Broncos tender restricted free agents Patrick, Johnson

Ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to offer one-year contracts to restricted free agents, the Broncos tendered receiver Tim Patrick and inside linebacker Alexander Johnson Tuesday at the secondround level.

The second-round tender is worth $3.384 million. If Patrick or Johnson sign an offer sheet with another NFL team and the Broncos decline to match, they will receive that team’s secondround pick.

On Monday, the Broncos tendered running back Phillip Lindsay at a right-offirst-refusal level ($2.183 million). If Lindsay signs with a team and the Broncos

decline to match, they will receive no compensation.

Once signed, the restricted free agent tender salary is not guaranteed and the sides can also work out a multi-year contract.

Patrick was cut by Baltimore and San Francisco in 2017 and signed with the Broncos practice squad. In three years, he has appeared in 39 games (21 starts) and caught 90 passes for 1,275 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Broncos likely view Patrick as depth insurance at receiver if Courtland Sutton (torn ACL) is brought along slowly and if Sutton is back at full form, Patrick can play special teams. He played 216 special teams snaps in 2018. Once Patrick is officially in the fold, the Broncos will return their top six receivers from 2020: Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton and Tyrie Cleveland.

Johnson, 29, led the Broncos with 124 tackles last year and played 1,093 snaps. Signed during training camp in 2018, he played one game as a rookie. In 2019, he played no defensive snaps in the first four games but was then made a starter when Josey Jewell sustained a hamstring injury. He finished with 93 tackles.

Johnson started every game in 2020 and had three games of at least 10 tackles (12 vs. Tennessee, 10 vs. the Los Angeles Chargers and 14 at Las Vegas).