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Kenny Young knows he wasn’t underperforming by Los Angeles Rams standards when the trade to Denver went down. But he was sent packing to the Broncos due to a financial reason.
And that reason is why the former Rams inside linebacker is arriving to the Rocky Mountains disappointed.
Speaking to the Denver media for the first time since the Monday, October 25 trade that sent him to the Broncos in exchange for a future late draft pick in 2024, Young revealed that money was the motive behind the swap, not because of how he was playing.
“(The Rams told me) it had nothing to do with my on-the-field ability,” Young 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.”
‘Mixed Emotions’
Is the 25-year-old Young excited about his fresher start?
“You’re always excited (with a trade) because you have a new welcoming home,” Young said. “But on the human side of it, I am feeling mixed emotions.
He is optimistic, though, saying “But I feel like there’s light at the end of this tunnel. I don’t know how that shakes out, but I’m doing my part…and something will work itself out.”
He’s leaving a place where he was putting together his best season to date: Two games of producing 10 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a sack and 39 total tackles including 24 solo. He was on pace for a 94-tackle, 58 solo stop season in L.A., which would’ve given him two career bests.
In his final appearance as a Ram, Young collected seven tackles and a sack in the 28-19 home win over the Detroit Lions. He’s also leaving behind a Super Bowl contender at 6-1 overall for a Broncos team that has lost their last four games after a 3-0 start.
“It was confusing for me for a second,” Young said. “But I think it had to deal with cap space and the finances. There’s really nothing they (the Rams) could’ve done about it or I could’ve done about it.”
Young is Still Ready to Compete
Young will head to a defense that’s surrendered between 17 to 34 points during the four-game slide. The Broncos are also currently 14th against the pass and 11th versus the run.
His new head coach Vic Fangio is already intrigued by his new 6-foot-1, 234-pound ILB, telling the Denver media on Tuesday “He’s athletic and he’s a playmaker. He’s good in coverage and has good instincts” in the post practice presser below.
Young’s presence will come in handy for a Broncos defense that’s had to rely on their safeties to lead the way in tackles. The safety duo of Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons are the two leading tacklers with 43 and 33 stops, respectively.
But he will team with perennial Pro Bowler and the Most Valuable player of the 2016 Super Bowl Von Miller, who has 4.5 sacks through seven games. Young has had to adjust on the fly, but says he likes what he’s getting himself into despite the trade.
“Ready to compete,” Young said. “It’s a great organization that’s been known for playing phenomenal defense and phenomenal linebackers. They were in the Super Bowl not too long ago. So there’s a lot of good things going over here. I’m excited to be a part of it. It’s a place where I can also fit in and that’s good enough.
“I think I’ll be fine. I’ve played enough ball and I’m pretty comfortable in my preparation and process to keep me going. But I’m only focused on today.”
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