Not only is everyone in Denver Broncos Country monitoring what GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are doing to whittle down their own roster to 53 guys, but we're also keeping an eye on what's going on with other teams around the league.
There are obviously going to be interesting trades and roster cuts worth monitoring over the next day or two that could end up impacting what the Broncos decide to do, and there might be an opportunity for the team to correct a mistake they made in the 2025 NFL Draft while simultaneously reuniting quarterback Bo Nix with one of his college teammates.
Scratch that -- reuniting Bo Nix with his brother, Tez Johnson.
Broncos could reunite Bo Nix and Tez Johnson if Bucs move on
The Broncos, just like the majority of the NFL, passed on the opportunity to draft Tez Johnson, the former Oregon Ducks star who wound up going to the Buccaneers in the 7th round. Johnson was considered one of the top steals of Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, and it felt like a little bit of a disappointment that the Broncos didn't snatch him up, even just for the cool storyline.
Circumstances in Denver have changed a bit since the 2025 NFL Draft. The Broncos only have five surefire wide receivers for their 53-man roster at this point after trading Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints for a couple of draft picks. If the Bucs decide to cut Johnson because of their plethora of young receivers, could the Broncos jump at the chance to add him?
It wouldn't be the worst idea, for a couple of reasons.
Johnson would be a fun developmental player for the Broncos both as a weapon offensively but also in the return game. It doesn't seem like they have an overly solidified situation behind Marvin Mims Jr. in the punt return department and need a contingency plan in case he has to miss time for any reason.
Johnson would also represent at least an interesting developmental project for the team at receiver and a bit of variance to the receiver group as a whole. Sean Payton definitely has a "type" at the receiver position, and Johnson is kind of the opposite of that. Where Payton prefers bigger-bodied receivers who can block as well as catch passes, Johnson is a small player at the position.
His preseason performance with the Bucs was a mixed bag, and I'm sure they would love to be able to sneak him onto their practice squad. But with the Broncos' newfound opening at receiver, you can't help but wonder if there might be some interest in bringing Johnson in.
And frankly, there may not be. We can only speculate at this point on what the team will try to do to fill out the 53-man roster, and adding a receiver wouldn't seem to be the highest priority in terms of an outside addition. But the idea of bringing Johnson in is a fun one, especially now that there's an opening following the trade of Devaughn Vele.