ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Denver Broncos await players to return to the UCHealth Training Center for the start of training camp at the end of July, various positions will feature competition for a spot on the 53-man roster in September.
Tight end is one of the positions that comes under focus as the team looks to discover who their third option will be this upcoming season.
Noah Fant is entering his third season in the NFL as the team’s number one option at the position and an argument could be made about who Denver’s second option will be. The expectation is that Albert Okwuegbunam will fulfill that role as Fant’s backup and will see significant time on the field. Behind Albert O, the Broncos face some questions surrounding who that third contributor will be.
On March 23, the Broncos released Nick Vannett, a veteran option who they signed during Free Agency in 2020. Vannett was the Broncos number two option behind Fant last season where he contributed 14 catches on 21 targets and one touchdown. While Vannett’s receiving numbers weren’t high, his impact as a blocker was critical for Denver.
RELATED: Broncos cut Nick Vannett
After Vannett’s release this offseason, Denver has some question marks about who can help contribute as a third-position option. The ideal candidate would be a player who could carve out a role as both a disciplined in-line blocker and somebody who is also capable as a receiving threat.
Behind Fant and Okwuegbunam, Andrew Beck, Austin Fort, Shaun Beyer and Eric Saubert are looking to fulfill the team’s need at TE3.
Beck is currently listed as a fullback on the Broncos' roster, but has been utilized more as an H-Back who can serve as a hybrid blocker and receiver. Based on Beck’s alignment, he has also been used by Pat Shurmur as extra protection against pass rushers, coming underneath the offensive formation to be a backside edge protector if Denver runs any of their three man route concepts.
Beck’s value to the offense looks favorable for him on paper, but players like Fort, Saubert and Beyer could make training camp even more interesting to watch. Fort has a chance to play within the same role that Beck has for the offense, and has a strong opportunity to do so.
Fort is coming off of a knee injury that forced him out of the 2020 NFL season during training camp last year. Before 2020, he suffered a torn ACL in the Broncos' preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame game, ending his 2019 season.
During head coach Vic Fangio’s first season in Denver, Fort was one of the key standouts throughout the first half of training camp as both a blocker and receiving option who gained some valuable chemistry working with both Drew Lock and Brett Rypien. With Fort having a clean bill of health, he now finds himself in a position to finally showcase what many of us saw from him in camp back in 2019 and he’s added to the intrigue with an impressive off-season.
If Fort can stay healthy throughout camp and preseason, he’s one of the top candidates to become the Broncos third option at the TE position.
Beyer enters training camp as a younger option for the team coming out of Iowa. As it projects, Beyer will have the chance to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster, but it appears he may be more of a developmental option for the Broncos to groom on the practice squad. In 2020, NFL rosters were allowed to have 16 players on their practice squad, and it appears that rule will carry over into the 2021 NFL season.
During his four seasons at Iowa, Beyer caught 18 passes for 285 yards and one receiving touchdown. He is the perfect candidate for Wade Harman to stash away for a season or two to have room to develop.
Behind Beyer, one more option remains with Saubert, one of the Broncos off-season free agency acquisitions. Saubert comes over from the Jacksonville Jaguars where he started in four games last season after catching three passes for sixteen yards. His fit on paper appears to be in the mix to compete for that third spot, but his climb to making the 53 will be difficult.
One benefit that each option may have once training camp approaches is that the team won’t rush Okwuegbunam back onto the field before he is 100% recovered from ACL surgery. He’s expected to be ready for the start of the season, but the team’s approach of easing him in during camp will create plenty of opportunities for a third option to emerge.
As the Broncos report back to the field at the end of July, the focus will be primarily on the QB competition between Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, but the competition for TE3 will be one worth following as well for Broncos fans.
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