3 players the Denver Broncos absolutely can't give up on in 2023

3 players the Denver Broncos can't give up on in 2023

3. Montrell Washington, WR/KR

The excitement level for young wide receiver Montrell Washington as of the 2022 NFL preseason was pretty much through the roof. There were people talking like he might end up being the most impactful rookie from the Denver Broncos' class last year.

Washington lit it up in training camp. He lit it up in the preseason. It looked like he was well on his way to absolutely balling out after being picked in the fifth round out of Samford.

It felt like every single day at Denver Broncos training camp last year, someone was talking about a big play Montrell Washington made. It was a diving catch here, a touchdown there, and chemistry with Russell Wilson was the center of all that talk. So what in the world happened?

Washington went from training camp/preseason superstar to being benched by Jerry Rosburg at the end of last season. He finished the year with 32 punt returns and an average of 8.5 yards per return. He had five total fumbles, one of which cost the Denver Broncos on Monday night in overtime against the Chargers. He had many questionable decisions in the return game, just in general.

It wasn't all bad in Montrell's rookie season, but it was mostly bad. So why shouldn't the Broncos give up on him? Well, it's hard to ignore what he was able to do last offseason. Washington was seemingly playing with house money and he made a ton of plays day after day. If he is able to progress in year two, this is a guy with good speed who is very creative in space. He can be an asset to your offense and return game if used properly.

The Broncos can't be having another Isaiah McKenzie situation on their hands.