Tag: Returner

Where Marvin Mims stacked up against NFL’s returners in 2023

Among players with double digit-returns, Broncos rookie Marvin Mims ranked 1st with 16.4 YPR on punts and 4th with 26.5 YPR on kickoffs.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims had a limited role on offense as a rookie, but he made a big impact on special teams.

Mims was elected to the Pro Bowl by players, coaches and fans after he returned 19 punts for 312 yards and 15 kickoffs for 397 yards and one touchdown in his first season as a pro. Mims is now set to handle return duties for the AFC at the Pro Bowl next month.

“How cool for Marvin in his rookie year to be able to come in and be selected as a starter?” Broncos safety Justin Simmons said last week. “Well-deserved for him.”

Among players with double-digit returns, Mims ranked fourth in the NFL averaging 26.5 yards per kickoff return (first in the AFC). He averaged 16.4 yards per punt return, best in the league among qualified returners.

The three players above Mims on kickoffs were KaVontae Turpin (29.2 YPR), Velus Jones Jr. (27.2 YPR) and Raheem Blackshear (26.9 YPR). Here’s a quick look at where Mims stacked up among kickoff and punt returners in 2023.

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 made 2 roster moves on Wednesday

The Broncos signed running back/returner Dwayne Washington and waived/injured defensive lineman Forrest Merrill on Wednesday.

The Denver Broncos made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday.

First, the team signed running back/returner Dwayne Washington to a one-year deal. Washington (6-1, 223 pounds) is an eighth-year veteran who entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of Washington with the Detroit Lions in 2016.

Washington spent the first two years of his career in Detroit, rushing 110 times for 309 yards and one touchdown. He also returned four kickoffs for 77 yards with the Lions.

Washington then joined the New Orleans Saints, playing under coach Sean Payton from 2018-2021. Washington remained in New Orleans last year while Payton took a break from coaching. The 29-year-old running back rushed 58 times for 283 yards in 66 games with the Saints and returned 10 kickoffs for 168 yards.

Now reunited with Payton, Washington will add more depth to Denver’s backfield and give the team another kick returner for the final two preseason games.

The team’s second move was waiving defensive tackle Forrest Merrill with an injury designation. Merrill was waived to make room for Washington on the roster. The 90-man offseason roster is now full.

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Here’s what Sean Payton is looking for in a Broncos kick returner

Broncos coach Sean Payton wants to see reliability and ball security from the team’s kickoff and punt return candidates during preseason.

The Denver Broncos averaged 8.3 yards per punt return last season, marking the 12th-worst average in the NFL. On kickoffs, the team averaged 17.5 yards per return, which ranked dead last in the league.

When new head coach Sean Payton arrived this offseason, he made it a priority to improve special teams. The Broncos changed punters and kickers this offseason, and the kick return job will be up for grabs this summer.

So what is Payton looking for in the team’s next returner?

“The first thing is reliability and ball security,” Payton said on July 29. “There is nothing worse than when the ball is in the air and you have that, ‘I hope he catches it’ [feeling]. That is something where the preseason will help show its hand a little bit. I kind of get back to [Mike] Westhoff, [Ben] Kotwica and even [Chris] Banjo, but the investment we’ve made in our special teams, both on the field and upstairs, is significant.

“We’re going to have the opportunity to return in the kickoff and hopefully — I know it’s tough here because of the altitude — when we get those return opportunities in the punt game, we’re going to have great schemes and designs to give these guys a chance. The key is then — we have a great producer, let’s find someone that can take advantage of that. That will be important.”

Candidates to handle return duties for Denver this season include Montrell Washington, Marvin Mims and Jaleel McLaughlin. The players vying for the return job will get their first in-game chance to impress when the Broncos face the Arizona Cardinals in their preseason opener on Friday.

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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 CB Pat Surtain ‘wants to be part of special teams’

“He wants to be part of special teams,” Ben Kotwica said of PS2. “Everybody is buying in, so it’s really cool to see that out of Pat.”

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The Denver Broncos turned heads this spring when they had star cornerback Pat Surtain line up to catch punts during minicamp this spring.

Don’t worry, Surtain won’t be the team’s starting punt returner this season. Ben Kotwica, Denver’s special teams coordinator, explained last week that Surtain is merely being considered as a fallback option.

“You’re always looking for depth at various positions, whether it be a core player or somebody on the perimeter,” Kotwica said on June 14. “Here in the spring, you’re trying different things. Now is the time to try a different formation in your punt game or try a fake. Pat going back there to catch punts was something that we wanted to explore.

“The cool thing about Pat is that he wants to be part of special teams. Coach Payton, Coach [Mike] Westhoff and myself made it an emphasis, and Coach Payton is one of the best teachers I’ve ever seen, whether it’s offense, defense, situational ball, and even special teams. Everybody is buying in, so it’s really cool to see that out of Pat.”

Surtain returned punts in high school, but he did not have that role in college. Broncos rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims seems to be the early favorite to return punts this season — Surtain is just a backup candidate.

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Pat Surtain could return punts ‘when needed’ for the Broncos

“If [Pat] Surtain can help us as a returner when needed, then we’ll have him ready,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

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Last year, former Denver Broncos special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes scoffed at the idea of cornerback Pat Surtain being a candidate to return punts.

“[T]o put him in harm’s way — that would be idiotic by me,” Stukes said.

New head coach Sean Payton and new special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica don’t seem to think it’s such an idiotic notion.

To be clear, Surtain will not be the team’s starting punt returner this year, but the star cornerback got reps on punt return this spring. He’d merely be a fallback option at the position.

“He did it in high school. I want to know who we are going to if [Option A] isn’t ready,” Payton said on June 13. “There are 53 on your roster and 47 on gameday. If I need a gunner taken out of the game, then who better to do that than Patrick? That’s what he does for a living. It’s not just offense go over here; defense go over here, and the kicking game go over here.

“I watched Lawrence Taylor in a game with the Giants where they were winning and the team they were playing, came back with a couple of kick returns. I watched Lawrence Taylor remove about five guys on the kick coverage unit and brought defensive players out, lined them up and covered a kick. That’s when you have something. These are snaps. There are snaps in a game that are valuable. If Surtain can help us as a returner when needed, then we’ll have him ready.”

Surtain did not return punts at Alabama, but he did in high school as Payton noted. Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey returned punts in 2002 while playing in Washington, but he did not return a single punt while playing in Denver.

Most coaches feel that the potential reward of a big return does not outweigh the injury risk that star players could suffer on special teams. So Surtain won’t be listed as the team’s starting returner on the depth chart, but he will be an option for the Broncos, albeit perhaps just an emergency option.

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Broncos position preview for 2023: Special teams

Broncos coach Sean Payton made sweeping changes on special teams this offseason. Here’s a look at where things stand.

As we continue our Denver Broncos position previews ahead of the 2023 NFL season, we’re taking a look at special teams today and the five main positions for those units — kicker, punter, long snapper, punt returner and kick returner.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton made sweeping changes to special teams this offseason. First, Payton brought in a new special teams coordinator in Ben Kotwica and a new assistant head coach with a special teams background in Mike Westhoff.

Payton then changed the team’s personnel, making a change a punter, a change at long snapper, a change at kick returner, a change at punt returner and a change at kicker. The special teams units underwent a complete overhaul this offseason.

Be sure to also check out our 2023 position previews for running back, tight end/fullback, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety.

Broncos’ (Projected) Special Teams Depth Chart

Denver Broncos’ top-12 all-time leaders in return yards

Rick Upchurch ranks No. 1 on the Broncos’ all-time return list with 5,363 yards.

From wide Rick Upchurch to Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, the Denver Broncos have had some brilliant kick and punt returners in their history.

Upchurch ranks No. 1 on the team’s all-time return list with 5,363 yards, almost 2,000 yards more than the next-highest player (Little with 3,416 yards).

The team’s most recent game-changing returner was arguably Trindon Holliday, who ranks No. 11 on the team’s all-time return list despite playing just two seasons in Denver. Holliday might have had a longer tenure with the Broncos if not for his fumbles (he had 10 in 25 games).

Here’s a quick look at the top-12 players on the team’s all-time list for combined punt and kickoff return yards.

Marvin Mims likely to return punts for Broncos as a rookie

“I’m excited to bring that to the next level if that’s my role for the team,” Marvin Mims said of possibly returning punts for the Broncos.

No rookies are handed a starting position. Marvin Mims will have to compete for the punt return job this summer, but he’s clearly the early favorite to win that role.

Before the draft, Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted that Denver was looking for a new returner at the NFL owners’ meetings. Then the Broncos traded up into the second round of the draft to select Mims, who ran a 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at the combine.

His speed stood out on film.

“The one thing that I think we found that was different was lot of these receivers you felt were in rush hour traffic — Monday through Friday,” Payton said. “This was one that looked like he was driving on Saturday and Sunday. He was open, and it was cleaner. That’s because of his speed.”

Payton replaced most of Denver’s coaching staff this offseason and brought in Ben Kotwica as the new special teams coordinator and Mike Westhoff as an assistant head coach with an emphasis on special teams. Payton believes those coaches will get the most out of Mims as a returner.

“When you have a guy like Kotwica and Mike Westhoff — we feel like he’s one of the best return coaches that’s ever coached in the NFL” Payton said. “To have a prospect come in and compete was exciting for us.”

Mims returned 33 punts for 391 yards in three years at Oklahoma, averaging 16 yards per return in 2022. He also returned three kickoffs for 108 yards.

“I’ve done punt return and kick returner,” Mims said. “Kick return — I’ve kind of been in and out as they let younger guys do it. Punt return — I’ve started ever since I was a true freshman in college with my first career game. I’m really comfortable with it. It’s something I’ve done for three years, and I’m excited to bring that to the next level if that’s my role for the team.”

This offseason, the Broncos signed cornerback Tremon Smith, who has returned 94 kickoffs for 2,323 yards in his career. Again, nobody will be handed a starting job, but Smith (kickoffs) and Mims (punts) appear to be the obvious favorites to handle return duties in Denver this fall.

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