The Denver Broncos have signed former Boston College and Baltimore Ravens fullback Mike McLaughlin, offensive guards Shawn Murphy and Manuel Ramirez and offensive tackle Herb Taylor to their off-season roster.
McLaughlin is a 6' 0", 245 lb Undrafted Free Agent out of Boston College where he played at Middle Linebacker. A two-time defensive captain, Mike
bounced back from a torn Achilles that he suffered in the spring to start nine games for the Eagles in 2009. Lacking the speed and quickness needed for an NFL LB, he was converted to Fullback where his hard-nosed work ethic and toughness maximizes his abilities. Mike was born May 11, 1987.
Murphy is a 6' 4", 314 lb Guard who played at Utah State. Originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL Draft, the 4th round pick has played for the Carolina Panthers and appeared in one game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Viewed as a developmental player, Shawn is a versatile, but raw athlete who has played at Tackle and Guard relying more on his athleticism and grit than strength. Born December 17, 1982, he is the son of former Major League Baseball player Dale Murphy.
Ramirez is a 6' 4", 330 lb. Guard who played for Texas Tech where he was a 4-year starter in a top three passing offense for the Red Raiders. He has the distinction of owning the Bench Press record at Texas Tech (550 lbs). Manuel was selected in the 4th round of the 2007 Draft by the Detroit Lions with the 117th overall pick.
He spent last season backing up RG Stephen Peterman and was on the Inactive list most weeks. In October 2010, he was waived. Ramirez was born on February 19, 1983.
Taylor (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) is a third-year tackle who entered the NFL with Kansas City as a sixth-round selection (196th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was waived by the Chiefs at the end of 2009 training camp. Taylor appeared in 18 games (1 start), including all 16 contests in 2008, with the Chiefs. As a rookie in 2007, Taylor played in two games, was declared inactive for 11 games and dressed but did not play in three outings for Kansas City. He initially signed with Denver on Dec. 9, 2009 before being waived on Dec. 19 and re-signed 10 days later. Herb never saw the field for the Broncos. He was born September 22, 1984.