Released Denver Broncos WR quickly finds new spot with NFC contender

Travis Wakeman

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Released Denver Broncos WR quickly finds new spot with NFC contender image

When the Denver Broncos finalized their 53-man roster on Tuesday, perhaps the biggest news was that the team had chosen to move on from veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick. 

It was reported that the Broncos would move on from Patrick but hoped to trade him. When the team was unable to find a trade partner, he was instead released, the same fate that was handed to running back Samaje Perine. It didn't take long for Patrick to land with a new team. 

 

Patrick has signed with the Detroit Lions, but rather than coming straight onto their 53-man roster, he will instead start on their practice squad. Patrick has overcome serious injuries in the last two seasons and looked great in the preseason. 

The Lions only kept four wide receivers on their 53-man depth chart, so Patrick should be able to get a shot early in the regular season.

Will the Broncos regret moving on from Tim Patrick?

The Broncos surprisingly kept only five wide receivers on their 53-man roster and two of them are rookies. One of those — Troy Franklin — was practically nonexistent this summer. It seems that the Broncos would want to support their rookie starting quarterback, Bo Nix, with a more veteran presence, but Sean Payton is going for more of a youth movement. 

The decision to move on from Patrick, while tough, makes some sense from a business perspective and a youth perspective. However, keeping only five wide receivers with two of them being untested rookies, does not. 

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. But most fans in Broncos Country, still appreciative of the years of service given by Patrick, will wish him luck with the Lions who came within a couple of plays of being in the Super Bowl last season. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.