For the past two months, it's felt like Troy Franklin has been the forgotten man in the Denver Broncos ' receiver room.
After producing 709 yards and six touchdowns as the Broncos ' No. 2 receiver last year opposite Courtland Sutton , Franklin was pushed down the depth chart by the blockbuster arrival of Jaylen Waddle via trade in the offseason.
Making matters worse, when training camp rolled around, Pat Bryant took a quantum leap forward, entering his second year, laying claim to the No. 3 receiver job behind Sutton and Waddle, and seemingly leaving Franklin in the dust.
From the looks of things early on in camp , even Marvin Mims Jr. - who has traditionally garnered short shrift from the coaches from an involvement standpoint - seemed to be a more featured element in the offense of new coordinator and play-caller Davis Webb . Then Mims got hurt on Day 7 of Broncos camp .
After the first week or so of training camp, we only saw Mims once, when the Broncos gave him a few snaps in the preseason finale, but the summer kind of made it seem like Franklin was the No. 5 receiver in the pecking order.
The Broncos opted to keep six wideouts out of camp, with Lil'Jordan Humphrey making the initial roster . Given Franklin's diminished number of targets in camp and his relative lack of production in the preseason games, despite Sutton and Waddle not playing much, it's fair to wonder where the third-year wideout's stock stands entering the regular season.
If head coach Sean Payton's recent remarks on Franklin are any indication, though, perhaps we'd be remiss to so quickly write the young receiver off; he still seems to have a seat at the offensive table.
"He's been doing really well," Payton said of Franklin on Wednesday. "Each day you see his speed and his confidence just in the system for those younger players that now can play faster because they know the terminology."
The Broncos have revamped their receiver room over the past two offseasons, with new blood like Bryant and Waddle giving the offense and versatile and complementary receiving arsenal. But Franklin's speed, size, and knowledge of the system seem to have him in good stead with his head coach.
"Yes, we've got some depth there and a lot of different types of players at that position. We've got the bigger receiver and we've got the guys that can run. So I'm pleased with how he's playing," Payton said of Franklin.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) before the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meanwhile, Payton named Bryant as one of three potential breakout players for the Broncos this season after practice on Tuesday. Payton didn't include Franklin on that short list of candidates.
That doesn't mean that the coaches plan to sit Franklin, although it will be interesting to see how many receivers dress on gameday, and which. After all, Humphrey may be perceived as the last receiver through the door at the final roster cutdowns last weekend, but he's even more experienced in Payton's scheme, is an excellent blocker on the perimeter, and is a key special teams contributor.
If the Broncos only dress five wideouts, who will be the fifth guy? Based on recent history, I'd bet on it being Franklin, but this year's roster math was... curious, to say the least. The Broncos made some mystifying decisions at the final roster cutdowns, so in many ways, it feels like all bets are off.
Health willing, Mims will dress every game, regardless of where he stands on the receiver depth chart, because he's a two-time All-Pro returner playing on the last year of his contract. He's a decorated returner who impacts the game by flipping field position and sometimes putting points on the board, and the Broncos will want to get their money's worth with him playing on an expiring contract.
The truth is, Franklin doesn't offer special-teams value, and that's typically a must for most teams when it comes to the fifth or sixth receiver on the depth chart. For that reason, I could see the Broncos choosing to dress Humphrey over Franklin at times, but there's no question which of them is the better receiver, experience notwithstanding.
That would be Franklin, hands down. He has worked to improve his route-running and when his hands are reliable, he can be weapon, especially with his vertical speed.
Time will tell exactly what the Broncos have in store for Franklin. It's nice to hear Payton say all the nice things about the third-year wideout, but it's not what coaches say in the NFL; it's what they do.
The Broncos made some unconventional decisions in constructing this year's roster, and the demands of the third phase will be a situation to monitor as it applies to Franklin's role. One ace up his sleeve, though, is his rock-solid relationship and chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix , dating back to the two years they played together at Oregon.
If Nix has any say in the matter, I have to believe that Franklin will get his opportunities this season, even though he's apparently been demoted and leapfrogged on the receiver depth chart.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi as Sean Payton's Latest Comment Shifts the Outlook for Troy Franklin .
