Report Casts Doubt on Broncos' Plan to Replace Defected Punter

The Denver Broncos have made several high-profile moves since the free-agent window opened. The new additions, including tight end Evan Engram, have Broncos Country riding even higher with optimism, but there's a contingent a little bit worried about the punter situation.

Riley Dixon, the Broncos' punter of the past two years, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year, $6 million deal, and a new report from The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson claims the Broncos aren't in on the top three veteran punters left on the market, including former Colorado State star Ryan Stonehouse.

"Former Colorado State star punter Ryan Stonehouse is not expected to return to Colorado," Tomasson wrote. "The Broncos are looking for a punter after Riley Dixon agreed Tuesday to sign a two-year, $6 million deal with Tampa Bay. However, sources said Wednesday that Denver does not have interest in signing Stonehouse, Pat O'Donnell or Michael Palardy, considered the top three free agents still available."

Indeed, the free-agent options are slim if the Broncos aren't interested in Stonehouse, O'Donnell, or Palardy. The Broncos do have a new special teams coordinator in Darren Rizzi, so he might have a particular prototype in mind, and if the team isn't seeing it out in the veteran market, the search could turn to the draft.

Even if the Broncos don't draft a punter, say, with one of their three sixth-round picks, the undrafted ranks will offer some curious options. The top-ranked punter in the class is Florida's Jeremy Crenshaw.

I had an up-close look at Crenshaw at the Senior Bowl in January, and he was very good — looked the part. Booming kicks. Accuracy inside the 10-yard line. Consistent. There's a reason he's ranked at the top, but even then, he's still projected to go undrafted.

However it shakes out, the Broncos don't seem too panicked about the punter situation. The rumor mill had Denver interested in veteran Bryan Anger before he re-signed with Dallas.

The Broncos have time to figure it out, and the draft will offer plent of opportunities for at least a camp leg or two. That would buy the Broncos time to get to training camp and preseason when a punter or two could get kicked loose as teams cut their rosters across the NFL.

It'll be a priority to have a punter's leg or two at OTAs in May and throughout the offseason, especially in training camp. So let not your heart be troubled. The Broncos will figure it out. There's time yet.