Albert Okwuegbunam in Doghouse with Greg Dulcich Coming Off IR
When the Denver Broncos traded away Noah Fant as part of the package for Russell Wilson, it was because they believed in tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Throughout the offseason, Okwuegbunam was hyped up for all the progress he was making, even as the team signed Eric Tomlinson, brought back Eric Saubert, and drafted Greg Dulcich in the third round.
Throughout training camp, Okwuegbunam was the top tight end, which was helped by Dulcich's nagging hamstring injury. Many expected Dulcich to push for the job, even though rookie tight ends have so much to learn and rarely have an impact on their first year. However, none of that mattered because of the injury.
The first sign that Okwuegbunam may not have been as highly regarded internally was in the second preseason game. As the Broncos entered the fourth quarter, he was still on the field.
Despite that, Okwuegbunam played 44-of-66 snaps in the first game on offense. While he didn't get the start, as that went to Tomlinson, Okwuegbunam played almost as many snaps as Tomlinson and Saubert combined.
Okwuegbunam's blocking was an issue in the season opener, but he did catch all five targets for 33 yards. It was a promising showing for the first week, but Okwuegbunam hit the snap count in Week 2.
While the offense played six more snaps than in Week 1, with a total of 72, Okwuegbunam played only 38. While that was still more than the other tight ends, it dropped in total snaps and percentage. It could have been written off as personnel usage against the Houston Texans. Saubert and Tomlinson saw 24 and 26 snaps, respectively.
The issue with Okwuegbunam's blocking was clearly affecting his playtime. While Saubert and Tomlinson were not doing a tremendous job, they were doing better than Okwuegbunam. Against the Texans, Okwuegbunam had a chance as a receiver as he was targeted twice but caught neither, with one of them being a bad drop.
In Week 3, while Saubert and Tomlinson saw 35 snaps each, Okwuegbunam was on the field for a total of 24-of-74. Unfortunately, his fall from grace continued, and catching one of two targets for 12 yards was not enough. As a result, there was no chance for Okwuegbunam to make an impact, which came in the form of one snap in Denver's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten spoke on the usage of Okwuegbunam, essentially saying that it has more to do with their opponents. That would be much more believable if it weren't a steady decline. Outten also stated that the tight end would be used on the field more in the Broncos' coming game against the Indianapolis Colts.
It will be interesting to see how that turns out, as Okwuegbunam is clearly at the bottom of the tight-end depth chart and being outplayed by the other guys. With losing Javonte Williams and having issues already with their run blocking, can the Broncos afford to use a tight end who is such a terrible blocker against a good defensive front?
Even without Shaquille Leonard, the Colts have a talented front seven that makes it questionable to use Okwuegbunam, as Outten hinted. While blocking is the biggest issue with Okwuegbunam and the leading factor to his fall, it wasn't the only factor.
Okwuegbunam didn't have the reliability as a receiver to keep him out on the field. That, combined with Saubert, Tomlinson, and even Andrew Beck doing more, sealed his fate.
Okwuegbunam can't be compared to the Melvin Gordon situation, who was still getting touches after his fumble issues. Mike Boone couldn't step up, and when he was asked to, he dropped passes. Sure Boone had two good runs, but the Broncos needed his impact in the passing game, but he came up short.
So while Gordon fumbled away his chances, there wasn't another running back capable of stepping up, unlike with Okwuegbunam and the tight ends. Instead, Saubert and Tomlinson were showing enough to be trusted, with Okwuegbunam faltering.
The timing of Okwuegbunam's fall is curious as Dulcich is eligible to come back from injured reserve. If Dulcich is good to go, it raises the question about the outlook of the position.
Is Okwuegbunam safe, or is he at risk to Dulcich leapfrogging him?
One thing to factor in is what is offered on special teams, and Okwuegbunam has played zero third-phase snaps this season or at all in his career. That doesn't mean he can't do it, but despite their issues there in previous years, he didn't even get a look.
While he has an athletic profile, Okwuegbunam has never put it together on the field. On top of that, he was a draft selection of the old regime.
John Elway and Vic Fangio were the people in charge when Okwuegbunam heard his name called. Now, Okwuegbunam is in the dog house of the new coach and a general manager who didn't invest in him.
So Okwuegbunam is not safe. While it would be a surprise to see the Broncos let him go for Dulcich, he is the tight end at the most risk. Okweugbunam's usage has dropped, and the decision-makers have no connection to him.
If it does happen, the Broncos would likely want to re-sign him to the practice squad if he were to clear waivers. Whatever happens, it will be interesting to how events unfold when Dulcich comes back off IR and what the Broncos opt to do with Okwuegbunam as the season progresses.
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