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Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Broncos Sign P Max Duffy

May 24th, 2021 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos are bringing in some competition for Sam Martin. The team announced today that they’ve signed punter Max Duffy.

The Australian-born athlete spent a handful of years in the Australian Football League, but he announced his retirement from that league in 2017 as he pursued a career in American football. He ended up catching on with Kentucky, appearing in 34 games during his collegiate career. Duffy averaged 46 yards on his 151 collegiate punts, and he earned All-SEC honors in both 2019 and 2020. He also received a unanimous first-team All-American nod in 2019.

Duffy was actually drafted by Toronto in the fourth round of April’s CFL Draft, but the 28-year-old will instead try his luck in the NFL.

In Denver, Duffy will have to compete with Martin for a roster spot. The veteran punter joined Denver last offseason on a three-year, $7MM deal, and his final 2020 punting numbers (including 46.8 yards per punt) were on-par with his career marks. Martin did struggle a bit on kickoffs, averaging a career-low 57-yards per kick.

Chubb Procedure Very Minor

May 23rd, 2021 at 9:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • We heard over the weekend that Bradley Chubb underwent an ankle procedure, which understandably caused some concern. Broncos fans were surely having flashbacks to when the young stud pass-rusher missed most of the 2019 season with a torn ACL. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. The surgery was a scope to remove a bone spur, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets, noting that it’s “very common.” Rapsheet adds he’ll be in a “boot for a couple weeks and will be fully ready for camp.” The fifth overall pick of the 2018 draft is coming off a Pro Bowl season where he had 7.5 sacks in 14 games.

Broncos Aaron Rodgers To Deshaun Watson

May 23rd, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Deshaun Watson still has significant off-field issues to surmount before being in the clear to resume his career, but the embattled Texans quarterback’s deposition is not set to take place until after the 2021 season ends. This could put Watson on track to play this season, though our Rory Parks noted a Commissioner’s Exempt List stay may well enter into this equation. The Broncos were once a clear suitor for the Pro Bowl quarterback. Now, their focus has shifted. They prefer an Aaron Rodgers trade to waiting out the Watson saga, according to NFL insider John Clayton of 104.3 The Fan. Far and away the clubhouse leaders in Rodgers rumor mentions, the Broncos are planning to make an aggressive pursuit of the reigning MVP — if the Packers make him available for a trade. While Rodgers has not come out and said he wants to leave Green Bay or indicated where he would like to go, the Broncos were on his reported wish list from the start. The future Hall of Fame passer indeed wants to be traded to the Broncos, Clayton adds. Rodgers is not expected to show up for the Packers’ minicamp next month, according to Madison.com’s Jason Wilde.

Broncos Promote Darren Mougey To Director Of Player Personnel

May 23rd, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

George Paton has made some notable outside hires this week, bringing in ex-Vikings staffer Kelly Kleine and recent Lions exec Roman Phifer. But the new Broncos GM opted to promote from within to fill a key role.

John Elway‘s successor named Darren Mougey as the franchise’s new director of player personnel, the Broncos announced. Mougey, 36, has been with the franchise since 2012.

This high-ranking position, which frequently serves as the final stepping stone ahead of GM rises, became vacant after longtime Elway right-hand man Matt Russell stepped down after last season. Russell was with the Broncos since 2009.

“Darren is an outstanding evaluator who has an excellent reputation around the league as an up-and-coming personnel executive,” Paton said. “Getting to work with Darren over the last five months, he is a strong communicator and has great leadership qualities. We’re fortunate to have Darren leading our pro and college scouting while also being a sounding board on all roster decisions.”

Despite the Broncos changing GMs, this marks the second straight offseason in which Mougey has received a promotion. Last May, he rose from an area scout role to the Broncos’ assistant director of college scouting. Mougey will now oversee both the Broncos’ college and pro scouting departments and serve as Paton’s second in command.

The Broncos also hired Sae Woon Jo as their western national scout. Jo spent the past nine years with the Falcons, arriving early during Thomas Dimitroff‘s regime. He worked as Atlanta’s college scouting coordinator most recently.

Bradley Chubb Underwent Ankle Procedure

May 22nd, 2021 at 12:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Bradley Chubb recently went under the knife. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos linebacker recently had a minor ankle procedure.

Chubb is expected to be sidelined through OTAs. However, there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to go for training camp in two months, which means he’ll have plenty of time to get ready for the regular season. For those keeping track at home, this was the same ankle that forced Chubb to miss the final two games of the 2020 campaign.

Chubb has struggled a bit to stay on the field since being selected with the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 draft. He earned All-Rookie team honors after compiling 12 sacks and 21 QB hits, but he was limited to only four games in 2019 after partially tearing his ACL. Chubb managed to return in time for the start of the 2020 season, and despite missing the final two contests, he still earned a Pro Bowl nod after finishing with 42 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 19 QB hits. The Broncos picked up the 24-year-old’s fifth-year option last month.

Even if Chubb’s recovery leaked into training camp or the preseason, the Broncos would be fine at strongside linebacker. Malik Reed finished last season with eight sacks, and the team claimed Natrez Patrick way back in January.

Alexander Johnson Signs RFA Tender

May 20th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after Tim Patrick signed his restricted free agent tender, the other RFA the Broncos tendered at the second-round level followed suit. Alexander Johnson signed his tender Thursday.

Like Patrick, the middle linebacker is set to earn $3.384MM on the tender. Only one restricted free agent received a first-round tender this year — Rams cornerback Darious Williams — but several commanded the second-round price. Johnson is now signed for the 2021 season. Barring an extension, he will play for the tender amount. He is due to be an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

An unusual RFA, seeing as he will turn 30 later this year, Johnson has been a starter in Denver for most of Vic Fangio‘s two-season tenure. The Broncos signed the ex-Tennessee Volunteer in 2018 but did not deploy him as a starter until October 2019. Johnson immediately impacted the team’s run defense and kept the first-string gig throughout 2020 as well. Johnson made 124 tackles and forced two fumbles last season. Pro Football Focus viewed the 255-pound defender as a top-25 off-ball linebacker in 2020.

This figures to be a notable stretch for the Broncos at linebacker. After parting ways with Brandon Marshall in 2019, the Broncos have made Johnson and Josey Jewell their primary off-ball ‘backers. Both are going into contract years. The team also drafted Ohio State’s Baron Browning in Round 3 this year, but it would make sense if either Jewell or Johnson emerged on the team’s extension radar.

Johnson’s late NFL start may well work against him regarding earning potential, but a solid 2021 season would put him in line for at least a decent medium-length deal — be it via a Broncos extension or as an unrestricted free agent next year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/21

May 20th, 2021 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Waived: TE Jack Batho

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived: TE Logan Markway

Denver Broncos

  • Waived: QB Case Cookus

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

This Date In Transactions History: Broncos, Panthers Swap Punters

May 19th, 2021 at 7:25pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s not everyday we get a punter trade; per ProFootballReference, there have been four trades involving punters since 1994. On May 19, 2005, we hit the jackpot of punter-centric trades, as a pair of punters were LITERALLY TRADED FOR EACH OTHER.

That’s right: on this date 16 years ago, the Panthers sent Todd Sauerbrun to the Broncos, with Denver sending Jason Baker and a future seventh-round pick to Carolina (a selection that eventually turned into defensive end Stanley McClover).

At the time, this move seemed like a clear win for Denver. Sauerbrun, a former second-round pick, earned three-straight All-Pro nods between 2001 and 2003, and he set a number of Panthers punting records during his four years with the organization. However, by 2005, the veteran had worn out his welcome in Carolina. During the 2004 campaign, he publicly complained about his contract’s weight-limit clauses, he was cited for driving under the influence, and he was investigated for allegedly receiving steroids. So, by May of 2005, it wasn’t some giant revelation that Sauerbrun was on the trade block; the team had even made it clear that they’d just cut the punter in June.

Considering the Broncos special teams struggles, they emerged as a clear suitor. However, in the days leading up to 5/19/2005, there was some doubts that a deal would get done. Sauerbrun requested that the Broncos convert some of his base salary into a signing bonus, something that stalled the trade negotiations between the two front offices. However, the two sides ultimately pulled off the transaction.

While the Broncos proceeded to go 13-3 in 2005, Sauerbrun didn’t necessarily provide the consistency they were seeking. The veteran’s 43.8 yards per punt and touch back percentage were among the worst of his career, although he somewhat redeemed himself in the postseason when he forced a fumble on an Ellis Hobbs‘ kickoff return. The punter didn’t see the field for Denver during the 2006 season, and following a two-game stint with New England, he rejoined Denver in 2007 before calling it a career.

While the Panthers let go of a Pro Bowler in the trade, they ended up acquiring a future standout in the process. After having spent time with five different teams during his first four seasons in the NFL, Baker would proceed to spend the next eight seasons in Carolina following the trade. During that time, Baker set a number of his own franchise records, including punts (570) and punting yards (25,064). Baker also briefly held the distinction of being the NFL’s highest-paid punter.

We know, we know: punters don’t elicit a whole lot of excitement. However, when it comes to punter trades (especially a punter-for-punter trade), this one is hard to bear.

Broncos Add Kelly Kleine, Roman Phifer To Front Office

May 19th, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have been busy adding to their front office in recent days. Earlier this week, the organization announced that they’ve hired Kelly Kleine as Executive Director of Football Operations/Special Advisor to the General Manager and Roman Phifer as Senior Personnel Executive.

In her new role, Kleine is expected to be involved in every aspect of the organization’s day-to-day operations, especially in regards to pro and college scouting. She will also be “the primary liaison for the team’s football operations,” and she’ll oversee the video and equipment departments. As the team website notes, Kleine is believed to be the “highest ranking female in scouting in the history of the league.”

Kleine had spent the previous 10 years with the Vikings, including the past two as Manager of Player Personnel/College. Albert Breer of SI.com writes that Vikings GM Rick Spielman wanted to retain Kleine, but the opportunity was too good to reject. In Denver, she will report directly to George Paton, with the two having previously worked alongside each other during their stints in Minnesota. Tory Renck of Denver7 tweets that the GM had been looking to hire Klein since January.

Phifer won three Super Bowls during a 15-year NFL career. Following his retirement, he spent some time as a Broncos coach before joining UCLA as the football program’s director of player development. Phifer had been with the Detroit Lions since 2018, serving as the team’s West Coast Area Scout. In Denver, the 53-year-old is expected to split his time between Denver and the road.

Latest On OTA, Training Camp Negotiations Between NFL And NFLPA

May 18th, 2021 at 9:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Phase 2 of the league’s offseason workout program kicked off yesterday, and with it came the news that negotiations between the league and the union with respect to that program are officially dead (via Albert Breer of SI.com). Of course, the union advised players to stay away from team facilities for voluntary offseason activities, and the NFLPA and NFL were ultimately unable to come to an agreement on a number of key points.

Instead, players and coaches negotiated their own structures, and per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, roughly 15 teams have implemented some sort of change as a result of those conversations. Browns center and union president J.C. Tretter predictably approved of the modifications, saying, “The offseason program has gotten out of hand. OTAs have been ratcheted up year after year, and they’ve turned into — especially for big guys and guys on the line of scrimmage — legitimate full-contact, non-padded practices. Nobody puts any restraints on them; they let guys go at it.”

Some teams are even making changes to the non-voluntary sessions. According to Fowler, the Packers moved their mandatory minicamp up a week, which could mean that a week of OTAs gets canceled, and as Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk writes, the Colts and Eagles have canceled mandatory minicamp altogether. Interestingly, although the Broncos were the first team to support the union’s stance on OTAs, Mike Klis of 9News.com reports that over 70 Broncos players showed up for the first day of Phase 2. The off-site injuries suffered by former Broncos Ja’Wuan James and DaeSean Hamilton and the potential money battle that could ensue may have played a role in that attendance figure.

The initial push from the union to have players boycott OTAs was due to persisting COVID-19 concerns, but as that situation improved in this country, NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah says the union began to shift focus. He says that, despite the complete absence of OTAs in 2020, injuries were down and the quality of the games remained the same (Twitter links via Lindsay Rhodes of the NFL Rhodes Show podcast). So, as Tretter implied, a permanent modification of OTAs into a purely mental exercise is appropriate.

Rhodes asked Atallah if the union is essentially attempting to renegotiate the CBA on the fly, and he conceded as much (Twitter link). And players are also pushing to make last year’s approach to training camp the new normal. Tretter said the ramp-up period that was instituted out of necessity last summer was widely embraced by players, who felt better both going into the regular season and coming out of it.

To be sure, the issue of the quality of the games is a subjective one, and whether there is a direct correlation between the ramp-up period and the absence of OTAs and any data showing a decrease in injuries is debatable. But, if everything was clear-cut, there wouldn’t be much need for negotiation.

In related news, masks are no longer required for fully-vaccinated players, coaches, or staff members, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. And teams will once again be permitted to hold training camp away from club facilities (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network).

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