Tag: Kenny Young

Broncos RB Melvin Gordon has a sprained thumb; will play through it

Broncos RB Melvin Gordon sprained his thumb on Sunday and played through the injury. He’s not expected to miss any time.

Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon briefly left Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with what the team described as a hand injury.

Gordon later returned to the game and the injury did not appear to slow him down, as the running back finished the day with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Gordon sprained his thumb, “but it doesn’t figure to limit his playing time going forward,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones also suffered a foot injury during Sunday’s 38-10 win. It’s believed to be a minor injury.

“[Trainer] Vince [Garcia] thinks he’s going to be OK,” coach Vic Fangio said Sunday evening. “He hurt his foot a little bit. Hopefully it is only a little bit, and we don’t get a surprise tomorrow.”

Inside linebacker Kenny Young also suffered a concussion in Week 14, and he will now enter the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Up next for Denver is a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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5 players Broncos should re-sign after Tim Patrick

The Broncos gave Courtland Sutton an extension shortly after this was published. On to the next!

After giving wide receiver Tim Patrick a three-year contract extension last weekend, the Denver Broncos should now turn their attention toward re-signing these five other players in the coming months.

Broncos’ updated linebacker depth chart after Von Miller trade

After trading Von Miller, the Broncos enter Week 9 with new starters at all four linebacker spots since Week 1.

After agreeing to trade star outside linebacker Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, the Denver Broncos’ linebacker room will looking very different going forward.

Denver now has different starters at all four linebacker spots than they had on the field in Week 1. Here’s a look at the team’s updated (unofficial) depth chart going into Week 9.

OLB ILB ILB OLB
Jonathon Cooper Baron Browning Kenny Young Malik Reed
Stephen Weatherly Justin Strnad Jonas Griffith Aaron Patrick

Reed has been filling in for Bradley Chubb, who’s on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Chubb seems to be on track to return after the team’s Week 11 bye.

Cooper is starting in the place of Miller, but he will likely losing his spot in the base defense after Chubb returns from his injury.

Strnad was benched in Week 8 and replaced by the rookie Browning, who’s now starting in the place of an injured Alexander Johnson.

Young, who was just acquired in a trade with the Rams last week, is now starting in the place of an injured Josey Jewell.

Weatherly, Griffith, Patrick and Strnad will provide depth.

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Why did the 6-1 Rams trade a starting LB to the 3-4 Broncos for a mere late-round pick?

The Rams needed to create more salary cap space and the Broncos benefited, netting Kenny Young for a mere sixth-round pick.

After losing both of their starting inside linebackers to injuries, the Denver Broncos traded a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick and linebacker Kenny Young.

The two teams basically swapped future late-round picks and Denver added a player at a position of need. Those kind of trades aren’t uncommon when fringe players are involved, but Young is anything but a fringe player.

The former fourth-round pick joined the Rams midway through the 2019 season. He went on to play in all 16 games in 2020 and started the first seven games of the 2021 season. Young was productive for Los Angeles, totaling 98 tackles, three sacks, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble.

So why in the world would the Rams, a potential Super Bowl contender, trade a key player to Denver for a mere late-round pick?

“It had nothing to do with my on-the-field ability or anything like that,” Young said during his introductory press conference before Broncos practice on Wednesday. “I think what it was is I was playing well but the way the cap was structured, they needed to take some money off my deal to really get some guys off other areas up and ready to go. That’s what it was about.

“It was about finances. It’s something weird for me. I’ve never heard or experienced that, but it makes sense what they did. I’m not cool with it, but I have to respect it because they had no other choice.”

Los Angeles was desperate to create more salary cap space and with Young scheduled to become a free agent in 2021, they felt he was expendable in exchange for more cap space, even if he was an every-game starter.

The Rams saved about $1.3 million in cap space with the trade, and that was their objective. Denver benefited from L.A.’s cap woes by landing a starting-caliber linebacker at a large discount. He’ll be a welcomed addition to the Broncos’ defense.

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Kenny Young on Rams trade: ‘I’m not cool with it, but I have to respect it’

Kenny Young doesn’t seem thrilled about the Rams trading him to gain cap space, but he says he has to respect it.

A week before the NFL’s trade deadline, the Los Angeles Rams came out of nowhere and sent Kenny Young to the Denver Broncos. The return was minimal, only a late-round pick swap in the 2024 draft, which is what made the trade even more puzzling.

A team trading its best linebacker for, well, a bag of peanuts seems like an unwise decision. But as many suspected, it was purely a financial decision; the Rams saved about $1.3 million in cap space by trading Young to Denver.

Understandably, Young doesn’t seem thrilled about being traded by the Rams – two years after Los Angeles acquired him in a trade with the Ravens, no less. He spoke to Broncos reporters for the first time Wednesday and said he’s “feeling mixed emotions” about the trade.

“At the time, was on a run and I had played a very good game and it was confusing for me for a second. I think it just had to do with cap space with the finances and there’s really nothing they could’ve done about it or I could’ve done about it, but weird situation,” he said.

Young wasn’t having a Pro Bowl-caliber season, but he was also playing well enough to maintain his starting role. The Rams told him this trade had nothing to do with his on-field performance, saying it was about money.

“It had nothing to do with my on-the-field ability,” he said via Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. “I was playing well, and the way the cap was structured, they needed to take the money off my deal to give (it) to guys in other areas and up-and-comers. It was about finances … I’m not cool with it, but I have to respect it because they had no other choice.”

Sean McVay told reporters Monday that trading Young was difficult, but it gives the Rams financial flexibility moving forward, whether that’s with promoting guys from the practice squad or other transactions that might arise.

The trade deadline is on Nov. 2 so the Rams still have time to make another move, but regardless of whether they bring in help, trading a starting linebacker to save $1.3 million mid-season is tough to understand.

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Broncos make a roster move to make room for Kenny Young

Barrington Wade might be a candidate to return to the Broncos’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

After trading a late-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young, the Denver Broncos needed to make room for him on their 53-man roster.

The Broncos added a spot for Young by waiving linebacker Barrington Wade, the team announced.

Denver claimed Wade (6-1, 232 pounds) off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in August. He spent the first six weeks of the season on the Broncos’ practice squad before making his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns last week.

Wade provided depth on the practice squad and then played 14 snaps on special teams against Cleveland. He’s being replaced by Young, who will likely push for a starting job on defense. If Wade clears waivers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver bring him back on the 16-player practice squad.

Young was a starter for the Rams but they were willing in trade him likely in part because he’s scheduled to become a free agent in 2022 and Los Angeles saved about $1.3 million in salary cap space by sending him to Denver.

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Sean McVay explains Rams’ ‘financially driven’ decision to trade Kenny Young

Sean McVay says the Rams trading Kenny Young was “financially driven” and gives them more spending flexibility before the trade deadline

The Rams didn’t get much in return for Kenny Young when they traded him and a future seventh-round pick to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder on Monday. However, they didn’t ship him to Denver with the goal of recouping valuable assets for the starting linebacker.

They did it because of the fact that they were able to clear about $1.3 million in cap space, giving them even more financial flexibility. They now have roughly $5 million in cap space and with the trade deadline approaching, they can now afford to make a move if they see one that’s worth exploring.

Sean McVay explained the decision to trade Young, calling it a tough move to make but one that opens things up for the Rams salary-cap wise, as well as giving guys like Ernest Jones an opportunity to play more snaps.

The Rams should never be ruled out when it comes to trades, but McVay wouldn’t get into whether there’s another move imminent after trading Young. Needing help at linebacker, tight end and potentially cornerback, the Rams could look into adding talent to their roster before the Nov. 2 deadline.

With Young gone, expect Troy Reeder and Jones to play more snaps, though Travin Howard could also get an opportunity, being the third linebacker on the 53-man roster.

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3 inside linebackers the Rams could target following trade of Kenny Young

The Los Angeles Rams could be making a move at inside linebacker following the trade of Kenny Young.

The Los Angeles Rams turned some heads following their win over the Detroit Lions in Week 7 by trading Kenny Young to the Denver Broncos. The Rams sent Young and a 2024 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

The timing of the move is definitely a head-scratcher as the Rams are looking like a Super Bowl contender and they aren’t exactly deep at inside linebacker. Also, Young is second on the team in tackles and has emerged as the best all-around inside linebacker on the roster.

The decision to move Young is a peculiar one that has some believing Les Snead is conjuring something up ahead of the trade deadline on November 2. With Young now gone, Ernest Jones and Travin Howard could see expanded roles alongside Troy Reeder.

If the team is confident in Jones and Howard, then there’s a chance that Los Angeles made the move to offload Young — along with restructuring Rob Havenstein’s contract — in hopes to land some depth in the secondary. But if the Rams made this move to find a new inside linebacker, here are four options the team could consider.

What is the Rams’ plan at LB after trading Kenny Young?

After trading Kenny Young to the Broncos, what is the Rams’ plan at inside linebacker?

Kenny Young had been the Rams’ best linebacker this season – which admittedly isn’t saying much, considering the play Los Angeles has gotten out of that position in recent weeks. That’s what makes their decision to trade Young to the Broncos for a late-round pick swap in 2024 so surprising.

The move leaves Los Angeles thin at linebacker, with only Troy Reeder, Ernest Jones and Travin Howard on the active roster. Reeder had his worst game of the season on Sunday, Jones is a rookie with minimal experience and Howard has played 10 snaps on defense in 2021.

It’s an inexperienced and underwhelming group that desperately needs help, not subtractions. Young was at least steady and reliable in the middle of the defense, proving to be a leader, too.

So with Young gone, what is the Rams’ plan at linebacker?

Most likely, Jones is going to get his shot at starting. The rookie has only played 45 snaps this season, all of which came in three games, struggling to carve out a role. And when he has gotten on the field, he’s failed to impress.

But with Young out of the picture, the Rams have almost no choice but to give Jones a chance. He’s a smart linebacker who knows how to find the ball, especially against the run. He still needs plenty of work in coverage and shouldn’t be thrust into a full-time starting role right away, but he’s not getting any better on the bench.

Another possibility is that Howard will see more snaps in Young’s place, since he’s a somewhat similar player. He’s a former college safety who transitioned to linebacker, so he’s familiar with playing in space and dropping back into coverage. But again, he’s only played 10 snaps, and that came during the Rams’ blowout win over the Giants.

Lastly, another move could be coming. The Rams saved $3 million by restructuring Rob Havenstein’s contract and now clear about $1.3 million by trading Young, giving them about $5 million in cap space.

The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 2, so it won’t be long before we find out if dealing Young was part of a bigger plan to acquire a better player. But for now, it leaves the Rams thin and hurting even more for talent at inside linebacker.

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Broncos trade late-round pick to Rams for LB Kenny Young

The Broncos traded a future sixth-round pick to the Rams in exchange for LB Kenny Young and a future seventh-round pick.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to trade a 2024 sixth-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2024 seventh-round draft pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday.

Young (6-1, 234 pounds) entered the league as a fourth-round pick out of UCLA with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. He was traded to the Rams midway through the 2019 season in a deal that sent cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore.

The 25-year-old inside linebacker has totaled 166 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one interception in 53 career games (19 starts). Young started all 16 games for Los Angeles last season and the first seven games of the 2021 season.

Young is the second linebacker Broncos general manager George Paton has acquired ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Last Saturday, Paton traded a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for outside linebacker Stephen Weatherly and a 2023 seventh-round pick.

Before making those trades, Denver was extremely thin at linebacker.

All four of the Broncos’ starting linebackers are injured, and two of them are out for the season. Inside linebackers Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell won’t return this year while outside linebacker Bradley Chubb is currently on injured reserve. Fellow OLB Von Miller has an ankle injury.

Denver ILBs Baron Browning (concussion), Curtis Robinson (thumb, wrist), Jonas Griffith (hamstring) and Micah Kiser (groin) are also injured, as are OLBs Natrez Patrick (leg), Andre Mintze (hamstring) and Aaron Patrick (ankle).

New arrivals Young and Weatherly will give the team more depth, and Young might even be a candidate to start next to Justin Strnad on the inside.

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