Broncos WR Bennie Fowler Ready to Be Vaulted in 2015
We took a little bit closer look the other day at what the ‘bottom’ of the depth chart at the Denver Broncos wide receiver position looks like, and it included 2014 undrafted free agent Bennie Fowler, who is entering his second year with the team.
Aug 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler (16) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Texans defeated the Broncos 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Fowler, a 6-2, 220 pound specimen out of Michigan State with great timed speed and athletic measurables, was added to Denver’s practice squad last year after a solid training camp and pre-season where he had started to build some chemistry with Brock Osweiler.
The book on Bennie Fowler coming out of the draft was that he had a lot of ‘untapped’ potential. This is a guy with an excellent athletic makeup but why was there not great production at Michigan State?
Fowler struggled through injury and inconsistency at MSU but capped off his career by averaging over 17 yards per catch with six touchdown grabs. He also proved he could play some special teams. His senior season, combined with the awesome pro day workout he had, prompted NFL teams to take a second look, and while he wasn’t drafted, there would be competition for his services as a UDFA pickup.
The Broncos won out.
After a year ‘on call’ on the Broncos practice squad, Fowler is ready to make a leap (hopefully) onto the active roster with the rest of Denver’s star studded group of wideouts. He’s got the special teams ability, the size, the speed, and now a year of experience under his belt. All that’s left is whether or not Fowler feels ready, and apparently, he is.
“I’m definitely more comfortable this offseason, going into my second season with the team,” Fowler said in a great piece by MLive.Com’s Mike Griffith.
“I’m confident, I’ve made the adjustments the coaches wanted me to make, I’ve improved in a lot of areas, and I’m excited and more comfortable. I know I’m going to make the roster.”
Fowler had a pretty modest 2014 preseason, but he was making waves in training camp and over the course of the offseason in general. He had made an impression early on with his physicality off the line and the way that he was able to beat press coverage with his strength.
When we scouted Fowler at the time of his signing last year post-draft, one of the things we kept reading was how he was a player that liked to absorb as much information as he could. There’s no doubt he signed in Denver for a chance to learn from Peyton Manning and company. It sounds like all that studying and listening has paid dividends, because Fowler is as confident as ever.
Later on in camp, it was reported that Fowler was taking 2nd team reps and developing strong chemistry with Osweiler.
This guy has been one of the most written about practice squad players perhaps in the history of Predominantly Orange, but he continues to do positive things to plant himself firmly on the map. With the current situation at wide receiver, there’s no question Fowler has a shot at the 53-man roster.
For what it’s worth, too, Fowler was the highest graded Bronco last year in the pre-season on special teams by Pro Football Focus. H/t to user anon76returns for that heads up in a previous article.
This is, as he was last year at this time, a really intriguing prospect. Hopefully we can see the strides he’s made as a receiver and the roster spot will simply take care of itself.