Two Players Cut from Other Teams Broncos Could Target
Under general manager George Paton, the Denver Broncos will continue to churn the bottom of the roster, which is a good thing. Paton has already shown such a propensity and admitted on Tuesday afternoon that it will be a guiding philosophy this year.
"We’re always looking. Tonight, we’re going to get the cuts," Paton said following all of Denver's roster cuts. "We’re really high on our roster, but we’ll sit tonight. We’re picking nine in the waiver claims. We’re No. 9, so we think that can help us like we’ll always do throughout the season. We’ll be up most of the night going through all the waiver claims, the trades—all the scenarios. It’s quite busy out there, so we’ll have a pulse on the league and everything that’s going on.
As all NFL teams whittle down rosters to the final 53 players, now is the time to make those moves. Analyzing the cuts made across the league, there are many factors to consider, including how a player can become available and how he can help the Broncos.
Denver has some good starters, and at some positions, even good depth, but at others, the roster is lacking. I've identified a couple of recently released players the Broncos would be wise to target.
Jacob Hollister | TE/FB
This move is directly related to Andrew Beck as Hollister is the better version of that playstyle. Hollister hauled in 66 catches for over 550 yards over his last two years with the Seattle Seahawks.
Denver could use another depth piece at tight end with Noah Fant dealing with a leg injury and Albert Okwuegbunam coming off a torn ACL.
It goes beyond that, though. Beck is the Broncos' hybrid fullback when they use one, which is another aspect to Hollister's game. He can fill that hybrid role, offering more offense with his receiving ability and being a better blocker.
The final aspect is what Hollister brings on special teams, which Beck has struggled with over the years. Hollister isn’t an outstanding special teams player by any means, but he is better than Beck. For a team wanting to address its special teams play, this could be a cheap move to better the unit and even the offense.
Colby Gossett | IOL
The Cleveland Browns are pretty strong on their offensive line, so it wasn't surprising to see Grossett not make the cut. He played over 150 snaps for Cleveland in the preseason and played well, especially as a run blocker. With Denver parting ways with Austin Schlottmann, the team could be looking for another depth piece on the interior.
One reason to keep an eye on Gossett is he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings when Paton was with them. Gossett wasn't really a fit with the Gary Kubiak offense, so it was unsurprising to see Minnesota part with him. However, considering the Broncos' rushing-game style, maybe Paton decides to bring in Gossett to give him a chance in a better scheme fit.
Gossett is a strong blocker who can move defenders off the line of scrimmage. However, there are some concerns in pass blocking as he allowed six pressures on 107 pass-blocking snaps this preseason.
Nevertheless, this could be a shot worth taking for added depth with a guy who played better than any of Denver's current depth pieces along the interior O-line. Pairing Gossett with Mike Munchak could be just what the doctor ordered.
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