Broncos Willing To Trade Demaryius Thomas, Not Emmanuel Sanders; Teams Inquiring On Denver CBs
- Teams are very much interested in Broncos receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders and corners Bradley Roby and Chris Harris, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Schefter writes that Denver is willing to part with Thomas, but not Sanders.
Brittany Bowlen Confirms Interest In Becoming Broncos’ Controlling Owner
More clarity’s emerging on the Broncos’ future. Brittany Bowlen had yet to make a comment about a desire to become the Broncos’ controlling owner but did so Saturday night.
“I do have ambitions and goals to one day be controlling owner of the Denver Broncos,” Bowlen said, via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Brittany Bowlen, 28, has been viewed as the frontrunner to succeed her father for a while now. Some members of the Broncos organization and some in the league office have high hopes for Brittany Bowlen’s ability to thrive in this role, in the event she ends up as her father’s long-term successor, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter).
However, Brittany Bowlen acknowledges she’s not ready for such a role just yet, telling Jhabvala, “I’m not there yet, but I really believe I can get there” one day. Brittany Bowlen (video link via Denver7’s Troy Renck) does not have a timetable for a potential ascent to the position her father made famous.
While Brittany Bowlen is viewed as the heir apparent, Beth Bowlen Wallace has expressed desire to become the franchise’s controlling owner. Wallace, 47, does not have the same support her younger sister does. Broncos president Joe Ellis, a member of the Pat Bowlen Trust, said earlier this year Wallace is not qualified to become the team’s controlling owner.
Pat Bowlen’s been battling Alzheimer’s for years. His wife Annabel now is as well. Pat mentioned Brittany as the only one of his seven children whom he believed could take over the Broncos as controlling owner. Naturally, Wallace disagrees with this and believes she’s met the criteria set forth by the trustees, a group that features Ellis as its most prominent member. But with Brittany revealing she is interested in this lofty position, Wallace’s hopes in rising to this role could well take a hit.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/18
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: C Nico Falah
- Placed on IR: G Ronald Leary
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Detrez Newsome
- Waived: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Deontay Burnett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released from IR: CB Amari Coleman
Royce Freeman Dealing With High Ankle Sprain
- Broncos rookie running back Royce Freeman suffered a high ankle sprain during the team’s demolition of the Cardinals on Thursday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). While it sounds bad, Rapoport notes “there is early optimism regarding the injury and it’s no guarantee that he misses time”, and that if he does it should be a “short absence.”
Shane Ray Has High Ankle Sprain
- Shane Ray‘s also in a contract campaign and looks to be auditioning for other teams after the Broncos didn’t pick up his fifth-year option following their first-round selection of Bradley Chubb. Ray’s now run into more injury trouble, suffering a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The likely free agent-to-be seems certain to miss Denver’s Thursday game in Arizona, if not more time.
Su’a Cravens To Return To Practice
The first player to be designated to return from injured reserve this season is one who hasn’t played since December 2016, but the Broncos are in dire need of any help they can get.
Su’a Cravens will return to practice this week after being stashed on IR prior to the season. He’s been cleared to return, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala (on Twitter), and Cravens tweets he’s on track to face the Texans in Week 9.
Having seen injury trouble (and a public dispute) lead to a controversial exit from Washington, Cravens stands in line to supply depth and coverage aid for the Broncos’ defense. Cravens said (via Jhabvala, on Twitter) he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and he’s down more than 10 pounds after Broncos coaches requested him to return as a leaner version.
Cravens can return to practice this week, and the Broncos have two weeks to decide if they want to activate him or keep him on IR throughout the season. It obviously can’t be assumed Cravens will return in Week 9, given his history, but this is a positive development for him.
Denver’s lost four straight and entered the season having lost backup safety Jamal Carter to a season-nullifying injury. The Broncos traded a fifth-round pick for Cravens in hopes he could help out as a safety and sub-package linebacker.
Broncos’ Ronald Leary Out For Season
The highest-paid interior lineman in Broncos history will not be available for the 2018 team’s final 10 games. The fears surrounding a possible Achilles’ tendon tear for Ronald Leary turned out to be justified.
Leary will miss the rest of the season, Vance Joseph confirmed Monday. The veteran guard went down midway through the Broncos’ 23-20 loss to the Rams on Sunday. Max Garcia and Connor McGovern had been rotating at right guard on Sunday; that duo will now comprise Denver’s starting guards.
Signed to a four-year deal worth $36MM, Leary will end a second straight season on IR. He missed the final five games of the 2017 season because of a back injury. Leary’s knees had caused him issues in the past, leading to his undrafted status and most recently requiring an arthroscopic procedure this offseason. But he returned and started Denver’s first six games and delivered quality work for a Broncos team that, despite its four-game skid, enjoyed consistent success on the ground.
The Broncos’ rushing attack figures to sustain a hit with Leary out, which will further diminish their chances of avoiding another lost season. Leary hasn’t played 16 games in a season since 2013.
Leary’s status for 2019 may now be tenuous because of another injury. He will turn 30 next year, and his contract calls for $9.375MM cap number. The Broncos would be tagged with only $1.75MM in dead money by shedding it. Garcia is a free agent after this season, while McGovern is under contract through 2019.
Keenum To Remain Starter
- Case Keenum had another rough game, prompting reporters to ask coach Vance Joseph after the game if Keenum would remain the starter for the Broncos. Joseph answered affirmatively, saying “Case is our quarterback”, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (Twitter link). Keenum left for one play to be evaluated for a concussion, and the home crowd gave backup Chad Kelly a standing ovation. With the Broncos a sinking ship and Joseph on the hot seat, it wouldn’t be surprising if Kelly gets a look at some point.
Broncos Fear G Ronald Leary Has Torn Achilles
More bad news for the Broncos. Right tackle Jared Veldheer has already missed the team’s last couple of games, and now it looks like the Denver could be without their best interior lineman for the remainder of the season.
The Broncos’ initial diagnosis of guard Ronald Leary is a torn Achilles, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). If that’s the case, Leary will miss the rest of the season. It’s a huge blow to the Broncos’ offensive line, which is already light on depth.
The Broncos benched their other starting guard, Connor McGovern, ahead of the team’s loss today. McGovern and his replacement, Max Garcia, will presumably both start now moving forward. Denver has now lost four straight games after starting the season 2-0, and is in free-fall. Coach Vance Joseph has been on the hot seat seemingly since the beginning of the year, and this loss certainly won’t help him in his quest to keep his job.
Leary, 29, has two years left on the four-year $36MM deal he signed with the Broncos before the 2017 season. He was a heavily sought after free agent after spending his first four seasons with the Cowboys, where he was one of the best guards in the league.
Broncos HC Vance Joseph Still On The Hot Seat
The Broncos nearly fired head coach Vance Joseph at the end of the 2017 season, and even though team president and CEO Joe Ellis publicly backed Joseph several days ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Joseph’s job security is tenuous at best.
Denver is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and Rapoport writes that upper management will be closely monitoring Joseph’s performance over the next few weeks. The clear implication is that, if the team does not perform well during that time, Joseph could be axed before the season is over, and perhaps as soon as next month.
Joseph, with his job on the line, has made a series of changes in an effort to save himself. As Rapoport and Mike Klis of 9News.com write, Joseph will take on a more active role in defensive play-calling, although defensive coordinator Joe Woods will continue to be the primary play-caller for a unit that ranks No. 26 in the league in yards per game. Also, as was speculated yesterday, Max Garcia will start at right guard this afternoon in place of Connor McGovern, and both Klis and Rapoport note that practices were shorter this week while the number of team meetings were increased.
Joseph, whose club suffered an eight-game losing streak last year, will have a tall order against the 5-0 Rams today. The Broncos will get an eminently winnable game on a short week this Thursday, when they take on the Cardinals, but they will then head to Kansas City to take on the league’s only other defeated team, the Chiefs.
Given the Broncos’ upcoming opponents — Denver will also host the Texans before their bye week — it is difficult to say exactly what they need to do in order for Joseph to keep his job. But our readers believe that Joseph will be the next coach to get a pink slip, and today’s report only serves to support that notion.