According to NFL Network’s league insider Mike Garafolo, the Denver Broncos are signing veteran UFL wide receiver and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Hakeem Butler in advance of their mandatory minicamp, which starts this week.
Butler is a former 4th-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals who has bounced around the NFL for a bit before having stints in the CFL, XFL, and most recently, the UFL. He has played for the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, BC Lions (CFL), Edmonton Elks(CFL), St. Louis Battlehawks (XFL), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the St. Louis Battlehawks again (UFL), before now signing with the Denver Broncos.
Butler is a 30-year-old wide receiver coming off a UFL season where he totaled 29 catches for 641 yards and is a 2x UFL Offensive Player of the Year. He is listed at 6-5, 242 pounds and will now compete for a roster spot on the Denver Broncos roster.
This is an interesting signing for the Broncos. Butler is a veteran wide receiver and 30 years old, but his production at the UFL is intriguing. Sure, it’s against lower competition, but he has good size, good speed, and has some impressive YAC plays. Those will be harder to do in the NFL naturally, but this is an intriguing addition to the Broncos’ wide receiver room. They have had success with Dondrea Tillman coming from the UFL to the Broncos and becoming a key backup on their defense, so maybe they can find something here in Butler.
If Butler wants to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster or at least their practice squad, he will have to beat out some tough competition. Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr. all seem locked into roster spots, with Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy being their veteran backups the coaching staff seems to like. Then you have UDFA’s Dane Key, Joseph Manjack IV, Cameron Ross, and Kolbe Katsis, as well as veteran Michael Woods, all fighting for a spot on the Broncos practice squad. So, it won’t be easy for Butler to crack the Broncos roster, but the size, speed, athleticism, and talent are there, and he has a chance to be a surprise for the Broncos.
No corresponding move has been announced as of yet, so when that happens, we will update this story with that information.
