Sean Payton is going completely outside the box.
The Denver Broncos, who recently moved on from high-priced veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, signed a little-known player from a small college.
But that’s not the only thing that’s small about BJ West, from an NFL perspective.
West, who barely played at Alabama State, stands 5ft 8in and only weighs 142 pounds as a wide receiver.
If he makes the Broncos’ 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent and plays in a regular season game, West would tie Tony Jones as the lightest player in NFL history.
Jones, who also was a wideout, was 5-7 and weighed 142.
The sixth-round pick from Texas caught 63 passes for 798 yards and nine touchdowns with the Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons from 1990-93.
NFL teams regularly use expanded offseason rosters to try out players who are unlikely to make the final training camp cut.
Payton is one of the league’s most innovative offensive coaches.
But Denver must have seen something seriously intriguing in West, who only played in 12 games at Alabama State and caught two passes for -5 yards.
He did return six kicks for 135 yards, though, averaging 22.5 yards per return.
There have been conflicting reports about West’s contract status with the Broncos.
If he remains on the expanded roster, he’ll have to impress Payton and the team’s coaches during training camp.
“I don’t get it,” one fan tweeted. “Even in high school he had only 27 receptions, 518 yards and 6 tds.”
West lettered in track and was a state qualifier in sprints during high school, so Denver could be hoping to turn his speed into an asset and make his slim 142lb weight an on-field advantage.
The Broncos finished 8-9 last season, so Denver needs all the help it can get in 2024.
Payton’s first year running the team was a disappointment and filled with controversy.
The Broncos drafted Bo Nix in the first round and hope the highly experienced college player can be their new franchise quarterback.
Denver plays in the loaded AFC West, which features Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders and Patrick Mahomes’ back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
News Summary:
- I weigh 142lb and stand 5ft 8in but just became lightest player in NFL after being signed by Broncos despite only catching two passes in college
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