Denver Broncos: 5 moves in 2021 the team may live to regret
3. Moves that could have upgraded special teams
This one is a tough one because on one hand, you expect guys to live up to their contracts and you also expect young players to make their mark on special teams.
On the other hand, the Denver Broncos have continued to roll with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon despite more than underwhelming special teams play in recent years.
As good as Brandon McManus has been, and as much of a godsend as Diontae Spencer was upon his arrival in 2019, the decision to stick with McMahon is one that could haunt the Denver Broncos in the 2021 season.
The Broncos also cut a player in safety Chris Cooper who blew the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff away with his special teams play in the preseason and wound up as one of only three non-draft selections to make the Bucs’ roster that weren’t on it last season.
The Broncos cut Cooper in June, but they really couldn’t have taken him on the 90-man roster into the preseason to see if he could contribute to an area of the team that they ultimately had to trade for someone to try and help?
Not only did the Broncos trade for someone to help special teams (meaning they gave up draft assets) but they also used a waiver claim on a defensive back who will hopefully help in that phase of the game.
They needed to go out of house for two special teams players just for coverage units.
I think the Broncos also missed an opportunity to do a late-pick swap with the Los Angeles Rams for punter Corey Bojorquez. Bojorquez went absolutely bonkers in a preseason game against Denver, booming the ball in the punting game and flipping the field for the Rams with ease. The Green Bay Packers saw it and made a deal for him.
Meanwhile, the lone memorable play from Sam Martin’s preseason was a punt that was partially blocked.
I’m not trying to be overly negative here, but it’s fair to be critical given the fact that special teams simply cannot be the reason the Denver Broncos miss the playoffs in 2021.