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NFL trade rumors: Khalil Mack, Shane Ray, Earl Thomas ideas

By Sayre Bedinger

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 17: Khalil Mack #52 of the Oakland Raiders sacks Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 17: Khalil Mack #52 of the Oakland Raiders sacks Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 10: Outside linebacker Shane Ray #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a defensive pass broken up at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 10, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 10: Outside linebacker Shane Ray #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a defensive pass broken up at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 10, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Shane Ray

The Denver Broncos have a plethora of edge rushers, starting with Von Miller.

They just drafted Bradley Chubb with the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Behind Miller and Chubb, the Broncos have Shaquil Barrett, one of the most underrated players in the NFL. They also have an undrafted free agent in Jeff Holland set to potentially crack the 53-man roster.

Where does that leave former first-round pick, Shane Ray?

The Broncos declined Ray’s fifth-year team option on his rookie contract and thought that he was going to miss at least the first month of the season with a fourth procedure on the wrist he injured last year.

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Ray got a second medical opinion and decided not to have the procedure, instead playing with a splint that doesn’t allow his hand to bend back beyond the point of comfortability.

It’s not a bad idea for Ray, whose 2018 season will be spent auditioning for a long-term contract in the 2019 offseason.

For the Broncos, the motivation is simple — get high value for a player and get a younger player (who is also under contract longer) on the roster.

The Broncos don’t need Shane Ray, but having him is a luxury they are happy to have for another season if a team doesn’t give them good value in a trade.

Who should trade for Shane Ray?

Unlike with Khalil Mack, Ray comes with a very modest price tag. Not necessarily in terms of draft compensation, but he will only count roughly $1.7 million against some team’s cap this season.

There are teams out there that Ray is good enough to be a starter for. The aforementioned teams that could be connected to Khalil Mack still apply (Bears, Colts, Jets, 49ers) but a number of other teams could enter the fray here because of Ray’s price tag.

One interesting team is the Los Angeles Rams, whose defensive coordinator Wade Phillips helped coach Ray to the best season of his NFL career in 2016 when he had eight sacks as the primary backup to Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

Next. The top undrafted players of 2018. dark

This is exactly the type of one-year rental teams love to acquire to bolster depth or get a starting caliber player on the cheap.

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