Broncos 'Elevate' OL Austin Schlottmann & LB Curtis Robinson to Week 4 Roster

The Denver Broncos will for sure be without one starting guard and there's a chance both Graham Glasgow and Dalton Risner could miss Week 4's bout with the Baltimore Ravens. Glasgow has already been ruled out while Risner is listed as questionable. 

To preempt any depth issues, the Broncos announced on Saturday that offensive guard Austin Schlottmann and linebacker Curtis Robinson have been 'elevated' from the practice squad to the gameday roster. After the game, these two players will return to the practice squad without having to pass through the NFL waiver wire. 

Schlottmann is a third-year player who's appeared in all 32 games over his first two years with the Broncos. Undrafted out of TCU in 2019, he's found a way to stick in Denver and has started six games for the club at right guard. 

On the heels of Risner not practicing on Wednesday and Thursday, he took to the field at UCHealth Training Center and gingerly participated on a limited basis on Friday. The third-year guard injured his foot in Week 3's win over the New York Jets, which gave way to rookie third-rounder Quinn Meinerz, who absolutely crushed his 25 snaps played in relief of Risner. 

Risner's been in those film rooms with his position coach Mike Munchak and surely heard the praise Meinerz must have received behind closed doors. Not wanting to relinquish any possibility of Meinerz duplicating that performance and taking his starting job away, the expectation is that Risner will fight through the foot injury to start on Sunday. 

How effective he'd be is another question. However, since arriving as Denver's second-round pick back in 2019, Risner has yet to miss a start at left guard. He's been an iron man — none can take that away from him. 

However, Risner has shown alarming signs of regression this year, causing many to wonder whether he's a good fit for Munchak's blocking system. Meanwhile, Meinerz took the field in Week 3 and absolutely bullied the very Jets' defensive linemen — like Quinnen Williams — who'd been having their way with Risner. 

Here's to hoping Risner turns it around this year because his leadership and firebrand energy really spark the Broncos' offense. But if a guy's play on the field is not commensurate with his leadership, that firebrand can quickly turn sour to teammates and become artificial and contrived 'rah-rah' antics.  

As for Robinson, the rookie went undrafted out of Stanford this year but found a way to catch on following a solid training camp and preseason. The Broncos received excellent play last week from off-ball linebackers Alexander Johnson and Justin Strnad but with Josey Jewell done for the season, Vic Fangio needs bodies. Not necessarily on defense (barring injury) but on special teams.