Saints Writer Surmises Broncos May Pursue All-Pro Specialist

In forming their initial 53-man roster, the Broncos opted to carry five safeties (Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Devon Key) while re-signing two others (Delarrin Turner-Yell, Keidron Smith) to the practice squad.

Among the final cuts was S Sam Franklin, who joined the club in March due to his special-teams prowess. Franklin was deemed expendable, presumably, because Denver felt comfortable with the aforementioned.

But none of the aforementioned are as accomplished as Gray, and none have the years-long familiarity with Payton, infamous for stockpiling His Guys. It also doesn't hurt that Gray worked closely with former Saints and current Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.

"I'm certainly a little biased, I coach him every day, but I don't know if there's a core special teams player in the league that I would trade J.T. Gray for," Rizzi said in 2021. "He's an outstanding gunner. That's where he probably gets most of his recognition, but at the same time, here's a guy who's really good in the return game as a blocker.

"He's a tough matchup. He can block different body types. He can run. He works his tail off. He's a good work ethic guy, blue collar, comes to work every day, got voted captain by his peers this year and he's a guy who over the last three years I've been here, I've been really proud to watch his progression. His production on the field is outstanding. J.T.'s production the last three years has been really unmatched."

While it's possible the Broncos are content entering Week 1, it's equally likely they at least attempt to lure Gray to the Mile High City — the potential cherry atop a playoff-ready roster.