Vikings signing veteran linebacker Todd Davis to one-year deal
After losing linebacker Anthony Barr to a season-ending pectoral injury, the Vikings are signing a veteran with plenty of starting experience.
Former Broncos linebacker Todd Davis is signing a one-year deal to join the Vikings this week, a league source confirmed. Davis, 28, has started 63 games for Denver, where he became a full-time starter in 2016 under then-head coach Gary Kubiak.
Davis was the Broncos' leading tackler each of the past two years as an inside linebacker. But his run in Denver ended after five seasons while missing most of this year's training camp with a calf injury. He's dealt with injuries to each calf in the past two seasons.
The Vikings' options were thin, and Davis provides a steady veteran and likely two-down presence if healthy and up to speed. Linebacker Eric Wilson is expected to fill Barr's role in the Vikings' two-linebacker nickel package alongside Eric Kendricks.
Rookie linebacker Troy Dye, the Vikings' fourth-round pick, is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of Wednesday's practice. The Vikings also have linebacker Ryan Connelly, who joined the defense earlier this month as a waiver claim from the Giants, and linebacker Hardy Nickerson Jr., the former Bengal promoted from the practice squad this week.