HEADLINES

Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Broncos Re-Sign WR Phillip Dorsett

May 13th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Phillip Dorsett is returning to Denver. After spending the majority of the 2023 campaign on the Broncos practice squad, the veteran wide receiver is re-signing with the team, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.

[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, WR Courtland Sutton]

The former first-round pick earned bust status during his time with the Colts, but he’s still managed to hang around the NFL for almost a decade. His best season came back in 2016 when he topped 500 receiving yards in Indy. He also didn’t look helpless during his three-year run in New England, including a 2019 season where he finished with 397 receiving yards and five touchdowns (he also had a pair of touchdowns during the Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl run).

Since hitting free agency in 2020, the receiver has bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Seahawks (two stints), Jaguars, Texans, Raiders, and Broncos. He got into 15 games with Houston as recently as 2022, although he only got into a pair of contesets for Denver last season.

Of course, the team’s receiver depth will look different in 2024. Jerry Jeudy has already been shipped out, and Courtland Sutton is away from the team as he seeks a new deal (although the receiver has not requested a trade). The team did bring in free agent Josh Reynolds and selected Troy Franklin in the fourth round, adding the duo to a group of holdovers that also includes Marvin Mims Jr. and Tim Patrick. Dorsett will likely be competing for one of the final spots on the depth chart, although there’s a chance he goes back to his familiar practice squad role.

The Broncos have also signed undrafted cornerback Quinton Newsome and waived undrafted receiver Lincoln Victor and undrafted punter Nik Constantinou. Newsome emerged as one of Nebraska’s best defenders over the past few years. The defensive back finished his college career with 147 tackles, 17 passes defended, and one interception. He also was a standout special teams player, perhaps hinting at his potential role in Denver.

Latest On Broncos, WR Courtland Sutton

May 13th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

The next phase of the Broncos’ offseason program is beginning on Monday, but Courtland Sutton remains absent from the team. The veteran wideout is seeking a new deal, though nothing is imminent on that front.

Sutton is due $13.5MM total in 2024 ($2MM of which has already been paid out). One year remains on his current pact beyond that, but none of his scheduled compensation for 2025 ($14MM) is guaranteed. The 28-year-old is angling for adjustments to the contract providing more assurances but with all practice time being voluntary at this point in the offseason, there is little incentive for team or player to budge from their current stance.

Mike Klis of 9News notes that communication between Sutton’s camp and the Broncos has been “respectful” up to this point. That is a positive sign, especially when coupled with the fact that a trade sending the former second-rounder out of the Mile High City is increasingly unlikely. Denver received interest in the lead-in to the draft, but no deal took place during the event. That comes as little surprise considering the team’s desire to retain Sutton moving forward.

As Klis confirms, the SMU product has not requested a trade despite the ongoing dispute with the Broncos. Sutton has been in Denver throughout his six-year career, and he has been the focal point of the team’s passing game when healthy. In three seasons since his ACL tear in 2020, he has received 297 targets while the Broncos have dealt with injuries amongst other pass-catchers. Last year, he posted career highs in touchdowns (10) and catch percentage (65.6%).

The decision to trade Jerry Jeudy to the Browns was followed up by the signing of Josh Reynolds. The latter will be joined by rookies Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele as newcomers in Denver’s 2024 receiver room. Even with those arrivals and the return of Tim Patrick, though, Sutton will be counted on as the top receiving option for the Broncos’ starting quarterback.

That role will likely be held by first-rounder Bo Nix, who is now missing out on time to develop chemistry with Sutton during spring workouts. That situation would of course become more dire if it were to continue into training camp (when mandatory fines for missed practices or a hold-in could come into play in Sutton’s case). This situation is not currently positioned to result in a parting of ways, but it nevertheless remains worth monitoring as the offseason unfolds.

Broncos, QB Bo Nix Agree To Terms

May 10th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The last of this year’s six quarterbacks chosen in Round 1 will be the first to sign his rookie deal, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicating Bo Nix put pen to paper with the Broncos on Friday.

As the Broncos have tried and failed repeatedly to replace Peyton Manning, Nix is the second Round 1 QB the team has turned to since the legendary passer’s retirement. The team whiffed badly on 2016 first-rounder Paxton Lynch. Chosen 14 spots earlier (12th overall), Nix will be counted on to help the franchise move on from the Russell Wilson mistake admission.

Setting a Division I-FBS QB record with 61 starts (at Auburn and Oregon), Nix dazzled at the Pac-12 program. The Broncos made an effort to separate the bevy of screen and short-yardage throws Nix made in the Ducks’ system — one that produced a 45-3 TD-INT ratio last season — and the team came away with an assessment Nix remained one of the draft’s most accurate passers. On the whole, Nix completed an astonishing 77.4% of his passes last season.

The Broncos have Jarrett Stidham under contract, and the team finalized a Zach Wilson trade days before the draft. The Sean Payton–George Paton combo had zeroed in on Nix by the time the Wilson trade was final, and it appears likely the five-year college starter will be under center early this season — if not by Week 1. The Broncos waived Ben DiNucci earlier this week. Stidham’s two-year, $10MM deal calls for a $4.49MM 2024 base salary; just $1MM of that is guaranteed.

Payton admitted he played a part in a smokescreen effort centered around the Broncos as a threat to move up the board. While connections to J.J. McCarthy were present — leading to the Vikings to trade up two spots for the Michigan passer — the Broncos were enamored with Nix. They are believed to have rated the Oregon-developed prospect as this draft’s third-best QB. Many disagree with that assessment, but Payton will get to work training the 6-foot-2 passer in his system.

Nix topped out at 16 TD passes in a season in three years at Auburn; like Michael Penix Jr., his numbers took a leap following a 2022 transfer. Nix threw 29 TD passes and seven picks at Oregon in 2022, adding a career-high 510 rushing yards and 14 TDs. It remains to be seen how much Nix’s scrambling ability will translate to the NFL, with his arm strength drawing some questions. The Broncos will bank on their handpicked QB’s accuracy and quick release, and the team has his former Ducks center — 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth — and top wide receiver (2024 fourth-rounder Troy Franklin) in place as the NFL development process begins.

Since Manning’s March 2016 retirement, the Broncos have used 13 starting QBs. The Lynch pick busting led the team to try free agency (Case Keenum), trades (Wilson, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater) and the second round (Drew Lock). Nix is the earliest Broncos QB draftee since Jay Cutler in 2006; the Payton regime will largely be shaped by how the latest QB1 candidate performs.

Broncos Sign 13 UDFAs

May 10th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

With rookie minicamps underway, the final batch of UDFA hauls are coming into focus. Here is the Broncos’ 13-man group:

The Broncos were believed to be targeting tight ends this offseason, but the team did not draft any or add an outside veteran free agent. This stands to place importance once again on 2022 third-rounder Greg Dulcich shaking off his chronic hamstring trouble. Neither of the tight ends in this UDFA class profile as players who would help on the receiving front immediately. A blocking tight end, Leonard did not eclipse 175 receiving yards in any of his five Yellowjackets seasons. Yassmin came to Utah after being noticed at a rugby camp; the ex-Dalton Kincaid Utes teammate showed some promise in 2022, catching 13 passes for 301 yards. He trudged through an injury-shortened 2023 season.

Constantinou will challenge veteran Riley Dixon for the Broncos’ punting job; Denver reacquired Dixon last year, giving him a $3.5MM deal. No guarantees remain on the eight-year veteran’s contract. An Australia native, Constantinou was a first-team All-SEC honoree in 2021 and second-team punter in 2022.

Watson received a $250K salary guarantee and a $25K bonus, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. An Old Dominion transfer, Watson impressed as an outlet option in his one season at Memphis. He totaled 480 receiving yards to go with 1,152 on the ground in 2023. He will join a suddenly crowded Denver backfield, which houses Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and fifth-round pick Audric Estime. Brown and Crum each received $250K in total guarantees, according to Klis, coming in just south of Watson’s mark. Brown transferred from Northern Iowa to Nebraska, while Crum made 49 starts (36 at right tackle, 13 at left tackle) for Wyoming. Crum’s 2023 season at LT earned him first-team All-Mountain West Conference acclaim.

Not listed here, Nebraska cornerback Quinton Newsome is set to sign for $100K in total guarantees, Klis adds. The Broncos will need to cut one more player to make room on their 90-man roster, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Newsome was a three-year Cornhuskers starter who saw his draft stock hurt by a December shoulder surgery.

Broncos Release WR Phillip Dorsett, DL Rashard Lawrence

May 10th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ UDFA contingent became official Friday, and the 13-man haul left the team the task of moving two players off its roster to reach the 90-man offseason limit. The team has complied, cutting two experienced veterans.

Denver informed wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence of their respective releases, according to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel and 9News’ Mike Klis.

Dorsett joined the Broncos on a practice squad deal just after teams finalized their initial 53-man rosters last August. The former first-round pick, who failed to make the Raiders’ 53-man roster in training camp, played in two games and caught one pass in 2023. The Broncos were Dorsett’s seventh NFL team. The nine-year veteran turned 31 earlier this offseason.

Dorsett’s best NFL showings came in Indianapolis and New England. The 2015 first-rounder was memorably included in a summer 2017 trade that sent Jacoby Brissett to the Patriots; that deal came after Dorsett totaled a career-high 528 receiving yards. He has not come within 100 yards of that total since. With Houston in 2022, the Miami alum caught 20 passes for 257 yards.

Lawrence, 25, has been with five teams since August 2023. The former Cardinals fourth-round pick, who started 13 games with his original team from 2020-22, did not make Arizona’s first Jonathan Gannon-run roster last year and caught on with the Dolphins’ practice squad. He then bounced to the Panthers and Texans’ taxi squads. The Broncos gave Lawrence and Dorsett reserve/futures contracts in January.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/24

May 9th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a number of teams prepare for rookie minicamps this weekend, Thursday has represented a signing day of sorts for rookie draftees. Here is the latest batch of mid- and late-rounders to sign their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

  • T Travis Clayton (seventh round, England)

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

  • CB Decamerion Richardson (fourth round, Mississippi State)
  • LB Tommy Eichenberg (fifth round, Ohio State)
  • RB Dylan Laube (sixth round, New Hampshire)
  • S Trey Taylor (seventh round, Air Force)
  • CB M.J. Devonshire (seventh round, Pittsburgh)

New Orleans Saints

  • QB Spencer Rattler (fifth round, South Carolina)
  • WR Bub Means (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
  • LB Jaylan Ford (fifth round, Texas)
  • DT Khristian Boyd (sixth round, Northern Iowa)
  • T Josiah Ezirim (seventh round, Eastern Kentucky)

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

NFL Workouts: Jones, Ward, Summers, Tagovailoa

May 8th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran wide receiver Zay Jones continues to make the rounds after getting released by the Jaguars last week. Since then, the 29-year-old pass catcher has taken visits with the Titans, Cardinals, and Cowboys. The newest report has Jones scheduling a visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

An impressive 2022 campaign that saw Jones catch 82 balls for 823 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs except for the touchdowns, was virtually erased by a disappointing 2023 campaign in which the receiver missed eight games due to a PCL issue and femur damage. The Jaguars opted not to finish out Jones’ final season of a three-year contract, for which Jones would have represented a $6.57MM cap charge.

In Kansas City, Jones could be a part of a completely new-look wide receiving corps for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs have added Marquise Brown in free agency and Texas first-round rookie Xavier Worthy in the draft. They also return Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Noah Gray from last year, but Rice could be facing some legal trouble, and if healthy, Jones would be an improvement over the other three while playing alongside Brown and Worthy.

Here are a few other workouts happening around the NFL:

  • Career depth running back Jonathan Ward is participating in the Steelers rookie minicamp, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Over four years with the Cardinals and Titans, Ward only has 69 career rushing yards on 17 carries. He’s proven to be an active special teams contributor during that time, though.
  • The Broncos took a look at veteran linebacker Ty Summers at their rookie minicamp this past weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Summers only has one career start over five years with the Packers, Jaguars, and Saints but has appeared in 71 games over that span. A linebacker with some speed, Summers is a productive special teamer, as well.
  • After agreeing to participate in the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp, undrafted Maryland quarterback, and brother of the Dolphins’ starting passer, Taulia Tagovailoa will attend the Cardinals‘ rookie minicamp this week, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The rookie will audition to join last year’s fifth-round pick Clayton Tune and 2022’s third-round pick for Atlanta Desmond Ridder as potential backup arms for Kyler Murray in 2024.
  • An undrafted linebacker who graduated from Harvard before playing as a graduate transfer at Villanova, Daniel Abraham has been invited to minicamps for both the Falcons and the Seahawks, per Wilson. The speedy linebacker obviously poses some interest due to both his athleticism and his intellect.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/8/24

May 8th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s draft pick signings:

Denver Broncos

Estime spent three years with the Fighting Irish. Though he only started 14 games, he combined in his last two seasons to accumulate 2,261 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. He joins a backfield that featured Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine in 2023 and returns all three.

Vele comes to the NFL after reeling in 98 catches for 1,288 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his final two years with the Utes. He led Utah in receiving yards this past season and was second on the team in 2022, coming in behind tight end Dalton Kincaid. He helps replenish a wide receiving corps in Denver that lost Jerry Jeudy and still might see Courtland Sutton traded away.

Gargiulo arrived in Columbia after earning his degree in four years at Yale. Gargiulo was a versatile lineman for both the Bulldogs and Gamecocks, spending time at both guard and center for both schools. Much won’t be asked of Gargiulo as a rookie, but he adds versatile depth to the Broncos offensive line.

Broncos To Waive QB Ben DiNucci

May 8th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Ben DiNucci‘s season back in the NFL came in Denver, with the Broncos giving the former Cowboys backup-turned-XFL starter another shot. A 2024 overhaul of the team’s QB room will change its plans regarding DiNucci.

The team will waive the reserve passer, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Broncos added both Zach Wilson and Bo Nix to their QB room during draft week, and Jarrett Stidham remains on the roster. DiNucci’s exit will leave three QBs on Denver’s 90-man roster.

Catching on with the Broncos in May 2023, DiNucci came over after a season in the third XFL incarnation. A member of the Seattle Sea Dragons, DiNucci led XFL 3.0 in passing yards (2,671) while throwing 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 10 starts. The spring-league opportunity created NFL interest, and the Broncos kept DiNucci around throughout last season. Denver gave DiNucci a reserve/futures contract in January.

The Broncos had taken care of DiNucci, 27, after he made the decision to stay with the team rather than move to the Saints’ active roster. New Orleans had attempted to poach DiNucci off Denver’s P-squad following a Derek Carr injury last season, but DiNucci opted to remain the AFC West team’s emergency third-stringer behind Russell Wilson and Stidham. The Broncos ended up elevating DiNucci to their active roster three times, covering the QB, as he would have been required to remain on the Saints’ active roster (and see game checks that come with that status) for at least three weeks had he left for New Orleans.

Last seeing regular-season action in 2020 with the Cowboys, DiNucci saw preseason time for the Broncos last year. While the Broncos could need a fourth QB at some point this offseason, each of their three options are healthy. Nix’s development will define Denver’s spring and summer, and the coaching staff will also need to focus on training Wilson in Sean Payton‘s system. This move will leave Stidham as the only Denver QB with previous experience in the current scheme.

A former seventh-round Cowboys pick out of James Madison, DiNucci spent the 2022 season out of football after being a Dallas cut that summer. The former Pittsburgh recruit would profile as a player of interest to the newly formed United Football League, but that season is more than halfway over. Not being claimed on the waiver wire could stall DiNucci’s career.

Broncos Made Call About Moving Up In Round 1; Team Eyed TE Help In Offseason

May 7th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton admitted he was a central part of a smokescreen effort that centered on Broncos interest in moving up for a quarterback. This buzz certainly may have influenced the Vikings to trade up one spot (via the Jets), and the effort also involved Denver brass making calls about moving up the board.

The Bears heard from the Broncos about No. 9 overall, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would add a layer to one of the more interesting smokescreens of recent years. One pick later, the Vikings moved from No. 11 to No. 10, sending the Jets fourth- and fifth-round picks to climb up and lock in J.J. McCarthy draft real estate.

This did clear the runway for the Broncos to land Bo Nix, their long-rumored target, though it helped an AFC team in the form of Day 3 draft capital. Neither the Bears nor Jets were candidates to draft a quarterback, and Payton said he viewed the Vikings as more interested in McCarthy than Nix. The Broncos are believed to have ranked the Oregon prospect as this draft’s third-best QB.

The Broncos indeed became enamored with Nix, with Fowler adding the five-year college starter was the team’s “guy the whole way.” Nix, 24, will be expected to either begin the season as the Broncos’ starter or take over from either Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson early. Seeing as he spent a season in Payton’s system, Stidham is on track — per 9News’ Mike Klis — to see starter work to open OTAs. Though, the primary Broncos QB storyline will be Nix’s progress in Payton’s system as the offseason turns into training camp. Stidham’s two-year, $10MM deal includes only $1MM in guaranteed 2024 salary.

Also entering the draft with a quarterback need, the Raiders lurking at No. 13 influenced the Broncos to not attempt to trade down for Nix but rather to stay at 12 and pull the trigger. This prompted many to label the pick a reach. The Broncos had interesting options had they not opted to fill their most glaring need. Brock Bowers and Laiatu Latu remained on the board. Denver was among the teams to clear Latu on his pre-draft physical, Fowler adds, noting the team would have given strong consideration to the UCLA edge rusher had it not determined Nix needed to be the pick at 12.

Latu met with the Broncos during the pre-draft process; Bowers did not. But the Georgia tight end would have filled an apparent need for the Broncos, who have seen their top receiving tight end — Greg Dulcich — run into repeated hamstring trouble. Hamstring issues have caused the 2022 third-round pick to miss extensive time in both his pro seasons, leading to four IR trips already, and Klis adds the Broncos wanted to come out of this offseason with a tight end addition. Nothing has transpired on this front, though.

Specifically, the Broncos were hoping to acquire another receiving tight end. The Raiders ended up with Bowers at No. 13, despite having traded up for Michael Mayer (albeit under a previous regime) early in last year’s second round. The Broncos did not view the free agent market as lining up with their budget, Klis adds. The market also saw two of its top names — Hunter Henry, Dalton Schultz — re-sign before free agency began.

Ex-Broncos first-rounder Noah Fant stayed with the Seahawks (two years, $21MM) but was available during the legal tampering period. Falcons cut Jonnu Smith landed with the Dolphins for just two years and $8.4MM, while the Bengals scooped up Mike Gesicki for just $2.5MM. Gerald Everett joined the Bears on a two-year, $12MM deal, while Hayden Hurst followed ex-Broncos FA target (during Nathaniel Hackett‘s offseason as HC) Will Dissly to the Chargers.

While the Broncos circled back to edge rusher in the third round (Utah’s Jonah Elliss), they did not select a tight end. The team re-signed ex-Saints cog Adam Trautman on a two-year, $7.5MM deal. Trautman led Broncos tight ends with just 204 receiving yards last season, highlighting Dulcich’s absence.

Beyond Logan Thomas, the market is fairly dry for receiving TEs. This points to Dulcich, who totaled 411 receiving yards as a rookie but played in two games last season, having another genuine opportunity to hold this job — if he can stay healthy.

Load More Posts