Denver Broncos: Waiver claims the team should make after trade deadline
3. Jaylon Smith, LB (or someone else)
The Denver Broncos have been decimated at the linebacker position with injuries in 2021.
Both of their starters heading into the season — Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell — have been lost to pectoral injuries.
The team also lost Micah Kiser to an injury.
With the new configuration of trade acquisition Kenny Young and rookie Baron Browning at inside linebacker for the Denver Broncos, perhaps George Paton is not really going to prioritize the linebacker position on the waiver wire, but Jaylon Smith is a player potentially worth taking a shot on.
It didn’t work out in a very short stint with the Green Bay Packers, but he signed just a $990,000 deal in Green Bay so claiming him off of waivers would not be very costly at all.
He’s still only 26, and has had some very productive years in the NFL.
Too many players get written off too early, including a guy Smith was fighting for snaps with in Green Bay, De’Vondre Campbell.
Smith’s talent is there, but he seems to have the NFL linebacker version of the “yips”.
In the event that he might turn things around, he would be worth taking a shot on.
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If not Jaylon Smith, Avery Williamson just hit the market again along with former Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, and both guys could be options.