Horse Tracks: Tight end should be a high draft priority

Good morning, Broncos Country.

In order to salvage a tight end unit that is arguably the worst in the NFL, the Denver Broncos sent a 2017 fifth-round draft pick to the New England Patriots to acquire A.J. Derby.

It's a similar move to last years' trade with the San Francisco 49ers that brought Vernon Davis to the squad and despite the Broncos earning a victory in Super Bowl 50, I think it's safe to say that his acquisition didn't do much to improve the performance at the position or act as a catalyst for an offense that was in desperate need of a spark in the 2015 season.

The Broncos certainly needed help at the position, but I'm not sure Derby will be the long-term player the Broncos truly need to make a difference on their roster.  Moreover, I have some concerns about his ability to come in and learn a completely different offense and have a significant impact for the squad in 2016.

Desperate times call for desperate moves and this trade certainly has the smell of a gamble that doesn't have a high chance at paying off.  It's my opinion that this trade is a scathing indictment in regard to the state of the teams' tight end corp, but perhaps an ultimatum delivered towards former third-round pick Jeff Heuerman, who is more likely to be seen as missing on the back of a mlik carton, as opposed to contributing in a manner that justified his selection in the third round two years ago.

If Denver wants to get serious about addressing their long-term need at tight end, they need to invest quality draft capital at the position and go after some of college football's best players.  The utilization of a high round draft pick on a tight end needs to happen and this year's class boasts a handful of intriguing prospects and perhaps the best crop available at the spot in recent memory.

Alabama's O.J. Howard, Ole Miss' Evan Engram, Michigan's Jake Butt and Virginia Tech's Bucky Hodges are four players who should merit early round consideration from Denver when the 2017 NFL Draft rolls around.  Don't expect them to be on the board for too long, with current projections slating all four players firmly in the first or early second round halfway through this years' college football season.

Jordan Leggett out of Clemson and Jeremy Sprinkle out of Arkansas are two other prospects to keep your eye on moving forward in the draft evaluation process.  Those two aren't as highly-touted as the aforementioned slate of players, but would be worthy of a draft selection in the third or fourth round of the draft.

No draft pick is a sure-fire bet, but one of the best moves the Broncos could make is to hedge their bets on one of those tight ends making a long-term difference for the team.  It would be a wise move to present either of the teams' young quarterbacks with a player of their status and in my eyes, is the right thing to do to improve the production and efficacy at the position next season.

As always, thank you for reading and here is today's offering of Horse Tracks.

Horse Tracks

Broncos hope to put a hold on holding penalties
Russell Okung and the Broncos offensive line have struggled with holding penalties of late.

Denver Broncos coaches study tendencies of NFL players
NFL teams always are on the hunt for any advantage they can gain. Denver feels like it found one in dedicating two full-time coaches to studying the tells of opposing players. The Broncos believe it’s working.

A revitalized AFC West is good news for the Denver Broncos | Mile High Sports
It's been a long time since the Denver Broncos have had to worry about the rest of the AFC West, and the renewed competition could be a good thing.

DeMarcus Ware's Super Bowl ring stolen in robbery | Mile High Sports
During the Denver Broncos' Monday Nigh Football game last night, three robbers broke into DeMarcus Ware's home and stole his Super Bowl ring.

Bill O'Brien hasn't considered benching Brock Osweiler
Coach Bill O'Brien said Tuesday that he has not considered benching struggling quarterback Brock Osweiler. How long until the Texans consider other options under center?

Dolphins' zone chips away, hits home run with Ajayi
Jay Ajayi has exceeded 200 yards rushing in each of his last two games. It comes after he barely broke 100 yards combined in his first four. Nick Shook looks at what's suddenly working in Miami.

Falcons sign Stevan Ridley as Tevin Coleman insurance
Two days after Tevin Coleman suffered a hamstring injury of unknown severity, Atlanta signed Stevan Ridley and Terron Ward to the active roster and another tailback to the practice squad.

Cutler on Fox's support: 'He doesn't have a choice'
When asked by the Chicago Tribune if he feels he still has the support of Bears coach John Fox, Jay Cutler was as inspired as he's ever been.

Kicker Josh Brown released by New York Giants
The New York Giants have released kicker Josh Brown, the team announced Tuesday. Brown was placed on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List on Friday while the NFL looks into new information regarding Brown's 2015 arrest.