K.J. Hamler is perfectly suited to be a slot receiver in the NFL.
At 5-foot-9, 179 pounds with 4.29 speed, Hamler can get in and out of his breaks in snake-strike speed. And he’s in the perfect place to succeed:
In Denver he was Courtland Sutton, a big-bodied red zone menace at 6-4, 216, and Jerry Jeudy, the next great Alabama product who at 6-1,193 can make a defensive back look flat-out stupid.
And, oh yes, the trio have a future Hall of Fame QB throwing to them in Russell Watson.
So, what’s keep Hamler from taking the league by storm?
Injuries.
Hamler has missed 17 games in his first two seasons. He’ll miss No.18 Sunday when the Broncos play their home opener against the Texans, who allowed 340 yards passing to the Colts in a 20-20 tie.
The Broncos passing game could have a field day, but Hamler won’t be on the field with a knee/hip injury. Hamler missed most of last season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. He also needed surgery on his left hip.
In what the Broncos are describing as a maintenance issue, Hamler won’t play. The hope is that after seeing his first action in a year, Denver wants to make sure Hamler doesn’t cause significant injury by playing in back-to-back weeks.
This is the NFL version of load management.
It’s smart football. The troika of Hamler, Jeudy, and Sutton can be as good as any in the league. And let’s not forget in an 18-week, 17-game season, not taking an intelligent, albeit, conservative approach with injuries is foolish.
Love Russell Wilson over 243.5 passing yards (-130) and Jeudy over 57.5 receiving yards at (-110) BetMGM.