You’d think selecting a punter in the seventh round of the NFL Draft wouldn’t be all that meaningful, but in the Broncos case, it absolutely is.
Denver drafted Riley Dixon from Syracuse with their final pick of the weekend, but the problem is: They already have a punter, a darn good one.
Britton Colquitt is one of the longest-tenured Broncos, having been with the team since 2010, and he’s done a stellar job, particularly last season in the playoffs. Unfortunately, his $3.25 million contract for next year is a lot to stomach on a cap-strapped team.
The #Broncos took #Syracuse punter Riley Dixon at No. 228. Meanwhile, veteran Britton Colquitt is set to make $3.25M in 2016. He's at risk
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2016
Britton Colquitt had terrific postseason. But his contract has made made him vulnerable. Will now have competition in camp W Riley Dixon
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) April 30, 2016
If Dixon performs well in training camp and preseason, John Elway would have a hard time justifying Colquitt and his contract over Dixon and his.
Of course, if Colquitt agreed to a significant pay cut, that might change the decision making process.
