Denver Broncos: Top 15 moves over the last three offseasons
15. Claiming Diontae Spencer off waivers (2019)
The Denver Broncos had a serious issue in the kick and punt return game before the arrival of return specialist Diontae Spencer in 2019.
Spencer was overlooked coming out of McNeese State in 2014 despite running a blazing 4.34 in the 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical jump.
His diminutive 5-foot-8, 173-pound frame led him to the Canadian Football League, where he became one of the elite return men in the game.
Spencer’s prowess as a receiver and returner in Canada earned him a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster in the 2019 offseason, and he used that as an opportunity to audition for all 31 other teams as well.
That's how you start the second half, @DSpencer4_!#BeatTheLions pic.twitter.com/47ur2ugji7
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 22, 2019
In case anyone ever wants to try and tell you that preseason play doesn’t matter, let it be known that it was Spencer’s preseason tape that got him a regular-season spot on the Broncos’ roster.
When the Steelers opted to cut Spencer, he wound up in Denver and he became a Pro Bowl alternate as a return specialist in 2019.
The Broncos brought Spencer back for another season as an exclusive rights free agent in 2020, and he figures to have a good shot of being the team’s primary return man again.