ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jordan Norwood has been here before — invited to an NFL training camp and given the chance to fight, scratch and claw his way onto a 53-man roster.
And he’s experienced every outcome of that battle over the course of the last six odd years.
He caught on with the Cleveland Browns practice squad as an undrafted rookie in 2009, he broke training camp on the Browns’ roster from 2010 to 2012, and he was cut after being invited to camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013.
Norwood caught 36 passes for 405 yards and a touchdown during three seasons with the Browns before spending last season out of football. The he got the call to join the Denver Broncos, a team with one of the most talented receiving corps in the NFL.
Speaking after his first training camp with the Broncos officially came to an end on Friday, no closer to finding out whether he’ll make this team, Norwood sounded like a guy who’s no stranger to being in this position.
“I’m just trying to stay consistent mentally,” Norwood said. “Even though it’s the end of training camp, I’m still living in a hotel right now. So the grind continues.”
Six years of grinding seems like a whole lot for a laid-back, soft-spoken Hawaiian native like Norwood. But just like one of his fellow islanders, he’s calmly riding the wave.
And against all odds, he might ride it all the way onto the Broncos roster.
Five wide receivers — Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Emmanuel Sanders, Andre Caldwell and second-round draft pick Cody Lattimer — are considered locks to make the team. If the Broncos keep a sixth, that player will likely have to assume punt and kick return duties.
Though Norwood has NFL return experience, most suspected flashy rookie Isaiah Burse would be that guy after the first few days of training camp. The youngster certainly seems to posses more speed and elusiveness than Norwood.
But the Broncos have seen flashy before. In fact, when they chose not to resign Trindon Holliday this offseason, they let flashy walk right out the door.
Inconsistency was Holliday’s problem. While he returned a whopping six punts or kicks for touchdowns in two seasons, including two in one playoff game, he also fumbled 10 times. And for the NFL’s best offense, losing that many possessions was becoming a problem.
Like Holliday, Burse has shows bouts of inconsistency during training camp. And he all but disappeared in the team’s first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, catching zero passes and failing to show anything special in three return opportunities.
The same can’t be said for Norwood. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Norwood caught three passes for 51 yards, including the game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass from Brock Osweiler, and made several players miss on one 20-yard punt return.
He may not be a guy who jumps off the page when you see his name on a roster. In fact, at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Norwood might not even stand out when he’s feverishly hunting for Oreos in a grocery store (as he’s wont to do).
But he’s done everything the Broncos have asked of him since he joined the team in March. And that’s just the way Norwood likes it.
“Whether it’s returning punts or playing inside receiver, I’ve always been a guy that has no problem doing what the coaches want me to do,” Norwood said.
If he keeps it up, it’ll be hard for the Broncos to keep Norwood off their roster come September.
Final cuts for NFL rosters must be made on Aug. 30. Norwood will have his second chance to shine in a Broncos uniform this Sunday when the team takes on the San Francisco 49ers. You can listen to our interview with Norwood in its entirety below.
Jordan Norwood
