Report: Broncos will need to add a No. 3 wide receiver

According to Mike Klis of 9News, the Denver Broncos will not tender Restricted Free Agent Bennie Fowler or attempt to sign free agent Cody Latimer before free agency begins. Both will be free to sign with other teams.

Fowler is entering his fourth season as an undrafted player out of Michigan State University. He played a larger role in the Broncos offense last season, catching 29 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Latimer is a fifth year player out of Indiana University who has been mostly a non-factor on offense. He did catch 19 passes for 287 yards and a two touchdowns last season.

Where losing these two players will hurt the most is on special teams. Both Latimer and Fowler were very good special teams gunners and made a lot of solid plays down the field on kick offs and punts. They will definitely be missed on that side of the ball.

Fowler will be best known for catching Peyton Manning’s final NFL pass in Super Bowl 50, a two-point conversion that sealed victory for the Broncos, while Latimer will be best known as another failed second-round pick by John Elway.

Personally, I felt that Latimer started to come around late last year. I was hoping the Broncos would re-sign him not just for his special teams abilities, but to get him in the mix for some serious playing time on offense in 2018.

The Broncos are now in the market for a number three wide receiver. That could be Carlos Henderson, but it sounds like they are not willing to sit and roll the dice on the second year player. They will need to add some players who can also make the kind of impact on special teams that both Latimer and Fowler did in their time in Denver.