Back in February, the Denver Broncos signed defensive end Bobby Richardson to very little fanfare. On Wednesday, with about the same amount of fanfare, without playing a single snap, the 24-year-old’s time in orange and blue came to an end.
On Wednesday, the Broncos announced that they had released Richardson, re-signing defensive end Billy Winn. On the surface, this may seem like an even swap, an end for an end, but it might not be with the player you think.
Richardson is much more effective in the passing game than against the run. He is 286 pounds, with extremely long arms, and showed an ability to get after the quarterback when he played 15 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2015. Though he only had half a sack, he also had one interception, one pass defensed and nine quarterback hurries. He also showed that ability in 2014 as a senior at Indiana, when 5.5 of his 9.5 tackles for a loss were sacks. Sure, Richardson was a low-risk depth signing, but if he were to have an impact, it would likely be felt against the pass much more than against the run.
Winn is the opposite of Richardson, in the respect that he stacks up better against the run. At 300 pounds, he is a little bigger. In limited playing time for the Broncos last season, the 28-year-old had 19 tackles and one fumble recovery. He is a more sound tackler. Again, just a depth signing; but he is more the type of depth player the Broncos need after the 2017 NFL Draft.
In the second round, Richardson’s fate was likely sealed. With the 51st overall pick, the Broncos selected DeMarcus Walker out of Florida State. At 280 pounds, Walker isn’t huge for a defensive end, but he showed with the Seminoles that he is more than able to get after the quarterback. Over the last two seasons, he has 25 sacks. With Domata Peko, Derek Wolfe Zach Kerr and Jared Crick in place, (barring injury) Walker figures to see the bulk of his work as a rookie in obvious passing situations.
If Walker had not fallen to the Broncos, Richardson stood a decent chance of making the Broncos roster. Simply put, it doesn’t make sense to carry both, especially if they would only be slotted for a situational role.