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Denver Broncos roster battle: Tyrie Cleveland vs. Tim Patrick

By Sayre Bedinger

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 25: Wide Receiver Tyrie Cleveland #9 from Florida of the South Team during the 2020 Resse's Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 25: Wide Receiver Tyrie Cleveland #9 from Florida of the South Team during the 2020 Resse's Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 25, 2020 in Mobile, Alabama. The North Team defeated the South Team 34 to 17. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos, Tim Patrick
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 16: Tim Patrick #81 of the Denver Broncos runs with the ball after making a reception against the Oakland Raiders at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on September 16, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Tim Patrick

Advantages

Size

Tim Patrick is listed at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds compared to Cleveland, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds.

There’s no question that Patrick likes to use his size to his advantage. He is a prototypical ‘X’ receiver in the NFL with his combination of size, leaping ability, and aggressiveness at the catch point.

Actual experience/proven special teams value

Patrick has been in the NFL and the Broncos since the middle of the 2017 season. He saw his first regular season action in 2018 and caught 23 passes, including his first (and only, to this point) career touchdown.

Patrick has 39 career receptions, 29 of which have been for first downs or a touchdown.

He also has experience on special teams. In 2018, he played 49 percent of the Broncos’ special teams snaps. because of his injury in 2019, he didn’t play but 13 special teams snaps.

The Broncos value him highly

The Broncos value Patrick highly enough that he was one of the two players they decided to bring back off of injured reserve last season, including quarterback Drew Lock.

He’s been with the Broncos for parts of four different seasons now, and the fact that he’s stuck around as long as he has is a testament not only to his hard work but how much the team likes what he brings to the table.

Development

Patrick has developed primarily in Denver since coming out of Utah, though he spent his first offseason in the league with the San Francisco 49ers.

Since joining Denver, the Broncos have been the team to see his development through to this point. He’s still just 26 going on 27, so it could be that Patrick is stepping into his best years as a professional.

Disadvantages

Injury issues

Dating back to his years in college, injury issues have plagued Patrick. He made an incredible recovery from what could have been a career-ending injury in college and stayed healthy through his first NFL season, but he’s coming off of a year in which he missed half the season with a broken hand, then struggled with a shoulder injury after that.

Age

Although Patrick isn’t old, he’s older than Tyrie Cleveland by four years. That’s something teams will factor in when building a roster, certainly.

Separating himself

Although Patrick made a nice impact in his first game back off of IR last season and he’s had a handful of big plays in the last two years, he’s yet to solidify and separate himself as someone the Broncos need to keep on the field.

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