Although the Broncos were planning to waive Albert Okwuegbunam, they found a trade partner at the 11th hour. The Eagles will acquire the fourth-year tight end, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Minutes before the deadline for teams to set their initial 53-man rosters, Philadelphia and Denver agreed on a swap that will send Okwuegbunam east in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Okwuegbunam, 25, had fallen out of favor in Denver. The former fourth-round pick had shown some promise during Pat Shurmur’s OC tenure and appeared poised to take on a bigger role once the Broncos included Noah Fant in last year’s Russell Wilson trade. That did not end up happening, with Nathaniel Hackett’s staff making Okwuegbunam a healthy scratch at points last season.
The Broncos dangled Okwuegbunam in trades before last year’s deadline, and while the frequent seller team made a big-ticket move (the Bradley Chubb swap) and acquired Jacob Martin from the Jets, “Albert O” stayed put. He finished last season with 10 receptions for 95 yards. The Mizzou alum topped that in his final preseason game this year, totaling 109 receiving yards in what amounted to a showcase effort by the Broncos.
Going from Shurmur’s offense to Hackett’s to Sean Payton’s, Okwuegbunam will now be tasked with learning a fourth system (Nick Sirianni’s) in Philly. The Broncos had added Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz at tight end this offseason; both had played for Payton in New Orleans. Greg Dulcich quickly overtook Okwuegbunam as the top pass-catching option at the position last year, and the 2022 third-rounder remains as such in Payton’s system. Though, Trautman — acquired via draft-weekend trade — has worked as the Broncos’ starter.
He of a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash clocking at the 2020 Combine, Okwuegbunam did produce a 330-yard, two-touchdown season in 2021. The former Drew Lock college target did not exceed 450 yards in a season with the SEC program, though he did score an eye-catching 23 touchdowns in three Columbia seasons.
Okwuegbunam will join a tight end group fronted by starter Dallas Goedert and backups Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra. The two reserves combined for 16 receptions last season, opening a door for a receiving complement to Goedert. Considering how the past two seasons have gone for Okwuegbunam, he may be set for another uphill battle. But an Eagles team without many weaknesses will take a flier on an athletic pass catcher.
When asked to comment on this trade, the Eagles employee charged with placing player names on the back of their uniforms responded with, “BLEEP!!”
Sean Payton is dumb. Really gonna keep the blocking only guy UDFA guy? Albert O was probably the best all around TE on their roster. But he just had to have Trautman, a guy with 60 catches and 4 TDs in 43 career games ::eye roll::
Oh well, it’ll be that ridiculous new ownership groups money when they fire him way before the contract is up. Sweet use of a first round pick, getting a HC who wouldn’t be anything without Breesus.
I agree that Trautman is only there to be one of Payton’s guys, but the thing about Okwuegbunam was, through no fault of his own, that he was a redundant pick to begin with. He was picked in the third at a time when Denver needed other positions much more, and had Noah Fant as their presumeable tight end of the future at the head of the depth chart. Big O couldn’t block, either. Okwuegbunam consequently always was buried on the depth chart, and when Fant was dealt, he never moved up as many assumed would happen. He was like a lesser version of Fant on the field, which sounds bad, but wasn’t-if you were looking for a pass catcher.
Obwuegbunam was picked as an athletic purely receiving depth tight end, when Denver had just picked that same type of player in the first round. He was never going to get much time there, and Shurmur’s absolutely embarrassing offense (the main reason that Fangio was fired) wasn’t going to find a way to use him, especially if he wasn’t the best blocker. It’s not that Okwuegbunam is a bad player, he’s just not as useful buried on the depth chart. I thought that we’d see him start after Fant was dealt, but Dulcich’s debut earned him a bigger role, and rightfully so.
Dulcich also is much more of a receiver, and there just isn’t room for too many of those types of players on the roster. Big O could be a good receiving TE for some team, but he’ll need to go to a place where he can get a large snap where they don’t have an established target.
I don’t get this one, Philly already had 3 TEs they liked and couldn’t keep Jackson.
Albert O is really good. Better receiving TE than Stoll. He’s only ever had unsuccessful coaches and bad QB play. Was also buried on the depth chart because of blocking but he’s worked hard at it and is now a respectable blocker too. Eagles front office is smart, they knew exactly what they were doing. Sean Payton couldn’t keep him because he doesn’t like TEs who are good receivers. They’re 6th OL who only get passes when things go wrong.
Pretty sure he had Jimmy Graham. Who was a catch first TE. Not known for blocking.
Pretty sure he had Jimmy Graham.
Makes no sense for either team. Denver’s other tight ends are underachievers. This guy at least has the size and hands to be a threat in the red zone.