Report: Broncos waive tight end Albert Okwuegbunam

According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos are waiving tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. The former fourth-round selection had a strong end to training camp and shined in the preseason finale, but at the end of the day, it was not enough to make the 53-man roster.

In the preseason finale, the Broncos tight end caught seven balls, totaled over 100 yards, and scored a touchdown. He also showed improvement as a blocker which was a weakness for him but ultimately, it was not enough for him to make the 53-man roster.

This move is surprising because I believe this performance and what he did the past two weeks was enough for him to make the team. At the very least, I believed there would be at least a trade market for him, but again, it appears nothing materialized.

(Maybe his blocking hasn’t improved all that much.)

At the end of the day, Albert Okwuegbunam was the Broncos at best fourth tight end on the roster, and that role includes blocking and special teams. While he improved as a blocker, he likely did not do enough on special teams to make the 53-man roster. This allows undrafted rookie tight end Nate Adkins who is an excellent blocker, plays on special teams, can play fullback, and can be effective as a pass catcher if needed to make the roster instead.

I would imagine a tight end with the receiving upside of Albert Okwuegbunam would be claimed on waivers, but we shall see. If not, he could make the Broncos practice squad but that seems rather unlikely right now.