Denver Broncos Breaking News: Team Signs TE Joel Dreesen

According to a post on ESPN.com on Friday afternoon, the Denver Broncos have added tight end Joel Dreesen to their roster.

This signing, which will go largely unnoticed, is actually huge for Denver and for Peyton Manning's comfort level.

Throughout his career with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning gelled wonderfully with tight end Dallas Clark. Together, the two tore up red-zone defenses and put up huge numbers. Daniel Fells, the Broncos' starting tight end last season, signed with the New England Patriots, so the void needed to be filled. 

Denver did a fantastic job to go out and get Dreesen, who is a definite upgrade to Fells. 

As Bill Williamson, who covers the AFC West for ESPN, notes, Dreesen has hauled in 110 passes for 1,364 yards and 13 TDs in six NFL seasons. 

In addition to these numbers, Dreesen has gotten a tremendous amount of playing time, often filling in for Owen Daniels, Houston's starting yet oft-injured tight end. 

A Mannning-to-Dreesen combination is definitely a tandem to look out for in 2012, and Dreesen has a tremendous opportunity to be a breakout candidate this year and solidify himself as a starter in the NFL. Manning has made the career of one tight end already, and he certainly has the potential to do so for Dreesen. The deciding factor will be how Denver uses Dreesen, and whether or not they will run a lot of tight end schemes in the red zone.