Denver Broncos May Look for TE Help with Rookie Jeff Heuerman Done for the Year

The Denver Broncos revealed crushing news on Saturday.

Rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman, the Broncos’ third-round selection in the 2015 NFL draft from Ohio State, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Saturday afternoon’s rookie minicamp practice. Heuerman is expected to miss the 2015 season due to the injury.             

“I feel terrible for Jeff and this is an unfortunate situation,” Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said. “Jeff was going to be a big part of our team this year, and he’s still going to be a big part of our team and organization in the future.”

Will the Broncos look for additional tight end help now that Heuerman is done for the year? Let’s take a look.

The Pick

The Broncos were excited to see Heuerman still on the board when they picked in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. The team was likely to pick a tight end in this draft class, but it was Oklahoma’s Blake Bell who was most often connected to the Broncos before the draft. Instead, Heuerman was their guy, and the front office was thrilled to add a player with his potential.

General manager John Elway talked about the team’s excitement when the pick came up and they were able to snare Heuerman.

“We were thrilled to get him in the third round. [He is a] guy that we think really can come in and help us," Elway said. "[He is] a midline tight end, has the flexibility to play some out also. We really believe he has a tremendous amount of upside, brings in the right mentality, and is tough and a great competitor.”

Potential is the key word with Heuerman. During his college career at Ohio State, Heuerman was never a highly productive player. In four seasons with the Buckeyes, Heuerman only caught 52 passes for 792 yards and seven touchdowns. Part of his limited statistical production was poor quarterback play, but part was also his inability to get the most out of his physical traits.

Heuerman did struggle with injury in 2014. He was limited throughout last season with a stress reaction to his surgically repaired foot. The procedure was done in March of 2014, but the recovery process failed to go smoothly for Heuerman and his production suffered because of it.

When healthy, Heuerman did show the ability to stretch the defense vertically. His weight-room strength didn’t show up on film as a blocker, but that can be improved with proper coaching at the pro level. Heuerman was considered an exciting developmental prospect because of his athleticism and versatility. He’s the type of player who can be used in-line, mid-line or even split out wide.

The Need

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Denver went out and spent a bunch of money at the tight end position in free agency this offseason. In the Kubiak offense, two-tight end formations are used on a regular basis. The team needed to insure they had proper depth at a crucial position for this system.

That’s why the team kept Virgil Green around with a new long-term deal. A seventh-round pick in 2011, Green is a fantastic blocker and an underrated receiver. He’s in line to be a starter for the team, but it will likely be as their second (mostly blocking) tight end.

Their lead tight end will likely be veteran Owen Daniels. They scooped Daniels up as fast as they could in free agency. Daniels was originally a Kubiak draft pick in 2006 by the Houston Texans, and he made sure to follow his former head coach to the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. Daniels knows the system like the back of his hand, and he should become a featured target in the Broncos passing game in 2015.

Heuerman was likely to be the team’s third tight end who could have been brought in on certain passing downs. His athleticism would have come in handy when the team wanted to go vertical—or open things up for underneath receivers.

On the first day of rookie minicamp, Kubiak was excited about his potential. “He’s got a bright future. The quicker we can get him going, the more he helps us with O.D. (TE Owen Daniels) and with our group that we have with [TE] Virgil [Green] and [others]. We’re expecting a lot out of him.”

With Heuerman down, the Broncos could always turn to veteran James Casey. A jack-of-all-trades kind of player, Casey can play tight end, H-back and even fullback for the Broncos when needed. He’s got the experience working under Kubiak from his time with the Texans, but Casey has never really put his talent together to produce at the pro level.

The Broncos need a third tight end they can trust. First, the offensive system requires two quality tight ends. Second, Daniels hasn’t played but two full 16-game seasons as a pro, and the last one was in 2008. Finally, while Green is an underrated receiver, he does not have proven production as a pass-catcher. If Daniels goes down with an injury, Denver could be in trouble at the position.

Free Agents Still Available

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Even though most free agents are already signed, there are a few still floating around that the Broncos could have interest in. The first name that jumps off the list is former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham.

The seasoned veteran is a great blocker and a good receiving weapon. He’s only available because of a surgical procedure he had in March to repair a herniated disc in his back. Once Gresham is cleared medically, there should be more than a few teams interested in adding his services.

Gresham may be looking for a larger role than what Denver has available, and that may push him to another team—even if the Broncos showed strong interest. With his skill set, proven production and ability, we could see Gresham’s price tag pushed higher than the Broncos would want to go as well.

Another player the Broncos could consider is former Colorado Buffaloes tight end Nick Kasa. The Oakland Raiders drafted him in 2013, but earlier this month they released Kasa with a "failed physical" designation. Kasa is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in camp with the Raiders last August.

When healthy, Kasa is a fine developmental player with incredible upside. At 6’6”, 265 pounds, Kasa can fly down the field and get open deep. He has good playing strength (a former defensive end) and can rip away contested passes from smaller defenders.

Kasa would be more likely—and willing—to accept a smaller role as a third tight end than Gresham would. Coming back to Colorado might be the answer that is best for both sides.

Summary

The team was excited about what Heuerman could be at the pro level. That excitement will now be tempered with this knee injury. Even when Heuerman comes back, there’s no guarantee that he’ll ever be the same player again.

Kubiak believes in the recovery process. “He’ll get well and be with us as part of this team throughout his rehabilitation.”

At his introductory press conference after he was selected by the Broncos, Heuerman talked about coming back from injury (this quote was in reference to his foot injury last season).

“In the game of football, everybody faces adversity. It’s all about overcoming adversity and how you handle it. There is no player who has ever played the game who hasn’t faced adversity or had injuries.” Heuerman continued, “It’s about being tough during things you’re going through and fighting through it. It all worked out.”

The Broncos can still be excited about his potential—and his future—but the team also has to prepare for the 2015 season. Do not be surprised if another tight end is added to the roster before the start of the regular season.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.