Denver, CO
Broncos roster review: Running Back Blake Watson
Entering the 2024 NFL Draft, Memphis running back Blake Watson was widely viewed as an intriguing day-three prospect. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked as his 142nd overall player in the draft while The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had a 6th-7th round grade on him. Ultimately, Watson ended up going undrafted and the Denver Broncos made it a priority to make sure they brought in this talented back.
According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Broncos gave Memphis running back Blake Watson a $25k signing bonus and a $255k salary guarantee for a total of $275k in guaranteed money. This will be among the highest deals an undrafted free agent will get sources tell Klis. Getting a UDFA deal like this is often a sign that the team views the player highly and paid him what is needed to make sure they can get him.
During his career at Memphis, Watson had 3,296 yards rushing, averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and had 28 rushing touchdowns. He was also a weapon in the passing game as he hauled in 113 career receptions for 928 yards and 6 touchdown receptions.
Now, Watson joins a fairly crowded Broncos backfield with veterans Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine, electric second-year back Jaleel McLaughlin, and fellow rookie Audric Estime. He is a talented back who, if he can stay healthy, should make some noise this summer and push for a spot on the Broncos 53-man roster.
Player Profile
Blake Watson | Running Back | Broncos | #43
Height: 5-9
Weight: 195 pounds
40-time: 4.40 seconds (Pro Day)
Vertical Jump: 41.5 inches (Pro Day)
Broad Jump: 11’3”
Age: 24 years old
Experience: Rookie
How rookie running back Blake Watson fits with the Denver Broncos
He is an intriguing player with the potential to make the 53-man roster and have a role on special teams and offense.
I list special teams first because of his potential as a returner. The new kick-off rule will allow teams to have two returners lined up. We can assume Marvin Mims will be one of the returners but the other will be decided during training camp and the preseason. One player who figures to get a shot in that role is Blake Watson. He is an explosive player with good speed, the ability to make people miss, and the ability to be a productive returner if given the opportunity. He will not be the only player getting this shot, but it is likely his best shot to be active come week one.
As for the offensive side, it’ll be interesting to see how he factors into the conversation. Right now, you have veterans Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine followed by McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime ahead of him on the depth chart. How this backfield all shakes out will be something to watch this summer, but Watson likely need to have a strong summer to basically take someone’s job so he can make the roster as the Broncos’ third or fourth back.
There are already rumors/whispers about Javonte Williams potentially being on the roster bubble and some questioned if Perine would stick around after the team drafted Estime. So, how that all shakes out will likely impact whether or not Watson cracks the 53-man roster. Of course, injuries, which can pile up quickly at this position could help or hurt Watson’s chances as well.
One thing that could potentially help Blake Watson’s chances of making the roster is head coach Sean Payton loosely comparing him to Saints running back Alvin Kamara. He said Watson is a natural at catching the ball, praised his football IQ, and mentioned how Kamara had these same traits.
“No. Look, we use that ‘joker’ term a little bit. That was one of the traits though that stood out. He was one of those guys again in the seventh round, sixth round, but we saw a player that was natural catching the ball. That was a big draw. When we read a player, that was a draw to his vision. What’s the vision? So now we’re learning more about him. I’m not making the comparison, but when [the Saints] drafted [Saints RB Alvin] Kamara, we saw that vision, but we didn’t realize the other things in the running game. The first handoff in the preseason I think against the Chargers, he went 52 yards for a touchdown. And we were like, ‘Man, we can hand the ball off to him.’ But if you asked me the traits that attracted us to Blake, it was certainly that that we saw in the passing game, and you saw pretty good football IQ too. So good question.”
Watson is a natural receiver and we all know how Payton loves throwing to running backs. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix targeted his backs early and often at Oregon too so if Watson makes the roster, he could end up being a targets machine for the Broncos.
Final Thoughts
I think Watson has a pretty good shot at making the 53-man roster but how that room shakes out is the real question. He is at the very least a lock for the practice squad but I believe he is talented enough to make the team.
It is unlikely the team keeps five backs and for the sake of conversation, I’ll assume all of them will be healthy come week one. So, who doesn’t make the cut? If Javonte Williams looks like he did last year, it is possible but I don’t fully buy into those rumors yet. Perine makes sense because he was the pass-catching back for the Broncos and was pretty effective in that role. Watson would also give them a cheaper and younger option at the position. Jaleel McLaughlin is in no danger of not making the team by the sounds of it but their skill sets do overlap a bit. Rookie Audric Estime is a lock to make the team and is a much different back than Watson anyways.
At the end of the day, I don’t have an answer or even a prediction right now. We need to see these guys in pads and against live action before we truly know but I still like Watson’s potential.
The Denver Nuggets have just one game left on their regular season calendar before their postseason action gets underway, as they’ll be tasked with a road trip against the West’s second-seeded San Antonio Spurs. And it’ll be a game for Denver where they’ll be without a significant chunk of their regular rotation.
No Jamal Murray, no Aaron Gordon, and neither starter on the wing in Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson will be suiting up in an effort to rest for the postseason. Nikola Jokic is listed as questionable, but is likely to play in order to meet the 65-game minimum required for end-of-season awards.
So, as the Nuggets’ lineup is set to be shorthanded in a night that could decide their final seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture, let’s take a peek at what their makeshift starting five could shake out to be:
PG: Bruce Brown
While Tyus Jones could fill in as the starting point guard once again as he did against the OKC Thunder, this feels like the right moment for Bruce Brown to take those duties instead; someone who’s started just three games this season, but on pace to be one of 18 players around the league to play in all 82 regular-season games.
It’s hard to roll out an extremely small lineup against a team like the Spurs and hope for overwhelming success. Brown gives the Nuggets some upside in that size department, as well as their overall shotmaking.
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Outside of Jokic, Tim Hardaway Jr. is the easiest name to fill into the Nuggets’ makeshift starting five while without four of their regular starters, even while he might be making a last-effort push for those Sixth Man of the Year honors.
If the Nuggets want to pull off an upset victory over the Spurs to continue their lengthy win streak, they’ll have to cash in on a big offensive performance from Hardaway Jr., which could be well within play as he’ll become one of their de facto top options to look for on that side of the floor.
SF: Julian Strawther
Julian Strawther has shifted around the Nuggets lineup more than anyone this year. He’s gone from the end of the rotation to a fill-in starter on the wing, and even a DNP as Denver has gotten healthier towards the end of the season.
This game against San Antonio presents a perfect opportunity for Strawther to get a well-deserved start on the wing next to Hardaway Jr. His shot-making has been at some of the best of his career this season, averaging career-high shooting numbers from the field (46.7) and from three (38.0).
PF: Nikola Jokic
This is where Nikola Jokic comes in. Against the size that San Antonio presents with an alien like Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt, coming to match that with a double-big lineup as the three-time MVP slots in at the four could be an ideal setup for this game in particular.
As it concerns Jokic’s availability, if he does play, don’t be shocked if he’s only on the floor for 15 minutes rather than the whole game. That’s all he needs to remain eligible for end-of-season awards, and might be all David Adelman is asking of him.
C: Jonas Valanciunas
In an effort to try and match the Spurs’ length as best as possible, Jonas Valanciunas fills into the five in our lineup projections to do just that.
Surprisingly, Valanciunas has only started six games throughout his time with the Nuggets, and only one of those showings has been with him paired next to Jokic. But with the implications of Denver being shorthanded, along with their unique matchup of San Antonio, makes for the perfect opportunity to test the fit out once more before their playoff action gets underway next weekend.
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LAS VEGAS – Wisconsin had Denver under its thumb, but somehow the Pioneers slipped away.
Denver scored twice in the final 12 ½ minutes to score a 2-1 victory over the Badgers at T-Mobile Arena. The win gave the Pioneers their third national championship in five seasons and their 11th overall, and it came on a night when they were held to a season-low 15 shots on goal.
How did the Pioneers escape with a championship that easily could have been the Badgers’? To get an answer from the UW players, they would need more than the 15 minutes they got in the locker room to regroup before postgame interviews.
The pain they felt, however, needed no explanation.
“I think I’m still a little shocked right now,” senior captain Ben Dexheimer said. “I’m definitely going to settle in in the next few days, but I couldn’t be prouder of this team from the ups and downs throughout the year. I just love every one of those guys in that room.”
Rieger Lorenz and Kyle Chyzowski scored during a 7-minute stretch in the third period for Denver, which closed the season with a 29-11-3 record and a 17-game unbeaten streak.
The Badgers (24-13-2) were also pretty good at the end of the season, winning nine of 12 games to reach their first NCAA final since 2010. UW’s first championship since 2006 proved elusive, but the program defeated three top-10 teams to get to the title game.
It was a heck of a run, just not the greatest finish.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Badgers defense held up its end of the bargain
The improvement Wisconsin made defensively as the season went on was critical to its run to the title game. The Badgers had some defensive gems in the postseason, but this may be have been their best effort.
They held Denver to two shots in the first period, tying the fewest ever in a championship game, and then allowed just three in the second. The Pioneers’ 15 shots? That was also the fewest ever in a Frozen Four game.
Both Denver goals were hard earned.
On Lorenz’s goal, UW’s Daniel Hauser made the initial save. It was the rebound that got him. And Chyzowski’s game-winner came on an extended possession that, from the UW perspective, felt longer because Hauser lost his stick halfway through it.
“I’d probably say it’s the hardest team we’ve played against all year, just how they were on it,” Denver coach David Carle said. “Their forecheck made it real challenging to be able to break pucks out. We saw it against North Dakota, as well. It was an excellent team on their end.”
A 2-0 lead may have done the trick for UW
For the fourth time in the tournament, the Badgers scored first. Freshman Vasily Zelenov took an outlet pass from Weston Knox through the neutral zone and fired his only shot of the game from just outside the left circle.
The challenge was getting a second goal.
“We needed to in my opinion, get it to two, and we just couldn’t do that,” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said.
Similar to what Hauser has done for UW at times this season, Pioneers goaltender Johnny Hicks, the most outstanding player of the Frozen Four, kept his team in games. He finished the season 16-0-1.
“We were throwing everything we had at the net, but we just couldn’t find a way to get one through,” sophomore Gavin Morrissey said.
Denver’s defenders sacrificed their bodies in win
Wisconsin finished with 30 shots. Denver tallied 31 blocks, 10 better than its previous season best.
It is rare to see a team have more blocks than its opponents has shots in a game. Given UW’s struggle to get a second goal, Maybe if one of those got through …
“Obviously we only had one, so if I had to ask for something, it’d be one to get by them,” Hastings said. “Their commitment level, just like our commitment level, is at an all-time high when we get to this moment.”
LAS VEGAS – One more win and the Wisconsin men’s hockey team brings home a national championship and completes a heck of a postseason run.
The Badgers (24-12-2) face Denver (28-11-3) in the NCAA championship game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at T-Mobile Arena with a chance to bring home their first national championship since 2006.
A win would also give UW its fourth straight postseason win over a higher seed. All those teams were ranked among the top eight in the final USCHO regular-season poll.
With a Wisonsin win …
The Badgers will sweep the men’s and women’s titles in the same season for the first time since 2006. No other college program has accomplished the feat.
The Big Ten would win its ninth title this school year. Here is the rundown: Football, Indiana; men’s basketball, Michigan; women’s basketball, UCLA, women’s hockey, Wisconsin; men’s soccer, Washington, wrestling, Penn State; field hockey, Northwestern, and water polo, UCLA.
Check for updates on the UW-Denver NCAA final throughout the day.
Wisconsin-Denver tale of the tape
Scoring offense: Wisconsin 3.71 (fifth nationally); Denver 3.62 (8).
Scoring defense: Wisconsin 2.97 (32); Denver 2.12 (4)
Scoring margin: Wisconsin .74 (14); Denver 1.50 (I5)
Power-play percentage: .265 (6), Denver .188 (37)
Penalty-kill percentage: .722 (58); Denver .818 (23)
A look at Wisconsin hockey’s final practice of the season
On the eve of the national championship game, the Wisconsin men”s hockey team went through a short workout at T-Mobile Arena on Friday Apri 10.
Coaching legend offers Mike Hastings advice
After the Badgers defeated North Dakota in the semifinals Thursday, Badgers coach Mike Hastings received a text message from former Boston College coach Jerry York.
“He just said enjoy tomorrow’s practice,” Hastings said. “We always thought it was the best practice of the year and then he put dot, dot, dot, but it was hard to schedule that one.”
Getting to the final possible practice of the season means reaching the national championship game. York coached for 50 seasons. He spent the final 28 at Boston College where he led the Eagles to eight NCAA finals and four championships.
As Hastings planned the team’s final practice of the season, he kept York’s message in mind.
“To me it’s about us having energy tomorrow because we’re going to need a lot of it,” Hastings said. “And so we went out for a short period of time. (The players) had a lot to do with what we were doing with practice.
“I went to the leadership group and said, ‘Hey, here’s some ideas I’ve got. What are you guys feeling?’ And so they ended up putting into that. It was a good 25-minute scheme.”
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