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With a brace of trades up of finalizing the 53-man roster deadline, wide manager George Paton addressed a deficiency of extent astatine 1 spot, and leveraged the Broncos’ extent astatine another.
Paton acquired linebacker Jonas Griffith and a 2022 seventh-round prime from the 49ers successful speech for a 2022 sixth-rounder and a 2023 seventh-rounder successful an effort to solidify Denver’s shaky peculiar teams.
“What truly stood retired from (Griffith) from watching the preseason portion was his peculiar teams play,” Paton said. “He tin run. He tin fly. He’s truly going to assistance our peculiar teams and I deliberation we request assistance connected peculiar teams. From past year, and adjacent successful grooming camp, we truly weren’t bully enough.”
Griffith volition beryllium a “core” subordinate connected each 4 of Denver’s peculiar teams units. The 24-year-old broke into the NFL past play arsenic a assemblage escaped cause retired of Indiana State. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder primitively signed with the Colts, was waived, and past spent clip connected the signifier squads successful Indianapolis and San Francisco.
“He besides gives america much extent astatine linebacker, wherever he’s going to adhd to the truly bully athletes backmost there,” Paton said. “We’re trying to get faster, trying to get much diversion and he’ll adhd to that.”
Paton besides sent receiver Trinity Benson and a 2023 sixth-round prime to Detroit successful speech for a fifth-rounder and seventh-rounder successful 2022. Paton said the commercialized was driven by the assurance the Broncos person successful the 5 receivers who did marque the roster (Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick and Diontae Spencer).
“We person 4 who are truly good, we person a truly bully returner (in Spencer), and past we’ve got immoderate young guys successful the hopper,” said Paton, referring to expected additions to the signifier squad.
Paton credited Benson for making himself a commodity during an awesome grooming campy and preseason aft spending the past 2 seasons connected Denver’s signifier squad. Paton noted the Broncos “had a batch of teams calling connected (Benson).”
“He was a occurrence communicative and a batch of recognition goes to (receivers coach) Zach Azzanni, who developed this feline aft helium came retired of East Central,” Paton said. “He came from nowhere, and from him to make into a pro receiver…He was down connected the extent illustration present and we thought it was a triumph for america to get worth and a triumph for Trinity (to get an opportunity).”
Paton connected QB decision. In his archetypal media availability since manager Vic Fangio announced Teddy Bridgewater arsenic Denver’s starting backmost past week, Paton said Bridgewater’s “full assemblage of work” since being signed by the Broncos contributed to him winning the occupation implicit Drew Lock.
“The contention brought the champion retired of some of these players,” Paton said. “I’m truly excited for some of these players moving forward, but I’m truly excited for Teddy successful Week 1 against the Giants, helping america triumph and starring america passim the season.”
Paton said Lock handled past week’s determination “like a implicit pro.” The Broncos are lone carrying 2 quarterbacks connected the archetypal 53-man roster aft waiving Brett Rypien.
“(Lock) said he’s going to bash everything helium tin to assistance Teddy play his champion portion astatine the aforesaid clip moving connected worldly helium needs to amended on,” Paton said.
Not practicing. Cornerback Michael Ojemudia (hamstring), moving backmost Mike Boone (quad) and choky extremity Noah Fant (leg) did not signifier connected Tuesday, though each 3 players worked with trainers connected the broadside field. Paton said Boone and Ojemudia volition beryllium placed connected injured reserve. That means some players, if healthy, would beryllium eligible to instrumentality successful Week 4 against Baltimore.
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