Tag: Montrell Washington

6 players cut by Broncos signing with new teams

The Chiefs are expected to sign ex-Broncos receiver/returner Montrell Washington to their practice squad.

Five players who were cut by the Denver Broncos earlier this week have found new homes, including one landing with a division rival.

After being released on Tuesday, kicker Brett Maher has signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Maher will now get a fresh start in L.A. after the Broncos brought in Wil Lutz through a trade with the New Orleans Saints.

Meanwhile, running back Tony Jones is expected to land on the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints, where he played from 2020-2022.

Elsewhere, the Minnesota Vikings are signing ex-Broncos offensive lineman Henry Byrd to their practice squad, and the Atlanta Falcons signed ex-Denver offensive lineman Isaiah Prince to their active roster.

Finally, the fifth and most disconcerting signing: the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to sign former Broncos receiver/returner Montrell Washington to their practice squad. Washington eventually making KC’s active roster and burning Denver would be quite a disappointing development for Broncos Country.

Update: Another ex-Bronco WR is signing with a division rival — the Las Vegas Raiders are adding Marquez Callaway to their practice squad.

Broncos cut WR Montrell Washington, last year’s 5th-round pick

The Broncos are cutting receiver/returner Montrell Washington, who as a fifth-round pick in 2022.

The Denver Broncos are waiving wide receiver Montrell Washington, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette first reported on Tuesday morning.

Washington (5-10, 170 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the fifth round of last year’s NFL draft out of Samford. He began his rookie season as Denver’s return specialist but struggled to make a positive impact on special teams.

Washington returned 32 punts for 271 yards (averaging 8.5 yards per P return) and 18 kickoffs for 340 yards (averaging 18.9 yards per KO return). He had a minimal role on offense with five rushes for 30 yards and four receptions for two yards.

After fumbling five times, Washington was benched for the final two games of the 2022 season when Jerry Rosburg took over as interim head coach.

If he clears waivers, Washington will likely be a candidate to return on the practice squad. Meanwhile, second-round pick Marvin Mims now appears poised to handle return duties in 2023.

We are tracking all of the Broncos’ roster cuts on this page.

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Broncos ST coach Ben Kotwica eager to track Montrell Washington’s progress this summer

“I love his work ethic,” Ben Kotwica said of returner Montrell Washington. “He’s always asking questions and wants to be out on the field.”

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After being picked by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of last year’s NFL draft out of Samford, return specialist Montrell Washington struggled to make an impact as a rookie.

Washington averaged 8.5 yards per punt return and 18.9 yards per kickoff return through 15 games last year before being benched by interim coach Jerry Rosburgh for the final two games of the season.

The Broncos now have a new head coach in Sean Payton and a new special teams coach in Ben Kotwica, giving Washington an opportunity to make a good impression with a fresh start.

“There are a couple things about Montrell. First off, I love his work ethic,” Kotwica said when asked about the returner on June 14. “He’s always asking questions and wants to be out on the field. Under the parameters that we have, we can’t be out there all day, but he is a player that would be out there all day [if allowed]. We’ve talked to him about that.

“He has that athletic ability. I think it’s continuing to [show] confidence in the player. I’m excited about where it will take him during training camp.”

Washington ran a 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds last spring, but his speed did not directly correlate to success in the NFL. He fumbled five times as a rookie, and following the arrival of second-round pick Marvin Mims, Washington won’t be a lock to make the 53-man roster this summer.

Washington will get an opportunity to redeem himself, though, and if he looks good during camp and preseason, he can earn a spot for 2023.

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Broncos’ projected WR depth chart after the NFL draft

Here is our projected wide receiver depth chart for the Broncos following the NFL draft.

WR1 WR2 WR3 WR4
Tim Patrick Jerry Jeudy Courtland Sutton Marvin Mims
Brandon Johnson Jalen Virgil Marquez Callaway  Kendall Hinton
Lil’Jordan Humphrey Taylor Grimes Dallas Daniels KJ Hamler
Montrell Washington

After the Denver Broncos traded up in the second round of the NFL draft to select Marvin Mims last week, we have a new wide receiver depth chart projection.

Barring a trade, Patrick, Jeudy, Sutton and Mims all seem to be locks. Callaway, Virgil, Hinton and Johnson also seemingly have strong odds to make the team, but Denver will run out of roster spots.

Last year, the Broncos carried six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. If they do that again in 2023, Callaway, Virgil, Hinton and Johnson could all be competing for the final two spots.

Right now, Hamler and Washington seem to be in danger of not making the team following the arrival of Mims, a speedy deep threat who provides a spark as a returner. Humphrey and undrafted free agents Grimes and Daniels will also face long odds to make the active roster.

A lot can change between now and the end of training camp, and the possibility of a WR trade will linger given that Denver has so much depth at the position. For now, though, the above depth chart breaks down how we see the Broncos’ current WR room.

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Broncos made big changes on special teams this offseason

The Broncos brought in a new ST coordinator and an assistant HC with a ST background and made changes at punter, returner and long snapper.

Last year, the Denver Broncos’ special teams units were nothing special. Let’s go over some of the “highlights” from 2022.

Not only did they lead the league in punts (96), kicker Brandon McManus also missed the most field goals in a season of his career (8) and rookie return specialist Montrell Washington fumbled five times.

Suffice it to say, the Broncos are in major need of a special teams makeover. During free agency, Denver signed punter Riley Dixon, who returns to the Broncos after most recently playing for the Los Angeles Rams. After signing Dixon, they released Corliss Waitman, who, despite leading the NFL in punts, had one of the shortest punts of the season among qualifying punters who booted at least 25 kicks (57 yards). Comparatively, Dixon’s longest punt in 2022 was 67 yards.

The Broncos also made a change at long snapper, letting Jacob Bobenmoyer walk in free agency. Mitchell Fraboni, who filled in for an injured Bobenmoyer in four games last year, now appears set to become the team’s full-time long snapper in 2023.

In addition, the Broncos also acquired cornerback Tremon Smith, who was a kick returner for the Houston Texans to compete with Washington as a specialist. Will this competition bring out the best in Washington? Or will Denver be looking for another returner in the draft?

This new-look special teams unit has some great potential. It would certainly be nice to rank near the bottom of the league in punts, and near the top of the NFL in return yards. With new special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and new assistant head coach Mike Westhoff leading the charge, the Broncos should take a big step forward on special teams this fall.

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Broncos signing CB/KR Tremon Smith to 2-year contract

The Broncos are signing cornerback/returner Tremon Smith to a 2-year contract.

The Denver Broncos are adding more depth at cornerback and perhaps a new designated returner.

The Broncos have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth up to $5.5 million with cornerback Tremon Smith, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson.

Smith (5-11, 190 pounds) entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick out of Central Arkansas with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He went on to spend time with the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts before joining the Houston Texans in 2021.

Smith has served as a rotational cornerback and special teams ace with his five previous teams. He totaled 22 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions in 17 games (two starts) with the Texans last year.

Perhaps more notable, Smith returned 19 kickoffs for 417 yards and five punts for 53 yards last season. He has averaged 24.7 yards per kickoff return in his career.

Montrell Washington, who handled most of the Broncos’ return duties last season, averaged 18.9 yards on kickoff returns in 2022. Washington now appears to have serious competition at returner, and Denver has more depth at cornerback.

We are tracking all of the team’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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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 returner Montrell Washington aims to bounce back in 2023

Broncos returner Montrell Washington will aim to bounce back from an ugly rookie season in 2023.

The Denver Broncos used a fifth-round draft pick to select Samford’s Montrell Washington last April.

Washington is a wide receiver by trade, but the Broncos picked him primarily with his return abilities in mind. The 5-10, 170-pound speedster was quickly named the team’s returner, but he did not keep the job.

After five fumbles in 15 games, Washington was benched when Jerry Rosburg took over as interim coach late in the season.

“The whole season has been a learning experience for me to be honest with you,” Washington said last week. “The good, bad and ugly. The returns were good, but the muffs — the muffed kick I had one time when I should have downed it. Just things like that — situational things. The whole season has been a learning experience.”

Rosburg benched Washington, but he didn’t suggest the Broncos should give up on the young returner. Rosburg acknowledged Washington’s talent, and he said the returner can improve.

“I believe everything Coach Jerry says,” Washington said. “I respect the man. Anything coach says I should work on and get better, that’s what I have to do and that’s what I am going to do.”

Washington returned 32 punts for 271 (8.5 yards per return) and 18 kickoffs for 340 yards (18.9 YPR). If he’s going to win back the return job this offseason, Washington will have to show a lot of improvement this summer.

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Chargers show why not to underestimate importance of special teams

The Chargers special teams units pushed them to victory over the Broncos.

In what was considered the most exciting yet boring game of the week, the Chargers didn’t beat the Broncos with their offense. Their defense? Yes, in the second half. However, their special teams play through all four quarters ultimately pushed them to victory.

Dustin Hopkins battled a hamstring injury to make four field goals, including the tying one in the fourth quarter and the winner in overtime. Hopkins, who missed last week’s win over the Browns with a quad injury, tweaked his hamstring on a PAT attempt in the second quarter.

Instead of being sidelined, Hopkins knew the game’s trajectory, and how Denver was stifling Los Angeles from finding the end zone, so he pushed through the pain to connect his field goals from 37, 31, 35, and 39 yards outs.

To take some of the pressure off of Hopkins’ leg, punter JK Scott handled the kickoff duties. His five kickoffs all went for touchbacks.

But arguably, the play of the game was made by two rookies, sixth-rounders Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard. Taylor lined up as a gunner on the outside as the Chargers punted the ball with the score tied at 16 apiece with under five minutes left in overtime.

Taylor beat his man on the outside, sprinting toward punt returner Montrell Washington, who was calling for a fair catch. As he got to Washington, safety P.J. Locke stood between himself and Taylor. Taylor pushed Locke into Washington right before he could make the fair catch.

The block knocked Locke into Washington, and he fell to the ground, unable to haul in the hanging punt from Scott. The football deflected off of Washington, and Leonard was there to recover the ball at Denver’s 29. That led to Hopkins, the hurt hero, making the game-winner.

After years of having special teams be the reason for some of their losses, the Bolts finally found a way to flip the script.

This speaks to Brandon Staley’s moves in this department by signing Hopkins halfway through last season, hiring special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, adding All-Pro long snapper Josh Harris and Scott via free agency, and drafting and developing contributors on coverage units.

As the saying goes, defense wins championships.

However, if the offense stalls, like it did yesterday, special teams play can and will impact the final score of the game.