The Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, but they had to give up Noah Fant to get it done. Who replaces him?
The Denver Broncos have acquired quarterback Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. It’s still surreal to say.
Acquiring Wilson has set the Denver Broncos on a completely different course as a franchise, but it obviously came at a significant cost. Not only did the Broncos have to part with five draft choices to acquire Wilson, but they also had to part with three players including tight end Noah Fant.
The Denver Broncos do have third-year player Albert Okwuegbunam under contract but they will almost undoubtedly be looking for more help at the tight end position in free agency or the 2022 NFL Draft.
I have been banging the table for a free agent for some time.
Denver Broncos can add significant piece at TE in free agency
Now that Wilson is in the fold, additional plans need to be made. Where will the Denver Broncos look for additional help at the tight end position in free agency?
Let’s take a look at a handful of options that could make sense.
Denver Broncos TE option 1: Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers
Tom Brady has retired this offseason, but Rob Gronkowski has yet to do the same. Perhaps Gronkowski wants to test free agency and not just follow Brady this offseason.
If Gronk wants to continue playing, the Buffalo Bills certainly make a lot of sense given they are essentially his hometown team. The Titans make sense because they once tried to trade for him with general manager Jon Robinson at the helm.
The Denver Broncos make sense because they would be a ton of fun with Gronk joining the fray.
Gronkowski may not have a coaching connection or sentimental connection in Denver that is overly substantial, but the Broncos do present a clear path to a TE1 role for Gronkowski and he would obviously be part of a team that clearly plans on contending in 2022.
If there was no Russell Wilson trade, Gronkowski would not likely be an option. With the Wilson trade, I think it makes a lot more sense.
Even though Gronkowski may only be a one-year option, he would be a very fun one.
Denver Broncos TE option 2: Evan Engram, Giants
Although Evan Engram is bordering on wide receiver and not really tight end, I think he would be a fascinating option to replace Noah Fant.
Obviously, Fant wasn’t known for his blocking prowess when he was with the Denver Broncos and Engram isn’t really known for that either. That could certainly be a hangup here but in the interest of video game-like passing numbers, I think Engram is worthy of consideration.
Part of the excitement with bringing on a new quarterback was putting him with all of the weapons the Broncos had on the roster, and now that one of them is gone, it’s not difficult to get a little greedy and want that element of the offense back in play.
There would be nothing wrong with an expanded role for Albert Okwuegbunam but it would be unwise to rely on him and maybe another rookie to get the job done at tight end in the 2022 season.
You traded for the QB, there’s no reason to skimp in the weapons department, and I don’t think George Paton will.
Although the Broncos might target a tight end with better blocking abilities, I think the idea of adding Engram to the passing game has as much merit as any option on this list.
Denver Broncos TE option 3: OJ Howard, Buccaneers
Of all the options on this list, OJ Howard might be my favorite overall.
Adding Rob Gronkowski might be the coolest move considering he’s a surefire future Hall of Fame player, but as for the longer-term options, Howard might be my absolute favorite.
A first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Howard had a couple of really good seasons to start off his NFL career with the Buccaneers, averaging 16.6 yards per reception in his first 24 NFL games.
Unfortunately, injuries played a factor in his role diminishing with the Bucs over the last couple of seasons and he has just 25 receptions in his last 21 games.
The idea of Howard coming to Denver to play an expanded role has some outstanding potential.
Howard’s tight end coach in his first couple of seasons with the Buccaneers was Ben Steele, who is now an assistant coach on the Denver Broncos’ new staff.
Howard was an outstanding blocker and receiver coming out of college, and if you can get him on a relatively risk-free deal?
I think this is a no-brainer pickup for the Denver Broncos and someone you could pencil in as your TE1 for a team-friendly price.
Denver Broncos TE option 4: Robert Tonyan, Packers
Well, the Denver Broncos weren’t able to get Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
Oh well.
They might as well still get someone, right?
That someone could end up being Robert Tonyan, a tight end who had a massive breakout season in 2020.
Tonyan is only going to be 28 this season and had an outstanding RAS (relative athletic score) coming out of Indiana State a few years ago.
He will obviously have a great understanding of the offense Nathaniel Hackett and Justin Outten want to run given the fact he’s been in it for the past few seasons.
Tonyan caught 11 touchdown passes in 2020 but only played in eight games in 2021 and had just two touchdowns.
It’s fair to wonder whether Tonyan’s production in 2020 was just a blip on the radar and it’s also fair to wonder if Tonyan is more loyal to Aaron Rodgers than he is to the coaches that left the Packers to come to Denver.
But now, it’s not just the coaches in Denver — Russell Wilson is in town.
I think Tonyan would be a nice backup option if the Broncos can’t land a player that might be on a higher tier in free agency.
Denver Broncos TE option 5: Tyler Conklin, Vikings
Connections, connections, connections.
Free agency isn’t all about connections, but sometimes those matter a lot.
With so many tight ends getting the franchise tag in 2022, it’s possible that a player like Tyler Conklin will be placed way out of the Denver Broncos’ range in free agency, but he also might be the perfect replacement for Noah Fant out there.
He’s a young, ascending player, which is a huge plus.
He got a chance at an increased role this past season for the Vikings with Irv Smith Jr. injured and he did not disappoint.
Conklin caught 61 passes for 593 yards and three touchdowns last season in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
Klint Kubiak, you say?
That’s right, Klint Kubiak as in, the Denver Broncos’ new quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Kubiak was Conklin’s offensive coordinator last season with the Vikings but wait, there’s more!
George Paton was also part of drafting Conklin in 2018 out of Central Michigan.
I wonder if those relationships could come into play, and I think there’s a chance they will. Not only do the Denver Broncos have relationships and familiarity to offer Conklin, but they also have a clear TE1 role available for him, and not only that, but they also have Russell Wilson as the primary recruiting piece.
3 free agents the Denver Broncos must sign with Russell Wilson on board
The 2022 NFL Free Agency period is going to be an absolute blast for the Denver Broncos now that Russell Wilson has been acquired.
If Conklin wants to go to a great situation and get paid, the Denver Broncos might be the best possible option for him.