The Broncos are keeping their Week 2 roster plan tight, but they still made the expected pair of practice-squad elevations for Sunday’s home opener against the Jaguars.
Denver promoted fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni on Saturday, bringing both up to the active roster ahead of the matchup at Empower Field at Mile High. It’s the second straight week the two have been called on, after both appeared in Monday’s loss to the Chiefs.
Prentice logged 25 total snaps in that game, with six on offense and 19 on special teams. Fraboni was on the field for nine snaps.
Prentice didn’t touch the ball against Kansas City - no carries, no targets - but he still filled the role Denver wants from him: lead blocker in front of the run game. The Broncos’ backs, J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, combined for 54 rushing yards on 11 carries.
That usage fits with how Sean Payton wants this offense built. The Broncos remain one of the NFL’s few teams still leaning on a traditional fullback, and Payton laid out the thinking Friday.
"As long as you know what you’re wanting to do, there are some oddball personnel groupings we’ll get in even on third down, maybe to reduce the menu of defenses you might see," head coach Sean Payton explained Friday. "All of that works on third down, 2-3, 4-6 [yards].
The minute you get north of where you want to be, then it becomes a little bit more challenging. On first and second down, yes, it’s still that commitment to a balanced run game, play-action passing game.
Then are you facing an over front, an under front? These guys will play in base, they’ll play under, they’ll play over and they’ll mix the personnel too.
So it’s really putting your gameplan together, ‘A’, based on your people and then also what they’re doing.”
With Prentice and Fraboni up again, Denver looks set to keep that part of the offense intact for a game that figures to ask plenty of both teams. The Jaguars come to Denver for an early-season AFC matchup, and the Broncos should have the same kind of workload for the two elevations as they did a week ago.
The bigger roster note is what Denver did not do. Marvin Mims has been ruled out with a foot injury, but the Broncos only made those two elevations, which suggests they feel good about handling the return game with the players already on the 53-man roster.
Kris Abrams-Draine is expected to take Mims’ spot, while Harvey and rookie RB Jonah Coleman could handle kick-return duties again after doing it in Week 1. Some thought Denver might bring up wideouts Michael Bandy or Kolbe Katsis to help cover for Mims, but the team appears ready to solve it with internal options.
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said Friday the Broncos have more flexibility this year, and that’s been the point all along.
"Adjust, adapt and improvise," special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi told reporters on Friday. "Our phase always has the most moving parts as you guys know with injuries and whatnot.
So I think we talked about a little bit about this in training camp, having a lot of options. I felt like last year we had limited options in the return game specifically.
I thought we’ve done a great job overhauling that part of the roster this year with some more options. So the conversations are who’s going.
Every week, ‘Who are the two guys back on kick return? Who’s going to be the punt returner?’
Last year there wasn’t a lot of guys in that conversation. I think this year, having more options there is a big deal.
There are always going to be moving parts with injuries and whatnot, and that’s our job to make sure that obviously we handle that part.”
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Broncos Facing Early Pressure After Brutal Week 2 Forecast
The Broncos opened the season with a rough offensive showing in a Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, and that slow start has already put a little extra weight on what comes next. Around the league, Denvers follow-up matchup against Jacksonville is being treated as an important early test, especially with the Jaguars coming off a convincing win over Cleveland.
ESPN analyst Pamela Maldonado is among those expecting the Broncos to come up short again, which would leave Denver staring at 0-2 before September is even fully underway. For a team trying to build momentum and avoid digging too deep a hole early, the matchup now carries more than just one games worth of pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face A Risky Special Teams Test With Marvin Mims Out
Marvin Mims foot injury leaves the Broncos heading into their matchup with Jacksonville with a familiar special-teams puzzle to solve. Mims has been central to Denvers return game, and his absence opens the door for a different look in both punt and kick return roles, with reserve cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine expected to step in on punts.
On kick returns, the Broncos may lean on running backs RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, though Harveys hamstring issue adds another layer of uncertainty. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said the unit has to be ready to adjust when injuries hit, and this week could be a test of how much depth Denver really has in a phase of the game that can swing field position in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have No Excuse To Let This Home Bounce-Back Spot Slip
After a frustrating opening weekend, the Broncos get a chance to reset quickly with a Week 2 home date against the Jaguars, a matchup that looks more manageable on paper than the opener did. Denver is back in front of its own crowd with the chance to turn an 0-1 start into something steadier, and the contrast in roster strength makes this feel like the kind of spot a team trying to establish itself is expected to take advantage of.
Jacksonville arrives with some momentum of its own, riding a winning streak and still working through the early stages of a new regime, but that does not change the basic math for Denver. The Broncos have the more proven personnel group overall, and with the season still young, this is the sort of game that can say a lot about where they stand if they handle it the way a team with higher ambitions should. [Read more 🡒]