Broncos can’t afford to stand pat again after Tim Patrick’s injury

Nearly a year ago to the day, Tim Patrick went down with an ACL injury, ending his 2022 season before it ever started. Today, lightning struck again, as the Broncos wide receiver suffered a torn Achilles that is expected to end his season.

Broncos’ WR Tim Patrick is believed to have torn his Achilles, per sources. A season-ending injury.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2023

Last time around, the Broncos didn’t bring in any reinforcements. They counted on the players on the roster to fill the void left by Patrick’s absence.

They expected Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton to emerge as legit starters. They figured K.J. Hamler could be the speed guy. Then, it was up to someone from a group that included Tyrie Cleveland, Kendall Hinton, Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, Montrell Washington and Seth Williams to step up.

Things didn’t work out as planned.

Jeudy and Sutton had pedestrian seasons, with neither wide receiver eclipsing the 70-catch or 1,000-yard mark. They combined for just eight touchdowns.

Hamler appeared in just seven games before injuries derailed his season. That was nothing new, as he missed most of 2021 with an ACL.

Hinton led the remaining group of wideouts with 24 receptions. Cleveland, Johnson, Virgil and Washington combined for 14. Freddie Swain, an in-season addition, caught four passes.

It wasn’t a very productive group, providing one of the reasons why the Broncos had the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. They simply couldn’t fill the hole left by Patrick’s absence.

In hindsight, the Broncos should’ve added a veteran wideout as soon as one of their top-three receivers went down. Still six weeks from the start of the season, Denver had plenty of time to get someone acclimated.

Instead, they stood pat. It was a bad gamble.

The Broncos can’t make the same mistake again. They need to make sure they replace a player they were counting on to be a big part of their offense. They can’t afford to sit on their hands again.

There will be some that think the Broncos can make up for the loss through players on the roster. They’ll contend that Denver’s “crowded wide receiver room” will produce a viable third option.

That might sound good, but it’s way too optimistic. If someone steps up, that’d be a bonus. The Broncos can’t count on that happening, however.

It certainly won’t be Hamler. Already sidelined after tearing a pec during offseason workouts, the speedster was released by the Broncos on Monday due to a heart condition.

It could be Marvin Mims, Jr. But he’s sidelined for a second time with a hamstring injury since being drafted by Denver. That’s a red flag.

Maybe it’s Marquez Callaway. The 25-year-old wideout spent the last three seasons in New Orleans, where he played two seasons under Sean Payton. He’s coming off a season in which he caught 16 passes in 14 games, however. It’ll be a leap for him to match Patrick’s anticipated production.

Same for Lil’Jordan Humphrey. He also has connections to Payton with the Saints, but has just 18 receptions during his four-year career.

Hinton, Johnson, Virgil and Washington are all still on the roster. The Broncos saw what their offense looked like last year, however, when those players had to play big roles; passing the football became an even bigger chore.

In other words, there’s no definitive solution. In case no one emerges as one, Denver needs some insurance.

Is that an option? The head coach left the door open on Monday.

“We have a lot of guys working right now,” Payton said. “It’s early. We’re just getting to know the guys who have been here, and then there are some guys who we have brought in. We kind of have those meetings at night where we talk about each position group. Yesterday, we met for two hours on the roster and kind of discussed that if we were bringing in an extra player, it would be this position right now or this position. That’s kind of how we approach it.”

George Paton needs to add a veteran wide receiver. He should’ve done it last season. He can’t make the same mistake twice.

There are some talented players still available. Kenny Golladay, Julio Jones and Jarvis Landry are the most-prominent names. N’Keal Harry, T.Y. Hilton and Sammy Watkins might be worth a look. Former Colorado State star Rashard Higgins is an interesting option.

Any would be more likely to be productive in 2023 than the other options currently on Denver’s roster. If one of the Broncos younger players step up, it’s always easy to move on from a late camp addition.

The Broncos have $9.3 million of available cap space. It’s time for Paton to put some of it to use.

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