Remainder of summer will be key for Denver’s Watts

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, July 21, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Denver Broncos
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Although much of the talk among the Denver Broncos this offseason has focused on disgruntled receiver Ashley Lelie, some of it has shifted over to another of the team's wideouts, Darius Watts. With Lelie likely to be traded or released at some point in the next two months, it will put the onus on Watts to step up behind the Broncos' top two receivers, Rod Smith and Javon Walker.

If Lelie would have been willing to accept his role as a No. 3 target, Denver's passing game in the upcoming season could have been dynamite. Unfortunately, that's not the way most pro football players operate. Frankly, since Lelie was a former first-round pick, it's somewhat hard to blame him for being angered by the addition of Walker-a former Green Bay Packer- who has the starting role opposite Smith locked down.

For Watts, Lelie's refusal to play in Colorado could pave the way for him to come through. Since the Broncos used a second-round pick on the former Marshall University product in the 2004 NFL Draft, it's about time the two-year veteran becomes a worthwhile target.

In '04, the 6-0, 193-pound rookie showed some positive signs to the Denver faithful. On the season he racked up 31 receptions for 385 yards. However, the fact that he only had one touchdown catch was quite disappointing to most that expected Watts to become a big-time target as a rookie.

Last season, the dreaded sophomore slump pro receivers often face hit Watts like a ton of bricks. He managed to appear in just six regular season games; Due to inconsistent play--not injury--he was declared inactive for the final 10 and the Broncos' pair of playoff contests. The amount of games the 24-year-old appeared in was a letdown, but the fact that he had just two receptions in those efforts was even more frustrating for his head coach, Mike Shanahan.

Luckily for Shanahan, his past angst may be ready to transform into happiness. At the Broncos' minicamp earlier this month, Watts stole the show on offense, demonstrating that he had the ability to be the playmaker Denver thought it was drafting.

"He still has great speed, he's very explosive and he can do things a lot of receivers can't do," said Shanahan. "More importantly for him, I think he feels a lot more comfortable with the scheme so he can go out there and execute and not think. He looked pretty good," the coach added.

There will be no more excuses for Watts in Denver. If he wants to avoid becoming just another early-round bust, 2006 is the time to officially turn into a legitimate third option for Jake Plummer and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.

Few Denver Broncos will have more pressure on them in training camp and preseason than Watts, who must make the organization forget about Lelie.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

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