HEADLINES

Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/23

November 18th, 2023 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

This week’s callups and minor moves heading into Sunday:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Evans had been called up from the practice squad three times by the Cowboys, meaning he needed to be added to the 53-man roster this week to continue suiting up. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports “several teams” attempted to poach the veteran off the taxi squad, but his decision to remain with Dallas has culminated in today’s move. Evans has logged 74 combined defensive and special teams snaps with the Cowboys so far, recording three tackles.

James was out of the lineup for one game after being designated for return, but he will be eligible to suit up for the upcoming Super Bowl rematch against the Eagles. Mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this year, he will be able to add depth to a WR corps which has underperformed to date, and add to his single catch recorded in his two Kansas City games at the start of the campaign.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/16/23

November 16th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: DB Reese Taylor

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

The Cowboys are Davis’ third team this year. Going to camp with the Patriots, Davis did not make the team. The veteran nose tackle had seen action with New England over the past three seasons. The Seahawks added Davis, 31, to their practice squad in September but released him five weeks later. The former Ravens starter and Colts, Browns and Jaguars contributor has 19 career starts. Davis played 216 defensive snaps last season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/23

November 14th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Released: CB Reese Taylor

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/23

November 14th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Following a spree of illegal hits, Kareem Jackson was hit with a four-game ban back in October. That suspension ended up getting knocked down to two games, and following that absence, the defensive back has returned to the active roster. While Justin Simmons has long resided as the Broncos’ top safety, Pro Football Focus has graded Jackson as a top-20 player at the position this season.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai suffered a back injury that will require a stint on injured reserve, although there’s a chance the veteran lineman ends up having to miss the rest of the season. After starting all 25 of his appearances for the Lions between 2020 and 2021, Vaitai has started three of his six games in 2022.

Hunter Long was a third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2021 but only lasted two seasons in Miami, hauling in a single eight-yard catch. He was part of the Rams’ offseason trade return for Jalen Ramsey but hasn’t appeared in a game this season. The tight end landed on IR in early September with a thigh injury.

Three Teams Made Trade Offers For Broncos CB Patrick Surtain

November 14th, 2023 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following their walk-off win over the Bills, the Broncos may have made the right decision in standing pat at the trade deadline. The team has gone from 1-5 to 4-5 in Sean Payton‘s first season, now residing in a glut of AFC teams vying for wild-card spots. While offers came in for Jerry Jeudy, teams also explored Patrick Surtain.

Leading up to the deadline, the Broncos had made it fairly clear they were not looking to move Surtain. They are believed to have set the price of two first-rounders to even begin discussions, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes seven teams still contacted the Broncos regarding the All-Pro cornerback’s availability. Three of those made offers.

None of the proposals moved the needle, with Schefter adding the Broncos did not consider trading their top player. Surtain is off to a strong start, joining Dallas’ Micah Parsons and San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga as the only first-team All-Pros from the 2021 draft class. Surtain, 23, staying on his current course will call for an easy fifth-year option decision by May and put him on track for a record-setting extension.

It took two first-rounders for the Jaguars to trade Jalen Ramsey in 2019, his fourth season. But Ramsey had aimed to be moved; no speedbumps have occurred during Surtain’s time in Denver. The second-generation corner can be kept on his rookie contract, once the fifth-year option becomes official, until 2025. Payton’s team kept Marshon Lattimore on his rookie deal through his 2021 option year; Surtain on this contract represents one of the most valuable commodities in the game.

Surtain also has some pre-Denver ties to both the Broncos’ current power brokers. Broncos GM George Paton was a Dolphins exec during part of Patrick Surtain Sr.‘s tenure in Miami, and the Saints attempted to trade up for the Alabama prospect in 2021. The younger Surtain went to the Broncos at No. 9 overall that year.

Some around the Broncos’ organization view Surtain as the most talented corner they have come across, Schefter adds. The 2022 All-Pro most recently displayed his coverage prowess against Stefon Diggs on Monday night. The Broncos have enjoyed talented corners for most of this century. Chris Harris collected three All-Pro nods and is on the short list for top slot corners in NFL history, while Aqib Talib was 4-for-4 in Pro Bowls as a Bronco. Although it is early, Surtain’s career arc is closer to Hall of Famer Champ Bailey‘s. The Broncos rostered the first-ballot Hall of Famer for 10 seasons, but they did not acquire the perennial Pro Bowler until his sixth year — via the 2004 Bailey-Clinton Portis swap.

While contract talks or a potential franchise tag situation down the line could change this relationship, it should be expected Surtain’s rookie deal will turn into a mega-extension at some point in the mid-2020s.

Additionally, Schefter said Monday night the Broncos received an offer of third- and fifth-round picks for Jeudy. The team had held out for a first-rounder this offseason, and although Darius Slay went for this picks package years ago, the Broncos have Jeudy signed through 2024. Interest cooled in the Alabama alum, who has been inconsistent this season. But the Broncos still received a reasonable offer for a player without a 1,000-yard season on his resume. They could certainly revisit trade talks next year, considering how frequently Jeudy’s name has come up in trade rumors. For now, they will move forward with the former first-round pick.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/23

November 13th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

JaMycal Hasty was waived by the Jaguars this past weekend following a year-plus with the organization. The running back had 320 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns during his first season in Jacksonville but was limited to only three games and zero touches this year. He’ll be hard pressed to carve out a role in New England with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott leading the depth chart.

Broncos’ Javonte Williams Confirms Knee 100% Healthy

November 12th, 2023 at 4:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having won two straight games, reasons for optimism are emerging for the Broncos entering the second half of the season. Much of any future success on offense in particular will no doubt depend on the running game, with Javonte Williams at the heart of the rushing attack.

The 2021 second-rounder flashed considerable potential as a rookie, posting 903 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. That raised expectations for Year 2, but Williams was limited to only four games due to an ACL tear. Recovery from the injury has been a months-long process, but by now he has returned to full strength.

“Yeah, my confidence is definitely at 100%,” Williams said, via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, when asked about the status of his knee in light of a recent uptick in production “I feel like I can do anything I was doing my rookie year and I feel like everything is good.”

The 23-year-old has rushed for at least 52 yards four times this season, including each of the past three games. That includes eclipsing the 80-yard mark in wins over the Packers and Chiefs; in the latter contest, Williams added his first touchdown of the season in the passing game. With the Broncos finding success in the ground attack recently, Williams will be a key player to watch down the stretch for Denver.

The 3-5 outfit has been at the center of considerable criticism for new head coach Sean Payton given expectations for the former Super Bowl winner and the presumption his arrival would help bring about a rebound from quarterback Russell Wilson. The latter has performed better than his disastrous debut campaign in the Mile High City last year, but the rushing attack has been a source of success. The Broncos entered Week 10 in 11th in the league with an average of 117 yards per game on the ground.

Undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin has established himself as a capable depth running back (7.1 yards per carry, 333 scrimmage yards) but Williams should be in line for a large workload over the rest of the season. The declaration that his knee is back to its pre-injury form is a welcomed one given his importance to any potential Broncos playoff push.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 11th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a 2022 rule change, teams can activate up to eight players from injured reserve. That has reintroduced some strategy into how franchises proceed with their activations, and teams will again need to be cognizant of their activation counts in 2023.

The NFL had reintroduced IR-return options in the 2010s, after a period in which an IR move meant a player’s season was over. But the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the league to loosen restrictions on IR from 2020-21. Teams were permitted to use unlimited activations to start the decade, but roster math is again a consideration.

Players who land on IR after cutdown day must miss at least four games. Once a team designates a player for return, the activation clock starts. Clubs have 21 days from a player’s return-to-practice date to activate that player. If no activation commences in that window, the player reverts to season-ending IR.

Here is how the NFL’s remaining two IR situations look for Super Bowl LVIII:

Kansas City Chiefs

Activated:

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 3

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 4

Broncos Expect TE Greg Dulcich To Return This Season

November 10th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos are healthier than they were at this point last season, the team has not seen much of its top receiving tight end. Denver activated Greg Dulcich from IR in October, only to see the 2022 third-round pick aggravate his hamstring injury and need to return to the injured list.

Dulcich began last season with a hamstring injury as well, but the UCLA product has gone down twice this year, seeing a Week 1 injury lead to another rehab effort. In total, Dulcich has dealt with four injuries to the same hamstring since coming into the league. He has already landed on IR four times.

It is safe to label this a chronic issue for the talented pass catcher. That said, the Broncos are hoping to use another IR activation on Dulcich this season. Sean Payton said (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) the team expects Dulcich back in uniform at some point this year.

The 23-year-old tight end has seen specialists, per Payton, who had April trade acquisition Adam Trautman starting ahead of Dulcich to open the season. The Broncos have not seen much from their tight end position, at least from a receiving standpoint, this season. Trautman, whom the Saints discarded in a pick-swap deal that netted them a sixth-rounder, leads Broncos tight ends with 11 receptions for just 69 yards.

A month after trading Noah Fant to the Seahawks in the Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos made Dulcich their centerpiece player at tight end. Last season, Dulcich missed the team’s first five games and their final two due to a hamstring injury. Like they did this year, the Broncos activated Dulcich from IR in Week 6. Between then and a Dec. 30 IR placement, the 6-foot-4 cog totaled 411 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions.

The Broncos can use a second IR activation on Dulcich this season, but it will count toward their overall total. Six activations remain for Payton’s team, providing some flexibility as it enters the season’s second half. Teams can only activate a player from IR twice per season; Dulcich is not eligible for activation until Week 12. Even if Dulcich does return later this season and becomes an auxiliary Wilson target, the Broncos will probably enter the 2024 offseason with tight end as a need area.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Staley, Broncos

November 10th, 2023 at 1:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McDaniels‘ leadership style became a lightning rod in Denver, helping lead to the successful New England OC’s second-season firing. Although ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes McDaniels’ Raiders situation did not feature a personality conflict on that level, a number of issues arose near the end of his 25-game Las Vegas tenure. While McDaniels’ style this time around was viewed as a bit more empathetic, Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler notes the same traits that keyed the early wrap in Denver — people skills and a flawed culture — resurfaced in Nevada. This Patriot Way model led to quickly eroded trust, with the quarterback situation being the main part of McDaniels’ plan not resonating with players.

The team’s move from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo produced warning signs, but the McDaniels- and Dave Ziegler-handpicked veteran’s immobility and erratic play (NFL-high nine interceptions, despite two missed starts) led to some in the Raiders’ building believing Aidan O’Connell should have replaced the veteran starter earlier than he did, Fowler adds. Had the Raiders turned one of their several visits with early-round draft prospects into a selection, perhaps McDaniels would have been given more time to groom that player. With the team waiting until the final pick of the fourth round to take its quarterback, it is quite possible the team’s passer of the future is not on the roster. This being the case certainly interfered with McDaniels displaying his vision to the team.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • In what should not be especially surprising, Fowler adds some around the league believe Brandon Staley will need a winning effort to stave off a post-season three firing. Some viewed Staley as a candidate to be dropped after the Chargers‘ 27-point collapse in last year’s wild-card round, which came after Mike Williams suffered an injury in a meaningless Week 18 game. But GM Tom Telesco backed his HC for a third season. Again without Williams, the Bolts are 4-4. After Sean Payton was repeatedly connected to this job in 2022, the Bolts would obviously need to look elsewhere to replace Staley — if they choose to take that route — next year.
  • Last week’s USC-Washington game naturally attracted NFL personnel, but ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel notes both Broncos GM George Paton and Giants GM Joe Schoen were on-hand in a game that featured likely 2024 quarterback draftees Caleb Williams and Michael Penix. Both the Broncos and Giants would have complex paths to adding another QB. Denver could draft one with or without Russell Wilson on the roster, with a rookie salary perhaps complementing the starter’s hefty contract or hitting the Broncos’ cap sheet after they absorb a record-shattering $85MM in dead money (over two years, in the event of a post-June 1 cut). Regardless of how the Broncos fare in the season’s second half, Wilson’s status will be their top storyline.
  • The Broncos recently promoted Ben Niemann to their 53-man roster, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes the team did so to prevent another club from poaching him off the practice squad. Niemann, who could have conceivably loomed as a Chiefs roster replacement for the injured Nick Bolton, has 80 games under his belt. He added to that total earlier this year, against the Bears. The former Chiefs and Cardinals starter caught on with the Broncos after the Titans cut him in August.
  • Raiders free agency addition Robert Spillane recently underwent hand surgery, per interim HC Antonio Pierce (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur), but it did not keep him off the field. After breaking his hand against the Lions in Week 8, the fifth-year linebacker underwent a procedure a day later but played every snap against the Giants. Largely a part-timer in Pittsburgh, Spillane — attached to a two-year, $7MM deal — has logged 98% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps this season.
Load More Posts