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’s out at least two more weeks.
In his place, though, 2023 undrafted free agent Alex Palczewski has filled in 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 the game. I think we kind of anticipated that he’d be able to hang in there and be productive. You don’t know for sure until you really see the live bullets and he’s lived up to those expectations.”
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has said over the past year that he likes the way Palczewski competes and finds ways to get the job done, even if it’s not always with the prettiest technique or most athletic skill set. So far, so good for the Broncos, who have had their two best rushing weeks so far the past two weeks.
Palczewski, who started 65 games collegiately at Illinois, has held up well in pass protection so far. He’s drawn one penalty but, according to Pro Football Focus, has allowed just two pressures through two games. That despite playing against a disruptive New York Jets front in adverse conditions 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 start. “When you have those late draft picks or free agents that are able to come in and compete at that level and compete well, it’s very exciting.”
Foley, Odoms celebration Sunday. The Broncos are honoring Ring of Fame inductees Steve Foley and Riley Odoms on Sunday. They are having their ROF pillars unveiled on Ring of Fame plaza during a celebration that begins at 11:30 a.m. The team is encouraging fans to show up early and attend the celebration.
Then their names will be unveiled on the Ring of Fame facade in the stadium 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 has caused him to miss the first two days of practice this week.
If he’s in there, though, the Broncos know all too well the kind of damage he can do. Crosby has sacks in nine straight games against Denver.
This year, he’s paired with interior defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who’s also been a handful in the league for many years.
“Wilkins, you see and notice a lot now,” Payton said this week. “He plays the run extremely well, but he’s an inside pass-rushing problem. That was a good acquisition for them and he shows up in every game. Then with Maxx, especially when those two are on the same side — Maxx occasionally will go over to the left side — they just create protection issues when it comes to the clock in the quarterback’s head.”
Personnel file. The Broncos are in decent shape on the injury front. They added CB Tremon Smith to their report Thursday, but he was a full participant despite a hand injury. The only player who didn’t practice fully was RB Tyler Badie (back) who continues to be out. Payton said Wednesday he could be an injured reserve candidate.
Also Thursday, the Broncos worked out 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 snaps against Denver in Week 1 this year. Johnson is a rookie out of UCLA who had been on the New York Giants practice squad. The Broncos scooped him up quickly after New York cut him Tuesday.
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