Denver Broncos Star Free Agent Signings Absent At Practice

The Denver Broncos have been battling injuries through two weeks of the season. They haven’t had Dre Greenlaw on the field at all this season, and it’s definitely hurting their run defense tremendously. Evan Engram has also been missing action, not getting many targets in his first two games. Sean Payton and the rest of the team spoke highly of Engram. Has the “Joker” been caught?

Broncos Are Missing Greenlaw

The Denver Broncos haven’t had an elite linebacker in what seems to be almost a decade. Denver struggled mightily last season in trying to stop the run, and it was evident in their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Greenlaw was the perfect signing because he immediately slotted into their biggest weakness and could man the middle of the field. Unfortunately, the injuries have kept Greenlaw on the sideline for what has felt like 2 months now. Sean Payton said Denver was taking it day by day, and he expected the star linebacker to play at some point in the preseason. It turns out that Greenlaw never made an appearance and is still working his way back to full health. He logged his first limited practice in weeks last Friday, which was an encouraging sign for his status against the Los Angeles Chargers. When the injury report was released today, it was revealed that he didn’t practice, negating all the positive momentum. When Sean Payton spoke to the media today, he said that Greenlaw is on their schedule.

“We felt like he’s kind of on our schedule and look we spent time on it because it’s a little nebulous relative to the injury. And that’s all I’ll say.”

There is still no timetable for Greenlaw’s return, with his quad injury still lingering. With how bad Denver’s linebackers looked last week against the Colts, it will only get harder against the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh is going to pound the running game next week, using his strong backfield duo of Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton.

Where’s The Joker?

The Broncos were able to get Bo Nix a huge weapon in the offseason when they signed former Jaguars tight end Evan Engram to a two-year deal. Denver’s tight end room had also been the weak point of their offense. Payton added fuel to the fire all offseason, saying that Engram was going to be a crucial part of the offense. So far, Engram has been quiet. He wasn’t involved much in their week 1 win against the Titans after he suffered a calf injury late in the game. In week 2, the Broncos’ tight end had another quiet day. He was only targeted twice, hauling in just one reception for twelve years. While the offense was efficient, Sean Payton needs to do a better job when it comes to getting their top playmakers the ball. Engram didn’t practice today with a calf injury, which he suffered in week 1, and it  still seems to be bothering him.

These injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Broncos. They will be entering a tough stretch of their schedule, facing the Chargers and Eagles in the next three weeks.

When Will They Return?

Evan Engram’s status should be determined by tomorrow. If he can log a limited practice, there’s a good chance of him playing on Sunday against the Chargers. As for Greenlaw, the answer seems to change every day. I doubt he suits up in Los Angeles, and even if he did, he’d be under a very limited snap count. Even if he isn’t available, the Broncos need to consider changing their rotation at linebacker. To put it lightly, Alex Singleton is an absolute liability on defense. Moving around, he’s always behind defenders, and just looks like a 32-year-old linebacker coming off ACL surgery. Going up against a dynamic offense led by Justin Herbert, the Broncos cannot have Singleton starting next week. If Greenlaw is out another week, I’d anticipate him returning against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 4.