It's Time for the Broncos to Limit Wes Welker, Let Rookie Cody Latimer Shine
The Denver Broncos suffered a humiliating defeat in Week 9 on the road against the New England Patriots. It was an epic battle between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Both superstar quarterbacks passed for over 300 yards, but Manning passed for 105 more yards (438-333) than Brady.
The Broncos had two 100-yard receivers in the game as both Emmanuel Sanders (151) and Demaryius Thomas (127) passed the century mark. Manning and the passing game were able to move the ball against New England.
One player who didn’t do much in the game against New England was former Patriots receiver Wes Welker. Working out of the slot, Welker finished the game with a back contusion and only three catches for 31 yards on eight targets.
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In addition to having a disappointing game, Welker also got banged up against the Patriots. He had to leave with a back injury after taking a big hit from cornerback Devin McCourty.
Broncos head coach John Fox talked about Welker’s back injury on Monday.
“He’s day-to-day. Anytime that we have a guy that gets injured, we’ll give you that evaluation Wednesday. A lot of times with treatment and whatnot these guys may or may not be ready, you never can predict.”
Welker’s injury could have opened the door for receivers like veteran Andre "Bubba" Caldwell and rookie Cody Latimer. That didn’t happen, however, as neither player had a reception—or even a target—against the Patriots.
Is it time for the team to limit Welker and see what the rookie Latimer can do? Let’s take a closer look.
Welker’s Decline
It’s safe to say that Welker just isn’t the same player he used to be. Last season, Welker missed three games due to two concussions suffered during the year.
Welker was then concussed again this year in the third preseason game against the Houston Texans. That was his third concussion in 10 months, and it certainly called into question his future in the NFL.
In a somewhat shocking development, Welker was suspended for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. The initial suspension was supposed to be four games, but that was cut down to only two games after the NFL and the NFLPA agreed on a new drug-testing policy.
It’s clear to see from the film and the stats that Welker is not producing at the same rate.
| Catches | Yards | TDs | |
| 2013 Week 1 | 9 | 67 | 2 |
| 2013 Week 2 | 3 | 39 | 1 |
| 2013 Week 3 | 7 | 84 | 1 |
| 2013 Week 4 | 7 | 76 | 2 |
| 2013 Week 5 | 5 | 49 | 1 |
| 2013 Week 6 | 6 | 63 | 1 |
| 2013 TOTAL | 37 | 378 | 8 |
| 2014 Week 3 | 6 | 60 | 0 |
| 2014 Week 5 | 7 | 58 | 0 |
| 2014 Week 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 2014 Week 7 | 3 | 50 | 1 |
| 2014 Week 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 Week 9 | 3 | 31 | 0 |
| 2014 TOTAL | 22 | 212 | 1 |
Welker is in the final year of his contract with the Broncos. It’s likely that he’s playing his final season in Denver. After this year, his future is up in the air. The Broncos made preparations for replacing Welker's production when they added Latimer to the roster during the draft.
Latimer’s Upside
Coming out of the University of Indiana, Latimer flashed the ability to be a dominant player on the football field. Measuring in at 6’2” 215 pounds, Latimer has the size to get proper position on smaller defenders when a pass in oncoming.
Latimer uses a quick lateral move—a jab step—to get off the line of scrimmage quickly. He’s a long strider, but Latimer’s gait can eat up chunks of yards quickly. This speed allows him to get on top of an opposing defense in the blink of an eye.
A former basketball prep star, Latimer uses those same skills to box out smaller defenders and high point passes thrown his way. Latimer immediately stood out during rookie minicamp, OTAs and training camp this year.
Most days he stayed after practice with Manning to catch passes and learn as much as he possibly can. This extra work paid off in the preseason, and Latimer finished August with five catches for 116 yards and one touchdown in exhibition play.
The Broncos could at least use Latimer as a red-zone target early on in his pro career. We have yet to see the talented rookie get any targets in 2014. That could change in the near future.
2014 Rookie WR Class
This year in the 2014 NFL draft, the wide receiver class was arguably the most talented in the history of the process. In the first two rounds of the draft, 12 wide receivers were taken off the board. Many of these players have already earned roles with their respective teams in 2014. There are also some receivers taken after the second round that have made an impact this season.
| Name | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Sammy Watkins | 38 | 590 | 5 |
| Mike Evans | 32 | 460 | 4 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | 26 | 418 | 3 |
| Brandin Cooks | 43 | 410 | 2 |
| Kelvin Benjamin | 40 | 589 | 5 |
| Cody Latimer | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Moncrief | 18 | 220 | 1 |
| John Brown | 24 | 326 | 4 |
| Martavis Bryant | 10 | 167 | 5 |
Latimer was the tenth receiver off the board in the draft, and the Broncos moved up in the second round to add him to the roster. In addition to moving picks in the 2014 NFL draft, the Broncos also gave up a 2015 fourth-round pick in order to secure Latimer’s services.
Clearly, the team was high on Latimer before the draft. They chose him in the second round instead of staying put and selecting Donte Moncrief (Ole Miss)—a player they had worked out at Dove Valley in the predraft process.
With the success of this talent-rich rookie class, the Broncos could see similar production if/when Latimer gets his chance.
The Schedule Ahead
Now that the Patriots game is behind them, things open up nicely for the Broncos schedule. Games coming up against the likes of the Oakland Raiders (0-8), St. Louis Rams (3-5), the Miami Dolphins (5-3) and the Buffalo Bills (5-3) could be great opportunities to feature younger players.
There’s no such thing as an easy win in the NFL. Any of the teams listed above could give the Broncos all they can handle—or even beat them on any given Sunday. However, on the surface these contests look like games that the Broncos should dominate.
The Broncos could have Latimer at least work in certain sub-packages to get him on the field. With his size, wingspan and leaping ability, Latimer makes for a great target on fades or back-shoulder throws in the red zone. His speed, ball-tracking skills and ability to beat the jam at the line of scrimmage make him a great option for deep routes as well.
Upcoming teams on the schedule are going to have their hands full covering Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The Broncos should be able to get one-on-one matchups for Latimer early and often.
Summary
The Broncos are in a Super Bowl window, and Welker might be a part of the team’s run through the playoffs. It just makes a lot of sense for them to start getting Latimer some playing time right now.
The schedule is filled with winnable games the rest of the way. This presents a perfect opportunity to get Latimer valuable experience now.
The experience will help him later in his career, as he may compete for a starting job in 2015. The playing time, routes and targets would also aid Latimer in case the team needs to turn to him during the postseason due to injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.
The Broncos have a luxury with so many talented wide receivers. It’s time to make the most of that depth by getting a young player like Latimer much-needed experience. That means we could see Welker take a back seat so the rookie can get on the field.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.
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