The Broncos have agreed to re-sign defensive lineman Billy Winn, the club announced today.
Denver signed Winn last summer to serve as depth along its defensive line following the loss of Vance Walker to an ACL injury, and Winn provided just that. The 28-year-old appeared in all 16 games (two starts) and played on roughly 30% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps. In that time, Winn 19 tackles and one fumble recovery while grading as the league’s No. 97 interior defender among 127 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
The Broncos have steadily added to their defensive line over the past few months, as they signed free agents Domata Peko, Zach Kerr, Kasim Edebali, and Bobby Richardson while expending a second-round draft pick on Florida State’s DeMarcus Walker. Last year’s second-round pick, defensive end Adam Gotsis, is also expected to play a larger role in 2017. As such, Winn could have a tougher time earning a spot on Denver’s final roster than he did in 2016.
One defender who won’t be competing for a roster spot in 2017 is Bobby Richardson, whom the Broncos announced was waived today. Richardson, 24, started 11 games as a Saints rookie in 2015, but hasn’t seen an NFL field since. He had just signed with Denver in February.