Unemployed, like a growing number of Americans, Jeb Putzier was driving from Boise, Idaho, to Houston last week when he stopped in Denver to buy DVDs on how to learn Spanish.
“Because it was a 36-hour drive,” Putzier said. “And I got this crazy phone call.”
It was Putzier’s former team, the Broncos. Anybody know how to say “Get your butt back in here” in Spanish?
The Broncos added Putzier to replace tight end Nate Jackson, who suffered a season-ending hamstring injury a couple of weeks ago.
Putzier was quarterback Jake Plummer’s third-favorite receiver, behind Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie, in the 2004-2005 seasons. Known for hanging on to the ball despite taking some vicious hits, Putzier made a career-high 37 receptions in 2005 when the Broncos reached the AFC championship game.
Released after that season for salary-cap considerations, Putzier played the next two seasons for the Texans and coach Gary Kubiak, and earlier this season with the Seahawks.
His first impression of the 2008 Broncos is they’re not much like the 2005 Broncos.
“I was saying I think I know as many equipment guys as I know guys on the team,” he said.
Only nine other players on the Broncos’ current 53-man roster remain from 2005: Champ Bailey, Ben Hamilton, Tatum Bell, Louis Green, Karl Paymah, Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, D.J. Williams and Mike Leach.
McCree returns.
To make room for Putzier, the Broncos released Herana-Daze Jones, the second safety cut this week. Earlier, the Broncos waived Calvin Lowry. The safeties became expendable with the return this week of veteran Marlon McCree from his ankle injury and the emergence of rookie Josh Barrett.
Champ, D.J. update.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said cornerback Champ Bailey, out the past six games with a groin injury, would wait until Saturday to test whether he can go full-speed.
Weakside linebacker Williams, who has missed five games with a knee injury, said he’s ready to return.
“It’s their decision,” Williams said.
Stokley, Larsen sit out.
Broncos slot receiver Brandon Stokley (bruised heel) and fullback Spencer Larsen (groin) sat out practice Wednesday. Both will try to practice on a limited basis today. With Larsen out, veteran Andrew Pinnock received the fullback reps Wednesday.
“Just for today,” Pinnock said. “Don’t know yet about Sunday.”
Cajun cronies.
Stokley and Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme were teammates at a college so small, the school’s name has changed. It was Southwestern Louisiana then. It’s University of Louisiana at Lafayette now.
“You can’t take anything for granted,” Stokley said of coming from an obscure program. “You have to work a little bit harder than everybody else.”
Footnotes.
The Broncos added depth to their running back position by signing Steve Baylark to their practice squad. Baylark had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons at the University of Massachusetts and spent his rookie season of 2007 on Arizona’s practice squad. . . . Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil, on Carolina dubbing its formidable running back duo of DeAngelo Williams (Dash) and Jonathan Stewart (Smash) as Smash-and-Dash: “The way they run the ball, they can call themselves whatever they want to. We definitely respect what they do. We have our hands full. It’s going to be a playoff-type game and it’s going to be a test for us.”
Mike Klis, The Denver Post
