Denver Broncos trade options with the Minnesota Vikings

2. LB Troy Dye to the Broncos

Because of how much the Denver Broncos plan to implement six defensive backs this season, there has not been quite enough attention paid to how thin the inside linebacker position is right now.

Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell are both on the roster, but Jewell has missed some substantial time at camp due to a groin injury. He’ll be expected to return to the starting lineup when healthy, but Justin Strnad has been taking the lion’s share of reps in his stead.

Behind Strnad, the Denver Broncos were expected to have at least Baron Browning, a talented rookie out of Ohio State, but he remains on the PUP list and hasn’t yet practiced.

With Jewell nursing an injury and Strnad coming off of a season-ending wrist injury, the Denver Broncos might be wise to scour the league for some linebacker depth, and why not a guy George Paton recently had a hand in drafting for the Vikings?

Many Denver Broncos fans loved the idea of bringing in Troy Dye a season ago, so better late than never, right?

Dye had 28 tackles and two passes broken up as a rookie for the Vikings, but there is now a significant logjam for linebacker snaps next to Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.

Nick Vigil, Cameron Smith, and rookie third-round pick Chazz Surratt are all competing for a job there, so the Vikings could probably afford to make this deal for the right price in return.