Moving on from Tim Patrick isn’t about right now for Broncos

Tim Patrick not being on the Denver Broncos roster downgrades their Week 1 complement of wide receivers.

Bo Nix had developed good timing and chemistry with Patrick, whose crisp route-running and subtle nods and bobs of misdirection allowed him to gain separation on short to intermediate routes throughout training camp and the preseason. Patrick’s hands were as secure and certain as ever.

So, why part ways with him?

It’s a long-term play. And, in an example of dramatic irony, it’s the product of Patrick’s alma mater — who wears the No. 81 jersey he wore — who has much to do with the rationale behind the move.

The Broncos’ wide-receiver corps might not be better in Week 1 without Tim Patrick than with him.

But if the decision to move on from Patrick means more repetitions for Devaughn Vele, it could make their WR group better in the long run. pic.twitter.com/fiQLi4UgIp

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 26, 2024

DEVAUGHN VELE HAS DRAWN TIM PATRICK COMPARISONS

When the Broncos drafted Utah wide receiver Devaughn Vele in the seventh round of last April’s NFL Draft, the move arched eyebrows for plenty of reasons … especially after Sean Payton discussed his vision for Vele not long after the draft concluded.

“He is a guy that is an older player with experience. He is kind of a big slot,” Payton said. “His comparison might be a Tim Patrick-type player. He is strong and smart.”

But as a seventh-round pick, Vele was no guarantee to make the roster. And as a seventh-round player — who fell to the final round largely because of his age, as he turns 27 in December — Vele was a pretty good bet to pass through waivers to the practice squad.

His one-handed catch with and against first-teamers during practice on Aug. 8 might have changed that.

Devaughn Vele made what Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi called a “fantastic” catch Thursday.

“He’s making a lot of those plays all camp,” Lombardi said. pic.twitter.com/xArFj4TFsG

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 8, 2024

“He’s been showing us that all camp, so it was pretty exciting,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said at the time.

Three days later in the preseason opener at Indianapolis, Vele made an impression — not so much by what he did as a pass-catcher, but by drawing two pass-interference infractions against Colts defenders.

Still, there were “little things” Vele acknowledged he needed to fix.

“Different releases that I can work, getting cleaner out of my breaks, things like that. And just letting the game come to me and not trying to rush everything,” he said.

When Broncos WR Devaughn Vele reflected on his preseason debut, he pointed to “little things” that he wanted to fix.

And therein lies the rub.

Vele is still working on fixing the aspects of his game that Tim Patrick has long since mastered. He is not at Patrick’s level now. But if he plays extensively in the coming weeks, can he reach a level that approximates Patrick’s play?

By moving on from Patrick, the Broncos are doing so with the expectation that Vele can grow into a Patrick-like receiver — and can do so faster with additional opportunities.

IT’S MORE THAN VELE, TOO

And it’s not just about Vele, of course, Free-agent pickup Josh Reynolds will likely bear even more of the offensive burden than expected. But for him to flourish, he must improve his drop rate; per SportRadar.com, Reynolds dropped one of every 11.1 catchable passes since 2019 — including three drops in last year’s postseason.

In that same span, Patrick has one drop every 31 catchable passes.

If Vele takes time to blossom, the Broncos will need Reynolds to flourish. They’ll also need Marvin Mims Jr. to add some branches to his effective route tree.

Reynolds is likely a finished product by this stage in his career. Mims, Vele and Troy Franklin are not. The Broncos are counting on at least one of them to reach Patrick’s level — and expecting that increased playing time will microwave that growth process.

As a result, a year from now, the Broncos could be in perfect shape with their receiver depth and quality. But in the next few weeks, they’ll sacrifice the proven quantity of Patrick for potential.

They’ll live with the bumps, hoping that in a couple of months, they’ll have what they need to ensure they don’t miss the reliable Patrick.