With the 2021 NFL season down to its final few weeks and playoff positioning on the line, every team is on the lookout for possible insurance policies to help solidify their rosters.
In the Denver Broncos case, the team signed two notable players to the practice squad on Wednesday, December 15: Former first-round pick and Pro Bowl safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and third-year wide receiver Travis Fulgham.
The Broncos’ 16-man taxi unit now features four wideouts with the addition of Fulgham, while Clinton-Dix is the only healthy defensive back not on the active roster.
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Is There Still Something Left in the Tank for Clinton-Dix?
With several defensive backs missing some practice this week, in Kareem Jackson and Caden Sterns, the Broncos have brought in the seven-year veteran, Clinton-Dix.
The hope is Clinton-Dix still has something left in the tank, and the Broncos believe in that enough to have signed him to the practice squad. What he’s able to do on the field remains to be seen.
Clinton-Dix sat out the 2020 season after begin cut from the Dallas Cowboys a week before the season began, despite having signed a one-year, $3.7 million contract with Jerry Jones’ club that offseason.
He signed with the San Francisco 49ers before the 2021 season but was cut before landing with the Las Vegas Raiders. With the Raiders, Clinton-Dix saw action in just two games, seeing only special teams snaps.
Clinton-Dix was released by the Raiders on December 8.
Originally the 21st overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft by Green Bay, Clinton-Dix spent the better part of five seasons with the Packers. There, he started 65 of 71 games, making the Pro Bowl in 2016 and amassing 351 tackles and 14 interceptions. For his career, Clinton-Dix has started 90 of 98 contests in the NFL.
Since his days in Green Bay, Clinton-Dix has made stops in Washington, Dallas, San Francisco, Las Vegas and now Denver.
Fulgham Led Eagles in Receiving Yards in 2020
Fulgham, best known for his 2020 breakout with the Philadelphia Eagles, also joined Clinton-Dix on the Broncos’ practice squad in Week 15.
Fulgham was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He played just three games and was eventually waived before the 2020 season. After a brief pit-stop in Green Bay, Fulgham signed with Philly.
With the Eagles, Fulgham was forced into duty due to a slew of injuries at the wide receiver position. Fulgham took full advantage of his opportunity, ending the 2020 season as the Eagles’ leading receiver with 539 yards, to go along with four touchdowns on 38 catches (67 targets) in 13 games.
Fulgham’s breakout came in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers where he hauled in 10 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown.
Despite starting eight games with Philadelphia in 2020, injured players returned and Fulgham fell out of favor. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder entered training camp in 2021 with the Eagles but was cut and later signed to the practice squad.
Fulgham was released in October 2021 before landing with the Miami Dolphins practice squad. Miami released Fulgham on December 13, igniting rumors among Eagles fans about a potential reunion with Philadelphia, but the Broncos scooped Fulgham first.
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Broncos Add Former Pro Bowl Safety, Eagles Leading WR to Practice Squad