Stud No. 3 – Andre Caldwell

Scan back through the various training camp articles that have been written about “veterans who could be on the chopping block” over the past several years and you’ll see one recurring theme: Writers don’t have much love for Andre “Bubba” Caldwell.

Caldwell and his $1.55 million contract were popular choices to free up cap space to shore up the offensive line, especially with the depth Denver has at wide receiver, yet somehow the eighth-year player continued to find a roster spot.

He didn’t have the biggest stat line on Sunday, just two catches for eight yards on four targets. But his touchdown catch late the fourth quarter gave the Broncos a three-point lead with just over a minute to go.

Since taking the reins as quarterback in the third quarter of the Kansas City loss, Brock Osweiler has targeted Caldwell on nine different occasions. That’s only one less than he was targeted in the previous eight games with Peyton Manning at the helm.

Caldwell may not be an elite receiver like Emmanuel Sanders, but he’s showing that his time working second-team reps with Osweiler could be a dangerous weapon, and at least one that opponents must game-plan against, down the stretch.