Philadelphia Eagles: Travis Fulgham lucked into a fantastic opportunity

Travis Fulgham‘s tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles ended with a whimper, not a bang.

One of the feel-good stories of the 2020 season, a former sixth-round pick by the Detroit Lions who bounced around practice squads before becoming a breakout performer versus the San Francisco 49ers, “Fulgham Mania” cooled off in a major way once Alshon Jeffery returned to the field and all but died off once the Doug Pederson regime transitioned over to that of Nick Sirianni.

Though some – Hi – still expected Fulgham to make the initial 53 man roster coming out of camp, in a semi-contested fight with 2020 draftee John Hightower, alas it just wasn’t meant to be; Fulgham was released alongside Hightower thanks to Howie Roseman’s decision to only keep five wide receivers and after a stint on the practice squad, his time in Philadelphia was over before Wawa could restock their eggnog.

Unfortunate? For the fine fans who invested in a 13 jersey, you bet, but thems the breaks in the NFL; when the coaching staff turns over, no player is safe.

While I’m sure Fulgham didn’t want to spend only two months on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad or have to move his life to Denver 10 days before Christmas, the offseason gods have smiled down on the Old Dominion native, as he now has an inside track to be catching passes from Russell Wilson come Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

Fulgham has a chance to rebound from his Philadelphia Eagles release.

As things presently stand, the Denver Broncos have eight wide receivers under contract.

They have four who are borderline locks to make the 53 man roster this fall, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler, and Tim Patrick, a two more, Tyrie Cleveland and Seth Williams, who were drafted in the late rounds of the past two NFL drafts, and a wildcard in Kendall Hinton, who infamously played quarterback for the Broncos on November 29th, 2020 when the team’s entire quarterbacks room was out with a close COVID contact.

Could the Broncos conceivably add another veteran receiver via free agency? Or draft a player with one of their six draft picks in the forthcoming 2022 NFL Draft? You bet, but after surrendering a starting defensive lineman, Shelby Harris, their star tight end, Noah Fant, two firsts, two seconds, and a fourth-round pick over the next two drafts, wide receiver is far from the team’s biggest issue.

Is Travis Fulgham a lock to make that particular wide receivers room this fall? No. If anything, he’s competing for the fifth or even sixth roster spot with Cleveland, Williams, and Hinton, but much like the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles, the Broncos opted to overhaul their coaching staff this offseason, firing East Stroudsburg alum Vic Fangio in favor of former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. If there was ever an offseason for a big, long, pass-blocking receiver like Fulgham to beat out the odds and secure a roster spot on a contender, this would be the one.

Of the eight wide receivers on the Broncos’ roster, only one, Hamler, is shorter than 6-foot-1. In Philly, where Fulgham’s 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame made him a logical play at the X, the Broncos have multiple big bodies who can bump with would-be defenders at the line and get open with their supersized catch radii. No, if Fulgham is going to make the Denver roster this fall, it’s going to be because of his ability to pick up steady yardage in the slot, a look Doug Pederson occasionally turned to in 2020, and because he’s one of the better blocking wide receivers in the NFL, which could be beneficial considering how well the Packers ran the ball in 2020.

Of the six wide receivers who played regular snaps for the Packers in 2021, two, Allen Lazard and Amari Rodgers, had run-blocking grades of 60 or higher, according to Pro Football Focus. While run blocking alone isn’t going to make or break a player’s production in 2022 or even secure a wide receiver not named JJ Arcega-Whiteside their roster spot, having that arrow in one’s proverbial quiver is valuable on the margins.

If Fulgham can open up holes for Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams, and Russell Wilson when they break out runs to the outside, he might just find his NFL career prolonged another season plus.

In the NFL, success is only guaranteed for a rarified class of players. While it may seem like the entire team is making millions and living the dream, most players actually find themselves competing for playing time, with their futures less than guaranteed. Can Travis Fulgham ever work his way into the elite class of players making 10 figures on a long-term deal? Sure, he’s only 26 after all, but for that to happen, he first needs to make the Denver Broncos’ roster or perform well enough to latch on elsewhere, with a team like the Philadelphia Eagles who need wide receiver help.