The Broncos didn’t do much to address their need at wide receiver this offseason, putting a good deal of pressure on the team’s incumbents, as Mike Klis of 9News writes. After addressing the quarterback, cornerback, and offensive line needs, the Broncos must count on the health of Emmanuel Sanders and the continued rise of Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, and Tim Patrick.
You can pretty much jot down those four names in pen – Sanders, Sutton, Hamilton, and Patrick project to be the club’s top four receivers, and Patrick could be poised for a big leap forward after leading the club in receiving yards through the final four games of the regular season.
Beyond that quartet, the Nos. 5 and 6 slots are wide open, in Klis’ view. Converted cornerback Brendan Langley could emerge as one of those players, just two years after being drafted to play on defense.
Here’s more from Denver:
- The roster crunch at Dove Valley could lead to some surprise cuts and breakout stars, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic writes. Possible under-the-radar gems include wide receiver Trinity Benson, outside linebacker Aaron Wallace, and tight end Troy Fumagalli, who impressed in the spring despite being out of action since December 2017. Meanwhile, notables such as safety Su’a Cravens and defensive end DeMarcus Walker could be on the roster bubble. Cravens was expected to fill the void left by the T.J. Ward, but the former second round pick was held back by knee surgery last season. Cravens must redeem himself in practice after an injury-marred 2018 that ended with three healthy scratches.
- Recently, we examined Walker’s status as a release candidate.
- Sanders’ status for the start of the 2019 season is up in the air, which may place increased importance on the club’s supporting receivers.