5 Denver Broncos who badly needed a good training camp
- WR who ended 2022 in the doghouse
- Which players that needed to step up are stepping up at camp?
4. Montrell Washington, wide receiver
The 2022 season was a huge disappointment, for the most part, for wide receiver/punt returner Montrell Washington.
Washington was a training camp superstar for the Denver Broncos last year, making jaw-dropping plays daily in practice and proving consistency as a punt returner as well. The Broncos brought him in as a 5th-round pick believing that he could really be the team's long-term solution in the return game, but Washington was so good offensively throughout training camp that you kind of started to wonder how quickly he could solidify a role with the top offense in the regular season.
Unfortunately, even with some flashes in the first couple of weeks, the season did not go as planned for Washington. He did not carve out a full-time role in the offense. He had just two yards on four receptions.
That's not a misprint.
On top of not having a role in the offense, Washington had five fumbles last season and was benched over the final two weeks by interim head coach Jerry Rosburg. That was particularly concerning because Rosburg is a special teams guy, and he was actively trying to give guys opportunities.
Montrell Washington looks like he’s making a leap in his second training camp: https://t.co/Pxm3i8n7SJ
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 3, 2023
Needless to say, Washington needed to have a good training camp for the Broncos to even have a shot at making the team, and he's done just that. We actually highlighted Washington in a recent post about some surprise camp standouts. He's been making plays for the offense and with the season-ending injury suffered by Tim Patrick as well as KJ Hamler being waived, Washington's roster chances are given new life.