Getty Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
The Denver Broncos need players with experience on winning teams as they try to turn around a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season.
Veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds seems to fit the bill.
The Broncos signed Reynolds to a 2-year, $14 million free-agent contract in March after he spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Lions and was a key member of last season’s team that advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel profiled Reynolds and showed a player
“A lot of wide receivers know what to say when they get asked about the dirty work that is usually an afterthought for a glamor position,” Gabriel wrote. “Of course, blocking is important. Yeah, we take pride in it. A big block can be as consequential as catching a touchdown. Josh Reynolds? The glint in his eye when the subject comes up during organized team activities gives away two things simultaneously: First, this isn’t just lip service. More pertinently, this is a key reason why the Broncos targeted him earlier this spring when he was still available a couple of weeks into free agency.”
Reynolds, Lions Came Just Short of Super Bowl
Reynolds and the Lions came up just short of making the Super Bowl last season, blowing a 24-7 halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Reynolds was one of the key figures in that game with two critical dropped passes in the second half — one in the third quarter when he was open on fourth down and a drop on 3rd-and-long with the game tied.
“(Expletive) happens, man,” Reynolds told The Detroit Free Press following the loss. “I know what kind of player I am. Didn’t want to drop them. (Expletive) happens. I just … do I want those back? Of course, but I can’t, and I just got to work this offseason and be prepared for the moment when it comes.”
It’s worth pointing out the Lions probably wouldn’t have made it that far without Reynolds, who played in all 17 games with 13 starts, including 40 receptions for 608 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. In 3 playoff games, he had 8 receptions for 132 yards and 1 touchdown.
Reynolds Went From JuCo to SEC to NFL
Reynolds, a San Antonio native, played his freshman season at Tyler (Texas) Junior College before he transferred to Texas A&M, where he broke NFL All-Pro Mike Evans‘ single-season school record with 13 receiving touchdowns in 2014.
Reynolds was a two-time All-SEC pick at Texas A&M before the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft (No. 117 overall). He was a key part of the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl following the 2018 season and had a career-high 52 receptions for 618 receiving yards in 2020.
He played part of 2021 with the Tennessee Titans before the Lions claimed him off waivers.
“I’m an old-school football player, man,” Reynolds told The Denver Post. “I’m kind of in that threshold between old-school and new-school football now. That’s part of football. I know I’m going to have to go in there and dig some safeties out and, honestly, that’s one of my favorite parts. In high school I played safety, so I like to hit a little bit.”
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Newly-Signed Broncos WR Ready to Do ‘Dirty Work’