HEADLINES

Dalton Risner

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/22

January 5th, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears 

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Broncos To Place T Calvin Anderson On IR

December 2nd, 2021 at 10:34am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have played the past two weeks without their starting tackles, and they lost their top backup to injury early in a Week 12 win over the Chargers. Calvin Anderson will end up missing time, but his season is not certain to be over.

Anderson is set to land on IR, Mike Klis of 9News tweets, but the young blocker is not expected to need surgery on his knee and ankle injuries. A three- to five-week recovery timetable is in the cards here, Klis adds, putting Anderson in position to return late this season. Such a return would make sense should the Broncos still be in contention for a playoff spot around the holidays.

Tendering Anderson as an ERFA this offseason, Denver had him in place as its swing tackle behind Garett Bolles and Ja’Wuan James. While James’ Achilles tear changed Denver’s plans at right tackle, leading to Bobby Massie coming in, Anderson has remained an important cog as more injuries hit the Broncos’ offensive front during the season.

A former UDFA who played at Rice and Texas, Anderson has started the past three Broncos games and was a first-stringer in two games last season. Anderson has logged starts at both left and right tackle. Anderson and guard Dalton Risner‘s midgame exits left the Broncos with just one starter left on their O-line — center Lloyd Cushenberry — but they are positioned to be in better shape in Week 13.

The Broncos are expected to have Bolles and Risner back for their pivotal game against the Chiefs on Sunday night, Klis notes, lessening this Anderson injury blow. Bolles has missed time due to injury and a COVID-19 contraction. He remains on Denver’s reserve/COVID-19 list. It is not certain Massie (ankle) will be able to return to his right tackle post. Fellow mid-offseason pickup Cameron Fleming has started the Broncos’ past two games at right tackle.

Broncos G Graham Glasgow To Miss Week 4

October 1st, 2021 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sunday’s Ravens-Broncos matchup will feature a host of unavailable starters on both sides. Denver may be without both its starting guards. One of them, Graham Glasgow, did not practice this week and has already been ruled out.

This will be Glasgow’s second missed game in three weeks. The veteran guard missed Week 2 with a heart issue but returned last week. A knee injury sustained against the Jets will keep Glasgow out against the Ravens, who are also missing multiple O-line starters. The Broncos signed Glasgow in free agency last year.

The Broncos might need to use two backup guards Sunday. Dalton Risner also left the team’s Week 3 win, with an ankle injury, and managed only a limited practice Friday. Netane Muti, a sixth-round pick last year, has been the team’s first guard off the bench. Rookie third-rounder Quinn Meinerz, a Division III product, followed Muti into action last week. Risner is questionable to play Sunday. Muti has shown promise in limited action this season, grading as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 overall guard.

Denver remains down three defensive starters — Bradley Chubb, Josey Jewell, Ronald Darby — and Jerry Jeudy. The team lost slot receiver K.J. Hamler for the season last week.

Some Broncos Players To Attend Workouts

April 17th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos became the first team to take NFLPA president J.C. Tretter up on a proposed boycott of the voluntary offseason program. But some within the team’s ranks do intend to report.

Third-year guard Dalton Risner has trained at the team’s facility this offseason and plans to be there Monday, when the Broncos’ offseason program is set to begin.

“I’ve stayed quiet through this whole process, but yeah, I’m showing up Monday,” Risner said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “I know there’s some other guys who are showing up as well. I’ve been at the facility all offseason. … If there wasn’t an offseason bonus, it wouldn’t matter. I’m coming off my second year. I have a lot of work to do. I want a second contract with the Broncos. I have a lot to prove. I respect my teammates’ decision; I really do. I love all my teammates. But for me personally, I was already in there, and I wanted to continue to work out there.”

Denver’s other starting guard, Graham Glasgow, also plans on reporting at some point. The 2020 free agency addition has a $100K workout bonus tied to his offseason attendance and said he will report when necessary to collect that. Risner and Drew Lock have $75K workout bonuses this year. Von Miller has a $500K workout bonus in the final year of his contract. Several other Broncos are undecided on attending, Klis tweets, and union rep Brandon McManus indicated multiple team calls have taken place since the NFL announced its offseason schedule.

The NFL and NFLPA have not agreed on terms for this year’s offseason. Citing COVID-19 concerns, the latter has pushed for a fully virtual program for a second straight year. While just more than half the league’s teams have released statements indicating all or many of their players will not report, some teams — like the Chiefs, who have 21 players who can collect workout-based incentives — have not. This is set to create an unusual imbalance, and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has advised players with workout bonuses to report.

No on-field work can take place until May 17, when Phase 2 of the offseason program begins. How teams’ respective attendance figures look will be interesting.

Broncos Notes: Sanders, Butt, Lock, CBs

July 16th, 2019 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders suffered season-ending injuries in a four-day span last December, the Broncos lost their final four games and reassembled their coaching staff. The team did not make any major additions at wide receiver this offseason, waiting until the sixth round to address the spot. Sanders has shown steady progress during offseason Achilles rehab, but the 32-year-old wideout conceded Tuesday (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter) he will not be full-go to start Denver’s training camp. With the veteran not yet certain to be ready to play by Week 1, a stay on the active/PUP list to start camp seems likely. The Broncos, whom Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com ranked 31st on his list of skill-position groups, are counting on Sanders to reprise his role as a key starter.

With the Broncos two days away from training camp, here is the latest out of Denver:

  • While Sanders may not avoid the active/PUP list, it appears Jake Butt will. The third-year tight end is attempting to recover from the third torn ACL of his playing career, but the Michigan product said (via the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran, on Twitter) he will not land on the PUP list to start camp. However, the Broncos will still ease him back to practice work. The Broncos brought back Jeff Heuerman and drafted Noah Fant, but Butt could still be a nice bonus for a team with an uncertain pass-catcher situation.
  • Denver used third-round picks in 2017 and ’18 on cornerbacks, but neither Brendan Langley nor Isaac Yiadom have a locked-in role going into camp. Langley has been moved to wide receiver, and Yiadom might not even be the favorite for the team’s No. 4 cornerback gig. The Broncos’ top three of Harris, Bryce Callahan and Kareem Jackson (in nickel sets) is set, and O’Halloran notes Alliance of American Football refugee De’Vante Bausby may be the player to beat for the Broncos’ CB4 role. Bausby played for Vic Fangio briefly in 2016 and suited up for six Eagles games last season.
  • Dalton Risner agreed to terms on his second-round rookie deal. Drew Lock has not. But the Broncos are not planning to cave to Lock’s reported aim at securing an overslot deal. They will not pay Lock more than what Risner received, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Risner was taken 41st overall, and while Lock was projected to be a first-round pick for most of the draft process, the four-year Missouri starter went 42nd.

Broncos Sign G Dalton Risner

July 16th, 2019 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ situation with Drew Lock had created a holdup with the player selected one spot ahead of him, but that issue has been resolved. No. 41 overall pick Dalton Risner agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets.

Risner is expected to sign the contract later on Tuesday. This leaves Lock as Denver’s only unsigned rookie. The two went off the board back-to-back in the second round, and Lock is reportedly seeking a “quarterback premium” contract. The first two years of Risner’s deal are fully guaranteed, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).

But the player from Denver’s draft class expected to contribute immediately will be available when the team opens training camp Thursday. Risner is slated to start at left guard for the Broncos, who will stash Lock behind Joe Flacco for the time being.

A well-regarded prospect out of Kansas State, Risner played multiple positions for the Wildcats. He served as the Big 12 program’s starting right tackle from 2016-18, earning first-team All-American acclaim as a senior, and began his career as a 13-game starter at center for the 2015 K-State iteration. Pro Football Focus tabbed Risner as a first-team All-American in his final two seasons. The Colorado native will attempt to help the Broncos up front, after they lost both Matt Paradis and Billy Turner in free agency.

Here is the Broncos’ 2019 draft class:

Broncos Hit Snag In Drew Lock Negotiations

July 16th, 2019 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos’ negotiations with second-round picks Drew Lock and Dalton Risner have hit a snag, as Mike Klis of KUSA writes. Lock, the No. 42 pick, is seeking a “quarterback premium,” meaning that he wants more money than his draft slot dictates. Meanwhile, Risner, the No. 41 overall choice, doesn’t want to take less money than the player behind him. 

Heading into the draft, many believed that Lock would be selected in the first round. His unexpected slide landed him in the eager arms of John Elway, who traded back into Round Two to grab him. From a career perspective, Lock is in a solid situation as the heir apparent to Joe Flacco‘s starting job. However, his camp is looking to recoup some of the money that was lost by his drop.

What this effectively means is that Lock and Risner (the team’s expected starting left guard) might not be in attendance for the first meeting for rookies on Wednesday or practice on Thursday. It’s unlikely that either situation will result in a prolonged stalemate, but stranger things have happened in the NFL.

Draft Rumors: Quinnen, Taylor, Jacobs

April 4th, 2019 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is meeting with the Cardinals today, and is scheduled to sit down with the Jets and Giants in two weeks, according to Ian Rapoport and Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter links). While most observers believe Arizona will ultimately use the No. 1 overall selection on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, Rapoport indicates both Williams and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa are still in consideration for the top pick. The Jets and Giants present more realistic landing spots for Williams, who is viewed as the best interior prospect available. He’s also met with the Raiders and 49ers, each of whom hold top-five picks.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • The Falcons are working out Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor on Thursday, tweets Rapoport. Along with Alabama’s Jonah Williams, Taylor is considered one of the top tackle prospects on the board in 2019. Taylor, who didn’t work out at the combine due to injury, has also met with the Jaguars. Atlanta, for their part, released right tackle Ryan Schraeder earlier this year and extended Ty Sambrailo, who figures to enter the season as the Falcons’ starter on the right side. Taylor would be a luxury choice for Atlanta, who hold the 14th overall selection.
  • Alabama running back Josh Jacobs visited the Ravens today, reports Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). Viewed as the best running back available in the draft, Jacobs could be on the board when Baltimore picks late in the first round. While Jacobs isn’t an elite athlete, he’s considered a true three-down back who could help immediately. The Ravens, of course, signed veteran Mark Ingram to pair with Gus Edwards, so running back isn’t necessarily their most obvious area of need.
  • The Rams hosted Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite on Wednesday, tweets Norris. The pre-draft process has not been kind to Polite, who had been viewed as a potential first-round selection. Polite performed poorly during athletic testing, while his interviews with clubs were also widely panned. Additionally, Polite is battling currently battling through hamstring injuries. Los Angeles re-signed pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. and also added Clay Matthews, but given that a club can never have too many defensive ends/linebackers, Polite could be in consideration.
  • Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner met with the Broncos on Thursday, per Norris (Twitter link). Denver invested a 2017 first-round pick in Garett Bolles and made Ja’Wuan James the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle this offseason, but Risner could slide to guard if selected by the Broncos. Indeed, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com’s best comparison for Risner is Bears interior lineman Cody Whitehair.
  • The Seahawks will visit with Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry before the draft, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Harry (6’4″, 213) managed at least 70 receptions, 1,200 yards, and eight touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. He should be available when Seattle makes its first-round pick at No. 21, and could reinforce a Seahawks receiving corps that already includes Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin.