Broncos To Place TE Greg Dulcich, CB Michael Ojemudia On IR
Two Russell Wilson auxiliary weapons will not be available to start the season. While Tim Patrick will be down throughout 2022 after tearing an ACL early in training camp, George Paton confirmed Tuesday (via Denver7’s Troy Renck, on Twitter) rookie tight end Greg Dulcich will begin his season on IR.
The placements of Dulcich and cornerback Michael Ojemudia on short-term IR — which will sideline each for the season’s first four games — will allow the Broncos to bring back nose tackle Mike Purcell and tight end Eric Tomlinson, according to the second-year Denver GM. Both veterans were included among the Broncos’ cuts Tuesday.
A hamstring injury dogged Dulcich for most of training camp. The UCLA product suffered a setback early in camp and did not play in the Broncos’ preseason games. The team made Dulcich a key part of its 2022 draft, adding him with its second pick this year. With Albert Okwuegbunam going into a contract year, Dulcich could profile as the Broncos’ tight end of the future. But the team has not seen much from the Day 2 investment yet.
Ojemudia suffered a dislocated elbow in the Broncos’ second preseason game. This injury followed Jonas Griffith‘s elbow dislocation in the team’s preseason opener. Griffith is not slated to go on IR and could be ready for Week 1. For Ojemudia, this marks more of the same. The 2020 third-round pick missed most of last season with a hamstring injury. He was vying for the team’s top outside backup cornerback job behind starters Pat Surtain II and Ronald Darby.
A former Alliance of American Football cog, Purcell has been with the Broncos since 2019. The veteran nose tackle has started 23 games in that span, though injuries have intervened over the past two years. Purcell, 31, had signed a three-year, $14.8MM extension in 2020 but saw the Broncos bring in a high-priced replacement in D.J. Jones this offseason. A blocking tight end, Tomlinson spent much of the past two seasons with the Ravens. He joined Dulcich as the Broncos’ tight end newcomers this year.
Broncos CB Michael Ojemudia Dislocates Elbow
Another week, another dislocated elbow for a Broncos defender. Per Mike Klis of 9News.com, Denver cornerback Michael Ojemudia dislocated his elbow during the team’s preseason loss to the Bills on Saturday (Twitter link).
The Broncos lost linebacker Jonas Griffith to the same injury last week. While Kilis did not provide a recovery timeline for Ojemudia, it seems safe to assume that Griffith’s expected absence of four to six weeks would apply to Ojemudia as well.
It may also be fair to expect a corresponding roster move. Denver’s CB starters appear to be set, with Patrick Surtain II and Ronald Darby penciled in as the primary boundary corners and K’Waun Williams in the slot, but the depth behind that trio was questionable even before Ojemudia’s injury. Ojemudia and fourth-round rookie Damarri Mathis had been battling for the CB4 role, and while earlier reports suggested that Ojemudia was faring well in that competition, the 2020 third-rounder played poorly during his time in the Buffalo game.
Mathis and players like Bless Austin and Essang Bassey could see an uptick in playing time, though GM George Paton could also look for reinforcements on the open market, just as he did when signing Joe Schobert in the wake of Griffith’s injury. There are a few notable corners still available, including Chris Harris, Joe Haden, and Jimmy Smith.
Ojemudia appeared in all 16 games (11 starts) in his rookie campaign in 2020, and he tallied six passes defensed and four forced fumbles while surrendering a 103.2 QB rating. He finished with a poor 48.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, and he slipped down the depth chart last summer. He was placed on IR at the start of the 2021 season and was not activated until December 11. He ultimately appeared in just two contests, though he did earn a start in the final game of the season, recording 11 tackles and two passes defensed.
Broncos Notes: Offensive Line, Veteran CB Search, Javonte Williams
With OTAs and mandatory minicamp finished across the league, organizations and media members alike have had the chance to break down some of the elements of the offseason which have stood out the most to them. In the case of the Broncos, 9News’ Mike Klis has detailed some of his key observations.
Among those is the plethora of variances in the team’s offensive line combinations during practices. Klis notes that the most commonly-used unit comprised Garett Bolles and Dalton Risner on the left side, with Lloyd Cushenberry III at center and Quinn Meinerz and Calvin Anderson occupying right guard and right tackle, respectively.
There are a number of other options being plugged into various positions, though. Included among those is Netane Muti, who has seen work with the other starters while filling in at both guard positions, as well as Graham Glasgow, who recently returned to practice to compete for a starting role. Lastly, Klis lists Billy Turner as a veteran who is “expected to play” somewhere along the o-line. The 30-year-old came back to the Broncos on a one-year, $5MM deal this offseason, but is also the linemen most experienced in working with new HC Nathaniel Hackett.
Here are a few other notes from that same Klis piece:
- Cornerback had the potential to be an area of need, at least in terms of depth behind Patrick Surtain II, Ronald Darby and K’Waun Williams, at this point in the offseason. However, Klis cites the play of Michael Ojemudia during the spring as cause for optimism that the team’s best option for the No. 4 role may already be on the roster. The 2020 third-rounder is set to compete with Damarri Mathis, whom the Broncos drafted in the fourth round this year, for that spot. A number of veteran free agents could still “wind up on GM George Paton’s radar,” Klis notes, however.
- To no surprise, running back Javonte Williams is expected to “bump up to the 1A role” in 2022. In his rookie season, the North Carolina alum produced over 1,200 scrimmage yards despite splitting carries with Melvin Gordon, who signed a one-year deal to stay in Denver. Given his the former’s efficiency, and the seven-year age gap between the two, Williams is the logical candidate to assume a larger workload going forward.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/21
Here is how teams finalized their Week 14 rosters:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: TE Hayden Hurst
- Promoted: RB Qadree Ollison, S Shawn Williams
- Waived: RB Wayne Gallman
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson, T David Sharpe
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: G Jon Feliciano
- Promoted: DE Eli Ankou, DT Brandin Bryant, LB Joe Giles-Harris
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: T Cameron Erving
- Promoted: RB Reggie Bonnafon, LB Frankie Luvu, OL Patrick Omameh
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: LB Charles Snowden
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Austin Calitro, LB Keandre Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from IR: LB Jacob Phillips
- Promoted: DB Herb Miller, DB Jovante Moffatt, WR JoJo Natson
- Waived: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: TE Ian Bunting, RB JaQuan Hardy, S Darian Thompson
- Waived: DT Justin Hamilton
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Micah Kiser, CB Michael Ojemudia
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Mark Gilbert, CB Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Promoted: CB Corey Ballentine, LB Curtis Bolton, DE Bruce Hector, CB Parnell Motley, RB Craig Reynolds, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, RB Rodney Smith, TE Shane Zylstra
Houston Texans
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, WR Phillip Dorsett, DL Chris Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DB Dicaprio Bootle, DB Josh Jackson
- Placed on IR: DB Chris Lammons
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: LB Kyler Fackrell
- Promoted: DB Ben DeLuca, LB Emeke Egbule, WR Jason Moore
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Salvon Ahmed
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
- Promoted: G James Carpenter, LB Chase Hansen, WR Kevin White, WR Easop Winston, TE Ethan Wolf
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper, DB Jarren Williams
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: CB Brandin Echols
- Promoted: DE Ronald Blair, TE Dan Brown, WR D.J. Montgomery, WR Vyncint Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: RB Trenton Cannon, CB Emmanuel Moseley
- Promoted: WR River Cracraft, RB Brian Hill, CB Saivion Smith, S Jarrod Wilson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Edmond Robinson
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: S Dane Cruikshank, WR Racey McMath
- Placed on IR: TE Tommy Hudson; this is Hudson’s second IR trip, ending his season
- Promoted: WR Cody Hollister, DL Kevin Strong
- Waived: S Brady Breeze
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Darryl Roberts, DE James Smith-Williams
- Placed on IR: G Wes Schweitzer
- Promoted: DE William Bradley-King, LB De’Jon Harris, S Jeremy Reaves, C Jon Toth
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/21
We’ll keep track of today’s stream of minor moves right here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: LB Tanner Vallejo
- Promoted: LS Beau Brinkley, RB Tavien Feaster, LB Joe Walker, LB Tahir Whitehead
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: OLB Pernell McPhee
- Activated from IR: G Ben Cleveland
- Promoted: G/DT Khalil McKenzie, QB Trace McSorley, LB Joe Thomas
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: G John Miller
- Placed on IR: CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: S Deon Bush
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Coulter, OLB Ledarius Mack
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: TE Mason Schreck
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Lawrence Cager, DE Porter Gustin, CB Herb Miller
- Waived: RB John Kelly
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: CB Kyron Brown, CB Deante Burton
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Drew Lock
- Activated from IR: CB Michael Ojemudia, LB Justin Strnad
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: WR Tom Kennedy, OL Tommy Kraemer, K Aldrick Rosas
- Waived: DL Kevin Strong
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: La’Darius Hamilton, WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DB Terrence Brooks
- Placed on IR: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Promoted: DL Derek Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Jahleel Addae
- Waived: CB Anthony Chesley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR John Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: TE Daniel Brown
- Promoted: WR Daurice Fountain
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Roderic Teamer
- Placed on IR: FB Alec Ingold (story)
- Promoted: FB Sutton Smith
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DL Andrew Brown, DL Forrest Merrill, CB Kiondre Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: RB Duke Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DB Myles Dorn
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from IR: RB Tony Jones Jr.
- Waived: CB Ken Crawley, WR Kevin White
- Promoted: T Caleb Benenoch, DT Josiah Bronson, OL Will Clapp, CB KeiVarae Russell
- Placed on IR: DT Malcolm Roach
New York Jets
- Promoted: FB Nick Bawden, DE Ronald Blair
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on IR: OL Jack Anderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DL Daniel Archibong, LB Delontae Scott
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: CB Gavin Heslop
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from IR: TE Tommy Hudson
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: OL Marcus Henry
- Signed: DT Zach Kerr
- Promoted: G Danny Isidora, LB Joe Walker
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: P Cam Nizialek, LB Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
- Signed to active roster: CB Chris Williamson
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jake Kumerow
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: QB Josh Love
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): LB Clay Johnston
- Placed on IR: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, S Brandon Wilson
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Nick Chubb, RB Demetric Felton
- Signed to active roster: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, DT Sheldon Day
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Greg Zuerlein
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: G Austin Schlottmann
- Placed on IR: G Graham Glasgow
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Netane Muti
- Waived: WR David Moore, TE Caleb Wilson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Ojemudia, LB Justin Strnad
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: S Jalen Elliott
- Designated for return: QB Tim Boyle
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): RB Royce Freeman
- Placed on IR: RB Scottie Phillips
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: CB T.J. Carrie
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
- Designated for return: OL Kyle Long
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: WR Jacob Harris
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Activated off PUP: QB Jarrett Stidham
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Chase Hansen
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Sam Beal
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: TE Tyler Kroft, S Marcus Maye (story)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Denzel Mims
- Signed (off Eagles practice squad): S Elijah Riley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Mac McCain
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: CB Breon Borders, CB Nate Brooks
Washington Football Team
- Signed: K Joey Slye
- Waived: K Chris Blewitt
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Saahdiq Charles
Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves will be noted below.
Here are Wednesday’s AFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Denver Broncos
Signed:
- OT Cameron Fleming, DL Shamar Stephen
Waived:
Placed on IR:
- RB Mike Boone, CB Michael Ojemudia
Signed to practice squad:
- OT Quinn Bailey, TE Shaun Beyer, WR Tyrie Cleveland, RB Damarea Crockett, CB Nate Hairston, OT Drew Himmelman, WR Kendall Hinton, CB Mac McCain III, LB Curtis Robinson, QB Brett Rypien, OL Austin Schlottmann, DL Marquiss Spencer, LB Barrington Wade, WR Seth Williams
Kansas City Chiefs
Signed:
- WR Marcus Kemp
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list:
- S Tyrann Mathieu; Mathieu tested positive for COVID-19
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Claimed:
- DL Eric Banks (from Rams), DB Trey Marshall (from Broncos)
Waived:
- CB Brandon Facyson, DL Forrest Merrill
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Michael Bandy, RB Darius Bradwell, LB Cole Christiansen, DB Ben DeLuca, OLB Emeke Egbule, DL Breiden Fehoko, DL Joe Gaziano, G Nate Gilliam, G Ryan Hunter, TE Hunter Kampmoyer, WR Jason Moore Jr., WR Joe Reed
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/22/20
Here are the latest draft pick signings. With rookies set to report to teams’ training camps this week, teams are busy on this front.
- The Vikings were the busiest team in the draft, making 15 picks this year. They have been active signing them Wednesday. Beyond first-rounder Justin Jefferson, Minnesota has agreed to terms with second-round tackle Ezra Cleveland, fourth-round linebacker Troy Dye, fourth-round defensive tackle James Lynch and seventh-round offensive lineman Kyle Hinton. Cleveland, rumored as a possible late-first-round selection, will be groomed to become a near-future starter for the Vikings.
- The Broncos began signing some of their picks, most notably getting third-rounders Michael Ojemudia and McTelvin Agim under contract. A cornerback, Ojemudia is set to compete for a starting job opposite A.J. Bouye; Agim profiles as D-line depth behind established starters this season. Denver also signed fourth-round tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, a Mizzou alum set to rejoin his former quarterback (Drew Lock) in the Mile High City. The Broncos also reached an agreement with seventh-round outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka.
- Despite having T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree under contract, the Steelers used a third-round pick on outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. The Charlotte alum agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal. Highsmith recorded 15 sacks at the mid-major program last season.
- Packers third-round pick Josiah Deguara also agreed on his four-year rookie contract. Green Bay eschewed its wide receiver need throughout the draft, using Day 2 to add a running back (A.J. Dillon) and Deguara, who profiles as a tight end/fullback. The Cincinnati product surpassed 900 yards between his final two college seasons, totaling 12 touchdown grabs in that span.
- Tennessee third-round running back Darrynton Evans signed his rookie deal as well. Evans looks set to replace Dion Lewis as the Titans‘ Derrick Henry change-of-pace back. The Appalachian State alum rushed for 1,480 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He added five receiving TDs.
- The Giants used first- and third-round picks on tackles. The latter selection, UConn’s Matt Peart, agreed to the terms of his rookie deal Wednesday. Peart profiles as a developmental lineman, working behind expected starters Nate Solder and Andrew Thomas. He stands to join Cameron Fleming as depth for Big Blue.
- Washington has agreed to terms with third-round running back/wideout Antonio Gibson, fourth-round receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden and fifth-round center Keith Ismael. Gibson and Gandy-Golden figure to be key parts of a Washington offense that is limited, beyond Terry McLaurin, in the passing game. Gibson totaled 1,104 yards from scrimmage at Memphis last season, while Gandy-Golden caught 20 touchdown passes in two years at Liberty.
- Fourth-round Cowboys pick Reggie Robinson agreed to terms as well. The Tulsa cornerback joins a Cowboys team that lost Byron Jones in free agency. Dallas was active in an effort to replace the Pro Bowler, drafting Trevon Diggs in Round 2 and signing Daryl Worley.
- Sixth-round Chargers safety Alohi Gilman, a Notre Dame alum, signed his Chargers contract Wednesday. Gillman joins a deep Bolts safety corps.
- The Buccaneers drafted two running backs this year. On Wednesday, they agreed to terms with the second of those picks — seventh-rounder Raymond Calais. In addition to his work as a running back at Louisiana, Calais was a four-year kick returner for the Rajin’ Cajuns.
