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When former Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt was released from the team last week, rookie seventh-round draft pick Riley Dixon out of Syracuse University was the guy next in line to fill a very overlooked yet very crucial position on the 53-man roster.
Whether it may have been nerves from being named the full-time starter at the position or just one of those nights where the ball quite simply did not hit off of the foot right, Dixon struggled immensely in last night’s preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
“Riley’s a young kid, he’s done a lot of good things,” head coach Gary Kubiak said of Dixon’s performance after the game. “I mean, obviously tonight, we’ve got to better than we were tonight.”
Numerically speaking, Dixon did not put up a game that would be expected from an NFL punter. His four kicks averaged a measly 36.8 yards, the shortest travelling an underwhelming 18 yards, and only one of which that found its way inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Despite the lackluster numbers, though, coach Kubiak seemed unwavering after the contest in his confidence in Dixon and the decision to let Colquitt walk out the door.
“We were asking Riley to experiment a little bit with the punt that [special teams coordinator] Joe [DeCamillis] has been working with him on and obviously that didn’t work out very good tonight,” Kubiak said. “So put that on us as coaches, but he’s got a bright future.”
For a team that looks poised once again to rely heavily on defense and special teams in the 2016 NFL campaign, Dixon’s continued growth at the position will be vital to the defending Super Bowl champions as they look to repeat as the kings of the football world. That growth is something John Elway believes in.
“We like Riley’s upside. Obviously, Britton [Colquitt] did a great job for us and really kicked well at the end of last year, but we really like the upside that Riley has,” he explained. “A lot of times those are always tough spots because you know that anytime you have a veteran, and you go young, there’s always that consistency factor, and you’re sometimes going to take a step back before you take two ahead. That’s what we’re planning on, but we think that Riley can step in and be that guy.”
John Elway has never been one who is adverse to bold decisions, and while this one comes at an often overlooked position, it is certainly one that will be put under the microscope all season.
