Mile High Report
The initial reports indicated that the Broncos placed fullback Michael Burton on the short-term injured reserve and that he was expected to return this season. However, 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis updated his report and stated that Burton was actually placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. Head Coach Sean Payton met with the media today and told reporters that Burton had surgery on his hamstring and will be out for the year.
This is a bit of an unexpected blow to the Broncos’ offense. Burton has served as the lead blocker for the past two seasons for the Broncos, and now they will be looking to find a replacement for him. He also contributed on special teams, so this loss will be felt throughout the roster.
The team did sign veteran fullback Adam Prentice last week, but he was among the cuts made by the Broncos earlier today. There is a chance he is signed on to the Broncos’ practice squad, much like Burton was last season, and will take over as the Broncos’ lead blocker in their backfield. He played for the Saints for four seasons, including with Payton and a number of the Broncos’ offensive coaches, so he is familiar with the offense, the coaches, and his role on the team. He seems like the leading candidate to be the fullback, but they will look over all the available players and see if they believe another player would be an upgrade for them.
When Head Coach Sean Payton was asked about their plan at fullback moving forward, he told reporters, “You’ll begin to see it develop”, so we just have to wait and see.
What complicates this situation is that they’re without tight end Nate Adkins. He is a blocking specialist who can do it all and has the ability to play some fullback. He would likely be the leading candidate for this role, potentially if he were not dealing with an ankle injury that would sideline him for a game or two at the start of the season.
So, we will likely get our answer tomorrow, and I would anticipate that Adam Prentice will be back with the team, but there are several other fullbacks available after teams made their final cuts.
