On Saturday, the Broncos made a couple of roster moves, moving cornerback Bryce Callahan to injured reserve and officially activating wide receiver Tim Patrick.
Callahan has not seen any game action in 2019 as he has been nursing a foot injury that has plagued him since Week 14 of last season when he broke it playing for the Chicago Bears. Last December, Callahan had a screw inserted into his foot, but earlier this week his foot got bent, causing too much discomfort to play with. Head coach Vic Fangio noted Callahan will require foot surgery to replace the bent screw and the surgery will take place “soon.”
It has been a tumultuous first season in a Broncos’ uniform for Callahan who signed a three-year, $21 million contract back in March. The fifth-year cornerback got his foot stepped on in training camp and was limited in practice all the way up until Week 3 when he was told to shut it down following stem-cell treatment. Earlier this week on Tuesday, Callahan returned to practice to find out how his foot would respond, but ended up dealing with the bent screw that landed him on injured reserve. Denver is hopeful that Callahan and his foot will be healthy and ready for OTAs in 2020.
By moving Callahan to injured reserve, Denver has an open roster spot and Tim Patrick will be activated to fill the spot. Patrick suffered a broken hand in Week 1 against the Oakland Raiders and has been on IR since. When he returns for Sunday’s game at Minnesota, Patrick will be wearing a pad over his hand for protection.
Despite wearing a pad on his hand and playing wide receiver, a combination that might seem difficult, Patrick is not worried about his possible limitations. “Honestly, if I don’t block it out then I’m not going to play like myself,” explained Patrick. “Getting open is more important than pain; I broke my leg and had to get over that and that was way harder than this.”
By missing eight games, one might predict a bit of rustiness on the part of Patrick. However, the second-year wideout has other ideas. “They’re throwing me out there. I’m ready, though. They gave me more than enough rest, I’m ready to do whatever they need me to do,” said Patrick. Fangio told reporters Patrick looked “good” in practice this week.
The Broncos offense will be adding a 6’4″ weapon who is known for his physicality in both blocking situations and in creating separation in the passing game. In 2018, Patrick showed flashes of a big target who is agile enough to beat defensive backs down the field (he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in 2017). With the ability to stretch the defense, expect Patrick to be involved in big-yardage opportunities, meaning Denver will be looking his way when taking shots down the field. He also is a viable option in the red zone, due to his large frame.
