Tight end Fumagalli hoping to catch on
Troy Fumagalli began his college football career at Wisconsin as a walk-on tight end stepping into a position room with 11 players.
Long odds. But that’s not totally different from what lies ahead for him as an NFL rookie.
Fumagalli, the Broncos’ 2018 fifth-round draft selection (No. 156 overall), made his presence felt Wednesday during Denver’s fifth training camp practice, with three receptions from quarterback Chad Kelly, who ran the third-string offense in team periods.
It’s major progress after Fumagalli underwent sports hernia surgery in March that kept him sidelined through all of the Broncos’ organized team activities and minicamp.
“The whole plan was just to be here healthy at the start of things,” Fumagalli said. “Taking things slow at the beginning and being ready for now — that’s what we did.”
Now, the clock is ticking for Fumagalli to prove he deserves one of probably three roster
spots that will go to tight ends.
“(Fumagalli) is behind the 8ball as far as physical conditioning,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “He has to get in football shape and build his body to push through NFL practices. That’s where he’s at now. Troy is a hard worker and he’s a good football player, so I assume he’ll get there.”
Barring the unexpected, it’s likely Denver retains tight ends Jeff Heuerman and Jake Butt. Heuerman, who missed a second training camp practice with knee soreness Wednesday, leads the room in career NFL receptions (18). That speaks to how poor the production has been from the tight end spot.
Butt, now healthy after sitting out his rookie season because of an ACL injury, earned high praise from coaches after a breakout minicamp. That leaves Fumagalli, Brian Parker, Austin Traylor and Matt LaCosse battling for the final spot if Heuerman and Butt are locks.
“Everything moves at a high pace, and that’s the expectation,” Fumagalli said. “You definitely have to stay on your work and stay on top of things.”
Fumagalli (6-5, 247) earned the Broncos’ confidence after being coached by its staff in the Senior Bowl — including when Fumagalli aggravated his sports hernia on the final day of practice before the game.
“He’s a competitive blocker,” Joseph said. “He’s a big, long target, so we’re excited about Troy.”
Fumagalli’s largest hurdle through the early portion of training camp has been conditioning. His sideline rehabilitation workouts through OTAs and minicamp were little substitute for actual football. Fumagalli said he approaches each training camp practice with one or two technical tasks to focus on, such as keeping his hands inside on blocks, as his body adjusts to the workload.
“It’s just kind of easing into it,” Fumagalli said. “Each day it gets a little harder, but if you add up days like that, you start to get used to it.”
Fumagalli’s path to Denver suggests the challenge won’t feel too big.
He redshirted at Wisconsin, started two games as a freshman, and then received a scholarship the next fall. Fumagalli caught a team-high 47 catches as a junior before earning finalist honors as a senior for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.
Those lessons should come in handy approaching the Sept. 1 cut date, when all NFL teams trim to 53 players. Fumagalli isn’t fazed. New team. Same expectations.
“I’m just grateful to be playing football again after everything that happened in the offseason for me,” Fumagalli said. “Just coming out here playing football and having fun — there’s really nothing like it.”