Bobby Richardson a very underrated signing for Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos made an underrated signing prior to the start of free agency when they picked up defensive lineman Bobby Richardson…
The Denver Broncos made it a priority to add some new blood to the defensive line rotation this offseason, signing unrestricted free agents Domata Peko and Zach Kerr. Both Peko and Kerr are expected to figure into the starting rotation, but the Broncos made a move just before the official start of free agency that could turn out to be a bit of a sleeper move. Bobby Richardson, a former undrafted free agent and starter for the New Orleans Saints, could turn out to be an exciting pickup for this Denver defense.
Considered a potential day two pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Richardson fell out of the draft completely. Whether that was due to his lack of true ‘position’ moving forward to the NFL remains unknown, but Richardson chose a pretty good initial situation to go into with the Saints.
His decision to play with New Orleans was the right one, as he worked into the starting rotation as an undrafted rookie. No matter the talent level around you (or lack thereof) that is very difficult to do. It was clear to see that Richardson’s lack of ideal bulk wasn’t going to hold him back from playing in the NFL.
In his rookie season, Richardson was taken under the wing of veteran Kevin Williams, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings and one of the most consistent defensive linemen in the NFL in the 2000s.
The apprenticeship under Williams paid off in a big way for Richardson.
Whether he was lined up as a tackle or an end, he was penetrating offensive lines and making plays consistently. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but he showed promise nonetheless. The type of effort he showed in New Orleans in 2015 was reminiscent of the effort we saw consistently on tape in his days at Indiana…
Despite the positive trajectory he appeared to be on as a rookie, the Saints let him go at the time of final cuts in early September, 2016. He latched on as a practice squad player with the Washington Redskins, but was ultimately let go from there as well.
We’re not going to paint Richardson as an immediate All-Pro with the Broncos. There are obviously reasons why he didn’t play a down in the NFL in 2016 after his solid rookie campaign, but to this point, those reasons (aside from injury) are unknown.
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I still recall in the 2014 season, how badly Richardson man-handled the Iowa offensive line, most notably left tackle Brandon Scherff, who wound up being a top five pick by the Redskins. Richardson was consistently winning one-on-one matchups, beating double teams, and creating havoc in the backfield.
With the type of talent around him in Denver, there’s certainly the possibility he could return to form.
What makes Richardson special as a football player is his high effort and intensity, but he has elite athleticism to back that up as well. He ran a sub-five second 40 yard dash at the Indiana pro day in 2015, and has nearly 35-inch arms.
This is a player that is going to figure into the rotation for the Denver Broncos in 2017, make no mistake about it. He has the talent, athleticism, and now the chip on his shoulder to prove that his 2015 season was no fluke. I love that the Broncos took a chance on him, and can’t wait to see how he responds after a year of working his way back into a stable NFL job.