Broncos made 5 moves at linebacker ahead of ‘Thursday Night Football’
After losing starting inside linebacker Alexander Johnson to a season-ending pectoral injury, the Denver Broncos made five roster moves ahead of a “Thursday Night Football” showdown with the Cleveland Browns.
Here’s a quick recap of the team’s five transactions.
1. ILB Alexander Johnson placed on injured reserve
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Johnson’s season is now officially over and he no longer counts against the 53-man roster. With Johnson sidelined for the rest of the year, Justin Strnad and Micah Kiser are set to serve as the team’s starting inside linebackers. Strnad took over when Josey Jewell suffered a season-ending injury and Kiser will be stepping up in the place of Johnson.
2. ILB Curtis Robinson promoted from practice squad to active roster
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
To fill Johnson’s former spot on the 53-man roster, the Broncos promoted Robinson from the practice squad. Robinson is a rookie out of Stanford who signed with Denver as a college free agent earlier this year. He totaled 143 tackles, five pass breakups, four sacks and one interception in 31 college games.
3. LB Pita Taumoepenu signed to practice squad
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
To fill Robinson’s former spot on the practice squad, the Broncos brought back Taumoepenu, who was cut from the practice squad last month. Taumoepenu is a 27-year-old veteran who entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick out of Utah in 2017. He has spent time with five teams since then, totaling five tackles in seven games.
4. OLB Andre Mintze placed on injured reserve
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Mintze going on injured reserve will give him more time to recover from a hamstring injury. He will be eligible to return to the active roster after three weeks. The rookie edge defender has totaled two tackles in five games this season.
5. ILB Barrington Wade promoted to 53-man roster
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
To fill Mintze’s former spot on the active roster, the Broncos promoted Wade from the practice squad. Wade is an undrafted rookie out of Iowa who was claimed off waivers by Denver from the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year.
Browns injury updates
(Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s opponent is also dealing with several injuries this week. Cleveland will be without their top two running backs, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, when they host the Broncos on Thursday evening. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is also banged up, but he aims to be ready to play.
Thursday’s game will be nationally televised on NFL Network and Fox. The Broncos are considered 4.5-point underdogs on the road.
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