7 free-agent inside linebackers the Vikings could sign in 2022
By Luke Parrish
Kenny Young
2021 Teams: Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos
In just four seasons in the NFL, Kenny Young has already played for three teams and is staring down a fourth as he heads into free agency. He’s a pretty good athlete who makes some splash plays when on the field, but he is far from a starting-caliber linebacker that will be on the field in all situations.
I do think Young is a much better player than his path would suggest and he should be a guy that sticks around on a team for more than a season and a half. He has been on the wrong end of teams adding younger assets to the mix and has been forced out of his role as a result.
In his rookie season, Young played in all 16 games and picked up 51 tackles for the Ravens before falling off a cliff statistically in his second season. After a trade to the Rams, Young hardly saw the field and recorded just four tackles in nine games with Los Angeles in 2019.
Since 2020, however, young has gotten back on track with more reps and a much greater impact. He has 127 over the past two seasons split with the Rams and Broncos to go along with an interception, two forced fumbles, and 3.0 sacks.
Kenny Young will be a cheap option that can fill in on early downs as an additional tackler who does have a bit of a knack for turnovers. Despite playing minimally over the years, Young has been involved with an interception, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He has also picked up 5.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
This is not a splash signing or a star in the making. Similar to the Nick Vigil deal last offseason, Kenny Young would be a rotational piece that could help with depth in the middle of the field.