Denver Broncos work out punter Shane Tripucka

The Denver Broncos may be bringing in another member of the Tripucka family, as punter Shane Tripucka will work out for the team.

The Denver Broncos are bringing in potential competition for punter Colby Wadman, and they are bringing in former quarterback Frank Tripucka’s grandson.

Former Texas A&M punter Shane Tripucka had a tryout for the Broncos, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

In 27 games at Texas A&M, Tripucka punted 154 times for 6,826 yards. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt during his collegiate career. Tripucka was previously with the Los Angeles Chargers.

If Tripucka’s name sounds familiar, that’s because his grandfather, the late Frank Tripucka, is in the Broncos Ring of Fame. His number 18 is retired in Denver but he allowed it to be unretired in 2012 when Peyton Manning signed with the team. He passed away in 2013.

The Broncos have desperately needed help at punter. Colby Wadman has not been doing the job well enough. During the team’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Wadman’s longest punt traveled just 36 yards.  His longest punt this season is 64 yards. However, he just has been very inconsistent.

Wadman tied for 8th in the league in punts that were downed inside the 20-yard line with 24.

The Broncos look to get an early start on the future and punter is a position that is pretty important in the NFL.

According to NFL.com, Tripucka has some interesting grades from Lance Zierlein, including a 9/10 chance of becoming a once-in-a-lifetime player, perennial all-pro, and Pro Bowl-caliber player. 

It will be interesting to see how Shane Tripucka did in his workout. Will it be enough to show that he has what it takes for the Denver Broncos to sign him? Honestly, it feels as if plenty of punters would be able to do that. The Broncos are considering someone who has ties to the team.

With three games left on the schedule for the 2019 season, we might see this move as an upgrade going forward but that will come in time.

The Broncos, who are just 5-8 on the season, have a chance to be 8-8 by season’s end and are looking to find players they feel can be an upgrade at any position going forward.