Despite doing a little deep-sea fishing over the past year at the wide receiver position, the Denver Broncos weren't able to reel in anything worth writing home about. Instead, the Broncos might have just admitted they made a mistake on their only notable free agent move at the receiver position.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Broncos brought back wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who left for the New York Giants this offseason and was sitting around on their practice squad. Humphrey's return to Denver felt like a clear admission of the team's mistake to bring in Trent Sherfield.
Sherfield signed with the Broncos in free agency after playing last year with the Minnesota Vikings, and he's already almost eclipsed the number of snaps he played all of last season. He's played 163 snaps already this year for the Broncos after playing just 179 snaps for the Vikings last season. The Humphrey signing really leads you to believe (if only a bit) that the Broncos are admitting the Sherfield move was a mistake.
Broncos admit Trent Sherfield signing was a mistake with Lil'Jordan Humphrey reunion
Sherfield signed a two-year deal worth $6 million in total money, but only $1.5 million in guarantees. During the preseason, we actually saw him make a lot more plays in the passing game than really anyone expected, so it seemed like the Broncos might have gotten even more than they were hoping for out of the move.
So far this season, Sherfield has just three receptions for 21 yards, and he's not providing the value in the blocking department or even on special teams that the Broncos might have hoped for.
The former point about blocking is a huge reason why Lil'Jordan Humphrey was brought back. Sean Payton noted after the signing was made that one of the reasons why it's nice to have Humphrey back is that they know what they're getting from him. He's consistent with what he brings to the table.
For all his faults as a receiving option, Humphrey had consistently been a good blocker for the Broncos both in the run game and the quick passing game. We'll know for sure whether the Broncos are admitting defeat on Sherfield this week based on whether or not he suits up against the Chiefs, and whether Humphrey is on the field or not.
The move itself to bring back Humphrey might be evidence enough. The Broncos need their quick passing game to be effective with the aggressive Steve Spagnuolo defense on deck, and it's become clearer over the course of the season that Sherfield is not cutting it.