Tag: Max Borghi

29 ex-Broncos players set to play in UFL this spring

The XFL and USFL merged to form the UFL. The new league will feature 29 former Broncos players, including Super Bowl champion Cody Latimer.

Two more former Denver Broncos were added to the UFL this week when the Memphis Showboats picked wide receiver Damion Willis and the Birmingham Stallions picked safety Alijah Holder in the 2024 dispersal draft. (Update: Holder was later traded to the San Antonio Brahmas.)

More players could be added through free agency, but as of today, there are 29 former Broncos players set to play in the spring league. The UFL was formed in late December when the XFL and USFL merged to create a new combined league.

The most notable ex-Denver player set to suit up in the UFL is Cody Latimer, a former Broncos wide receiver who won Super Bowl 50 in 2016. He has spent time with two other NFL teams and earned All-XFL honors with the Orlando Guardians last spring. Latimer is now a tight end with the San Antonio Brahmas.

Other names that Denver fans might recognize include punter Marquette King and 2022 preseason fan favorite running back Max Borghi. Here’s the full list of ex-Broncos signed up to play in the UFL this spring. The 2024 season will begin in March. 

The new UFL spring football league will feature at least 20 ex-Broncos

The XFL and USFL have merged to form the UFL. The spring league will feature at least 20 former Broncos players, plus coach Wade Phillips.

Last month, the XFL and USFL announced that they have merged ahead of the 2024 spring season, forming a new United Football League (UFL).

The XFL and USFL brands will remain intact as each will be repurposed as a conference in the UFL. The new league will feature eight teams — four in the XFL conference and four in the USFL conference.

The 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions will face the 2023 XFL champion Arlington Renegades in the 2024 UFL season opener on March 30.

Former Denver Broncos coach Wade Phillips will serve as the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas, and the league will feature at least 20 former Broncos.

The UFL has only gone through one phase of its player dispersal process so far. The next round of player dispersal will take place on Jan. 15, followed by free agency on Jan. 16. So it’s possible that more former Broncos players could join the league before the March 30 opener.

Here’s a look at the 20 players under contract so far.

Report: Browns hosted XFL running back Max Borghi for workout on Wednesday

Another XFL player was hosted for a workout.

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

Not only did the Cleveland Browns bring in XFL tight end Sal Cannella for a workout on Wednesday, but he was also joined by another XFL counterpart in running back Max Borghi (according to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook). And apparently, they were not the only two in town either.

An undrafted free agent out of Washington State, Borghi spent last offseason with the Denver Broncos but failed to make the roster. In eight games with the Houston Renegades, Borghi averaged four yards per carry as he ran for 310 yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries. He added another 139 yards on 21 catches out of the backfield.

As the Browns potentially look to add another running back to their roster behind Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford, they are turning over every stone.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Max Borghi joins Broncos’ backfield as an underdog to watch

Max Borghi will compete with Tyreik McAllister for the fourth-string running back spot.

Denver Broncos fans have seen plenty of little-known running backs emerge as key contributors over the years.

Terrell Davis is, of course, the most notable example, and Phillip Lindsay is the most recent example. But a running back doesn’t have to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer like Davis or even a Pro Bowler like Lindsay to endear himself to fans in Denver.

Last summer, Damarea Crockett impressed during preseason and went on to have a key role on special teams in 2021. After going down with a knee injury earlier this week, Crockett will miss the 2022 season and his RB4 role is up for grabs.

To fill Crockett’s former spot on the active roster, the Broncos signed rookie Max Borghi, who tried out for the team in June. Denver liked what they saw from Borghi at the June tryout but didn’t have room for him on the roster at the time.

“Max, he came in — I think it was mini camp and he did a fine job,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said on Thursday. “I think at that time due to our numbers, we couldn’t bring him on [in June], but he was somebody that we wanted to take a look at. He’s a real smart guy — busted his butt and that’s what you need.

“Just that mindset that he’s got and now he has to pick it all up because he’s only had a day or two. This is always the trick when those guys come into training camp. All of these other guys have had [the] offseason and all of that stuff. Now they have to dive in and try and learn the entire system. I think that’s something he showed he can still do.”

When Crockett’s injury created an open spot on the roster, the Broncos signed Borghi, and his competition for the RB4 spot is fellow undrafted rookie Tyreik McAllister. Borghi won’t jump Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams or Mike Boone on the depth chart, but he will have a shot to make the 53-man roster.

Crockett demonstrated last year that even a fourth-string running back can make an impact. Borghi will aim to prove he’s up for the task during preseason.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=683357]

Broncos made 3 roster moves on Wednesday

The Broncos placed Tim Patrick and Damarea Crockett on IR on Wednesday and signed rookie running back Max Borghi.

The Denver Broncos made three roster moves on Wednesday, and at least one more is on the way.

First, the team officially placed wide receiver Tim Patrick (knee) and running back Damarea Crockett (knee) on injured reserve. Because they went on IR before the initial 53-man roster was set, Patrick and Crockett will not be eligible to return to the active roster this season.

Those two injury moves left the team with two open spots on the roster. Denver filled one of them by signing rookie running back Max Borghi.

Borghi (5-9, 207 pounds) was one of seven players who tired out for the team on Wednesday, including three running backs. Borghi won the tryout at RB and he’ll now compete with Tyreik McAllister for the RB4 job behind Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone.

Borghi rushed for 2,158 yards and 32 touchdowns in four years (39 games) at Washington State. He also hauled in 156 receptions for 1,134 yards and nine scores in college before going undrafted in April.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=684005]

7 players tried out for Broncos on Wednesday

The Broncos brought in three running backs, three wide receivers and one quarterback for tryouts on Wednesday.

Story update: The Broncos signed wide receiver Darrius Shepherd on Thursday, the team announced. The 90-man offseason roster is now full. See our original post below.

Looking to fill two open roster spots following the injuries suffered by wide receiver Tim Patrick and running back Damarea Crockett, the Denver Broncos brought in seven players for tryouts on Wednesday.

The Broncos brought in three running backs: Max Borghi, Jaquan Hardy and Jaylen Samuels. Hardy is a second-year player who spent time with the Dallas Cowboys last year. Samuels is a fourth-year back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2018-2021. Borghi is a college free agent out of Washington State.

Borghi won the RB tryout and signed with the team Wednesday. That leaves Denver with one open spot on the 90-man offseason roster.

The Broncos also brought in three wide receivers: Jonathan Adams, Kekoa Crawford and Darrius Shepherd. At the time of this writing, none of the receivers have signed. Shepherd has spent time with six NFL teams since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Finally, Denver also tried out a quarterback: K.J. Costello, who went to training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers as a rookie last summer and spent time with the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL this spring.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Texans work out 4 running backs ahead of training camp

The Houston Texans worked out four running backs as training camp is less than a week away.

The Houston Texans worked out four running backs according to a league source.

The first running back Houston worked out was undrafted free agent running back Max Borghi from Washington State. Borghi had signed with the Indianapolis Colts during rookie minicamp but was released less than a week later.

Houston also worked out Cyrus Habibi-Likio, another undrafted free agent. Habibi-Likio generated 107 carries for 374 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns last year with Boise State.

Artavis Pierce also worked out for Houston. The former Chicago Bears running back tallied six carries for 34 yards and a touchdown in his six career games with the NFC North club from 2020-21.

Former Rice Owl and Crosby High School product Austin Walter also worked out for the Texans. Walter was an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, but didn’t make their 53-man roster. Austin spent the 2019 regular season with the New York Giants. In 2020, Walter played for the XFL’s Dallas Renegades and then with the 49ers. In 2021, Walter played for the New York Jets.

5 players trying out for Broncos at mandatory minicamp

Max Borghi is among five players trying out for the Broncos this week.

The Denver Broncos kicked off mandatory minicamp on Monday with five extra players on the practice field.

The Broncos are trying out five players at camp this week, according to Aric DiLalla of the team’s official website. Here’s a quick look at each of the five tryout players.

Colts sign RB Phillip Lindsay, waive RB Max Borghi

Phillip Lindsay officially joins the backfield.

The Indianapolis Colts running back Phillip Lindsay and waived running back Max Borghi, the team announced Wednesday.

An undrafted free agent in 2018 out of Colorado, Lindsay had one of the best undrafted rookie seasons in NFL history when he took 192 carries for 1,037 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes for 241 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl nod.

Lindsay followed that up in 2019 by taking 221 carries for 1,011 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

During the 2020-2021 seasons, Lindsay appeared in 25 games (nine starts) with the Broncos (2020), Houston Texans (2021) and Miami Dolphins (2021). During those games, he took 206 carries for 751 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Borghi signed on with the Colts out of Washington State following the 2022 NFL draft.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=72079,72069,72063]

[listicle id=72071]

2022 NFL draft: Seahawks have met with these 4 RB prospects

That’s one of the reasons why they seem to take a running back every year in the NFL draft.

Right or wrong, running back play is a core component of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s philosophy on offense. That’s one of the reasons why they seem to take a running back every year in the NFL draft. This time around it may be a necessity.

With Rashaad Penny and Alex Collins set to become free agents and Chris Carson with a neck injury, reloading at this position with fresh talent seems like a good idea regardless of the optics.

Here are four running back prospects Seattle has talked with that are currently at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

1. Isaiah Spiller: Texas A&M (6-foot-1, 215 pounds)

Rushing stats: 541 carries, 2,993 yards (5.5 YPA), 25 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 74 catches, 585 yards (7.9 YPC), one touchdown

2021 highlights: 

2. Dameon Pierce: Florida (5-foot-10, 215 pounds)

Rushing stats: 329 carries, 1,806 yards (5.5 YPA), 23 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 45 catches, 422 yards (9.4 YPA), five touchdowns

2021 highlights:

3. Max Borghi: Washington State (5-foot-10, 205 pounds)

Rushing stats: 369 carries, 2,158 yards (5.8 YPA), 32 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 156 catches, 1,134 yards (7.3 YPC), nine touchdowns

2021 highlights:

4. Abram Smith: Baylor (5-foot-11, 221 pounds)

Rushing stats: 269 carries, 1,647 yards (6.1 YPA), 13 touchdowns

Receiving stats: 14 catches, 78 yards (5.6 YPC), zero touchdowns

2021 highlights:

[lawrence-related id=85209,85100]

[listicle id=85110]