Denver Broncos: Jeff Heuerman draws rave reviews from coaches
The Denver Broncos put Jeff Heuerman atop the depth chart curiously, but the coaches couldn’t help but rave about him after day 12 of camp…
When the Denver Broncos released their first depth chart of the 2018 season, Jeff Heuerman was curiously on top at the tight end position.
Considering the hard stance Vance Joseph had taken at the end of OTAs about guys needing to practice to make the team, Heuerman’s spot on the depth chart and the faith the coaching staff had in him was pretty interesting.
Heuerman returned to practice after the Broncos’ preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and he was apparently feeling — and looking — phenomenal on the practice field for day 12.
After practice, both Vance Joseph and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave were highly complimentary of their starting tight end.
"“He looked fresh. He looked great yesterday. Obviously, he’s been down for about almost two weeks, so he should look fresh, but so far so good.”Head coach Vance Joseph (quotes via Broncos PR)"
Compared to what Bill Musgrave had to say, Joseph’s comments look like a harsh critique of Heuerman.
"“Watching him today was great. He’s got some fresh legs. He was he was the fastest guy we had on the field today, running away from safeties and backers and even corners. When he’s healthy—we’ve just got to get him healthy of course—he’s got a lot of skills. We saw those when we played the Colts last year and out here in practice. If we can get his knee right, he’s going to really be a weapon for us.”Bill Musgrave"
Amid rumors that Heuerman could be on the chopping block or available for trade, these types of comments seem to indicate the Broncos have no intention of moving on from their former third-round pick.
After all, if Heuerman is to break out this season, the Broncos deserve to reap the benefits of that breakout.
He missed his entire rookie season in 2015 with a torn ACL and has had a difficult time staying on the field for extended periods of time.
As a result, he has just 18 receptions over the past two seasons, which is actually the most for any tight end on the Broncos’ roster.
Next. Broncos vs. Bears storylines. dark
We were a bit upset about Heuerman getting the seniority treatment with the little experience he has, but if this type of play continues into regular season games, everyone’s going to be glad the Broncos exercised patience with him.
Heuerman is an exceptional athlete with size, speed, and strength, perhaps even better speed than anyone realizes. It’s time to see all of those skills translate to the field.