Virgil Green Ready for Expanded Role in 2015
For Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green, the 2015 season can’t get here soon enough.
The former 7th round pick in 2011 became the first John Elway draft pick to re-sign a contract this offseason (chalk that one up to Jeff Legwold at ESPN)
The expanded role for Virgil Green is something that we’ve all talked about for a long time, but to see it in action is going to be very exciting. With Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison, the Broncos are sure to use a lot more two-tight end sets than we have seen in the last three years, even with the Broncos’ excellent depth at the position since Peyton Manning came aboard.
With Green and veteran Owen Daniels, the Broncos have a really exciting pairing that can be devastating for teams to have to cover.
As much as he’s earned a reputation as a great blocker, Green came into this league known for his abilities as a pass catcher. We got to see some of that on display last pre-season and again in the regular season finale against the Raiders, when he caught his first NFL touchdown pass. (gif courtesy of Mile High Report)
With extra work this offseason with Peyton Manning, and a new offense that fits his skill set perfectly, we could see Green really morph into the player people thought he could be when he was coming out of Nevada. Some graded him at that point in time as a second or third round prospect, but he fell due to concerns about injuries.
Now, I’m going to throw out a comparison to another NFL player (who was also signed to a big contract this offseason) that I think Green favorably compares to — Charles Clay of the Buffalo Bills.
Clay can do a little bit of everything, and he does it really well. His role morphed in Miami from a decent pass catcher to being one of the best all-around and most coveted offensive pieces in the NFL. It took some time, but I think Green is in a pretty similar spot.
With his speed and athleticism, Green can easily stretch the middle of a defense, and his ability to catch the ball consistently away from his frame provides Peyton Manning another very large catch radius. With Julius Thomas in the fold, it’s been tough for Green to see many reps in the passing game, especially since the Broncos have also had guys like Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme. None of those guys are still in Denver, and now is Green’s time to shine.