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The Denver Broncos have a new special teams coordinator in Ben Kotwica this year and a completely overhauled special teams depth chart.
One of the biggest changes Denver made on special teams this offseason was releasing veteran kicker Brandon McManus, who later landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Kotwica did not ultimately make the final call to cut McManus, but he was part of the conversation.
“Making that transaction was a tough call,” Kotwica said last week. “I think there was a lot of thought going into that. He did a lot of great things here. As a matter of fact, I remember working him out at Temple back in the day outside of Philadelphia when I was with the Jets at that time. He’s done a lot of great things, but that’s part of the business. Transactions occur, and there will be more transactions.”
After cutting McManus, the Broncos signed Elliott Fry to a one-year contract and they invited Randy Bullock to try out at minicamp. Bullock hasn’t been signed so far, but Denver will continue to monitor the kicker market.
“We wish [McManus] nothing but the best,” Kotwica said. “Going to Jacksonville, I think that’s a great spot for him. I know he has a home in Florida. We’re excited about the guys we have in Elliott and Randy. We’ll see how this takes fold as we move forward to the season.”
Denver saved $3.75 million in salary cap space with the McManus release, a move that helped the team afford pass rusher Frank Clark. McManus will be fondly remembered for his contributions during the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 run in 2015, but the team will have a new, cheaper kicker in 2023.
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