Denver Broncos tight end Nate Adkins could have a big impact on the team's 53-man roster this summer.
The Denver Broncos will open training camp this Friday, ready to begin preparations for the preseason and eventually set their 53-man roster. Roster building in the NFL requires some creativity and often forces teams to part with players they don't want to cut loose.
Last season, the Broncos kept three quarterbacks on the final roster, and this year, the team should keep four running backs. One way to do that would be to trim some of the fat around a different position.
Last season, the Broncos cut fullback Michael Burton, but re-signed him to the practice squad after he cleared waivers and then called him back up to the main roster, where he played in all 17 regular-season games. The team also had Nate Adkins, who is still on the roster.
Burton is clearly a player who Sean Payton appreciates, but this year, the Broncos should let Burton go in favor of Adkins. While Adkins is technically a tight end, he's built more like a fullback, and he can play that fullback/H-back position.
Adkins is a solid receiver with good blocking skills. He can also be an important special teams player. Undrafted in 2023, Adkins will be entering his third year in the league and is coming off a season where he only caught 14 passes, but three of them went for touchdowns.
Good luck tackling Nate Adkins.pic.twitter.com/7PcUC8xDSF
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) December 15, 2024
Payton wants to have a rugged, run-first offense, but having both Burton and Adkins on the roster seems counterproductive at this point. Adkins was still growing as a player last season following a quiet rookie year, but he can firmly supplant Burton at this point and still help the depth at the tight end position, where there isn't much behind Evan Engram.
Keeping both Burton and Adkins on the 53-man roster limits what the team can do. And if the ability to keep four running backs comes down to whether or not to keep both players or release one of them, then it needs to happen.
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Category: Football
