Marquez

Branson

Let’s not get carried away here by putting the 6'2/241 Branson in the same sentence as Clark and Cooley. He’s an undrafted free agent that spent all of last year on the practice squad. If Tony Scheffler can only catch 31 balls in this offense, Branson has little chance at any kind of production.

And we’re supposed to take this seriously? “You didn’t see him last year but we have very high expectations,” McDaniels told reporters. “He was Antonio Gates and all those guys last year on the (scout) team.” A 2009 undrafted free agent from Central Arkansas, Branson did score 18 TDs in college.

Denver is expected to scour the waiver wire this weekend in search of a catch-first tight end, perhaps even dangling a defensive back in a trade. The Broncos had designs on using Branson in the same role they did with Tony Scheffler last year. Of course, that role doesn’t get a whole lot of playing time.

All seven players finished the season on the Falcons’ practice squad. There’s nothing to get excited about here.

The injury must not have been nearly as bad as it looked in person because early reports suggested he could miss weeks. Branson is trying to emerge as the Broncos’ pass-catching tight end, but he’s not going to be a fantasy factor in 2010.

Branson was listed among the players waived by the Broncos on Saturday, but they’ll have to come to a settlement with him after he sustained a “significant” knee injury in the preseason finale.

Branson was carted off, and the Denver Post speculates that the injury could be serious enough to keep him out awhile. Branson was expected to play an H-back role, though we were never buying reports that he’d emerge as the primary pass-catching tight end. He’s not draftable in fantasy leagues.