OCTOBER 12: Dulcich’s ramp-up period will be short. The Broncos are expected to activate the second-year tight end for tonight’s Week 6 matchup against the Chiefs, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. While a full workload should not be expected, the 2022 third-round pick represents another weapon coming back for the 1-4 squad. Dulcich’s return timetable resembles his 2022 debut, when he came off IR — after a hamstring injury — in Week 6 against the Chargers, a game in which the UCLA product scored a touchdown.
OCTOBER 10: The Broncos welcomed back a key offensive piece today. The team announced that tight end Greg Dulcich was a limited participant at Tuesday’s walkthrough. Dulcich’s return to practice means the Broncos now have 21 days to activate the player from injured reserve.
Dulcich suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 that ultimately led to his placement on IR. As Mike Klis of 9News in Denver points out, the Broncos opened Dulcich’s 21-day window for only a single practice. This could be an indication that the Broncos believe he’s ready to go for Thursday’s game against the Chiefs.
“He’s out here moving around,” coach Sean Payton said today when asked about the tight end’s status for Week 6 (via the team’s website). “… I don’t want to guess relative to this week’s game, but he’s close.”
The 2022 third-round pick had a productive rookie season, hauling in 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. There was optimism that he could take another step forward in 2022, and he hauled in a pair of catches before exiting the season opener.
Adam Trautman has received the majority of the snaps at tight end this season, hauling in nine catches for 60 yards and one touchdown (although all of that production came in two of his five games). Chris Manhertz has soaked up the rest of the snaps at the position but has mostly served as a blocker, with the 31-year-old hauling in a single catch.
Dulcich is a good receiver, but the main advantage that he brings is a nascent connection with Russell Wilson. Anything that may help Wilson’s comfortability and is a positive on offense is important for the Broncos. Payton also likes receiving tight ends, and Dulcich should bring more than Trautman does to that area. Tight end could be one of the niche additions that appeals both to Wilson’s improvisational tendencies and Payton’s much more trustworthy system.
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