Broncos Place Lindsay, Holmes On IR
A formality at this point, the Broncos ended their starting running back’s season. Phillip Lindsay is now on IR, and late-season wide receiver addition Andre Holmes will join him.
Denver added outside linebacker Aaron Wallace and cornerback Horace Richardson to take their roster spots. Neither player was on the Broncos’ practice squad previously. Richardson will come to Denver from the Chiefs’ practice squad, while Wallace previously resided on the Bengals’ taxi squad.
Lindsay became the first UDFA offensive player to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie and will conclude his first NFL season as the Broncos’ first rookie 1,000-yard back since Clinton Portis in 2002. Lindsay is signed through the 2020 season; because of his UDFA status, the Denver native’s contract can be renegotiated after next season.
Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker will take handoffs for the Broncos against the Chargers, and the tandem may well be the Denver OTA ball-carriers. Lindsay is expected to need as many as four months to recover from the wrist surgery he is scheduled to undergo Friday, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).
Claimed off waivers just after Emmanuel Sanders tore one of his Achilles’ tendons, Holmes caught one pass during his Broncos tenure. He is under contract through 2019, but that deal has no additional guaranteed money left on it.
Shaquil Barrett Seeking Starting Role
At full strength, the Broncos feature one of the deepest edge-rushing groups in the NFL. That appears set to change going into 2019.
Both Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray are headed for free agency. Ray has been a healthy scratch the past two games, and Barrett no longer has intentions of being a backup. The UDFA success story said (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter) he will be eyeing a team that will give him a starting role. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb entrenched as Broncos starters, Barrett’s probably about to play his final game as a Bronco on Sunday.
“I want to start. I want to be a guy somewhere. I don’t want to just be a role player,” Barrett said. “I can’t do it. … Reserve role is done for me, unless that’s the only role I got after this year. But that’s not what I’m looking for going into free agency.”
Barrett has never been a high-end sack artist, but then again, the Colorado State product has not enjoyed a consistent starting opportunity. A plus run defender, Barrett may still receive a chance to start in free agency. Pass rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Frank Clark and Ziggy Ansah are slated for free agency. Only Ansah figures to be a lock to reach the market. Teams annually retain top-tier pass rushers, opening the door for players on Barrett’s level to cash in.
Brandon Graham, Trey Flowers, Brian Orakpo, Bruce Irvin, Preston Smith, Markus Golden and Clay Matthews do make 2019 an interesting year to need a pass rusher. Some of these players will reach free agency. Barrett has seven sacks over the past two years and did start nine games in 2017 but played behind DeMarcus Ware and now Chubb for full seasons as well. Denver slapped a second-round RFA tender on Barrett this year.
The Broncos have Barrett, Ray, Matt Paradis, Bradley Roby and Jared Veldheer among a deep group of UFAs-to-be. The only way it appears Barrett will cycle back to Denver is if his market underwhelms.
Phillip Lindsay To Undergo Surgery
It was already expected that Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay would miss the team’s season finale with a wrist injury suffered against the Raiders. The team now knows the injury will require surgery and is expected to keep the Pro Bowl selection out for three to four months, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph told reporters and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold on Monday. 
Assuming he receives the surgery in the coming days, the undrafted gem out of Colorado should be ready by the time OTAs roll around after the draft.
t’s a big blow for Lindsay, who became the first undrafted rookie offensive player to be selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. After splitting carries as a change-of-pace back early in the season, the Colorado product moved into a prominent role with his first start in Week 8 and held the role through Week 16. He finished the season with three 100-yard rushing efforts and touchdown runs in six of his final nine games.
With Lindsay sidelined, the team will get extended looks at fellow rookie Royce Freeman and third-year back Devontae Booker in their final contest of the season against the Chargers. In Lindsay’s absence against the Raiders, Freeman saw seven carries and Booker had three, with both producing 21 yards.
Broncos Notes: Lindsay, Paradis, Roby, OL
Barring a second opinion that differs from the original diagnosis, the injury Phillip Lindsay sustained on Monday night will end up requiring surgery, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The Broncos’ breakthrough rookie running back is likely set for a lengthy rehab timeline, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter). This could put the UDFA gem’s OTA participation in jeopardy. In addition to the ligament damage Lindsay is believed to have suffered, Rapoport adds the Pro Bowl back may be dealing with a scaphoid fracture in his wrist. The Broncos revamped their backfield this offseason, adding Lindsay and Royce Freeman. The latter figures to see more time Sunday, and Devontae Booker‘s rookie contract runs through 2019. So, Freeman and Booker may be working as the top Denver backs come OTAs.
Here is the latest from Denver on Christmas Day:
- Although Matt Paradis has yet to make a Pro Bowl roster, he has anchored the Broncos’ offensive line for the past four seasons. A perennially well-regarded blocker by Pro Football Focus, Paradis will be a free agent at season’s end. The Broncos may have to shell out center-record money to keep him, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post writes that if Paradis wants top-dollar coming off of his season-ending broken leg, the Broncos might not be the team to authorize such a pact. Ryan Jensen‘s $10.5MM-per-year deal serves as the top center contract currently, and Paradis has submitted a longer sample of upper-echelon play during his career. The Broncos have one veteran offensive line cap figure — Ronald Leary‘s, at $9.2MM — on their 2019 books but can escape it with minimal charges if they wanted to create more money to prioritize Paradis.
- Elsewhere along Denver’s line, right tackle Jared Veldheer is playing on an expiring deal. He is one of just two Bronco starting linemen to be playing the same position as he did when the season started, joining left tackle Garett Bolles in that regard. But the Broncos may not be inclined to bring him back. They see right tackle potential in converted guard Elijah Wilkinson, per O’Halloran. Veldheer will be 32 next season and has missed time due to injuries in each of the past three years.
- For years, the Broncos possessed the NFL’s top cornerback trio. But Denver traded Aqib Talib this offseason and has Bradley Roby months from free agency. The Broncos may not be eyeing a long-term pact for Roby, who has been inconsistent in his contract year. No known negotiations have occurred, and O’Halloran notes a Roby reunion may take his market getting to a place where Denver extends a one-year offer. Denver still has All-Pro Chris Harris signed to a team-friendly deal through 2019, but if Roby departs, the team may need to explore another Harris extension. The Broncos’ corner investments over the past few years, be it veteran pickups or recent third-round draft picks, have shown much.
- Despite the Ravens showing a renewed commitment to John Harbaugh, Broncos are still hoping to interview him this offseason.
Veteran Linebacker Among Those Who Could Move On This Offseason
- With the Broncos recording their second consecutive losing season for the first time since 1972, many expect John Elway to make big changes in the upcoming season. A few of those players expected to potentially be looking for a new job include Shane Ray, Su’a Cravens and Brandon Marshall, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala writes. Though Marshall has two years remaining on his deal, none of that money is guaranteed and the team could move on from the veteran in favor of rookie Josey Jewell.
Phillip Lindsay Has Ligament Damage In Wrist
Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay‘s season came to an end on Monday, as tests revealed he suffered ligament damage in his injured wrist vs. the Raiders, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In addition to missing the season finale, Lindsay will also likely be sidelined for the Pro Bowl. 
The damage to the ligaments are described as significant, and he will receive a second opinion on a possible scaphoid fracture according to 9News’ Mike Klis (Twitter link). The duration for his recovery has not been outlined but is expected to be a lengthy one, as surgery is likely.
“I was just going through a play and it got hit and it just got numb a little bit,” Lindsay said. “They took precaution and felt that I should stay out … they decided it was probably smart for me to sit out.”
It’s a crushing blow for Lindsay, who became the first undrafted rookie offensive player to be selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018. After splitting carries as a change-of-pace back early in the season, the Colorado product moved into a prominent role with his first start in Week 8 and held the role through Week 16. He finished the season with three 100-yard rushing efforts and touchdown runs in six of his final nine games.
One of the league’s best bargains, Lindsay is signed through the 2020 season at a total remaining salary of $1.2MM.
Keenum Could Be Cut This Spring
Case Keenum was the best story of the 2017 NFL season, and parlayed his magical run with the Vikings into a two year $36MM contract with the Broncos. While Keenum has had some nice moments this year, he’s mostly been a big disappointment. The Broncos clinched a losing season with their loss last night to the Raiders, and Keenum threw a pair of awful interceptions. With Vance Joseph a near lock to be fired at the end of the season, Denver will have an entirely new coaching staff next year with no ties to Keenum.
Only $7MM of his salary is guaranteed for next season, so the Broncos could realistically cut him this spring. Denver’s decision on whether to keep him “may have more to do with who else is available” than anything else, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Jhabvala notes that there may not be a Kirk Cousins-esque surefire starter available in free agency, and that could ensure that Keenum stays another year. Even if he is still on the team in 2019, he’ll likely be competing with a highly drafted rookie.
Broncos Notes: Gotsis, Kerr, Ray, Kelly
Broncos defensive end Adam Gotsis is setting himself up for a solid payday. The former second-rounder is eligible to sign an extension this offseason, and the new contract has certainly been on the 26-year-old’s mind.
“It’s exciting knowing that (could) come in the future,” Gotsis told Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post. “I feel like if I take care of what I have to on the field, the extension is going to be there when the time comes. Saying this or saying that won’t get it done for me. It’s just going out there and making plays.”
Gotsis has been productive this season, compiling 35 tackles and a pair of sacks, and Pro Football Focus currently ranks him 51st among 116 interior defenders. As O’Halloran writes, the defensive end has really turned in on over the past six games, as he’s collected 11.5 “stuffs,” two hits, and both of his sacks.
O’Halloran points to the extension signed by teammate Derek Wolfe as a potential basis for Gotsis’ new deal. Wolfe inked a four-year, $36.7MM back in 2016. O’Halloran also opines that inking Gotsis to a new deal with be a priority for John Elway and Denver’s front office.
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Denver…
- O’Halloran also previewed the Broncos players who are set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The writer doesn’t see a reason why the team wouldn’t bring back defensive lineman Zach Kerr, but he has the opposite sentiment for linebacker Shane Ray. The writer also explores the chances of bringing back cornerbacks Tramaine Brock and Bradley Roby, linebacker Shaquil Barrett, offensive guard Max Garcia, tight end Jeff Heuerman, center Matt Paradis, nose tackle Domata Peko, offensive lineman Billy Turner, and offensive tackle Jared Veldheer.
- Former Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly appeared in court last week to be arraigned on a felony charge of first-degree trespassing (via Caitlin Hendee and Katie Wilcox of 9News.com). The charge stems from an Oct. 23 incident when the backup signal-caller allegedly walked into a family’s house after departing Von Miller‘s Halloween party. Denver released the former seventh-rounder following the arrest. The arraignment was continued to January 28th.
- We previously heard the Broncos head coach Vance Joseph is expected to be fired at the end of the season, and it sounds like he’ll then become one of the top candidates for the Bengals’ defensive coordinator gig. We also heard today that Denver is still hopeful of interviewing Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, despite Baltimore’s recent announcement that Harbaugh will be back in 2019
Vance Joseph Will Be DC Candidate For Bengals; Latest On Broncos’ HC Search
The Bengals seem to enjoy reuniting with old friends, regardless of those friends’ present status with the rest of the league. Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, who was the Bengals’ defensive backs coach from 2014-15, is expected to be fired at the end of the season, and assuming that happens, he will become one of the top candidates for the Bengals’ defensive coordinator job, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Despite Denver’s brief reemergence into the playoff picture this season, Joseph’s two-year tenure as the Broncos’ head coach has been a resounding disappointment. He very nearly lost his job at the end of the 2017 campaign, and he has appeared overwhelmed at times. But Bengals owner Mike Brown — who quickly hired former Cincinnati staffer Hue Jackson as a special assistant when Jackson was let go by the Browns earlier this year — has retained an interest in Joseph and will consider him for the DC position.
Head coach Marvin Lewis‘ future with Cincinnati is murky at best, and Schefter suggests that Joseph, if hired, could ultimately replace Lewis as the team’s head coach. The same has been said of Jackson, though neither scenario is likely to make Bengals fans particularly happy. Of course, as Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets, the fact that the Bengals are planning to pursue Joseph for their DC job suggests that they already know who their 2019 head coach will be, which means that Lewis could be back for his 17th year or Jackson could get yet another shot at an HC gig.
The Broncos, meanwhile, will need to replace Joseph at the end of the year. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the team is still hopeful of interviewing Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, despite Baltimore’s recent announcement that Harbaugh will be back in 2019. After all, there have been no extension talks between Harbaugh and the Ravens to date, Harbaugh’s present contract only keeps him under club control through 2019, and league sources are skeptical that Harbaugh will return as a lame duck coach.
Broncos executive Gary Kubiak may be open to pursuing offensive coordinator gigs in 2019, but he and Harbaugh formed a strong relationship during Kubiak’s one year as the Ravens’ OC, and if Kubiak remains in Denver’s front office, he would play a major role in trying to get Harbaugh to Mile High.
Broncos' Owner's Wife Weighs In On Legal Drama
- We’ve heard a lot about the Broncos’ ownership situation over the last few months, and now finally owner Pat Bowlen’s wife Annabel is speaking out. Annabel filed a motion and joined the ongoing legal saga, and filed her motion in support of the trust her husband set up to run the team, according to Kevin Vaughan of Denver 9 News. Pat’s brother Bill is currently suing, trying to get the trust dissolved and to seize control of the team.