Tag: offensive tackle

Alex Palczewski is the next man up for Broncos at right tackle

“We feel really strong about ‘Palcho’ and we’re moving forward,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said.

After losing Mike McGlinchey to an MCL injury for at least the next four games, the Denver Broncos are turning to Alex Palczewski as the next man up at right tackle.

“‘Palcho’ will take those snaps,” Broncos coach Sean Payton confirmed after Wednesday’s practice.

Palczewski (6-6, 314 pounds) signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois last year. After suffering a hand injury last summer, Palczewski spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve. He was activated for the team’s season finale but did not play in the game.

“It’s part of our league,” Payton said of losing McGlinchey. “Certainly Mike is a veteran. ‘Palcho’ is one of those guys that he’s been competing. We’ll be smart relative to what we’re doing protection wise, but he’s played in a lot of football games. I know he’ll be excited about his first start.”

Palczewski spent six years at Illinois, playing in 64 games. He won the backup right tackle job this summer and he made his NFL debut last week, playing the final two snaps of the game after McGlinchey went down with a knee injury.

“Yeah, that’s going to affect us, but it’s next man up and we feel really strong about ‘Palcho’ and we’re moving forward,” quarterback Bo Nix said Wednesday when asked about losing McGlinchey.

Palczewski is poised to make his first NFL start when Denver goes on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.

“Obviously, it’s a new guy and we have to make sure he’s hearing the calls and make sure that you bring him up to speed as best as you can and help him out and not leave him out to dry,” Nix said. “I think, especially ‘Palcho’ with his experience, he’ll do a really good job of keeping that o-line going and continue that trajectory of it going.”

Matt Peart and Frank Crum will serve as the team’s backup tackles behind Garett Bolles and Palczewski on Sunday.

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Broncos place RT Mike McGlinchey on injured reserve

The Broncos have placed right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least four games.

The Denver Broncos have placed right tackle Mike McGlinchey (MCL) on injured reserve, ruling him out for at least the next four games.

The earliest McGlinchey would be eligible to return would be a Week 7 road game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in mid-October.

Before that TNF matchup, the Broncos will have back-to-back road games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets followed by consecutive home games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.

Denver coach Sean Payton said after Wednesday’s practice that Alex Palczewski will be the next man up at right tackle. Palczewski spent his rookie season on injured reserve last fall. The Broncos might also consider signing a free agent, but at the time of publication, no outside tackles have been added to the mix.

McGlinchey, 29, signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with Denver last year. He started 16 games at right tackle in 2023.

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5 offensive tackles Broncos could sign to replace Mike McGlinchey

After losing Mike McGlinchey to an MCL injury, the Broncos should consider these free agent offensive tackles.

After losing right tackle Mike McGlinchey for “about a month” to a sprained MCL, the Denver Broncos must now find a replacement.

Matt Peart might be the in-house favorite to start while McGlinchey is sidelined, but the Broncos would be wise to at least bring in more depth at the position. Alex Palczewski filled in for McGlinchey for two snaps on Sunday, but those were the first two snaps of his career, and rookie Frank Crum was inactive for each of the team’s first two games this season.

Here’s a quick list of five outside players Denver could consider bringing in for workouts this week.

Free agent offensive tackles

1. Billy Turner: The 32-year-old vet had two previous stints with the Broncos and has experience at both tackle and guard.

2. Cam Fleming: Another ex-Denver tackle, the 32-year-old Fleming filled in for one game in 2023 and started 15 games in 2022.

3. D.J. Humphries: A 30-year-old former first-round pick who started 98 games for the Arizona Cardinals from 2016-2023, including 16 games last season.

4. Donovan Smith: He started 12 games for the Kansas City Chiefs last season. The 31-year-old former second-round pick won Super Bowls with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chiefs.

5. David Bakhtiari: The decorated 32-year-old veteran has struggled with injuries, playing just one game last season and one game in 2021. He was healthy for 11 games in 2022. If healthy, Bakhtiari would be an intriguing option for the Broncos.

Denver will likely bring in tackles for tryouts in the coming days. If McGlinchey is placed on injured reserve, that would free up a roster spot for a potential signing this week.

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Report: Broncos OT Mike McGlinchey out ‘about a month’ with MCL sprain

The Broncos will be without right tackle Mike McGlinchey for the next month, according to a report from NFL Network.

Denver Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey is expected to miss “about a month” after spraining his MCL during a 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Garafolo noted that evaluations are ongoing so the timeline “is somewhat fluid,” but the sprain is “significant,” so McGlinchey will miss time. If the Broncos believe the tackle is set to miss a month, they could place him on injured reserve to save a spot on the active roster. Players on IR are eligible to return after four games.

McGlinchey, 29, signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with Denver in 2023. He started 16 games last fall and the first two games of this season before suffering the MCL injury.

After previously losing top backup swing guard/tackle Quinn Bailey to a season-ending ankle injury, the top remaining backup tackle on the depth chart is Matt Peart, although it was Alex Palczewski who filled in for two snaps on Sunday. The Broncos also have and Frank Crum on the active roster and Will Sherman on the practice squad.

Denver wanted to re-sign Demontrey Jacobs to the practice squad in August, but he was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots after roster cuts.

The list of free agent offensive tackles available includes Cam Fleming, David Bakhtiari, Jason Peters and ex-Bronco Billy Turner. For now, Peart is probably the next man up in Denver.

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Broncos vs. Steelers injury report: Russell Wilson questionable for Week 2

Steelers QB Russell Wilson (calf) is questionable for Sunday’s game. Broncos WR Devaughn Vele (ribs) has been ruled out.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (ribs) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Elsewhere eon the injury front, left tackle Garett Bolles (calf), receiver Josh Reynolds (Achilles) and center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) have been cleared to play.

As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) is listed as questionable for Week 2.

“If his availability is questionable, then starting is less so,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Wilson. If Wilson does not play on Sunday, Justin Fields will start against the Broncos.

Denver’s final injury report can be seen below. DNP = did not participate.

Broncos vs. Steelers injury report

Player Injury Wed Thur Fri Game Status
WR Devaughn Vele Ribs DNP DNP DNP Out
OT Garett Bolles Calf DNP Limited Full
WR Josh Reynolds Achilles DNP Limited Full
C Luke Wattenberg Ankle DNP Limited Full
OLB Jonah Elliss Knee Limited Full Full

The Broncos also placed running back Audric Estime (ankle) on injured reserve earlier this week, ruling him out for at least four games.

Denver’s game against the Steelers will be regionally televised on CBS. The Broncos are considered betting underdogs despite playing at home.

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Broncos vs. Steelers injury report: Garett Bolles and Russell Wilson limited

Broncos LT Garett Bolles (calf) and Steelers QB Russell Wilson (calf) were both limited at their respective Thursday practices.

The Denver Broncos had three players return to practice on Thursday, including left tackle Garett Bolles (calf).

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (Achilles) and center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) were also back on the field Thursday, but receiver Devaughn Vele (ribs) remained sidelined. After practice, Bolles indicated he’ll be ready to roll on Sunday.

As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) was limited again on Thursday. After practice, Wilson said he wants to play but knows he has to be smart with his injury.

Denver’s complete Thursday injury report can be seen below. DNP = did not participate.

Broncos Thursday injury report

Player Injury Wed Thur Fri Game Status
OT Garett Bolles Calf DNP Limited
WR Josh Reynolds Achilles DNP Limited
WR Devaughn Vele Ribs DNP DNP
C Luke Wattenberg Ankle DNP Limited
OLB Jonah Elliss Knee Limited Full

Note that running back Audric Estime (ankle) does not appear on the injury report because he was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

The Broncos will release a final injury report with game statuses after Friday’s practice.

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Broncos injury report: Garett Bolles did not practice Wednesday

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (calf) was among four players who did not practice Wednesday.

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles did not practice Wednesday after suffering what the team initially described as an ankle injury in Week 1. Bolles is now listed on the injury report with a calf injury.

Bolles left Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Matt Peart. Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday that Bolles suffered a “contusion,” but X-Rays and MRIs came back negative.

Bolles, 32, started all 17 games last season for the Broncos, but he missed 12 games in 2022, three games in 2021 and one game in 2020. Now in his eighth year in the NFL, Bolles is in the final year of his contract. DNP = did not participate.

Denver’s complete Wednesday injury report can be seen below.

Broncos Wednesday injury report

Player Injury Wed Thur Fri Game Status
OT Garett Bolles Calf DNP
WR Josh Reynolds Achilles DNP
WR Devaughn Vele Ribs DNP
C Luke Wattenberg Ankle DNP
OLB Jonah Elliss Knee Limited

Note that running back Audric Estime (ankle) does not appear on the injury report because he was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

The Broncos are scheduled to practice again on Thursday and Friday. After Friday’s practice, Denver will release a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Taliese Fuaga ranks as the second best rookie after Week 1

Taliese Fuaga followed up on offseason hype with a strong Saints debut. He ranks inside the top-five from B/R’s rookie rankings:

The 2024 NFL draft was headlined by the surplus of quarterbacks drafted in the front half of the first round. After the first week, it isn’t the quarterbacks making at the top of Bleacher Report’s rankings. Instead, it’s primarily players on the offensive and defensive line.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga comes in at second only to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Fuaga wasn’t able to punch in two touchdowns, but it was still quite the debut.

It’s hard to craft a better debut than Fuaga had on Sunday. Erik McCoy has spent the offseason accelerating the hype train. After the game, McCoy should thank the rookie for making him look like a genius.

You’ll see a litany of clips on social media of Fuaga from his debut. His transition to the Saints scheme was expected to be smooth because of his experience in a wide zone system in college.

Fuaga comfortably sealed off defenders and climbed to the second level as the backside blocker. Fuaga is credited with 94% pass block win rate was good for 15th among all tackles. There is no rookie even close. He’ll have a much taller task in Week 2.

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Broncos injuries: Sean Payton expects Garett Bolles to be ‘fine’

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Garett Bolles, who bruised his ankle in Seattle.

Story update: MRI and X-Rays came back negative for Bolles, coach Sean Payton said Monday. See our original post below. 

Denver Broncos offensive lineman Garett Bolles left Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half with an ankle injury and he was replaced at left tackle by Matt Peart.

After the game, Broncos coach Sean Payton downplayed the injury.

“Yeah, I think he’s going to be fine,” Payton said. “He had an MRI. I think the evaluation was fine. I think he’s got a bruise.”

That’s certainly good news for Denver’s offense because Bolles is the team’s best tackle. We should know more about Bolles’ status after Wednesday’s injury report is released.

Bolles became the sixth offensive tackle in franchise history to reach 100 career starts on Sunday, joining Ken Lanier (165), Matt Lepsis (133), Dave Studdard (124), Claudie Minor (123) and Mike Current (107).

Now in his seventh season, Bolles (32) is entering the final year of his contract with a $15.75 million salary. If the Broncos do not give him an extension, Bolles will become a free agent next spring.

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Broncos host 4 players for tryouts, including a cornerback

The Broncos brought in three offensive tackles and cornerback Micah Abraham for tryouts on Tuesday.

After bringing in 10 players for workouts on Monday, the Denver Broncos had another round of tryouts on Tuesday.

Cornerback Micah Abraham had a “strong workout” with the Broncos this morning, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson. Denver has not signed Abraham, though, and he’s now set to visit the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

Abraham (5-10, 185 pounds) was picked by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Marshall. He made a good impression against the Broncos in Week 2 of preseason with a team-high six tackles and one forced fumble that he recovered and returned 45 yards for a score.

https://twitter.com/CodyTalksNFL/status/1823138742166507843

Denver also worked out three offensive tackles, according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel: Tyler Beach, Anim Dankwah and Matt Nelson. Of those tackles, Nelson is the most notable. He spent four years with the Detroit Lions and has made 14 starts in his career.

The Broncos’ 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad are both full, so if any new players are signed, Denver will need to make room for them.

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