How Will Josh Reynolds Fit With the Denver Broncos?
Photo Credit: Junfu Han, USA Today Network
The Denver Broncos added to their wide receiver room recently, bringing on former Detroit Lion Josh Reynolds with a two-year, $14 million contract last week. The 6-foot-3, 194-pound receiver will be a nice addition for Denver in the slot to fill the hole left behind from Jerry Jeudy, who was traded to Cleveland.
Reynolds is coming off arguably the best season of his seven-year career, as he finished with 40 catches, 608 yards, and five touchdowns. The five touchdowns are tied for his career high, a number he reached one other time in the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Rams.
One of the most important things about this signing for Denver is how versatile of a player Reynolds is. About 65% of his snaps came from the slot last year, so look for him to be Sean Payton’s guy on the inside to start the 2024 season. If needed, Reynolds is no stranger to lining up on the outside, as 254 of his 608 yards last season came from the outside.
One of the more interesting components of his game is the blocking aspect. His long frame allows him to make almost any block from the slot, whether he’s reaching to the outside on a sweep or cracking back down inside. Here’s a cut-up of some of his best blocks from 2023 thanks to Frankie Abbott.
On multiple occasions in that video, Reynolds ability to get to the second or even third level of the defense to spring his ballcarrier for another chunk of yards shows, and every Broncos fan will love that effort from him. The dynamic of the backfield he blocked for in Detroit was like what he’ll have in Denver, a mix of speed and power. David Montgomery was the power and Jahmyr Gibbs was the speed last year, and this year he’ll have Javonte Williams as his power back and Jaleel McLaughlin as his speed back.
Blocking isn’t the entire story with Reynolds. He was the third leading receiver in terms of yards and touchdowns, and his 15.2 yards per reception was most on the team for receivers with more than five targets. In Detroit, most of his routes were intermediate distance, right around the sticks, with an average depth of target at 10.3 yards. Here are some of his best catches of 2023, again courtesy of Abbott.
The intermediate passing game is something that will be new to Broncos fans this year, as Russell Wilson and the Denver offense rarely threw the ball around the middle of the field at intermediate distances. Sean Payton showed in his New Orleans days that with the right quarterback, he's not afraid to attack that region of the field, as Drew Brees averaged right around eight yards per attempt in his final 10 seasons in the league.
It's no secret that this Broncos team isn’t going to be a playoff team this year as they rebuild in the post-Wilson era. However, it also isn’t a secret that this team is set up for some success in 2025 if they find the right quarterback and make the right signings. Getting a quality receiver like Reynolds on a contract that doesn’t break the bank is a step in the right direction for Denver, and he will be a great fit for this Broncos’ offense.
