Denver Broncos must re-shuffle the deck at tight end
The Denver Broncos are extremely thin at the tight end position, and must find a way to improve the roster there before their next game…
The tight end position has long been a staple of the Gary Kubiak offense, but the Denver Broncos are bleeding at that position in a bad way.
Virgil Green, who has long been a solid contributor to the offense as both a blocker and receiver, left Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with a left calf injury. He was seen leaving the stadium Sunday evening in a walking boot and will apparently undergo further testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
In addition to the ailing Green, the Broncos have gotten absolutely nothing from 2015 third round pick Jeff Heuerman, who has been inactive the first two weeks of the season with nagging hamstring and ankle injuries.
The only other tight end on the 53-man roster is veteran John Phillips, who certainly isn’t going to be blowing the top off of any defenses anytime soon.
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This isn’t an article bashing on guys who can’t stay healthy, but I do think there’s something to be said about the longevity of certain players with injuries, and Jeff Heuerman in particular is a player who needs to get out on the field if at all possible. I know Heuerman isn’t purposely putting himself on the inactive list, but the Broncos need to start getting this guy some in-game action and he’s already missed the first 21 games of his NFL career due to an ACL injury he suffered the first day of rookie camp in 2015.
It’s incredibly frustrating I’m sure for Heuerman, but it’s also frustrating for the fans who have seen countless second and third round picks flame out in the John Elway era. And they haven’t just flamed out — some haven’t even shown a spark. We have seen literally nothing from Heuerman on the field, but when he was drafted, we heard all about the type of dual-threat he was at the tight end position.
If he’s at 90 percent, 85 percent, maybe even 80 percent, it might be time to get him on the field and see what he can do. Obviously, that’s not possible if we’re dealing with nagging hamstring injuries or ankle sprains. My point is, if Heuerman is anywhere near being able to suit up, the Broncos need to make it happen. His time has come.
In addition to unleashing Heuerman (if you can call it that…) the Broncos may need to make a move this week to activate rookie Henry Krieger-Coble off of the practice squad. I know head coach Gary Kubiak expressed some concern earlier this year about his bulk and that they wanted him to add weight, but this offense could use his sure hands and athleticism at the position.
Aside from what’s already been mentioned, the Broncos need to scour the waiver wire and trade possibilities for another option. I know many have mentioned the possibility of bringing back Owen Daniels, and that’s certainly an option, but if he hasn’t been brought back by now, I highly doubt it will happen at all.
The Broncos need some youthful legs out there at tight end, which is why they opted to let go of both Daniels and 2016 free agent pickup Garrett Graham.
I hope we see the Broncos make a quick move at this position so we can see someone get in the mix as early as Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.