2021 Broncos' Season, Off-Season Questions, Wide Receiver

 


For the Broncos, the off-season is here. George Paton was hired to serve as GM and Vic Fangio is staying as coach, but there are plenty of other questions to answer. As we head into the off-season, I'll be considering these topics each week.

This is the final pre-free agency post, and I'm looking at my last position group, wide receiver. This one is like tight end, only deeper and better. All that means the Broncos won't have to spend free agent capitol or draft capitol to make sure they're set at receiver. They already have plenty of good options.

That begins with Courtland Sutton, entering his fourth year in the league. As a second-year player, Sutton had 72 receptions for 1,112 yards and six TDs. He was shaping up to be one of the best receivers in the league when an injury derailed his 2020 season, limiting him to three receptions for 66 yards on six targets in one game. Now he's back, and should be back atop the depth chart for the Broncos.

Right there behind him are second-year receivers Jerry Jeudy, a first-round pick out of Alabama, and K.J. Hamler, a second-round pick out of Penn State. Both made impacts in year one and both are poised to grow in year two. Jeudy had 52 receptions for 856 yards and three TDs, while Hamler added 30 receptions for 381 yards and three TDs in only 13 games. 

If the Broncos only had those three, it would be a great start. But the Broncos also have Tim Patrick, who is entering year four. He's played for the Broncos all three years of his career, entering as an undrafted free agent. He's a restricted free agent this off-season and Paton has already said he plans to tender Patrick, keeping him in Denver. And that makes sense. Patrick stepped up with 51 receptions for 742 yards and six TDs in 2020. With Patrick, the Broncos have an impressive top of the depth chart.

The team will also return Diontae Spencer, a return specialist who was signed as an exclusive rights free agent, and DaeSean Hamilton, who was drafted the same season as Sutton and enters the final year of his rookie contract. 

Beyond that, the Broncos have a lot of options and depth pieces at receiver. The team returns Tyrie Cleveland, who was a seventh round pick in 2020. Also in the group is Kendall Hinton, who served as an emergency quarterback for the team in a regular season game with New Orleans in 2020, and Trinty Benson, a speedster who's been a fixture on the Practice Squad. All that gives the Broncos depth, upside and options.

Wide receiver is one of the deepest positions on the team, and a true area of strength heading into the new league year. Now it's about improving the quarterback play, getting the line pieces in place and making a run.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more