Bye: Broncos need to acquire ‘dynamic tight end’ this offseason

Feb 22, 2019, 6:23 PM Updated: Feb 25, 2019, 9:27 am

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Since Julius Thomas had a Pro Bowl year for the Denver Broncos in 2014, the team has gone through a carousel of tight ends, 11 in total over four seasons.

In each of those four seasons, the tight end position combined for less than 25 percent of all Broncos receptions, only eclipsing 20 percent in 2015 — Owen Daniels (46), Vernon Davis (20), and Virgil Green (12), combine for 21.5 percent of all catches.

And with three of the Broncos four tight ends who played in 2018 heading into the offseason as free agents — Jeff Heuerman (unrestricted) and Brian Parker and Matt LaCosse (exclusive rights) — “Stokley and Zach” co-hosts Brandon Stokley and Zach Bye said the position needs to be a priority this offseason.

“We need a dynamic tight end,” Bye said.

Denver will return Temarrick Hemmingway, whom the team promoted from the practice squad late in the 2018 season, along with 2017 and 2018 fifth-round picks Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli, both who spent much of the past season on injured reserve.

But as for Heuerman, Stokley said the Broncos should let him walk.

“I don’t think there’s any real need to bring Jeff Heuerman back,” Stokley said.

Heuerman, the team’s leading tight end in terms of receptions (31) and receiving yards (281) in 2018, showed glimpses at times last season, Bye said, but ultimately wasn’t anything out of the ordinary in terms of the position league-wide.

“Jeff Heuerman isn’t anything special,” Bye said.

According to “Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Cecil Lammey’s first mock draft of the offseason, several tight ends could be available within striking distance of the Broncos first-round slot at No. 10.

Lammey has Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant going to the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans at No. 8 and No. 19, respectively, while having Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. going to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 11.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.