Brandon McManus As The Kickoff Specialist?

Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus (8) during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Just one week ago, it appeared that the Brandon McManus experiment failed as the Broncos decided to sign Connor Barth to the team last Tuesday. However, it appears that McManus will not be going away easily.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos signed Brandon McManus to the practice squad. This comes as a bizarre move for the team as they released him because he did not have the accuracy to stay with the team on field goals. However, one of his strengths was during kickoffs. 75 percent of his kickoffs were touchbacks. On Sunday, we all saw the good field position that the Kansas City Chiefs received because Connor Barth’s kickoffs did not get near the endzone.

In the media interview on Monday, the subject of having a kicker on the team specialized to handle kickoffs was mentioned. John Fox has experience with having two kickers on the roster during his time with the Carolina Panthers. Could this be a smart move for the Denver Broncos? Having Brandon McManus work during the kickoffs while Connor Barth does the field goal attempts could be an option. The only problem I see with this move is losing an offensive or defensive player on the roster in place of the kickoff specialist. Having Brandon McManus on the roster just to kick the ball off to the other team does not seem needed.

In my mind, it would make better sense if Britton Colquitt was the kickoff specialist. He has a knack for punting the ball deep. This season alone, he has averaged at least 40 or more yards punting in all but one game this season. This in my mind would be a better move because you have a kickoff specialist without using an extra player on the roster.

In my opinion, I do see a future in Brandon McManus. It was definitely frustrating seeing him miss so many field goals but as long as he can improve on his accuracy, he can be a solid player. Perhaps the Broncos see something in him but want to develop him a bit more. Or maybe they do have a plan for the kicker from Temple. It is only a matter of what the Broncos plan to do next.