Broncos Have Seen the Dallen Bentley Blueprint Work Before

The Denver Broncos raised some eyebrows with their tight end decisions at the final roster cut-downs last week.

When the Broncos determined which tight ends were going to make the final roster, some assumed (myself included) that they wouldn't risk waiving fifth-round rookie Justin Joly and, instead, would waive seventh-round rookie Dallen Bentley, in hopes of adding him to the practice squad.

That didn't happen, of course. Bentley made the 53-man roster, while Joly was waived and then claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins. Some fans may still be questioning the move, particularly because Bentley didn't show up in the stat lines that much in the preseason.

However, all is not lost because Bentley, in some ways, resembles a former Broncos tight end who played on the Super Bowl 50 championship team. It turns out he was a seventh-round pick as well —and he may have been one of the most underappreciated players on the roster at the time.

The Green Parallel

The tight end in question would be Virgil Green, a 2011 seventh-round pick. Like Bentley, he was the second tight end the Broncos selected in an NFL draft in the same year. The other tight end they took in 2011 was fourth-round pick Julius Thomas.

Thomas wasn't waived after training camp, but he was a game-day inactive throughout the 2011 season and was inactive for a few games in 2012 before he broke out in 2013. He got the headlines in the tight end department, primarily because he developed into a good red zone target for Peyton Manning.

Green, however, quietly put together important contributions because he excelled at blocking and played well on special teams. He was active far more often than Thomas in 2011 and 2012 and continued to see a significant number of snaps after Thomas's role grew.

After the 2014 season, Thomas signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars while the Broncos kept Green on a three-year deal. Green then saw more playing time on offense, and while he wasn't targeted often, he was effective when he got his opportunities.

From 2015 to 2017, Green was targeted 74 times and caught 48 passes — this came when the Broncos were sorting out their quarterback situation for two seasons after Manning retired, and Brock Osweiler signed with the Houston Texans.

Green finished his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, and while he never became a red-zone target, he remained an effective blocker.

Bentley's Usage

Bentley's strengths are as a blocker, but he was a solid pass catcher in college. And though he didn't log much in the stats department in the preseason, that doesn't mean he can't produce to some degree.

Most likely, Bentley will spend his rookie season pushing Nate Adkins for playing time and primarily be utilized in blocking and on special teams, though he could get targeted on some pass plays and get a chance to show what he can do.

Even if Bentley doesn't become a top contributor in receptions and touchdowns, his blocking upside is important to the success of the Broncos. Sean Payton values receivers and tight ends who can block because that role is critical to allowing Broncos receivers to gain more yards after the catch, providing pass protection, and opening holes for running backs.

The Takeaway

It's understandable that Broncos fans would want a tight end who can develop into a red-zone threat or become useful on passing downs, but the Broncos still seem to like Caleb Lohner — another seventh-round pick — so time will tell whether he eventually can take that role.

Even so, Broncos fans shouldn't sleep on Bentley too much. A tight end who does the things that fans don't necessarily appreciate is still a good thing to have.

If Bentley puts together a career like Green had, that's a good thing — and that's certainly more than worth the seventh-round pick that was used on Bentley.

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