The Denver Broncos scoured the waiver wire for options in the return game and found an absolute gem in Diontae Spencer. What impact can he make?
The last time the Denver Broncos had a dynamic return man was also the last time Joe Flacco made a significant throw in the Mile High City.
Not since Trindon Holliday in 2012 have the Broncos had a dynamic presence in the return game, but that could all change with the team’s addition of Diontae Spencer, a dynamic playmaker who is getting a second shot at the NFL after spending the last four years playing in the CFL.
The Broncos would have probably loved more than 25 games from Trindon Holliday, who gave them six return touchdowns overall (including playoffs) but he fumbled the ball 10 times and became too much of a liability to keep around.
The Broncos are hoping Spencer — who returned 191 punts in the CFL and has consistently proven his worth offensively — can be a dynamic presence for their team, first and foremost on special teams.
I did a quick video breakdown of his skills and what he brings to the table as a returner and offensive weapon which you can find here.
The Broncos have caught a lot of flak for not having a deep roster this offseason, and many pointed to the fact that they made seven additions to the team after setting the initial roster as a strong argument in favor of this team having a lack of depth.
While the Broncos are not deep in certain areas, the moves they made on Sunday strengthened the team in just about every way, and most notably, I think they improved the roster on special teams.
The Broncos were dead last in the NFL in punt return average last year — 4.4 yards per return. Part of the problem was they had no one back there who could catch the ball and make a play after the catch.
Spencer appears to have that ability.
Despite the high volume of returns in the CFL, he managed to average 11.6 yards per return. In preseason play with the Steelers, he caught three passes for 10 yards or more, had run plays of 29 and 19 yards, and three returns of 30 yards or better — two on punts, one on a kickoff.
He averaged 14.7 yards per return in preseason play and understandably caught the attention of the Broncos.
Now, ironically wearing Holliday’s old no. 11 jersey, Spencer will be the guy returning punts for the Broncos, attempting to solve a problem that has seemingly been never-ending for this team.
Hopefully he can provide some stability, but not only that, hopefully he can become an asset both on special teams and offense.
He showed it in preseason play with the Steelers, his first shot in the NFL since 2014. Let’s see if he can do it in orange and blue.