Mile High Report
Should the Broncos re-sign their key special teams player?
Denver had a fantastic year in 2024 on special teams. According to DVOA, Denver had the 4th best special teams in the league. Denver was good in all faucets of special teams. In 2023, Denver was also good on special teams. For most of the past ten years prior, Denver was horrible, rarely reaching league average. The overhaul from 2022 to 2023 was dramatic, with Denver bringing in returner Marvin Mims, punter Riley Dixon, kicker Wil Lutz, and gunner/returner/ace Tremon Smith. While Smith had a major miscue this year, he also was essential to most of Denver’s punt coverage success. He was our number two punt returner and kick returner, as well as our number one gunner. One of our onside kicks was designed for him (and he was in position to recover it, but the ball bounced funny).
Originally drafted by Kansas City in 2018, Tremon Smith has made a career in the NFL out of being a core special teams player. He has spent time in Kansas City, Green Bay, Houston, and in 2023 was signed by Denver to a 2 year contract worth up to $5,000,000. In 2023 he played 85% of special teams snaps for Denver, followed by 82% of special team snaps in 2024. For Denver he has not really played defense (20 snaps over two years), but for Houston in 2021 and 2022 he played some cornerback as a reserve / fill-in, so he does bring that to the table. However, Smith should be viewed only in the context of what he brings to special teams.
Smith is excellent at what he does, familiar to the Broncos, and probably cheap. Sometimes, a player who has the versatility to practice when necessary on defense, but also is not a player the team is trying to develop and so whose practice snaps can go to younger players when they are healthy, is an enormously good thing. Its also not obvious that Denver will be in a good position to move on from Smith without hiring someone similar to replace him as a special teams only player. Conventional wisdom puts Denver offseason emphasis on the middle of the defense and skill positions on offense. With Sean Payton’s revealed preference for large wide receivers, none of these needs profile as excellent gunners or returners.
29 is old for a position that relies mostly on speed to be effective. Denver parted ways with special teams coach Ben Kotwica so his replacement could want to work with younger core special teamers. Denver could also look to save the roster slot and be less reliant on practice squad elevations elsewhere on the roster.
The Broncos probably should re-sign Smith. Even if they decide to they have sufficient depth later on to move on, they do not know how the bottom of the...
