Tag: center

Broncos have a big decision to make after activating Luke Wattenberg

After activating Luke Wattenberg from injured reserve, the Broncos have to decide between starting him or Alex Forsyth at center.

After spending the last four games on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg was activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday, the team announced.

Denver had room for Wattenberg on the active roster after trading outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week.

Broncos coach Sean Payton now has to make a tough decision for the starting lineup ahead of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wattenberg started the first five games of the year and Alex Forsyth started the last four games while Wattenberg was sidelined. Denver will have to decide between going back to the original starter or sticking with the center who has played well in his absence.

Perhaps helping Forsyth’s case is the fact that he played with quarterback Bo Nix at Oregon.

“Alex was right there with the center battle during training camp, and obviously he and Bo have a good relationship,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said on Oct. 10. “That’s always important with centers and quarterbacks.”

Wattenberg is a former fifth-round draft pick who has one year remaining on his contract. Forysth was picked by the Broncos in the seventh round of last year’s draft and he has two years left on his deal.

We probably won’t get an answer on who Denver plans to start until the first snap on Sunday.

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Broncos vs. Chiefs: 5 things to watch for on Sunday

Here are five things to watch for when the Chiefs host the Broncos on Sunday.

After facing the Baltimore Ravens on the road last week, the Denver Broncos are now set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on the road this week.

The Broncos lost to the Ravens 41-10 and coach Sean Payton must now attempt to stop the bleeding before going up against a division rival.

“Listen there’s a little bit of UFC to our league,” Payton said this week.
“You’ve got to be able to, each week, I don’t care who you’re playing, if you’re not careful you can catch one on the chin. You’ve got to get back up and you’ve got to get back to work.

“That gets back to that mental toughness, the grit, all the things that we’re looking for. Not only in our players, but our coaches and everyone. You get excited to play the next game to hopefully get the taste out of your mouth.”

With the team looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat in Baltimore, here are five storylines to watch for ahead of the Denver vs. KC matchup.

1. Weekend roster moves: The Broncos have seven players set to return to the 53-man roster in the coming weeks, and they’ll have to make some cuts to make room for the returning plays. Denver has one open spot on the active roster after trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals, but the team will probably need to create at least one more opening this weekend. Center Luke Wattenberg and linebacker Kwon Alexander seem to be likely candidates to get activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday.

2. Denver’s center decision: With Wattenberg expected to return, the Broncos will need to make a decision at center. Wattenberg started the first five games of the season before landing on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Alex Forsyth started the last four games while Wattenberg was on IR. Will the team now stick with Forysth or go back to Wattenberg?

3. Broncos backfield rotation: The Chiefs allow just 83.9 rushing yards per game, third-fewest in the NFL this season. That will be a tough test for starter Javonte Williams and change-of-pace back Jaleel McLaughlin. Payton also hinted this week that rookie Audric Estime could be more involved in the second half of the season.

4. Pat Surtain vs. DeAndre Hopkins: It didn’t take long for “Nuk” to get on the same page with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his second game after being acquired from the Tennessee Titans via trade, Hopkins hauled in eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9. Hopkins is still a formidable receiver, especially in the red zone. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Surtain follow Hopkins on Sunday.

5. Bo Nix connecting on deep throws: Despite playing with Troy Franklin in college, Nix has struggled to connect on deep throws to Franklin this season. Facing a Chiefs secondary that ranks near the middle of the pack, Nix will undoubtedly aim to get on the same page with Franklin this week. Going up a stingy run defense, Nix will need to step up for Denver’s offense to have success on the road.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, KC is considered a heavy favorite against the Broncos.

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Broncos will have to make a tough decision at center soon

Alex Forsyth started the last four games with Luke Wattenberg on injured reserve. With Wattenberg now returning from IR, who should start?

The Denver Broncos will soon have to make a tough decision at center.

After spending the last four weeks on injured reserve with an ankle injury, center Luke Wattenberg returned to practice on Wednesday. He now has a 21-day window to return to the active roster.

Wattenberg started the team’s first five games of the season. Pro Football Focus gave him a 71.3 pass-blocking grade, a 53.1 run-blocking grade and a 58.0 overall grade in those five games. Wattenberg was penalized once and was not credited with allowing any sacks from Weeks 1-5.

After Wattenberg went down, the Broncos turned to second-year center Alex Forsyth, who played with quarterback Bo Nix at Oregon. Forsyth started the last four games while Wattenberg was on IR.

“You never like for your guys to get hurt,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said on Oct. 10. “We have a lot of confidence in the guys that are filling in. Alex was right there with the center battle during training camp, and obviously he and Bo have a good relationship. That’s always important with centers and quarterbacks.”

By PFF’s estimation, Forysth has played better than Wattenberg. Forysth has a 58.7 pass-blocking grade, a 68.9 run-blocking grade and an overall grade of 67.5 this season. Forysth has not been penalized, but PFF credits him with allowing two sacks.

So, what will Denver do when Wattenberg returns to the active roster, perhaps as early as this weekend? Do they go back to their Week 1 starter, or stick with the center who now has four starts under his belt and previous experience with Nix?

It will be a tough decision for coach Sean Payton and Co. to make. Payton rarely reveals lineup decisions, so we probably won’t get an answer until the first snap on Sunday.

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Steelers-Commanders matchups to watch: Tyler Biadasz vs Cam Heyward

With the Steelers’ Week 10 game growing ever closer, one key matchup to look out for will be C Tyler Biadasz vs. DT Cam Heyward.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough matchup ahead in their Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders. One of the key matchups that could decide the contest will be between Commanders center Tyler Biadasz and Steelers DT Cameron Heyward.

Heyward has been turning back the hands of father time in 2024, putting together one of his best seasons to date at 35-years old. He currently has 29 total pressures, seven QB hits, and five sacks through eight games in the 2024 season.

Biadasz is perhaps the Commanders’ most underrated offensive player, as  Washington’s center has allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits, and six pressures on 333 passing plays. Averaging one pressure per 55.5 passing downs is an impressive stat, and Heyward will have his work cut out for him on Sunday.

Can Heyward carry his team to their seventh victory in 2024, or will Biadasz stop their momentum in its tracks? Steelers fans‘ eyes will be glued to this battle in the trenches and can watch the action unfold on November 10th at 1:00 PM EST.

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Broncos sign guard/center to 53-man roster ahead of Ravens game

After using up his practice squad elevations, the Broncos fully promoted offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton to the 53-man roster.

The Denver Broncos promoted guard/center Calvin Throckmorton from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Friday, the team announced.

After losing center Luke Wattenberg to an ankle injury, the Broncos elevated Throckmorton from the practice squad to the game-day roster for each of their last three games, which is the maximum number of elevations a player can have in a single season.

With Wattenberg still one week away from being eligible to return from injured reserve, Denver has fully promoted Throckmorton to the active roster so he can serve as the team’s backup center against the Baltimore Ravens behind fill-in starter Alex Forsyth.

Once Wattenberg returns to the active roster (perhaps as early as next week), Throckmorton might be a candidate to get bumped back down to the practice squad.

To make room for Throckmorton on the 53-man roster, the Broncos released veteran fullback Michael Burton on Friday. Burton is expected to re-join the team on the practice squad on Saturday.

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Raiders rookie gets first start at center Week 9 vs Bengals

With Andre James OUT with a knee injury, rookie second round pick and Rimington Award winner Jackson Powers-Johnson will make it first start at center.

When the Raiders take the field Sunday in Cincinnati, they will have a new starting center. Regular center Andre James has been ruled OUT with an ankle injury, which means Jackson Powers-Johnson will be moving over from left guard to center.

“We’ve had Jackson there the last couple days we’ll leave him there and let guys kind of stay put,” Pierce said of the center position. “We’ve been shuffling the Oline quite a bit now due to injuries, so we do the best we can to keep some continuity there and let the guys that’s practiced throughout the week play where they’ve been practicing.”

Powers-Johnson was selected by the Raiders with the 44th overall pick in the second round of this year’s draft out of Oregon.

This past season for the Ducks, JPJ won the Rimington Award as the nation’s top center. But the Raiders needed him to play guard initially, being that they had James in place at center.

Currently the Raiders have several linemen with center experience, including the two linemen who could be starting at each guard spot on Sunday — Cody Whitehair and Dylan Parham. However, Whitehair’s days at center are long past, and the bulk of Parham’s experience is at guard.

JPJ stepped in at center for the final 16 snaps in last Sunday’s game against the Chiefs when James sustained the ankle injury and the team is sticking with him at least for this week and perhaps longer, depending on James’s injury recovery timeline and how well JPJ holds his own at the position.

49ers sign center who was recently cut by Broncos

After being cut by the Broncos over the weekend, center Dieter Eiselen joined the 49ers’ practice squad.

Dieter Eiselen has quickly landed on his feet after being let go by the Denver Broncos.

Eiselen (6-4, 315 pounds) was cut from Denver’s practice squad on Saturday. Four days later, he has joined the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The Broncos signed Eiselen on Oct. 8 after losing starting center Luke Wattenberg to an ankle injury. Before his brief stint in Denver, Eiselen spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears and one year with the Houston Texans. He’ll now get a fresh start with the Niners.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have just one true center —
Alex Forsyth — on the active roster. Superstar guard Quinn Meinerz is also capable of playing at center and Denver has Calvin Throckmorton and Nick Gargiulo available on the practice squad.

Elsewhere on the NFL’s transaction wire on Wednesday, ex-Broncos wide receiver Kaden Davis worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ex-Denver defensive back Lamar Jackson worked out for the Seattle Seahawks and ex-Broncos linebacker Justin Hollins worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Broncos cut offensive lineman from practice squad

The Broncos cut center Dieter Eiselen from the practice squad on Saturday.

The Denver Broncos released center Dieter Eiselen from their practice squad on Saturday, the team announced.

Eiselen (6-4, 300 pounds) just signed with the club last week after the team lost starting center Luke Wattenberg to an ankle injury. Denver still has Calvin Throckmorton and Nick Gargiulo providing depth from the practice squad as swing guard/center backups.

The Broncos cut Eiselen to make room for running back Blake Watson on the practice squad. Denver cut Watson from the active roster on Thursday and he returned on the practice squad after clearing waivers.

The Broncos currently have one true center (Alex Forsyth) and three running backs (Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime) on the 53-man roster. Wattenberg (center) and Tyler Badie (running back) will be eligible to return from IR later this season.

In the meantime, Throckmorton and Gargiulo will provide depth at center and Watson will provide running back from the practice squad.

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Did the center-QB snap exchange issues get Justin Fields benched?

Is Justin Fields’ benching the result of the perfect storm that is Zach Frazier’s injury, and the young QB’s botched snap exchanges?

Steelers fans, including myself, are still reeling in confusion after head coach Mike Tomlin all but directly stated that Russell Wilson would be the starting quarterback in Week 7. While this information is being confirmed through practice reps, it doesn’t provide fans of the 4-2 Justin Fields any sense of clarity. 

There are some rumors and conspiracy theories, such as the Steelers wanting to avoid giving the Bears a conditional fourth-round pick, Justin Fields being available for trade before the deadline, or even issues that haunted the young QB earlier in the season: fumbles on the center-quarterback exchange. 


Fields has been on the receiving end of some seriously botched snaps, some caused by the center, but most by the quarterback. With C Zach Frazier OUT due to injury and a new, unproven center taking his place, Wilson, who has 188 career games of experience under center, seems like the responsible option in terms of ball security, rather than a quarterback with proven snap-handling issues. 

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Center Ryan McCollum showcases resilience in buildup to Week 7

C Ryan McCollum proves why everyone should follow their dreams, and to continue to work hard to make all things possible.

While losing dominant rookie center Zach Frazier to injury in Week 6 was far from ideal, the wise words of the next-man-up, center Ryan McCollum, surely instill confidence in both Steelers fans and the organization alike.

McCollum has played in 19 career games after going undrafted in 2021. His lone start came during his rookie year with the Detroit Lions, and he has bounced on and off the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad since. However, now set for his second career start in relief of Frazier, McCollum has never let the hard times and uncertainty this game brings get him down.

This is exactly the type of attitude you want out a backup who is looking to make the most of his opportunity.  While the Steelers offensive line is extremely banged up, losing 3 starters to injury so far in 2024, the team appears to be in capable hands with McCollum looking to spearhead the Pittsburgh rushing attack.  The Steelers will lean on his efforts and the offense overall, as the team faces a stout New York Jets’ defense in Week 7.

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