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Broncos: Former Saint DE Bobby Richardson signs with Denver

By Kyle Standfield

Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Bobby Richardson (78) celebrates with free safety Jairus Byrd (31) and strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) after an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Bobby Richardson (78) celebrates with free safety Jairus Byrd (31) and strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) after an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Broncos have signed DE Bobby Richardson to the team. Who is he and what will he bring to the Broncos?

The Denver Broncos have signed defensive end Bobby Richardson from the New Orleans Saints, the team announced this afternoon.

Richardson joins the Broncos after starting 11 games with the Saints in 2015, managing 40 tackles, 0.5 sacks and an interception during his time with the franchise.

Richardson, 24, grew up in Florida where he played high school football in Tampa before joining the Indiana Hoosiers in 2011. He worked his way up from the scout team to starting defensive end for the Hoosiers in his freshman season, eventually starting six games for the program.

Over the course of his sophomore and junior seasons, Richardson recorded a total of 69 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery while starting in 22 games. He was named one of Indiana’s three captains for the 2014 season and registered 35 tackles, a career-high 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. His efforts awarded him an honourable mention in the All-Big Ten team.

Richardson stands 6’3″ and weighs in at 286 pounds. He has incredibly long arms in which he uses to play taller than what he actually is. He posesses a good motor and the ability to chase after both quarterbacks and running backs.

Richardson went undrafted 2015 before the Saints signed him as a free agent. He had a promising rookie season but was subsequently benched, and later cut from the team in September of 2016. He spent a brief amount of time as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins practice squads before signing with Denver.

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Richardson adds some depth to the defensive line and gives line coach Bill Kollar a young, athletic player to potentially mould into a solid backup for the Broncos. He will provide good competition come training camp, too. Overall, this is a low risk, high reward move by GM John Elway and his staff if the coaches can unlock Richardson’s full potential.

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