Broncos Projected to Part Ways With Former 4th-Round Starter

Getty Broncos head coach Sean Payton could have a tough decision to make at the tight end position in 2023.

The Denver Broncos will have to make some tough personnel decisions when they craft their 53-man roster at the end of training camp in August, and one of their recent fourth-round draft picks could already be on the chopping block.

On July 5, Scotty Payne of SB Nation’s Mile High Report flagged fourth-year tight end Albert Okwuegbunam as one of five players he believes could be fighting for a roster spot when the Broncos open 2023 training camp on July 28. He isn’t the first to suggest that Okwuegbunam could be on the cut bubble, either, with Broncos Wire also leaving him off of their recent 53-man roster projection for the upcoming NFL season.

The Broncos added two new tight ends — Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz — to their roster during the 2023 offseason and have Greg Dulcich expected to be their primary starter at the position after a promising rookie season in 2022. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Okwuegbunam is coming off a rough third year that saw him make just 10 catches and leave him in a bit of limbo heading into his fourth training camp in Centennial.

“At best, Albert O. is the fourth tight end on this team,” Payne wrote. “What also hurts him is that he is a one-dimensional player who struggles with blocking. If the Broncos do keep four tight ends, you would assume they would want a fourth one who could block, and not just another receiver. Especially with them fairly deep at that position already.

“For Albert O. to make this team, he will need to show he is a weapon in the passing game and just too valuable to let go. I am not sure you are getting much from him as a blocker at this stage of his career, but any improvement there would be helpful as well.”

Sean Payton May Prefer New Personnel at Tight End

Okwuegbunam fading into the background of the Broncos’ 2022 season would have likely made his roster pursuit a little tougher anyways in 2023, but the arrival of Sean Payton as their new head coach could make things even more complicated for him.

The Broncos have specifically made moves that suit Payton’s interests at the tight end position this offseason. They signed Manhertz, a blocking specialist, to a two-year deal that essentially pinpoints a specific role for him in their rotation. Then, they traded for one of Payton’s own former players, Trautman, during the 2023 draft, sending a 2023 sixth-rounder to the New Orleans Saints for the versatile tight end and a seventh-rounder.

In other words, it is a safe bet that both Manhertz and Trautman will make the initial roster.

The rest of the projection comes down to things Payton said throughout the team’s offseason workout program, specifically in regards to Dulcich as the expected starter.

“Well, look, he’s got a unique skill set, he’s got traits in the passing game,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Dulcich after June 1’s OTA practice. “We use [the] term “joker” where we can get matchups. The trick sometimes is to predict what you’re going to get defensively if you’re going to get a nickel package or a base package. But man, he can run. He’s got good ball skills. He had one of his better practices today. So then you begin to build on that.”

With three players looking like solid locks, Okwuegbunam would need to have an excellent training camp to avoid getting pushed off the roster, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t have it in him. He caught 33 of his 40 targets for 330 yards and two scores during the 2021 campaign for the Broncos, playing 14 games with six starts.

If Payton can help him rediscover that level of play in 2023, he would be valuable to their efforts, even as a second or third option.

Could Broncos Consider Trading Albert O. Instead?

While a strong camp performance could help Okwuegbunam keep his job with the Broncos heading into the 2023 season, there is another alternative that could have some appeal to both sides: A trade to a new team.

According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2, the Broncos received calls from other teams who were “interested in trade scenarios for … Albert Okwuegbunam” ahead of last year’s trade deadline. The 6-foot-5, 258-pound tight end ultimately did not end up getting moved, but they could potentially kick the tires on their options again if they are satisfied with their other tight ends toward the end of training camp.

It is unlikely the Broncos would receive significant compensation in a trade for Albert O., but something is better than nothing if they are considering leaving him off the roster when cut decisions are made. A trade to a less-crowded tight end room could also benefit Okwuegbunam, who might prefer a team with more reps to throw his way.