The Denver Broncos made a roster move ahead of their Week 4 trip to face the San Francisco 49ers, promoting fullback Adam Prentice to the active roster and clearing space by parting with veteran wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
According to The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson, Prentice is now on the 53-man roster. Humphrey, a vested veteran, was released rather than waived, which means he can sign with any team or return to the Broncos' practice squad.
Denver has leaned heavily on the practice squad elevation system, and Prentice had already been elevated for all three games so far. That route came with a catch: once a player reaches the three-elevation limit, the Broncos have to either move him onto the active roster or cut him loose. Prentice hit that limit, so the team had to make a call.
The move also says plenty about how Denver views Prentice. Even with limited snaps - six, eight and four in the three games he was elevated - the Broncos see him as an important piece of the offense. If they want any traction in the run game, he looks like a player they want available.
That likely means more chances for Bo Nix to line up under center, which would let Prentice do what he does best: lead block in the I or offset-I formation for J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.
So far, game flow has worked against him. The Broncos have trailed in the second half of the past two games, forcing them into a pass-heavy approach that leaves the fullback on the sideline.
There were still moments where Prentice could have been used more. In the preseason and again near the goal line, Denver had chances to lean on him, including a play where Nix kept it himself and stretched across the line for a one-yard touchdown rather than handing to Prentice on a fullback dive.
Prentice has done his part when called on, and the Broncos appear to believe he can bring more than just blocking to the table. For now, the hope is that Denver gets back to running the ball earlier in games, because that would put him on the field more often as a lead blocker.
The move also opened up some flexibility elsewhere. With Prentice and long snapper Mitchell Fraboni now on the 53-man roster, the Broncos can use game-day elevations on other players, including returner Kolbe Katsis. And maybe, down the line, rookie linebacker Red Murdock could get a look as well.
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