Who Should I Start? Brandon Johnson or Efton Chism III

Tuesday, August 27, 7:12 PM

The Denver Broncos waived wide receiver Brandon Johnson on Tuesday, according to a source. In addition to Johnson, the Broncos also parted ways with Tim Patrick, who quickly signed with the Detroit Lions, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and David Sills to trim their roster down to 53 by the deadline. Johnson improved in Year 2 with Denver last year by catching 19 of his 30 targets for 284 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (two starts), but he wasn't able to make the final cut this summer after the offseason additions of Josh Reynolds and rookie fourth-rounder Troy Franklin. The 26-year-old rejoin the Broncos practice squad to give the team additional depth during the regular season, though. Johnson joined Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Central Florida in 2022.

Tuesday, June 17, 2:22 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III is flashing during offseason practices, and Chad Graff of The Athletic identified him as one of the top risers and standouts for the organization so far. "It's not hyperbole to say that no player did more to improve his standing on the depth chart than Efton Chism," Graff said. The undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington had a dominant final collegiate season, snagging 120 passes for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. Given the lack of wide receiver talent for New England, he has a realistic shot to make the team's 53-man roster, though he'd likely be the No. 2 slot receiver behind DeMario Douglas. Either way, head coach Mike Vrabel calling him a "talented player" and noticing that he has "studied extremely hard" could go a long way toward his chances to earn a roster spot. He is already mixing in with Drake Maye and the first-team offense.