Tag: Luke Wattenberg

What is the Broncos’ plan at center after losing Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency?

After losing Lloyd Cushenberry to the Titans, the Broncos have two in-house candidates (Alex Forsyth and Luke Wattenberg) to replace him.

The Denver Broncos will need a new starting center in 2024.

The Tennessee Titans are expected to sign Broncos pending free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry after the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday. Cushenberry had the best season of his career last year in Denver.

All four of the team’s other starting offensive linemen — Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey — are set to return in 2024, but the Broncos will now need to find a replacement in the middle.

Denver has two in-house candidates in Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth. The Broncos could also consider moving Meinerz to center and then starting a different guard, but that seems unlikely.

Wattenberg (6-4, 300 pounds) is a 26-year-old lineman who was drafted by Denver in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He has dressed for 23 games over the last two seasons as a backup swing guard/center, starting one game (at guard) in 2022.

Forsyth (6-4, 312 pounds) is a 25-year-old lineman who was picked by the Broncos in the seventh round of last year’s draft. He was inactive for all 17 games as a rookie last season, but Forsyth was highly touted coming out of college. Earlier this year, general manager George Paton said the team views Forsyth as a starter in the NFL.

Based on that remark from Paton and Wattenberg’s history at guard, Forsyth might be the early in-house favorite to replace Cushenberry. Denver might still bring in more competition, but at the moment, Forsyth are Wattenberg appear set to compete for the starting center job in 2024.

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Titans expected to sign Lloyd Cushenberry to 4-year, $50 million contract

The Titans are expected to sign Broncos free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry, leaving Denver with Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth.

The Tennessee Titans are expected to sign Denver Broncos pending free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports first reported on Monday. The deal will not become official until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday.

The Titans will pay Cushenberry $50 million over the next four years with $30 million guaranteed, according to Brad Spielberger of ProFootballFocus.com. That’s much more than Denver can afford.

Cushenberry (6-4, 315 pounds) entered the league as a third-round pick out of LSU in 2020. He started all 16 games in 2020 and 2021 and he began 2022 as the team’s starter before suffering a groin injury eight games into the season.

Cushenberry returned from that injury in 2023 and started all 17 games and had a career year, allowing just one sack, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cushenberry earned just over $4.5 million on his rookie contract with the Broncos from 2020-2023. He’s now set to get a massive raise.

Following Cushenberry’s departure, the Broncos are left with centers Luke Wattenberg, a fifth-round pick in 2022, and Alex Forsyth, a seventh-round pick in 2023. Wattenberg has dressed for 23 games over the last two seasons as a backup swing guard/center. He started one game in 2022. Forsyth was inactive for all 17 games of his rookie season last year, but GM George Paton has said the team views Forsyth as an NFL starter.

Denver will presumably go into training camp this summer with Wattenberg and Forsyth set to compete for the starting center job.

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Broncos roster series: No. 60, OL Luke Wattenberg

Entering his second season with the Broncos, Luke Wattenberg is a versatile lineman who can provide cover both at center and guard.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at second-year offensive lineman Luke Wattenberg, No. 60.

Before the Broncos: Wattenberg (6-5, 300 pounds) played college football at Washington, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition in 2021 and 2020. He started all 12 games at center for the Huskies in 2021. Before that, he started four games at center during a COVID-shortened season in 2020. He began his college career with 27 straight starts at guard with Washington before switching to center. Wattenberg ran a 40-yard dash in 5.2 seconds and a 10-yard shuttle in 1.77 seconds at the NFL combine in 2021.

Broncos tenure: Denver used a fifth-round pick to select Wattenberg in last year’s NFL draft. He dressed for seven games as a rookie last season and earned one start.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: Wattenberg should have strong odds to make the team as a backup swing guard/center. The Broncos have a crowded center depth chart, but Wattenberg could win a spot on the active roster thanks to his experience at guard.

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Grading the Broncos’ 2022 draft class one year later

Do you agree with our early grade for the Broncos’ 2022 draft class?

As the 2023 NFL draft looms on the horizon, Broncos Wire is taking a look back at the Denver Broncos’ 2022 draft class. Who made a difference? Who do the Broncos need to see more from going forward?

Broncos found talent at last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl

The Broncos drafted three players who appeared in last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

The East-West Shrine Bowl is not college football’s biggest all-star game, but talent can be found in Las Vegas. Just ask the San Francisco 49ers, who selected quarterback Brock Purdy with the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft after he helped the West defeat the East 25-24 in last year’s Shrine Bowl.

The Denver Broncos also came away from last year’s draft with three players who played in the Shrine Bowl — two defensive linemen and one offensive lineman.

The Broncos used a fourth-round pick to select Iowa State DL Eyioma Uwazurike (East), a fifth-round pick to select Washington OL Luke Wattenberg (West) and a seventh-round pick to select Wisconsin DL Matt Henningsen (East) last April.

The 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl was canceled because of COVID-19, but Denver added five players from the 2020 edition: DL McTelvin Agim, OLB Derrek Tuszka, RB LeVante Bellamy, CB Parnell Motley and OL Darrin Paulo.

The Broncos will now look to find more talent at this year’s all-star game. The East-West Shrine Bowl will be nationally televised at 6:30 p.m. MT on NFL Network on Thursday evening.

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Both of the Broncos’ centers did not practice Tuesday

Broncos center Luke Wattenberg has an ankle injury, but coach Nathaniel Hackett said Tuesday was just a rest day for Lloyd Cushenberry.

Offensive line injuries are starting to pile up for the Denver Broncos.

In addition to guard Netane Muti (knee), the Broncos also had two centers sit out Tuesday’s practice.

Fifth-round draft pick Luke Wattenberg (ankle) was joined on the sideline by third-year center Lloyd Cushenberry on Tuesday. After practice, coach Nathaniel Hackett said it was just a rest day for Cushenberry (but the center was seen wearing a sleeve on his right knee/leg).

Fortunately for the Broncos, they have a third option, and he’s the most experienced player among the team’s center candidates.

Graham Glasgow is listed as a guard on Denver’s depth chart, but he has starting experience at center from his time with the Detroit Lions. Glasgow has started 78 games in his career, including a full season at center with the Lions in 2018.

With Dalton Risner and Quinn Meinerz starting at the two guard spots, Glasgow is the team’s top backup swing guard/center, and he was called on at center Tuesday. He’s more than capable of handling pivot duties in a pinch.

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Broncos’ offensive line competition could drag out into preseason

Who will the Broncos start on the OL this year? That’s tough to predict because the competition’s just getting started.

Who’s going to start on the offensive line for the Denver Broncos this season?

Your guess is as good as ours.

The Broncos have multiple options at every position on the line but only four starting spots up for grabs. Right now, it only seems safe to say one job — Garett Bolles at left tackle — is a lock.

At guard, Denver’s list of candidates includes Graham Glasgow, Dalton Risner, Quinn Meinerz, Netane Muti and rookie Luke Wattenberg. Five players competing for two spots.

At center, Lloyd Cushenberry is the incumbent, but Meinerz, Glasgow and Wattenberg could all push him for the starting job due to their versatility.

At right tackle, Billy Turner and Tom Compton will be competing with Calvin Anderson to replace Bobby Massie, who started in 2021.

With a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new offensive line coach and a new blocking scheme, the Broncos could see several shakeups on the offensive line this summer, so projecting a starting lineup is tough this early in the offseason.

It might not get much easier to predict until the end of preseason, either, because Denver’s staff has a big competition planned.

“It’s going to be a competitive environment in that room all the way through training camp,” offensive coordinator Justin Outten said on June 14. “Like I’ve said before, when the pads come on, that’s traditionally when you start to see the movement and you see the solidification up front. That’s when you get an idea of who your guys are going to be.”

Outten wouldn’t give a timeline for when the starting five would be chosen other than to say “ideally” it will be decided by Week 1. May the best five win.

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Broncos announce jersey numbers for 2022 draft class

Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike will wear No. 96, previously work by Shelby Harris in Denver.

Ahead of rookie minicamp this weekend, the Denver Broncos announced jersey numbers for their 2022 NFL draft class. Here’s the list, courtesy of the team’s official website:

OLB Nik Bonitto: No. 42

TE Greg Dulcich: No. 80

CB Damarri Mathis: No. 27

DE Eyioma Uwazurike: No. 96

S Delarrin Turner-Yell: No. 32

WR Montrell Washington: No. 12

C Luke Wattenberg: No. 60

DE Matt Henningsen: No. 91

CB Faion Hicks: No. 29

Uwazurike choosing to wear No. 96 is fitting given that he will be among the candidates to replace Shelby Harris, who wore No. 96 with the Broncos from 2017-2021. Harris was traded to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the trade for quarterback Russell Wilson earlier this offseason.

Denver is expected to sign 13 more undrafted rookie free agents, but the team will have to make some corresponding moves to make room for the UDFAs on the 90-man offseason roster. Those 13 signings will likely become official soon, followed by number announcements for those additional rookies.

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Broncos signing OL Luke Wattenberg to 4-year contract

The Broncos are signing center/guard Luke Wattenberg to a 4-year contract worth $3,998,716.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with rookie offensive lineman Luke Wattenberg, Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post first reported Wednesday. He’s now set to be signed through the 2025 season, earning $3,998,716 over four years, according to OverTheCap.com.

Wattenberg will earn an average of $999,679 per season on his rookie contract. The offensive lineman was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the NFL draft out of Washington in April.

Wattenberg was a versatile offensive lineman with the Huskies, spending time at guard and center in college. That versatility will be appreciated by Denver’s coaching staff.

Wattenberg seems likely to begin his career as a center, but the Broncos will probably move him between guard and center at practice. The rookie will presumably get a chance to compete with Lloyd Cushenberry for the starting center job during training camp this summer.

Other players on the roster who have center experience include Graham Glasgow and Quinn Meinerz, who both played as guards last year.

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Broncos select center Luke Wattenberg in 5th round of NFL draft

The Broncos selected Washington center Luke Wattenberg in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday afternoon.

The Denver Broncos selected Washington center Luke Wattenberg in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday afternoon (171st overall).

The team traded 179th overall (5th round) and 234th overall (7th round) to the Green Bay Packers to get their man, Wattenberg – a redshirt senior.

Wattenberg (6-4, 299 pounds) started 12 games at the pivot for Washington as a senior. He’s only started at center two seasons, though. But he earned an honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors during Washington’s shortened 2020 season, his first starting at the position.

Displaying versatility, Wattenberg, 24, started at left guard his first two seasons on the team, appearing in all 27 games. He appeared in 11 games (5 starts) at left tackle as a redshirt freshman as well. Like newly-signed OT Billy Turner, Wattenberg can clearly play multiple positions on the line.

Wattenberg ran a 40-yeard dash in 5.2 seconds at the combine earlier this offseason. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein grades the Washington center as a priority undrafted free agent, though.

Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling, meanwhile, ranks Wattenberg No. 28 out of 35 interior offensive linemen. Wattenberg is ranked No. 277 (7th round) on Draft Wire’s top 300 prospects as well. The football congescenti clearly compares this selection to the Eyioma Uwazurike pick – it’s a “reach.”

In Denver, Wattenberg, a California native, brings versatility to the line. He’ll presumably battle to backup Lloyd Cushenberry III at the pivot his first season. Although he can fill in as backup at multiple spots – if need be.

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