2023 Denver Broncos Training Camp: How do They Replace Tim and K.J.

Heading into the 2023 Denver Broncos Training Camp, their Wide Receiver room was one of the deeper areas of the roster. Arguably the biggest reason for the team having so much confidence in this group is because Tim Patrick was set to come back from his torn ACL a year ago, pairing him with Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

Getting a healthy K.J. Hamler was also a really nice addition to this team. He has been a player that has not been healthy once in his career, but if he could be healthy at all, with Patrick coming, the Broncos WRs were primed with a breakout season.

That all came to a screeching halt in what was one of the toughest days in Broncos Training camp in a long time. Now, with only weeks before the 2023 NFL Season starts, the Denver Broncos are going to have some work to do with that same room after losing both of those players for the foreseeable future.

 

2023 Denver Broncos Training Camp: What Happened to Both Players

The Tim Patrick news was the easiest to understand what happened and also the most brutal for the team and the fans. On Monday, July 31^st, during a 7v7 drill on the team’s first day of padded training camp, Patrick went to get out of his release and immediately fell to the ground.

At first, it seemed like he just slipped, and then the emotions came out making it very real. As soon as he hit the ground, Patrick sat up, threw his helmet across the field, and let out a major scream. The obvious reaction to seeing all of that is it is a major injury. After Sean Payton talked to the reporters, saying they were fearing an Achilles injury, the official MRI came out with the diagnosis that Tim Patrick officially tore his Achilles in his left leg. Brutal for a player that was cleared and ready to go almost a year after he tore his ACL.

As for K.J., it is a little more complicated but just as devastating for the four-year pro out of Penn State. The former second-round pick in 2020 has failed to play a full season once in his career. After suffering a slight Pectoral tear early in the offseason, and the Broncos brought in a load of WRs to the team, K.J. had a lot to prove.

Unfortunately, that all came to an end after practice. In a surprise announcement, Hamler told the team he is stepping away from football for a while to take care of his health. Earlier in the offseason, Hamler noticed some chest pains during a workout and was officially diagnosed with Mild Heart Irritation called Pericarditis. Later that day the team announced they were waiving Hamler, making him no longer on the team.

Based on early reports, it should not be a significant setback. He is rumored to aim to be out for “weeks, not months,” and the team intends to bring him back if it works out.

Where Does the Team Stand With Their Current Roster:

While the team does not have any household names on the roster ready to step up in replacement for KJ and Tim, the team seems to have trust in the guys they have. Since the injury, the team has not made any note of worthy moves at the position.

The players most in line to replace them are Marquez Callaway, Marvin Mims, Kendall Hinton, and Brandon Johnson. Realistically only two of these four are likely to make a consistent impact in the lineup each week, but considering this WR group’s history of injuries, it does not hurt to take a look at some more depth players that may need to produce.

Brandon Johnson is probably the player least likely to be called upon. The 6’2” second-year WR did not get a lot of run last season. He only recorded six catches for 42 yards and one lone TD. Despite the lack of opportunity last season, the team loves the potential Johnson has. After a really successful Training Camp a year ago, he has had a great Camp thus far.

Even before the Patrick and Hamler injuries, Johnson had been getting run with the starters in practice. Despite being the least experienced, the team has a lot of faith that, if needed, he can provide a solid option for the team at WR.

Kendall is an interesting player. He was probably in danger of getting cut before the injuries to Hamler and Patrick, but now he is getting reps with the starters at Camp. The former QB turned WR was at one time a fan favorite story after being called up from the practice squad to start a game at QB; now he has been a WR the team has kept around for back-to-back seasons.

After a career-high 24 catches and 311 yards last season, he may be a guy that will see an extended run with the team. Sean Payton has even stated being impressed with his fluidity at the position, and if called upon, knows he will step up.

Marquez Callaway is a fascinating player to watch this season. He is clearly a Sean Payton guy, as he was one of the first players signed with the team this offseason, and there is good reason for Payton to want him. The last time Payton coached Callaway, he led the team in receiving with 46 receptions, 698 yards, and six TDs.

While those are not great numbers to lead a team, if he can produce similar numbers this season in Denver, it could make him an ideal third or fourth receiver. At the moment, he seems to be in line for the third spot in the lineup, but that could change by the time the season starts. Either way, expect to see a lot of Callaway on the field for Denver this season.

The biggest wild card for this unit is Marvin Mims. The team’s second-round pick in this last draft has not had a chance to make a huge impact at camp with the hamstring injury he was nursing at the start. However, with his pedigree from his Oklahoma career, there is massive optimism that he can have an impact this season. He is coming off his most productive season with over 1,000 yards and six TDs.

He was also top 20 in the nation in Average Depth of Target at 17 yards and Deep Yards with 602. He fits with Sutton and Jeudy very well with his deep target ability and if he is healthy this season, could be an exciting option at WR three for the Broncos.

 

Whom the Broncos Can Bring in to Help:

Considering it has almost been a week up to this point since the injury and the team has not made a big move, it does not seem super likely the team will bring in anyone new. However, it is not out of the picture that the team targets someone still on the open market. To also make it clear before listing some free agents I like for the team, I do not see the team trading for anyone. While the team is rumored to be interested in Josh Jacobs, trading assets for a WR three does not seem like something the team would be interested in.

With that said, if the team does decide to go after one of the available players, there are a few names that I would not mind the team bringing in for the rest of Camp. Players like Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Kenny Golladay are all guys that could be worth a camp invite and earn their way onto a roster spot.

Kenny Golladay is the most polarizing player of these three, considering the ugly end to his time in New York. Coming off a disaster season with only six receptions for 81 yards and one TD, it has made people forget how productive he was at one point in his career. He had back-to-back thousand-yard seasons, the second of which also came with 11 TDs and a Pro Bowl nod. Still not quite 30 years old, he could be a name worth signing to earn a spot on the team. If he can return close to his 2019 self, he would be a quality depth piece.

The most unproven and unknown of these players is Rashard Higgins. He may be more of a local college kid name the team brings on to compete. Formerly the fifth-round pick for Cleveland in 2016, he had his moments for the Browns but never really hit his stride. At times he was often Baker Mayfield’s favorite target, with two seasons of four TDs. However, constant in and out of the lineup and injuries in his last couple of seasons have made Higgins’s career come to a halt. If Denver gives him a chance, he may end up competing with someone like Kendall Hinton for the last WR spot on the team.

Possibly my favorite option is Jarvis Landry. At one point, Landry was one of the most dominant players in the NFL and was a lock every season to be a Pro Bowler, he is coming off the worst season of his career in New Orleans. Only playing in nine games (a career low) and catching 25 passes for 272 yards, it pointed to a sign that Landry was on the decline.

However, he is still only 30 years old and can provide the Broncos with an option at Slot between Jerry and Sutton. An important thing to remember with a player like Landry is he may not be a guy the team needs for 17 games, but if can be available for 10 or more games he can be proven to be a solid signing.

 

What I Think Denver Will Do:

While it is always tempting in situations like these to want the team to find the answer outside of the current roster, I do not believe that is the plan the Broncos should take. I believe the team should have faith that the guys on the team are good enough under Sean Payton to produce as number three and four WRs. If the Broncos do decide to bring in new names, I would expect it to be an in-season addition if another player goes down.

Otherwise, a combination of Marvin Mims and Marquez Callaway should be good enough to produce. A name to keep an eye on this season is Johnson. If the team does decide to stay put, Johnson has continuously gotten run with the first team, and Russell has been targeting him a lot.

 

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