After having a relatively quiet Day 2 of NFL Free Agency, the Denver Broncos added a veteran wide receiver who will come in and compete during training camp. Is this player a needle mover or a depth option?
Denver Broncos add veteran wide receiver Trent Sherfield
The Denver Broncos made a move at wide receiver on Tuesday during NFL Free Agency, but it wasn’t a move that was widely expected. Denver added veteran wide receiver Trent Sherfield to the roster on a two-year deal worth $6M with the chance to earn an additional $2M in incentives.
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Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports first reported the move.
Sherfield is entering his eighth year in the NFL and has appeared in 112 career games while only starting in 11 of them. He’s played for five teams in his eight seasons in the NFL, and the Broncos will be his sixth team. Sherfield spent time with the Arizona Cardinals (2018-2020), San Francisco 49ers (2021), Miami Dolphins (2022), Buffalo Bills (2023), and he played for the Minnesota Vikings last season.
As a member of the Vikings, he hauled in eight passes on nine targets for 83 yards and one touchdown in 17 games last season. For the Broncos offense, he doesn’t project to have a big role for them, and the vision for him, if we’re looking at his recent history, suggests he’ll be a depth option on offense, but primarily contribute on special teams.
Over the last four seasons, Sherfield played 49% of the Vikings special teams snaps (221), 35% with the Bills (135), 40% with the Dolphins (183), and 43% (194) with the San Francisco 49ers.
While the Broncos are looking to fill the void left by the departure of Tremon Smith, they are high on younger players like Devon Key, JL Skinner, Kris Abrams-Draine, Damarri Mathis, Tanner McCalister, and Keidron Smith as options to emerge more in 2025 on special teams.
It’s unlikely Sherfield works as a return option, but he’s an easy core-four candidate who has embraced the roles he’s had on special teams. With Darren Rizzi taking over the unit and Sean Payton setting the tone, Sherfield’s work ethic is something that likely stood out to them when evaluating free agency targets.
