The Broncos on Friday placed defensive end Vance Walker on injured reserve and used his roster spot to re-sign tight end Manasseh Garner.
Walker suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee early in Monday’s practice. A projected starter on the defensive line after Malik Jackson’s departure to Jacksonville, Walker’s injury dealt a big blow to the Broncos’ front seven.
“It’s tough because Vance was becoming a really good player,” Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told media earlier in the week. “He had a great offseason, a great camp. It was an opportunity for him in his career to be a starter. Unfortunately, that happens. It’s part of the game.”
Veteran Jared Crick, who signed a two-year deal with the Broncos as a free agent in April, and rookie Adam Gotsis will move up and take on bigger roles to compensate for Walker’s absence.
Garner signed a futures contract with the Broncos in January, but was waived six months later after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. His re-signing gives the Broncos added depth among a tight end group that includes Jeff Heuerman and Virgil Green, (co-No. 1s on the depth chart), veterans John Phillips and Garrett Graham, and college free agent Henry Krieger-Coble. Heuerman (hamstring) and Graham (shoulder) have missed practice time recently because of injuries.
