Offensive line depth has been a question for the Broncos for months, but so far the team is surviving without right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
The veteran was injured against Pittsburgh and subsequently landed on injured reserve, meaning he will be out at least two more weeks.
In his place, however, 2023 undrafted free agent Alex Palczewski has filled it ably.
“Very impressed,” Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said Thursday. “We talked about it last week, this guy started — I think he set a record for most games played in college and he just knows how to play this game. I think we had some so anticipated that he would be able to hang in there and be productive. You can’t be sure until you see live ammunition and it lives up to those expectations.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said over the past year that he liked the way Palczewski competed and found ways to get the job done, even if it wasn’t always with the nicest technique or the most athletic skill set. So far, so good for the Broncos, who had their best two weeks of racing so far in the last two weeks.
Palczewski, who started 65 games collegiately at Illinois, has held up well thus far in pass protection. He drew one penalty but, according to Pro Football Focus, only allowed two pressures in two games. That’s despite playing against a disruptive New York Jets front in unfavorable conditions on Sunday.
The next challenge: a Raiders front that may or may not have star defensive end Maxx Crosby in the lineup, but is dangerous with him and capable without him.
“It’s fun to watch,” Lombardi said of Palczewski’s departure. “When you have these late draft picks or these free agents that are able to come in and compete at this level and compete well, it’s very exciting.”
Foley, Odoms celebration Sunday. The Broncos will honor Ring of Fame inductees Steve Foley and Riley Odoms on Sunday. Their ROF Pillars will be unveiled at Ring of Fame Plaza during a celebration that begins at 11:30 a.m. The team encourages fans to show up early and attend the celebration.
Their names will then be revealed on the stadium’s Ring of Fame facade at halftime against the Raiders.
Hands full. It’s unclear if Crosby will be available Sunday due to an ankle injury that kept him out of last week’s game against Cleveland and caused him to miss the first two days of practice this week.
If he’s there, though, the Broncos know all too well the kind of damage he can cause. Crosby had sacks in nine straight games against Denver.
This year he will team up with interior defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who has also been a tough player in the league for many years.
“Wilkins, you see and notice a lot of things now,” Payton said this week. “He plays the run extremely well, but he has an interior passing problem. He was a good acquisition for them and he appears in every game. Then with Maxx, especially when those two are on the same side – Maxx goes to the left side sometimes – they just create protection issues when it comes to the clock in the quarterback’s head.
Personal file. The Broncos are in good shape on the injury front. They added CB Tremon Smith to their roster on Thursday, but he was a full participant despite dealing with a hand injury. The only player who did not practice fully was RB Tyler Badie (back), who continues to be out. Payton said Wednesday he could be an injured reserve candidate.
Also on Thursday, the Broncos introduced a pair of defensive backs in Marquise Blair and Alex Johnson. Blair, 27, has played in 26 career games for Seattle and Carolina and played 10 special teams games against Denver in Week 1 this year. Johnson is a UCLA recruit who was on the New York Giants’ practice squad. The Broncos picked him up quickly after New York knocked him out on Tuesday.
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