Tag: Frank Crum

Broncos coach Sean Payton likes OT Frank Crum’s toughness and intelligence

“He had traits we liked: toughness, intelligence,” Broncos coach said of OT Frank Crum. “We thought he had good feet and some versatility.”

After the 2024 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos landed three of the top undrafted free agent prospects, including Wyoming offensive tackle Frank Crum.

Crum (6-7, 315 pounds) played college football at Wyoming, earning first-team All-Mountain West recognition in 2023. Denver has limited depth at tackle, so Crum should have a decent chance to make the team this summer.

“He had traits,” Payton said when asked about Crum during rookie minicamp last month. “He was I think the last recruited free agent we signed. It took us probably two hours. We were all ready to go home, and we kept turning to the scouts and we were like, ‘Where are we at with Crum?’ But he had traits we liked: toughness, intelligence. We thought he had good feet and some versatility. Those are the things that stood out.”

Crum was recruited in part by offensive line coach Zach Strief, who played under Payton for 12 years in New Orleans before transitioning to coaching. Being close to his home state is just a bonus.

“Proximity is awesome for the state of Wyoming and my family, but that wasn’t the driving factor,” Crum said when asked why he signed with the Broncos. “[Denver] was the fit and Coach Strief believing and wanting me, that was the main driving force. That proximity wasn’t the biggest [factor], but it’s nice.” 

Strief, 40, won a Super Bowl with the Saints and while he only has three years of coaching under his belt, players respect Strief’s on-field accomplishments.

“He’s one of the best in the league and he lived it as well, which is a testament,” Crum said of his offensive line coach. “That’s awesome to have a guy like that in the room. I’ve really enjoyed these first couple of days and getting to know him and learn from him.”

Crum feels right at home in Colorado and appreciates the mentality the team’s coaching staff has established with the Broncos.

“Coming from Wyoming, it’s gritty and blue collar,” the rookie said. “I can really feel that the vibe is the same here right now. I’ve really enjoyed these first two days and [I’m] just learning and doing what I can do right now.”

Crum certainly isn’t a lock to make the 53-man roster, but he’s probably one of the favorites among the team’s UDFA class.

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Broncos’ UDFA contracts give hints about odds to make 53-man roster

Based on their contracts, Omar Brown, Blake Watson and Frank Crum appear to be Broncos’ early favorites to make the 53-man roster as UDFAs.

Following the 2024 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos have started filling out their 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents.

The guaranteed salaries for these UDFAs can give insights into which players were most coveted by the Broncos (and other teams).

We don’t yet know the contract details for wide receiver BJ West or tight end Dylan Leonard, but the 11 deals have been reported. Three players — defensive back Omar Brown, running back Blake Watson and offensive tackle Frank Crum — received $250,000 in guarantees, seemingly making them the early favorites to make the 53-man roster as UDFAs.

Four other players received guarantees north of $100,000. Four others were under $48,000. Here are the totals that have been reported so far:

We are tracking all of Denver’s UDFA signings on Broncos Wire.

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Packers mock draft 6.0: Final predictions for 2024 draft

Final mock draft predictions for the Packers entering the 2024 NFL draft in this seven-rounder.

We made it! The 2024 NFL Draft has arrived. The Green Bay Packers will start the three-day affair with 11 picks at their disposal. It’s time for my final mock draft of the cycle. In my final mock draft last year, I “correctly” mocked Lukas Van Ness, Jayden Reed and Anders Carlson to the Packers. We won’t talk about the rest of the mock picks.

Let’s take a look at who the Packers landed in my final mock draft of the cycle.

1.25: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

Surprise, surprise. DeJean would give Green Bay’s secondary a much-needed playmaker and he’d bring juice to the special teams unit. DeJean is an outstanding athlete. He has natural ball skills. He’s versatile and he’s an asset in run support.

2.41: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

The Alabama product is everything you want in a cornerback. He’s long, plays under control and never gives up the big play. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinstry only gave up two receptions of 30-plus yards over the past two seasons.

2.58: Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas

Puni offers five-position versatility. During his two seasons at Kansas, Puni started 13 games at left guard and 12 games at left tackle. During those two seasons, he gave up zero sacks and 16 pressures.

3. 88: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky

A former track athlete, Wallace is an outstanding athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. He’s light on his feet and has the movement skills to hold up in coverage. At only 21 years old, Wallace has all the tools to develop into a four-down force.

3. 91: Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky

The Temple and Vanderbilt transfer finished his lone season as a Wildcat with 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns. He runs with good patience and has the contact balance to bounce off defenders. Davis is a well-rounded running back, who could be the long-term running mate for Josh Jacobs.

4. 126: Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington

Even after adding Wallace, the Packers still need bodies in the linebacker room. The Washington linebacker logged 431 snaps on special teams during his time as a Husky and could be a Day 1 contributor for Rich Bisaccia. He’s a good athlete with the competitive makeup to challenge for snaps on defense.

5. 169: Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming

Crum has experience playing both tackle positions. He finished his career at Wyoming with 36 starts at right tackle and 13 at left tackle. The former two-star recruit is a good-sized athlete with the lateral mobility to shut down the corner and the mobility to get out in space to move people in the ground game.

6. 202: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan

Barner could the ideal No. 3 tight end behind Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. The Indiana transfer gets after it as a blocker and he’s a good athlete with upside as a pass catcher. Barner has 555 snaps on special teams to his name and could be a hired gun.

6. 219: Tyler Owens, S, Texas Tech

Roll the dice on the Texas Tech defensive back’s athletic profile. The Texas transfer may never develop into an impact player on defense, but give his athletic profile and experience on special teams (546 snaps and 10 tackles) Owens could carve out a long career as a core special teamer.

7. 245: Matt Lee, C, Miami

A UCF transfer, Lee finished his collegiate career with 48 career starts at center under his belt. Lee started 12 games during his lone season at Miami and gave up zero sacks and four pressures.

7. 255: Miles Battle, CB, Utah

Battle started his career at Ole Miss and made the transition from wide receiver to cornerback during the 2020 season. Battle started two games during his lone season at Utah and recorded one interception and four pass deflections. Battle is an outstanding athlete with good size (6-3 and 196 pounds). With his athleticism, Battle is worth the gamble and could make an immediate impact on special teams. The Ole Miss transfer logged 454 snaps on special teams and recorded nine tackles.

6 standouts from OL workouts at 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Offensive linemen were in the spotlight on the last day of workouts at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Testing offensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine can often feel like a silly exercise. How much does it actually matter if a team’s guard can run 40 yards in 4.9 seconds instead of 5.1?

But there’s also little doubt that the athleticism of NFL offensive linemen has continued to progress over the decades. It’s not a coincidence that Trent Williams has parlayed the freakish combo of size, speed, and strength that he showed off at the 2010 combine into 11 Pro Bowls.

With Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher on the field for drills, the next generation of linemen worked out at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

Here are the six players who stood out most on the final day of workouts: