Broncos To Place CB Bryce Callahan On IR
Bryce Callahan‘s latest injury will cause him to miss time. The acclaimed slot cornerback is headed to IR, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Callahan suffered a knee injury in the Broncos’ win over Washington.
This is familiar territory for the veteran corner. Since signing with the Broncos in 2019, Callahan has missed 22 games. He was down for the entire 2019 season — due to a lingering foot injury he suffered while with the Bears in 2018 — and missed Denver’s final five games in 2020. Foot trouble shelved Callahan again last season.
[RELATED: Broncos Trade Kary Vincent Jr. To Eagles]
After letting All-Decade slot corner Chris Harris walk in 2020, the Broncos have used Callahan as their primary slot defender. Denver revamped its cornerback corps this offseason, adding Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller and Patrick Surtain II. Callahan has teamed with Surtain and Darby in recent weeks, with Fuller benched. Callahan and Fuller drew trade interest leading up to the season, but the Broncos shut down those talks.
Denver shopped Fuller ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, but the veteran cover man remains with the team. Fuller might be needed more with Callahan down for at least three games. Denver also has 2020 third-round pick Michael Ojemudia, but he remains on IR after suffering a troublesome hamstring injury during preseason play. Callahan’s contract expires at season’s end.
Broncos Trade Kary Vincent Jr. To Eagles
The Eagles have acquired rookie cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. from the Broncos in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The deal became official just before 3pm CT/4pm ET, beating the deadline by a matter of minutes.
[RELATED: No Trade For Eagles’ Fletcher Cox]
The Broncos were getting calls on multiple defensive backs this week, including Kareem Jackson and Kyle Fuller. Instead, those veterans will be staying put while Vincent heads to Philly.
Vincent, a seventh-round pick of this year’s draft, played three seasons at LSU before opting out of the 2020 season. His best work came in 2019 — 48 tackles, four interceptions, and nine passes defensed. He’s yet to see the field as a pro, but he could have his first opportunity on Sunday when the Eagles host the Chargers.
Broncos Shopping Kyle Fuller
The phone lines are still open in Denver. The Broncos are pushing to trade Kyle Fuller between now and this afternoon’s deadline, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Broncos Trade Miller To Rams]
This jibes with recent talk of the Broncos fielding calls on their corners and safeties — both Fuller and Kareem Jackson have drawn interest from rival clubs. Fuller may have been a hotter property earlier this year, back when the Saints were searching high and low for cornerback help. New Orleans ultimately turned to the Texans, swinging a September trade for Bradley Roby.
Fuller, a former first-round pick of the Bears, has 99 career starts to his credit across seven seasons (not counting his missed 2016 campaign). His best work came in 2018, when he led the league with seven interceptions and 21 pass deflections en route to a First-Team All-Pro nod. His 2019 encore also earned him a second straight Pro Bowl selection.
Fuller has slipped down the depth chart in Denver, but he should hold some appeal as a rental for contenders in need. The Bucs, for example, could see Fuller as a logical fill-in for their banged-up secondary.
Broncos Trade Von Miller To Rams
The Broncos have agreed to trade Von Miller to the Rams (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). In exchange, the Rams will send a second-round draft pick and a third-round selection in upcoming draft. 
The Broncos will assume $9MM of Miller’s remaining salary, allowing the future Hall of Famer to squeeze under the Rams’ salary cap. That also enabled the Broncos to score a much larger haul than they would have otherwise.
The ten-year veteran missed all of 2020 with an ankle injury, prompting the Broncos to ask him for a pay cut earlier this year. Instead, the Broncos exercised his option to guarantee much of his $18MM salary. He’s still on course for unrestricted free agency next year, but he was hoping to finish out the season in Denver.
“I have totally bought into being a Coloradoan for life, let alone a Denver Bronco,” Miller said on Instagram in March. “I want to be here forever, through the thick, the thin, the Super Bowl seasons, the losing seasons. I want to be here forever.”
The Broncos improved to .500 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Washington Football Team, but GM George Paton chose to bolster his long-term prospects by trading Miller. As noted by Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link), the Broncos would have only received a compensatory 2023 fifth-round pick by allowing Miller to leave via free agency. Instead, they’ve scored a pair of valuable Day 2 picks for the upcoming draft — a clear upgrade for 2022 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Miller will provide a serious boost to the Rams’ already star-studded defense. Even at the age of 32, Miller still has plenty left in the tank, as shown by his performance in September. Miller opened the year with four sacks across the first three weeks of the season to notch AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors. Meanwhile, he’s started in all seven of his games, bringing his career total to 142. All in all, the Super Bowl 50 MVP has 110.5 career sacks to his credit to lead the Broncos’ all-time list.
The Rams will now deploy Miller alongside Aaron Donald on the defensive line, in front of a secondary headlined by Jalen Ramsey. He’ll make his debut at home on Sunday when the Rams face the 6-2 Titans.
Broncos’ Kareem Jackson Drawing Trade Interest
Sounds like we should keep an eye on Kareem Jackson this week. Teams have been calling on the Broncos defensive back in recent days, according to sources who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. 
[RELATED: Broncos Activate Jeudy From IR]
Broncos GM George Paton fielded calls on fellow defensive back Kyle Fuller last week and it sounds like Jackson is drawing more interest as the deadline draws near. Paton isn’t necessarily inclined to deal Jackson, according to RapSheet, but the right offer could pry him loose.
Paton declined Jackson’s option on March 15, making him a free agent. Then, they brought him back roughly one week later. Originally, he was set to play out the final season of his three-year, $33MM pact. Instead, they negotiated him down to a modest one-year, $5MM contract to save about $7.1MM in cap space. That means any team acquiring Jackson would only have to budget for a couple million dollars — not bad for a lifelong starter with 12 years of pro experience.
Entering today, Jackson has 43 tackles, one interception, and one sack through seven games. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus has assigned him an overall score of 61.5, good for 49th out of 80+ qualified safeties.
The Broncos are 3-4 heading into this afternoon’s game against the Washington Football Team. A loss would put them even deeper in the AFC West cellar and likely give them even more motivation to deal veterans like Jackson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21
Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Daren Bates, LB James Vaughters
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: TE Kahale Warring
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: DE Darryl Johnson
- Promoted: P Lachlan Edwards, WR Keith Kirkwood
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: T Larry Borom
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Khalid Kareem, RB Trayveon Williams
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Tim Harris, S Jovante Moffatt
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Jonas Griffith
- Promoted: LB Barrington Wade
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DE Da’Shawn Hand
- Promoted: S Jalen Elliott, TE Brock Wright
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: C Justin Britt
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson, G Lane Taylor, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Kendall Blanton
- Promoted: DB Antoine Brooks, DB Tyler Hall
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: LB Vince Biegel, RB Patrick Laird, CB Jamal Perry
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Luke Stocker, DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DT Daniel Ekuale
New Orleans Saints
- Activated after six-game suspension: DT David Onyemata
- Placed on IR: G Andrus Peat (story)
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, WR Kevin White
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Jarrad Davis
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, QB Josh Johnson, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: S Jarrod Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: RB Jordan Howard, TE Richard Rodgers
- Activated from IR: S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DE Taco Charlton
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Tanner Muse
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Eli Ankou, FB Tory Carter, RB Dontrell Hilliard
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: C Keith Ismael, T David Steinmetz
Broncos To Activate Jerry Jeudy From IR
Despite missing practice Friday, Jerry Jeudy remains on track to suit up for the Broncos in Week 8. As expected, Denver is set to activate its second-year wide receiver from IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Jeudy experienced soreness after going through ramp-up workouts this week. The 2020 first-round pick is attempting to return from the high ankle sprain that cost him six games. His re-emergence stands to help a Broncos passing attack that has struggled over the past month.
The Alabama product led the Broncos with 856 receiving yards last season and generated considerable breakout buzz this offseason. After catching six passes for 72 yards in the team’s Week 1 win over the Giants, Jeudy went down midway through that game and saw his momentum stonewalled. Jeudy’s absence, and K.J. Hamler‘s season-ending injuries, stripped the Broncos of considerable weaponry. A four-game losing streak commenced.
The Broncos rank 24th offensively and have scored just 64 points during their four-game skid. During Jeudy’s career, the Broncos have yet to go through a game with he and Courtland Sutton healthy. Sutton missed Week 1 of the 2020 season and suffered an ACL tear during Denver’s Week 2 game last year. Sutton returned in New York to start this season, but Jeudy leaving that game again delayed the team’s hopes of seeing its top two receivers in action.
These setbacks have certainly altered the Broncos’ plan at wide receiver. With Sutton and Tim Patrick due for free agency in 2022, the Broncos will have decisions to make regarding their pass catchers soon.
Teddy Bridgewater will also have tight end Albert Okwuegbunam back in action, with 9News’ Mike Klis noting the second-year tight end is set to come off IR for Sunday’s game against Washington (Twitter link). Okwuegbunam has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, further stripping Bridgewater of targets. The Missouri product showed some promise in September, after recovering from the ACL tear that ended his rookie season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/28/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Damarea Crockett, LB Curtis Robinson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Will Clapp, DL Albert Huggins
- Released: RB Ryquell Armstead, LB Lakiem Williams
New York Jets
- Activated from practice squad IR: DL Ronald Blair
- Released: DB Natrell Jamerson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/27/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Shaq Calhoun, RB Damarea Crockett, ILB Curtis Robinson, LB Barrington Wade
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: QB Jake Dolegala
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB De’Vante Bausby
New York Giants
- Signed: WR David Sills
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DT Chris Slayton
- Released: RB Jaylen Samuels
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: C Brad Lundblade
- Released: QB Danny Etling
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Washington Football Team
- Signed: LB Anthony Hines III
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/26/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Javon Hagan, CB Lavert Hill
- Released: DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
Denver Broncos
- Released: C Javon Patterson, DB Saivion Smith
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Jahleel Addae, TE Eli Wolf
- Released: G Zack Bailey
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: DE Demone Harris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Paddy Fisher
- Released: G Nathan Gilliam, WR Austin Proehl
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Timon Parris
New England Patriots
- Released: S Elijah Benton
New York Giants
- Released: DT Woodrow Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Jared Mayden
- Released: CB Michael Jacquet
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Eli Ankou, RB Mekhi Sargent
- Released: DL Abdullah Anderson, LB Dylan Cole, C James Murray