Denver Broncos steal from the Raiders to replace KJ Hamler

The Denver Broncos lost KJ Hamler to a season-ending ACL injury. To replace him, they stole David Moore from their division rival Las Vegas Raiders.

The Denver Broncos are bleeding a little bit at wide receiver after the loss of both Jerry Jeudy in week one (ankle, 6-8 weeks) and KJ Hamler in week three (ACL, season-ending). Those two players were obviously major parts of the team’s offensive gameplan this season, so losing both in the first three games?

Well, that’s not exactly ideal.

Going into their week four matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the Denver Broncos will be without both Jeudy and Hamler, but they do have some reinforcements on the way.

The Denver Broncos have reportedly stolen a player off of the practice squad of their division rival Las Vegas Raiders, who like the Broncos are still undefeated three games into the season.

Denver Broncos steal David Moore from Raiders after KJ Hamler injury

It was essential for the Denver Broncos to add someone at the receiver position with legitimate NFL experience.

I had scoured some possible options via free agency, other practice squad players, as well as a trade option, but the Denver Broncos went after one of the guys that wasn’t on my initial list. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad option.

In fact, David Moore has been quite productive and is still just 26 years old.

He spent four years in Seattle with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks and caught 13 touchdowns in the last three seasons while missing just two games.

He’s got 78 career receptions for 1,163 yards and an average of 14.9 per catch.

Most importantly, he’s going to help the Denver Broncos replace KJ Hamler’s deep speed, and he’s absolutely on-brand with what general manager George Paton has preferred in terms of elite athletes at their respective positions.

Moore is obviously very strong, fast, explosive, and that speed has translated to the field. He signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this past offseason in free agency, but couldn’t crack their final roster after the emergence of second-round rookie Terrace Marshall.

It’s obviously going to take a group effort to “replace” what KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy bring to the Denver Broncos. The team can’t really afford to go into another regular season game with just Diontae Spencer and Kendall Hinton behind Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick.

The Broncos already led the league in running 13 personnel (one back, three tight ends) and that is likely to continue if not increase in the coming weeks, but the wide receiver position needs more proven depth and Moore provides it.

It would still be great to see the Denver Broncos make a move on a player like John Brown, Golden Tate, or even trade for Brandin Cooks if he becomes available by Houston.

Even if that doesn’t end up being the case, the Broncos will certainly hope that David Moore can do what he does best and make big plays.

He has at least one play of 50-plus yards in each of the last three seasons.

His vertical speed and ability to win contested-catch situations will be valuable for the Broncos even when Jerry Jeudy returns from injury.

Moore has also been used out of the backfield in the past with 91 rushing yards on 12 career carries as well as in the return game with 22 punt returns and four kickoff returns.

He’s played over 200 special teams snaps in general over the last two seasons, so he has added value in that phase as well.

Broncos should call these receivers after KJ Hamler’s injury

The Denver Broncos may need to call on some reinforcements at the wide receiver position after KJ Hamler's latest injury.

Overall, Moore seems like a really nice signing for the Denver Broncos all things considered and we’ll almost undoubtedly see Moore in uniform against the Baltimore Ravens.