Report: Broncos are expected to sign OLB Dondrea Tillman to a three-year deal

Pending a physical, the Broncos are expected to sign former UFL star Dondrea Tillman.

According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos are expected to sign former UFL star linebacker Dondrea Tillman pending a physical. He played this past season with the Birmingham Stallions who recently just won the championship but is now expected to join the Denver Broncos.

He recently had a workout with the team and now will undergo a physical and have to be released from his UFL contract (reportedly a formality) before officially signing the Broncos. When he does sign, he is expected to sign a three-year, $2.84 million that includes a $10,000 signing bonus according to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson.

Once he is officially signed, the Broncos will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for him on their 90-man roster.

Tillman is a 26-year-old outside linebacker is listed at 6-3, 270 pounds, and played this past season with the Birmingham Stallions who won the championship. This past season, he totaled 36 tackles and had 4 sacks while being part of a strong Stallions defense. During his three years with the Stallions, who have now won three straight championships, he totaled 92 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

Now, if he is indeed playing edge rusher, he joins a Broncos unit looking to compete for a roster spot or potentially a spot on the team’s practice squad. He will be competing with Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, rookie Jonah Elliss, Ronnie Perkins, Thomas Incoom, Durrell Nchami, and rookie Jaylon Allen for a roster spot. Cooper, Browning, Bonitto, and Elliss are all locks for the roster but the final spot or two is wide open and Tillman could push for that spot.

Tillman did play along the Stallion’s defensive line so we could potentially see him there in Vance Joseph’s 3-4 defense. He does have the size and frame to put his hand in the dirt but I believe he projects more as an edge rusher with the Broncos, but we shall see when they officially announce his signing.

Another area he could potentially contribute to is on special teams. With this new kick-off rule, teams will be having offensive linemen and blocking specialists on their return units. With that happening, naturally, we are going to see bigger defenders being added to shed these blocks and make a play on the returners. This might be Tillman’s best avenue to make the teams outside of being a dominant edge rusher during training camp and the preseason.

I like signings like these because you get a bit of a lottery ticket. A player who has played well in the developmental spring leagues is getting a chance to prove he can do it in the NFL. He will be an interesting name to watch during training camp and the preseason and hopefully, he plays well enough to make the team.