with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders from 2016-18 before making the NFL with Philadelphia in 2019. After three seasons with the Eagles, he joined the Broncos in 2022.

Singleton led the Broncos with 163 tackles in 2022 and with 177 last season. Jewell was second on the team with 128 in 2022 and with 108 in 2023.

“It’s obviously a different thing,’’ Singleton said of life without Jewell. “We were sharing the (green dot) a lot last year, you just kind of go back and forth. Now, I can step up and take a bigger leadership role, not just in our room but on the whole defense. Where we’re at age-wise kind of on defense, I have to do that. It’s good.”

The Broncos will have some younger players on defense with safety Justin Simmons, 30, having been released, defensive tackle Mike Purcell, 33, and cornerback Fabian Moreau, 30, not being re-signed and the departure of Jewell, 29.

One big question facing the defense is who will replace Jewell in the lineup. Payton said the job is wide open and made note of Barton, Griffith and Bailey.

“Those guys right now are competing (for the spot). We’re rotating their reps, much the same way (as at) quarterback,’’ said Payton, who has Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix battling to start at quarterback. “We’ll continue to do that.”

Singleton said Tuesday that Barton, signed in March as a free agent, and Griffith, coming back after missing all of last season due a torn ACL, both have looked good in the spring. Now, the key is no longer to call either one “Josey.”