Ricardo Hallman was Luke Fickell's top defensive back last season but, like every other Badger looking for an NFL chance, was bypassed in the NFL Draft. To make matters worse for Hallman, he was also skipped in UDFA signing season. He seemed like he was headed for a CFL or some other role after finishing his eligibility at Wisconsin, but instead, the Denver Broncos are giving him a shot..
Today, the NFL waiver wire reported that Ricardo Hallman was signed and Sam Webb was released. Webb, a former college player from Missouri Western, has played in the league for three seasons, his first two as part of the Raiders, then last season on the Cleveland Browns, and this offseason was brought in for the Denver Broncos training camp.
#Broncos signed CB Ricardo Hallman and released CB Sam Webb, per the wire.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 8, 2026
It appears the Broncos are ready to move on from Webb and see what they can get from Hallman. This is big news for the former Badger but also for Luke Fickell, who's hoping that some of his players from last season, even though they were skipped in the NFL Draft, will make NFL rosters and splash in the league.
Wisconsin had a whopping 11 players signed to UDFA deals this offseason. A few of them are projected to make rosters like Mason Reiger, Vinny Anthony II, Riley Mahlman, and Jackson Acker. And others are on the cut line like Darryl Peterson III and Austin Brown. Fickell's best chance for a start to emerge out of that group may be Reiger, who dropped out of the draft more due to medical concerns than talent.
Ricardo Hallman brings exactly what the Denver Broncos need in depth at cornerback and special teams
Related: Wisconsin football may have something special brewing with Chris Brooks Jr.
Hallman, though, is a great pickup for the Broncos. He's a special player that was part of a pretty proficient defense last year. The Badgers may have only won four games last year and were underwhelming in so many facets, but Wisconsin was a solid defense. One of the best in the Big Ten and even a top-10 unit for the beginning part of the season. Two of those wins came on the back of the defense.
Hallman was a big part of that, as the No. 1 defensive back and often blanketing the No. 1 wide receiver on the other sideline. He was matched up against many of the best players in college football who are now drafted in the league. Even when Wisconsin was in zone, he was often on the same side as "the guy" to watch.
His testing didn't turn a lot of heads, and that may have cost him both as a UDFA and in the NFL Draft, but he's a gamer who will find a way to show he belongs. The Broncos are looking for an edge in that room and someone to bring in the competition. That would be Hallman.
It's a long way to go before the rosters are fully announced, and Hallman will need to do a lot to showcase that he belongs before the final cuts, but until today, he was just hoping for someone to give him a chance. Now he has it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google