The Broncos are a fully healthy team going into Week 1.<\/p>\n
Their final injury report on Saturday was identical to the first two this week, with WR Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) the only player listed. He, however, has been a full participant all week and is cleared to play at Kansas City on Monday night.<\/p>\n
That clean sheet sets up interesting decisions for who will play and who won\u2019t against the Chiefs.<\/p>\n
From the day the Broncos set their 53-man roster, it\u2019s been clear that they planned to elevate FB Adam Prentice and LS Mitchell Fraboni from the practice squad for the game. That will be the case for Denver unless the team makes a surprise roster move on Monday before the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a trust,\u201d Payton said in the conversations between the staff and veteran players who are being released at the roster cut-down and then resigned to the practice squad. \u201cFinancially, it doesn\u2019t change anything. I would say the only downside is what you tell your mother and your friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrying to explain that to people that don\u2019t understand it is the biggest challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assuming that pair is elevated Monday, Denver will have seven healthy players inactive from the 53-man roster for the game. Head coach Sean Payton, GM George Paton and company have had an idea of what that list will look like since the roster cutdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are good problems,\u201d Payton said Sept. 1. \u201cI would say this: Every year when we get to 53, we discuss what the first game day roster is going to look like. We would always discuss that in that discussion of 53. So right this second, George and I would know how that\u2019s going to look.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, almost two weeks later, nothing has changed in terms of player availability except for the fact that Mims has proved he\u2019s ready to play.<\/p>\n
That leaves several questions, but two particularly interesting ones: Will the Broncos have one of their six wide receivers inactive? And will all four running backs be up for the game?<\/p>\n
At receiver, Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Pat Bryant are locks. Mims is an All-Pro returner in addition to being a dangerous offensive player. That leaves Troy Franklin and Lil\u2019Jordan Humphrey. Humphrey is versatile and plays special teams, but Franklin had 104 targets last year and coaches have raved about his training camp.<\/p>\n
The other is whether Denver has all four of its running backs activated. Tyler Badie is a distant fourth in terms of involvement offensively, but he\u2019s been a heavy contributor on special teams recently.<\/p>\n
Taylor Rapp happy to be in Denver<\/p>\n
Safety Taylor Rapp had an unorthodox offseason.<\/p>\n
The veteran started six games for Buffalo last year but then went on injured reserve with a knee injury. He had two surgeries in five months, he said Saturday, and spent much of the offseason rehabbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy,\u201d Rapp said, who deemed his knee 100% healthy but said he is \u201cstill battling that right now and working to get my body and my knee and myself into game shape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, Rapp said, he had a family matter that he needed to prioritize over football, so he didn\u2019t entertain free agency interest in the spring or early part of the summer.<\/p>\n
Along the way, though, Denver showed interest in the 28-year-old, and he knew it was a place he wanted to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce Denver came in the picture, it was the right situation,\u201d Rapp said. \u2026 \u201cAt this point in my career, I definitely wanted to join a team with playoff aspirations and not only playoff aspirations but making it real deep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rapp said he didn\u2019t know Brandon Jones or Talanoa Hufanga personally before getting to Denver, but Jones was in his high school recruiting class, and Hufanga was an NFC West foe in San Francisco when Rapp played for the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of respect for those two,\u201d Rapp said. \u201cThey both play hard. Both dogs. Love to join their room and add to that.\u201d<\/p>\n