Tag: Brandon McManus

Jaguars ST coordinator Heath Farwell explains blocked field goal error

Heath Farwell explained why there was a crease exploited by Will Anderson Jr. on a blocked field goal.

After a sluggish start for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, momentum swung even harder in the Houston Texans’ direction when a 51-yard field goal attempt for Brandon McManus was blocked. Instead of cutting the Texans’ lead to 7-3, the visiting team quickly ballooned its lead to 14 points.

To block the kick, the Texans didn’t have a speedy player dive to make the play after bending around the edge. They didn’t have a player jump over the lines. And there wasn’t a Jaguars lineman pancaked on his back by a Houston player bulldozing his way to the kicker.

So why was Texans rookie linebacker Will Anderson Jr. able to squeeze through a gap and make the play?

“The way field goal protection works, everybody has to be in unison,” Jaguars special teams coordinator Heath Farwell explained Thursday. “It’s all interlocked in. When you have one guy that’s off or two guys that are off, you get a little crease.

“Our left tackle who has done a really good job for us so far this season, just got a little leaning forward and didn’t get his outside arm up. His job is to be interlocked in with that tackle, and make sure he has a heavy weight foot as his inside foot, so he doesn’t get pried out. Also, get a good arm hook. When you get a little crease like that, a good rusher like [Anderson], he’s able to get in there.”

While Farwell didn’t name anyone specifically, the issue came when tackles Walker Little and Anton Harrison didn’t work in unison on the left side of the line.

“Just not great execution and that’s on me,” Farwell said. “That’s something we have got to be much cleaner, that’s something we will work on a ton and it’s been addressed. We’re moving forward with it.”

It was one of two massive errors for the Jaguars special teams unit Sunday, as the team also allowed Texans fullback Andrew Beck to break free for an 85-yard kickoff return.

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While Wil Lutz struggled, Brandon McManus was perfect in Week 1

New Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed a PAT and a FG on Sunday. Ex-Denver kicker Brandon McManus went 5-of-5 on his kicks in Week 1.

Denver Broncos fans can’t help but keep track of Brandon McManus’ performances with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

McManus was Denver’s full-time kicker from 2015-2022, helping the team win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. He was unceremoniously dumped by Sean Payton this offseason, with the new coach citing the best interests of the team — including cap space — as a reason.

McManus quickly landed with the Jaguars.

Denver originally brought in Elliott Fry and Brett Maher after cutting McManus but following underwhelming summers, both kickers were cut. Payton then traded a seventh-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for Wil Lutz, who kicked for Payton from 2016-2020.

Making his Bronco debut on Sunday, Lutz first missed an extra point attempt before later missing a 55-yard field goal attempt wide right. He did later convert a PAT and a 24-yard field goal, but his two misses proved to be costly in a game that ended up being decided by one point.

Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, McManus went 1-of-1 on his 45-yard field goal attempt and 4-of-4 on extra point attempts on Sunday. Maher, who landed with the Los Angeles Rams, went 3-of-5 on field goal attempts and 3-of-3 on extra point attempts in Week 1.

By switching from McManus to Lutz, Denver saved $2.05 million in salary cap space this offseason. If Lutz doesn’t start performing better in the coming weeks, fans will soon wish the Broncos looked elsewhere to create cap space — if they aren’t wishing that already.

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How much did the Broncos save going from Brandon McManus to Wil Lutz?

By switching from Brandon McManus to Wil Lutz this offseason, the Broncos ended up with a net savings of $2.05 million in salary cap space.

The New Orleans Saints traded kicker Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick (and the kicker’s agent was not happy about it).

By acquiring Lutz, the Broncos are also inheriting part of his contract. New Orleans will still have his prorated $2.42 million signing bonus counting against their salary cap, but Denver will take on the kicker’s 2023 salary.

Lutz is set to have a $1.25 million salary cap hit and a $450,000 game-day roster bonus, according to OverTheCap.com. That means his total salary hit with the Broncos this season will be $1.7 million.

When the team released veteran kicker Brandon McManus earlier this year, Denver took on a $1,231,250 “dead money” cap hit. Combined with Lutz’s $1.7 million cap hit, the Broncos now have $2,931,250 invested in the kicker position this year.

Denver created a net savings of $3.75 million when they cut McManus. So after all the dust settles, the Broncos will have a net savings of $2.05 million after switching from McManus to Lutz at kicker.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: K Brandon McManus

The Jaguars surprised many when they signed Brandon McManus, but the team’s new kicker has been impressive in camp.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is underway. Join us for a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

Kicker didn’t jump out as a problem for the Jacksonville Jaguars after Riley Patterson seized the role during the 2022 season and made 30 of his 35 field goal attempts.

So a lot of people were stunned in May when the Jaguars cut ties with Patterson to bring in Brandon McManus.

The former Denver Broncos kicker has dissipated those concerns by drilling kicks throughout training camp from distances that the Jaguars hesitated to try kicks from in 2022.

Once one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL, McManus is hoping to find that consistency again in his first season in Jacksonville.

Contract (2023): $1,500,000 base salary, $500,000 signing bonus, $2,000,000 cap hit.

Acquired: The Jaguars signed McManus as a veteran free agent on May 25, 2023.

PFF grades:

  • 64.7 (2022 – DEN)
  • 78.1 (2021 – DEN)
  • 70.1 (2020 – DEN)
  • 67.7 (2019 – DEN)
  • 71.3 (2018 – DEN)
  • 52.9 (2017 – DEN)
  • 68.8 (2016 – DEN)
  • 68.9 (2015 – DEN)
  • 50.5 (2014 – DEN)

Highlight:

Quote: “This team is up and coming, a lot of young roster here. A phenomenal run to close out the season last year as AFC South champions and then an incredible comeback in the playoff game. I’m a big fan of Doug Pederson as well, what he was able to do in Philadelphia, win a Super Bowl. A lot of that culmination here, obviously it’s a beautiful place to live here in Jacksonville, Florida.” – McManus

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50)
Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55) Yasir Abdullah (No. 56)
Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64) Chandler Brewer (No. 67)
Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73) Cam Robinson (No. 74)
Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79) Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80)
Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87) Oliver Martin (No. 88)
Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Dawuane Smoot (No. 91) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus (No. 10) Jacob Harris (No. 83)
Josh Pederson (No. 49)

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Broncos Wire podcast: Suspensions, Dalvin Cook, injuries and more

On the latest Broncos Wire podcast, Ryan O’Leary and Jon Heath discuss whether or not Denver should try to sign RB Dalvin Cook. Listen in!

As the slowest part of the NFL offseason drags on, the Broncos Wire podcast has returned for a mid-summer catchup episode.

The Denver Broncos have cut and signed several players since our last episode, so I joined host Ryan O’Leary to discuss the big news items that have happened since we last talked, including running back Dalvin Cook becoming a free agent.

You can listen to episode No. 81 below:

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
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Our unedited notes for this week’s pod can be seen below. 

Eyioma Uwazurike suspended indefinitely for gambling 
  • Name: E-yoh-mah Ooh-WHA-zah-REE-kay (He’s fine with “Innie”)
  • Innie was a 4th-round pick last year and played in eight games. He was a rotational defensive lineman and would have had a chance to compete for a larger role this summer.
  • He will miss at least the entire 2023 season and can’t apply for reinstatement until next year.
  • The Broncos were already thin on the defensive line.
Injury update: Good news for Javonte Williams, Tim Patrick
  • Broncos put WR KJ Hamler and DL Mike Purcell on non-football injury list
  • Denver put OLB Baron Browning and WR Kendall Hinton on PUP list
  • Javonte Williams (ACL) and Tim Patrick (ACL) were NOT placed on an injury list, a sign that they’ve been cleared for the start of training camp.
Brandon McManus was cut in May
  • McManus, 31, ranked 29th among kickers in field goal percentage (77.8%) last season. He was set to have the sixth-highest cap hit among kickers in 2023. Denver saved $3.75 million in salary cap space by releasing him.
  • McManus will be remembered for going a perfect 10-of-10 on field goal attempts during the 2015 playoffs, including 3-of-3 in Super Bowl 50. He was the last remaining player from the Super Bowl roster and he ends up second on the team’s all-time scoring list (946 points), only trailing Jason Elam.
  • It’s sad to see team legends get cut, but it’s understandable that the Broncos wanted to save salary cap space after McManus’ disappointing 2022 season.
So what’s the plan at kicker now?
  • Elliott Fry was signed in May, then the team added vet Brett Maher this month.
  • Fry had a good season in the AAF but he has only appeared in three NFL games in his career. Maher went 29-of-32 on FGs last season but got the yips in the playoffs and went 1-6 on extra point attempts in two postseason games.
  • Sean Payton has shown little patience for poor kicker play in the past — he burned through nine different kickers in his first ten years with the Saints before landing on Wil Lutz. (Maher kicked for Payton in 2021.)
OLB Frank Clark was signed and OT Cam Fleming was re-signed 
  • Fleming started 15 games last season. He will now serve as the team’s top backup swing tackle behind Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey.
  • Clark spent the last four years with the Chiefs, totaling 23.5 sacks and winning two Super Bowls. He’s a big-game player with 13.5 sacks in 13 playoff starts, including 2.5 sacks in the playoffs last year.
  • In an ideal world, Clark, 30, would be an excellent rotational pass rusher. With all the injuries Denver has had at OLB, though, he might start a bunch of games this season.
  • Randy Gregory is currently healthy, but Baron Browning underwent offseason knee surgery and will begin training camp on the PUP list. If Browning misses time early in the season, Gregory and Clark will start at OLB.
Dalvin Cook was cut by Minnesota — should Denver sign him?
  • Cook, 27, was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2017 draft when George Paton was serving as Minnesota’s assistant GM and VP of player personnel.
  • George Payton likes to add RBs and Sean Payton has invested in the position in the past as well. If they can afford him, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos try to sign Cook., but reports have downplayed the possibility.
  • Denver has the fourth-best odds to sign Cook behind the Pats, Dolphins and Jets.
  • Of note: Cook is set to go to trial next year for domestic abuse allegations from 2021.
We will return later in the offseason with new podcast episodes as news pops up. If you enjoy this podcast, you can check out previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on your podcast service of choice. Please consider giving the podcast a positive rating and review!

You can listen to every past episode below or at this link.

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The best player to ever wear No. 8 for the Broncos was …

Gary Kubiak only started 5 games as a QB, but he won 3 SBs as a coach. Brandon McManus won Super Bowl 50. Who is the Broncos’ best No. 8?

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As our best Denver Broncos players to wear each number series continues, we’ve reached jersey No. 8.

The first candidate for consideration is former backup quarterback Gary Kubiak, who played in Denver from 1983-1991 and went 3-2 as a fill-in starter. Kubiak’s on-field contributions as a player were modest, but he later returned to the club as a QBs coach and offensive coordinator.

Kubiak helped the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls while serving as John Elway’s QB coach and offensive coordinator. Kubiak later served as head coach from 2015-2016, helping the team win Super Bowl 50. Although he served as a backup during his playing days, Kubiak had a hand in all three of Denver’s Super Bowl wins.

The other candidate to consider is kicker Brandon McManus, who had a much more accomplished career as a player. McManus kicked for the Broncos from 2014-2022, scoring 946 points (which ranks second on the team’s all-time scoring list). McManus also went 3-of-3 on field goal attempts in the team’s 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

So who was the best player to ever wear No. 8 for the Broncos? You decide! Share your take by voting in the poll below.

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Denver Broncos’ top-12 all-time scoring leaders

Rich Karlis, who ranks fifth on the Broncos’ all-time scoring list, kicked barefoot — even in snow!

Today we’re taking a quick look at the top-12 leaders on the Denver Broncos’ all-time scoring list (excluding quarterbacks).

The top-six players on the list are all kickers, with two-time Super Bowl champion Jason Elam leading the way at No. 1 with 1,786 points. Following the departure of Brandon McManus (946 points) this offseason, nobody will come anywhere close to Elam’s record anytime soon.

The first non-kicker on the list is two-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Rod Smith with 428 points. Below him are three running backs, a fellow receiver and a tight end to round out the top 12.

(And yes, Rich Karlis kicked barefoot, even in the cold.)

Cutting Brandon McManus was a ‘tough call’ for Broncos ST coach Ben Kotwica

“Making that transaction was a tough call,” Broncos ST coach Ben Kotwica said of the team parting ways with kicker Brandon McManus.

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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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Broncos give Brandon McManus’ old jersey number to a cornerback

Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams is switching to jersey No. 8, which was previously worn by kicker Brandon McManus from 2014-2022. 

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NFL teams move on quickly.

Denver Broncos cornerback K’Waun Williams has switched from jersey No. 21 to jersey No. 8, the team announced Tuesday. That number, of course, was previously worn by kicker Brandon McManus from 2014-2022.

McManus was cut by the Broncos last month. He ranks second on the team’s all-time scoring list and was a key member of the club’s Super Bowl 50 win following the 2015 season.

Thanks for the memories, Brandon. Here’s No. 8, K’Waun.

In related number news, Denver guard/center Will Fuller has switched from No. 55 to No. 51. The two previous numbers worn by Willians and Fuller — 21 and 55 — are now available for other players.

The most significant number news for the Broncos this offseason is that outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper will wear No. 0. Cooper will mark just the second player in franchise history to have a zero on his uniform, joining former fullback Johnny Olszewski (1962).

Fans should note that all numbers are subject to change during the offseason. Numbers will be finalized when the 53-man roster is set in August.

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