By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos know the starting wide receivers are Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The Broncos will be searching for a slot receiver. They haven’t had a stand out slot receiver since 2014 when Wes Welker was in that position. The Broncos have plenty of options.
Bennie Fowler saw some time at wide receiver last season. He had 16 receptions for 203 yards, but didn’t have a touchdown. In the playoffs he only had 35 yards on two catches. His biggest play of the year came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Broncos were trailing the Steelers by one point, late in the 4th quarter. They hadn’t done much offensively. Manning found Fowler for a gain of 31 yards. That possession ended in a touchdown which helped the Broncos knock off Pittsburgh, 23-16, on their way to winning Super Bowl 50.
Fowler is a tall target at 6 foot 1 inch. Whoever the starting quarterback is can throw the football up to him and Fowler could out jump the defender. With his speed he can outrun any defender for yards and touchdowns. Fowler needs to step-up his game and show the coaching staff he can handle the duties of a slot receiver.
Another option to be the slot receiver is Cody Latimer. The Broncos drafted him in the second-round of the 2014 NFL draft. They were hoping he would emerge as the slot receiver in his rookie year but It hasn’t happened. In two seasons Latimer has 8 receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. He has shown glimpses of the receiver Denver drafted. In some games Latimer disappears. He must make a bigger leap in the preseason. Latimer needs to show the Broncos’ coaching staff what he has learned and earn the number three receiver position the team. If he doesn’t, Denver might make the difficult decision and cut him. It is up to him to shine.
Jordan Norwood is also in the mix. He had 207 receiving yards last year. In the playoffs, Norwood had a total of 26 receiving yards. Norwood was mostly the punt returner. He will be given the opportunity to play in the offense. If he can’t, special teams is still an option .
This is an open competition for the slot receiver. Fowler has the edge only because he was reliable. Latimer will have his chance. I believe that Fowler will win the job. Fowler rarely drops the football when a pass is coming his way. His speed gives him the advantage over Latimer. Latimer won’t make it easy, but he needs to play well in preseason games. This will be interesting to watch during camp.
Who do you think wins the slot receiver job between Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, and Jordan Norwood?
Leave a Reply