The Denver Broncos tried unsuccessfully to add some depth to their secondary earlier this week.
After defensive back Justin Layne was waived by the New York Giants on Monday, the Broncos put in a claim to add the cornerback off the waiver wire. The next day, Layne was awarded to the Chicago Bears off waivers.
Denver is currently No. 7 in the NFL’s waiver order, so if anyone above them puts in a claim for the same player, the higher team is awarded the player. Chicago is just one spot above the Broncos, currently No. 6 in the waiver order.
So who was Denver trying to get? Layne is a 24-year-old defender who entered the league as a third-round pick out of Michigan State with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. He’s struggled to live up to his high draft status, failing to earn any starts with the Steelers from 2019-2021.
After playing primarily as a special teams player in Pittsburgh, Layne joined the Giants earlier this year and played in seven games. He occasionally rotated in on defense but again played mostly on special teams.
The Broncos were probably looking to add some depth to their own special teams units when they put in a claim for Layne earlier this week.
