Getty Denver Broncos Andrew Beck, Shaun Beyer, and Damarea Crockett celebrate a TD.
The Denver Broncos have waived tight end Shaun Beyer, offensive tackle Drew Himmelman, offensive tackle Zachary Johnson, and outside linebacker Andre Mintze, according to Broncos team reporter Aric DiLalla on Thursday, May 12.
News: The Broncos have waived OLB Andre Mintze
Prior to these moves, the Broncos had 94 players on their offseason roster, so they needed to waive four players to be at the 90-man limit ahead of rookie minicamp on May 13.
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A Quick Look at Beyer, Himmelman, Mintze & Johnson
Beyer was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021. In college, Beyer was stuck behind Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson on Iowa’s depth chart. As a result, his numbers were not very impressive. For his entire college career, Beyer had 18 receptions for 275 yards and a touchdown.
Beyer got an opportunity to play for the Broncos during the preseason. He scored his first NFL touchdown in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
However, he did not log a single snap during the regular season, as he spent the year on the practice squad.
The Broncos’ front office has been active at the tight end position this offseason. They selected Greg Dulcich in the third round of the NFL draft, and they signed Eric Tomlinson. In addition, they re-signed Andrew Beck and Eric Saubert and added undrafted free agent Dylan Parham.
In a crowded tight end group, Beyer seemed like the odd man out.
Like Beyer, Himmelman and Mintze were signed as undrafted free agents last offseason. Himmelman stands at 6-foot-10. He was signed to the team’s practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster multiple times, but he did not play a single snap.
Mintze actually made the Broncos’ initial 53-man roster last season, so his release is the most surprising. During the preseason, he had one sack and three quarterback hits. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve on October 19.
Finally, Johnson was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent time on their practice squad, but he was eventually waived. He had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals before the Broncos signed him to their practice squad in November.
Broncos Officially Sign 13 Undrafted Free Agents
According to the Broncos’ official site, the team officially signed 13 undrafted free agents on Thursday: OLB Christopher Allen, CB Cortez Davis, WR Kaden Davis, OT Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Brandon Johnson, ILB Kana’i Mauga, RB Tyreik McAllister, CB Ja’Quan McMillian, G Michael Niese, TE Dylan Parham, WR Jalen Virgil, TE Rodney Williams and ILB Kadofi Wright.
Mauga is a name to watch, as he is expected to compete for a starting spot at inside linebacker. During his tenure at USC, Mauga recorded 205 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and 3 interceptions.
Virgil was an All-Conference return man at Appalachian State. During his college career, he averaged an impressive 30.1 yards per kick return. He is expected to compete for the kick returner and punt returner jobs with fifth-round pick Montrell Washington and veteran Trey Quinn.