ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — NFL coaches hold forth all summer approximately retaining the quality 53 gamers at the roster. Every so often, but, cash gets in the way and choices are made based totally as an awful lot on payroll as performance.
The Broncos could pay the charge this season for one such move.
Rookie Riley Dixon shanked an 18-yard punt in Denver’s final preseason tuneup at Arizona on Thursday night, just two days after the Broncos exceeded him the activity by using liberating seven-year incumbent Britton Colquitt, the franchise’s all-time leader in both gross and internet punting average.
Dixon’s sturdy leg and work ethic might also make that miscue nothing more than a blip, but it additionally highlights the risks of going with teens over experience.
Dixon’s wobbler led to a landing. He also changed into the holder when Brandon McManus neglected a 46-yard area intention in Denver’s loss to the Cardinals.
Train Gary Kubiak called Dixon ”a young child” who’s ”achieved a lot of suitable things” and has a vivid future, but introduced, ”we’ve got to be better.”
Kubiak stated that seventh-round draft choose from Syracuse turned into experimenting on a punt that special teams’ coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been working on with him whilst he shanked the 18-yarder.
”Glaringly, it did not work out superb,” Kubiak stated. ”So, placed that on us coaches.”
Positioned Colquitt’s departure on the front office.
Colquitt become due $3.25 million this season and Dixon is making $450,000.
So, the Broncos asked Colquitt to take a pay cut like he did ultimate season.
Colquitt, who helped the Broncos turn out to be champs by way of pinning four punts within the Patriots’ 20-yard line in the AFC championship and helped hold Carolina to 2 yards on three returns within the Tremendous Bowl, declined, and that was the quit of his stay in Denver.
The Broncos launched the longest-tenured player on their roster Tuesday despite the fact that that leaves them with professionals who are NFL novices in Dixon and lengthy-snapper Casey Kreiter, who may be on his first 53-guy roster whilst final cuts are become the league on Saturday
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McManus is a third-year pro who set an NFL file via making all 10 of his field intention attempts within the playoffs whilst Colquitt changed into his holder and Aaron Brewer his lengthy-snapper.
Factors proved precious closing season when the Broncos won 11 close video games on their way to the title. And with quarterbacks who have in no way thrown an NFL bypass in Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, the Broncos cannot find the money for to surrender area position or miss area goals while games matter for extra than conversation.
The Broncos kick off the NFL season Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, whom they beat 24-10 within the Extremely good Bowl.
Greater CUTS: Kubiak and GM John Elway huddled Friday to trim 22 more names from the roster and there’s a distinct opportunity that each one 8 of Elway’s draft alternatives this 12 months will make the club, a fantastic feat for an Exquisite Bowl champion.
The largest query mark surrounded QB Mark Sanchez, who was crushed out by Trevor Siemian and failed to play in the final two preseason games. Lynch performed the whole preseason finale and the Broncos would like him to be the No. 2 QB so he can take lots of snaps in exercise.
That makes Sanchez an highly-priced No. 3 at $4.5 million. If the Broncos reduce Sanchez, they will keep $3.five million and a seventh-round draft pick.