The Denver Broncos made a curious decision in August to cut veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick, initially opting to carry just five receivers on the 53-man roster (Lil’Jordan Humphrey has since been called up from the practice squad).
Patrick now plays for the Detroit Lions, and the Broncos’ offense has missed him. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has struggled for a multitude of reasons, with a lack of support from his receivers among them.
Fans and pundits have been calling for Denver to inject more speed into offense with Marvin Mims or Troy Franklin. Admittedly, Patrick would not provide more speed, and he probably wouldn’t create more separation than the team’s current receivers have, but neither of those traits have been his strengths.
Patrick is a physical receiver who can make contested catches in tight coverage, and he has extremely reliable hands — something Denver could use right about now as receivers and tight ends continue to drop passes.
Patrick and Larry Fitzgerald were the NFL’s only receivers with 70-plus targets and no drops in 2020. Overall, Patrick had four drops in his final three seasons with the Broncos before back-to-back injuries.
Patrick is still getting up to speed in Detroit and he only drew three targets on Sunday, but he caught two of those passes for 12 yards and a first down. The Broncos could have used his reliable hands to help move the chains this fall.
