To their credit, Broncos searching under every rock for roster help
May 5, 2023, 2:04 AM
Leave no stone unturned.
There aren’t many avenues the Broncos are unwilling to traverse when it comes to cobbling together a roster.
For example, no team has been more consistent at having undrafted rookies stick on their 53-player roster. If one of this year’s crop sticks, that will make it 19 of the last 20 seasons with at least one undrafted rookie making it.
But this week, the focus turned to the XFL.
For most of that league’s third attempt at a first season, it was the ex-FL from a Broncos perspective. Paxton Lynch, Philip Lindsay, Cody Latimer, Marquette King and De’Vante Bausby were just five of a slew of former Broncos who played in XFL Mark III.
But now, the story is on XFLers coming to Denver — at least for a tryout.
Quarterback Ben DiNucci, running back Jacques Patrick and edge rusher Trent Harris were all among the XFL’s best players. DiNucci led the league in passing yards. Patrick ranked second in rushing. Harris led the circuit in sacks and tackles for loss.
They’ll get their chance at rookie minicamp. But “rookie” doesn’t describe the camp aptly. Yes, the Broncos’ draft picks will get their first look at their new workplace. But they’ll have company.
“There’ll be some veteran tryout players. Let’s call it four different groups of players: draft picks, signed free agents, tryout free agents and veteran tryouts,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the draft.
“… They’ll all have a piece of tape on the front of their helmet with their last name, and we’re just going to go by what we see.”
And it makes sense to examine the XFL closely.
The back end of the Broncos roster still needs work. And after consecutive drafts in which the team didn’t pick in the first 62 slots — and a 2023 draft in which they had the second-fewest number of picks — the Broncos lacked the ammunition to address every hole in the draft.
So, why not turn to the XFL for back-of-the-roster holes? You’re evaluating off of the film — which often yields the best results. And in the case of the three receiving tryouts, it’s possible all could be late bloomers. They got a second chance that hasn’t existed for most of the last 16 years.
And this philosophy has already served the Broncos well. Take four years ago, when the Broncos fished Mike Purcell out of the Alliance of American Football when it collapsed after eight games.
The AAF died awash in an ocean of unpaid bills. But for Purcell, it revived his career. The sturdy, passionate Highlands Ranch native has survived two coaching changes.
No one is saying the next Kurt Warner lurks around the corner.
But for a Broncos roster that needs depth wherever it can find it, it’s worth exploring any available avenue. Giving XFL stars a fair shot is a wise, no-lose move for a team with a roster that still requires restoration work — big and small.
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