The Denver Broncos have two notable injuries expected to linger into the regular season.
Broncos tight end/fullback Nate Adkins underwent ankle surgery, and he will likely be placed on short-term injured reserve when the 53-man roster is set. Meanwhile, fullback Michael Burton has a hamstring injury, and his recovery timeline (and Week 1 roster status) is uncertain.
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Denver did sign fullback Adam Prentice, but it remains to be seen if that was anything more than just a short-term solution to close out preseason.
“We’ll continue to pay real close attention to the tight end wire and also the fullback,” coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “We had a few of those guys in to work out. We’ve always kind of had an ‘F.’
“I think quietly, Nate was one of those players that I don’t know got a lot of attention, and yet there was a lot of respect around the league and in the locker room for the way he did a number of things. So it’ll be good to get him back when we do. In the meantime, we have to fill that void somehow.”
Payton didn’t seem to indicate that Prentice is a likely candidate to fill the void created by Adkin’s absence. The Broncos could look to claim a tight end, fullback, hybrid (or both) off the waiver wire next week.
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“We’re looking,” Payton said. “We think that’s important, but I think we will have that in place by the opener. I’m hopeful he [Adkins] is here, and yet we’re paying attention each week and then certainly the 53-[man roster] cut.”
NFL teams will set initial 53-man rosters on Aug. 26, then waiver claims will be processed on Aug. 27. Denver’s “F” player for a Week 1 showdown with the Tennessee Titans might not be on the roster yet.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL rumors: Broncos will target this position on the waiver wire