Golf, whether in the Bay Area while with San Francisco 49ers or in the Denver area, always sounds like a good idea.

Sleep in? Sometimes simple is best.

Kick the feet up and watch a movie, maybe a little bit of film along the way? Indeed, air conditioning feels great after a long stretch of days on the field.

These days, McGlinchey sees none of that.

But, he said, it¶¶Ņõap for good reason. Heā€™s been promoted.

McGlinchey and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their second child the day after the Broncos lost in the AFC Championship Game.

ā€œI would say dad is very much a support player, a role player, the first time around,ā€ McGlinchey said earlier this summer. ā€œAll of a sudden, when thereā€™s no free set of hands, dad gets elevated to the starting lineup.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap fun. My son is almost 2 now. He doesnā€™t stop moving, he doesnā€™t stop talking and it¶¶Ņõap a lot of fun. ā€¦ It¶¶Ņõap a full-time job, man. And Iā€™ve got two of them now. It¶¶Ņõap been a lot of fun and it¶¶Ņõap the biggest blessing in the world.ā€

That¶¶Ņõap a common theme around the Broncos locker room. The team features a bunch of young dads, including multi-kid veterans like McGlinchey, left tackle Garett Bolles and safety Talanoa Hufanga and also new additions to the ranks this offseason in quarterback Bo Nix and safety Brandon Jones.

Players spend training camp together in a hotel, so family time gets limited. After practice, families and friends of players make their way from the balcony and courtyard viewing area at the new team facility down to the indoor practice field and players make their way up for quick visits. Naturally, then, that¶¶Ņõap how many like to spend their off days, too.

Second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant, who got married this summer during OTAs, said he takes a similar low-key approach on the rare occasion the club gets an off day.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap a couple things to do around here that are fun, but my main focus is getting rest,ā€ said Bryant, who has had a terrific training camp and appears poised for a Year 2 breakout. ā€œGet as much sleep as possible, hang out with the wife for a couple hours and just kick my feet up and relax.ā€

All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz is a man of many hobbies, but he said recently that he used a weekend day to see released on 70-millimeter film by director Christopher Nolan this summer. You can also find Meinerz on an off day at the bowling alley, checking out avian variety with his birdwatching setup and app or, after dark, peering at the night sky through his telescope.

Players on the team have all kinds of other hobbies and things they like to do with their downtime during the summer or even during the regular season. If there’s a fishing spot to be found, Bolles may be there. Same for kicker Wil Lutz, who is also a high-quality golfer. Players in the offseason find unique, do-it-yourself workout routines, even if they’re also using the Broncos facilities. Veteran inside linebacker Alex Singleton set himself up with a sauna and cold plunge at his house and is a big believer in mobility-based training. Jaleel McLaughlin said he regularly made the trip to Colorado Springs to conquer the Manitou Incline. On the other end of the team’s weight spectrum from the diminutive running back, so, too, did Meinerz make the incline climb.

That’s all well and good, but training camp is a different story. In the heart of it, the Broncos were on the field 10 days in an 11-day stretch. The prep for 10 a.m. practices starts early and the last of the meetings goes well into the evening. It can feel like Groundhog Day.

When asked which day the previous week the team had gone together to see the new “Spider-Man” movie, All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said he wasn’t even sure what day it was at that very moment.

There’s just not much downtime. After the Broncos’ preseason-opening win at Atlanta, the team’s charter landed back at Denver International Airport a little after 1 a.m. Saturday morning. Head coach Sean Payton said they had a practice scheduled for that afternoon. Not a taxing one, but back to it nonetheless.

That’s why rest and relaxation often win out when a rare camp-off day pops up on the schedule. You’ve got to be prepared for the grind, especially when your reason for playing starts to expand.

ā€œJust being married give you a little extra job knowing that here soon Iā€™m going to start a nice family,” Bryant, the 24-year-old receiver said with a smile recently. “Overall, it¶¶Ņõap been great knowing Iā€™ve got my wife in the stands, her family, my family. Iā€™m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with my wife.ā€

Oh, right, there’s one more staple of a camp off-day: The honey-do list.

Bryant’s sure-handed in that regard, too.

ā€œI took the garbage out before we were married,” he said.

In Denverā€™s preseason opener at Atlanta, the Broncos head coach was on his way into the locker room when he stopped for a brief chat with 9News preseason sideline reporter Cynthia Frelund. He talked about the action for a minute, then was asked about being back in town to play the Falcons. He glanced around at a maybe-half-full Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

ā€œA lot of people dressed up as empty seats today,ā€ Payton said with a smirk before jogging off.

The Broncos did not have the same issue in their two preseason home games.

Far from it, in fact.

The Broncos averaged 64,665 fans through the turnstiles —Ā the actual raw data, not number of tickets sold that gets announced during games ā€”Ā over a loss to Green Bay and a win against Minnesota, marking the highest turnout for preseason games since 2016, when the club averaged 67,649. That summer, of course, Denver was coming off a Super Bowl 50 victory.

Since the NFL moved to a 17-game regular-season schedule, teams have either one or two preseason home games per summer.

Last year, Denverā€™s lone home preseason game had 60,009 through the turnstiles.

In 2024, the two preseason games averaged 57,684. That means this August saw an average of 6,981 more fans per home preseason game than two years ago.

For reference, the average announced attendance for the two home games this summer was 75,733.

That fan interest is the likely result of several factors. Naturally, going 14-3 in the regular season, coming within a game of the Super Bowl and entering 2026 with championship expectations drives interest. So, too, does playing a team with national appeal like Green Bay. Preseason games are also more affordable to get to than regular-season games, so for some fans, it¶¶Ņõap the easiest way to get to a game.

Ask Payton, though, and such robust attendance also comes with tangible benefits.

When his viral comments about the Falcons came up after that game, he mentioned that his mentor, Bill Parcells, liked playing preseason games in Green Bay, for example, because there was usually a mostly full house and a game-like environment in which to test his players.

Payton felt the same — albeit at home rather than in a more hostile road environment — over the two weeks late in August.

ā€œIt was great,ā€ he said after the finale against Minnesota. ā€œThey played that little guess-the-attendance thing (on the scoreboard,). It doesnā€™t feel like a preseason game, so if I was an opponent, Iā€™d want to kind of play here.

ā€œYouā€™re trying to get your players acclimated to what it would be like and I keep hearing about certain venues that are like that, but they were fantastic. It was good. Good environment.ā€

Here are the five highest turnstile numbers at Empower Field during the preseason over the past decade. Each of the years listed featured two home games.

2016 ā€“ 67,649

2026 ā€“ 64,665

2017 ā€“ 64,445

2018 ā€“ 61,388

2022 ā€“ 60,496

Jaleel McLaughlin lands in Cleveland

Former Bronco Jaleel McLaughlin has a new home.

The running back signed a practice squad deal with Cleveland on Tuesday, marking the first time heā€™s played for a franchise besides Denver in his professional career.

McLaughlin was waived Sunday and didnā€™t sign with Denverā€™s practice squad Monday, telegraphing the end of his tenure with the Broncos.

General manager George Paton on Sunday called waiving McLaughlin ā€œreally hardā€ because of the respect people in the building have for the back, who went undrafted in 2023 and played his college ball first in Division II and then FCS Youngstown State. Paton also said that choosing Tyler Badie as Denverā€™s fourth running back over McLaughlin was the last decision the Broncos made about their roster.

Marvin Mims still out with ‘bruise’ to foot

The Broncos practiced in full pads on Tuesday. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) remained out and was not spotted at practice. Payton said after Fridayā€™s game that Mims just had ā€œa bruise,ā€ though heā€™s now not been seen at two practices since leaving that game in the first quarter.

Outside linebacker Que Robinson also remained limited to side field work, while inside linebacker Alex Singleton missed practice to attend to a personal matter. Tight end Adam Trautman was also absent.

They figured there was at least a chance theyā€™d lose tight end Justin Joly, if for no other reason than for the fact that he was a fifth-round pick in Aprilā€™s draft. Denver actually moved up to take him back then, at No. 152 overall.

Teams around the league wouldnā€™t have seen his training camp film in Denver, but they had recent reports on him considering he just was part of a draft class and was a known commodity, having played his college career at UConn and North Carolina State.

Joly was the highest-drafted player from this year’s class to be waived Sunday.

Still, head coach Sean Payton acknowledged Monday that the Broncos thought he would ultimately would clear waivers and make it to Denverā€™s practice squad.

Instead, Joly was claimed by the Miami Dolphins along with Broncos nickel Reese Taylor and five other players.

ā€œIf heā€™s not claimed, heā€™s coming back —Ā we felt strongly that heā€™s coming back to our practice squad,ā€ Payton said Monday. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap hard to predict. I would have thought (running back Jaleel McLaughlin) would have been claimed, and yet that didnā€™t happen. It¶¶Ņõap hard to predict that.ā€

Payton talks regularly about how part of the calculus ahead of the roster cutdown deadline is who the club thinks it can get through waivers and to the practice squad.

ā€œWhat youā€™re trying to do is get them all and we felt like we were able to do that for the most part,ā€ Payton said. ā€œIf you sat in all those meetings, the final 12 hours of meeting are revolving around four players. Let¶¶Ņõap say three are going to find a 53 spot and oneā€™s going to be a (practice squad). Who is least likely to be claimed?ā€

The Broncos each of the past two years have had a pair of players claimed by other teams.

When general manager George Paton talked Sunday after the club waived Joly and many others but before the Dolphins had claimed him, he expressed confidence in Jolyā€™s future but also sounded as if he knew losing him was a possibility.

“Justin is a talented player,” Paton said then. “We knew it when we drafted him. We knew he was raw. We still like the player. He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie. He missed a lot of the offseason — just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player.

“We think heā€™s going to have a nice career. You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.ā€

Instead, the Broncos kept seventh-round tight end Dallen Bentley, who was a more accomplished blocker than Joly in college at Utah but was not much of a receiving threat (three catches in two seasons) until he burst onto the scene with 48 catches for 620 yards in his final season with the Utes.

ā€œTheyā€™re entirely different type players but we felt like Bentley earned that,ā€ Payton said of Bentley vs. Joly.

Frank Crum and Caleb Lohner start on injured reserve

Payton called the decision-making process for putting offensive lineman Frank Crum and tight end Caleb Lohner on injured reserve to start the season ā€œpretty clean.ā€

Theyā€™ll each miss a minimum of four games.

Lohner spent the summer rehabbing from one injury that caused him to miss OTAs and minicamp, but was tracking toward being ready to practice near the start of training camp. Because of that, the team did not place him on the physically unable to perform list in July.

However, then Lohner sustained another injury what Payton described as ā€œ24 hours afterā€ the deadline for placing players on PUP to start camp. Lohner was seen watching practice during camp with a boot on his left foot.

He was working on the side field Monday, but Paton said Sunday that heā€™s likely not going to be ready to play until late October.

Drew Sanders to injured reserve, but could be done in Denver

Outside linebacker Drew Sanders was waived with an injury designation Sunday and reverted to Denverā€™s injured reserve list Monday. That typically precedes an injury settlement that results in a playerā€™s contract terminating and the player becoming a free agent.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap difficult because you watch the process and the effort and the calories and the energy and the amount of time,ā€ Payton said of Sanders, who has only played in four games over the past two years and was hurt again in Denverā€™s preseason opener at Atlanta earlier this month. ā€œI know more than anyone he was frustrated. And so, those are never easy because of the makeup and the toughness. It really came down to just the injuries. And that¶¶Ņõap always difficult.ā€

Que Robinson, Marvin Mims out Monday

Outside linebacker Que Robinson was on the side field Monday and receiver Marvin Mims Jr. was not in attendance. Neither matter is considered serious. Payton on Friday said Mims had ā€œa bruiseā€ he sustained early in the preseason finale against Minnesota.

Sean Keeler: Clearly, Badie found out who was taking pictures for Lil’Jordan Humphrey and got that dude under contract. I mean, I get it. I do. And I don’t. It’s a victory of film over eyeballs, the clever over the obvious. Badie blocks. Badie’s critical on special teams. Fine. Name something else he does better than McLaughlin. Tough yards north and south? According to Pro-Football-Reference.com data, Jaleel has a career “successful” rush rate of 53.5%. Badie’s at 35%. “Successful” reception rate? McLaughlin: 37.7%, Badie 37.1%. Fumble rate? McLaughlin has one in 285 regular-season touches. Badie’s had one in 43. Trust is a two-way street, but the only direction a Badie run play went last fall, by and large, was backward.

Renck: McLaughlin endeared himself to ¶¶Ņõapountry with his ability and story. From sleeping in his car as a kid to making the team as an undrafted rookie from Youngstown State, McLaughlin made it easy to root for him. His work ethic was the stuff of legend, putting in a full day before teammates punched the clock. But, the reality is that keeping Badie made more sense. The fourth running back is a niche role. And Badie has responsibility as the up-man on the punt team, a spot he filled last season and during training camp this summer. He is also the reason the Broncos beat the Bills in the postseason. According to Sean Payton, a fake punt on fourth-and-11 in overtime — “Rutgers Special” — was called off despite the coach saying they got the right look. Video shows Badie scan the defense and look back at Jeremy Crawshaw before going ahead with the punt. If the trick play had not worked — the odds were against it — the Broncos would have almost certainly lost on a short field goal. That is a feather in the cap of the fourth back.

Keeler: So vetoing Sean Payton out of an embarrassing call on national television saves your bacon? That makes sense. Actually, it might be the only thing that makes sense. If you keep McLaughlin over Badie, you’ve got four backs who, in sets of two, sort of mirror each other. J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman are super early-down and between-the-tackle runners who can catch and block enough to keep defenses honest. RJ Harvey and McLaughlin are smaller, elusive scatback types, capable of a house call anytime they touch the ball — especially if that call comes on a wheel route. If McLaughlin is in the game, it might be a run. Might be a throw. If Badie’s in the game, defenders can pin their ears back and make a beeline for Bo Nix, because No. 28’s in there to block. How is that a strategic advantage?

Renck: Fake punts aside, Badie is more trusted as a backup, third-down back. McLaughlin really had no spot on the offense, barring injury. He was also hurt by the fact that he struggled to gain any yards after contact. Not that Badie padded his resume. He was the featured performer in a running back screen, a play that was so ineffective we can only hope that new offensive coordinator Davis Webb ripped it out of the playbook, buried it under the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse and demanded it never be spoken of again. In the end, having a slight foothold on third and fourth down gave Badie more traction for the final roster spot and I am fine with that.

Keeler: We scribes don’t play favorites when it comes to your most beloved team/player/coach. Honest. But, by golly, we do root for narratives, sometimes. And McLaughlin’s hooked our hearts, full-stop. But we already know that Payton’s soft spot is only about as big as the Grinch’s heart in early December, with the hugs reserved for guys who played for him in New Orleans. Mark my words, good sir: Badie might have rescued Sunshine Sean from himself once. Yet there will be a critical game in December, or in the postseason, when injuries or circumstances force Badie to be on the field when he shouldn’t. And we’ll remember this day. And shake our heads.

Vanity, typically, is the least of an offensive lineman’s concerns in the first place.

This one, though, has a story behind it. Throckmorton was helmet-less at the bottom of a pile during the Broncos’ biggest training camp scrum a couple of weeks back.

When asked about it Friday after Denver’s preseason finale, the veteran offensive lineman and fringe roster player smiled.

“A little reminder of this training camp and hopefully what it¶¶Ņõap going to lead to down the road,” Throckmorton told The Post.

Throckmorton will indeed be with the Broncos down the road despite being released on Sunday. He’s one of four veterans to sign back to Denver’s practice squad Monday as the team filled out its 17-man group.

Standard practice squads are 16 players, but teams can get an exemption for a 17th if one qualifies as an international player. For the Broncos, that’s outside linebacker David Agoha.

Of the 16 others, up to six can be vested veterans.

The Broncos lost fifth-round tight end Justin Joly and reserve nickel and special teams standout Reese Taylor to the Miami Dolphins on the waiver wire. They also will not have waived running back Jaleel McLaughlin to the practice squad after Tyler Badie made the 53-man roster and Cody Schrader was signed to the practice squad.

McLaughlin, waived Sunday in what general manager George Paton called the toughest cut Denver made, was weighing options with other teams as of Monday.

“All of those (running backs) really played well,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday. “The edge goes to the kicking game, which is important. We were still able to end up with five. So much of the final equation comes down to special teams as we’re trying to project a vision when it’s close.”

While Denver lost Joly, two other Day 3 picks waived Sunday cleared waivers and returned to the team in safety Miles Scott and linebacker Red Murdock.

Scott told The Post after Friday’s preseason game that he felt like he’d steadily been making progress in training camp.

“It¶¶Ņõap definitely a gradual thing,” he said. “I feel like this past week was my best week of practice. I was like, man, this is how it should be. Iā€™ve got to develop and become a better player. Iā€™ve only played safety for a few years.

“In college, the defense was pretty simple. Here, this defense is definitely more complex. That¶¶Ņõap why it works, though.”

Now he’ll carry on developing on Denver’s practice squad.

“Smart player,” starter Talanoa Hufanga said of Scott on Monday. “A guy that is still picking it up, as always, it’s hard to learn, but he sits next to me in meetings. He’s picking the brain. A guy that’s willing to learn. As he grows and as he learns in this league, he can be a really good player.”

As for Murdock, Payton made the overarching point on Monday when asked about waiving him on Sunday in favor of Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.

“Some of what you said is true,” Payton said. “And yet, they’re all here.”

Indeed, practice squad players are essentially an extension of the overall roster, though they are restricted to playing in a maximum of three games and the pay is different.

“I look at it as a 70-man roster and that was my message to (the team),” Payton said. “Man, these guys play.”

Here’s a look at who Denver is bringing back

FB Adam Prentice (veteran)

LS Mitch Fraboni (veteran)

TE Lucas Krull (veteran)

OL Calvin Throckmorton (veteran)

WR Kolbe Katsis

WR Michael Bandy

WR Dane Key

OL Gavin Ortega

OL Tyler Miller

OLB Johnny Walker

ILB Red Murdock (7th round pick)

CB Brent Austin

CB Sean Fresch Jr.

S Miles Scott (7th round pick)

RB Cody Schrader

LS Luke Basso

OLB David Agoha (international exemption)

It¶¶Ņõap actually basically a 55-man roster.

It¶¶Ņõap a little bulgy here, a little slim there.

It¶¶Ņõap uniquely constructed and Denver hopes it¶¶Ņõap also uniquely constituted to thrive despite a gauntlet of a regular-season schedule, a deep playoff run and, ultimately, a Super Bowl championship.

The NFL might be a young manā€™s game, but this roster is not for the light-on-experience. Time and again the Broncos chose sure bets, roster continuity and familiarity over the unknown of inexperience.

Only four of seven draft picks made the cut. General manager George Paton, head coach Sean Payton and their staffs will hope for smooth sailing and calm winds on the waiver wire until 11 a.m. Monday to deliver some of their younger and less experienced players to the practice squad so their development can continue there.

ā€œThis year, I think we spent more time on this roster going through a lot of different scenarios with a lot of these players that were released,ā€ Paton said. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap a puzzle. It¶¶Ņõap ongoing. Now weā€™re building the practice squad, weā€™re looking at the wire tonight obviously.

ā€œSo, it¶¶Ņõap fluid and yet, yes, this was a tough roster to make.ā€

For a team trying to follow a 14-3 season in 2025 that ended in AFC title game heartbreak on their own field, the 53-man roster is about trying to win Sept. 14 in Kansas City and the weeks beyond.

At position after position, the final spots came down to specific roles rather than youth or upside.

Tyler Badie over Jaleel McLaughlin? Look no further than pass protection and Badieā€™s history of being a trusted part of Denverā€™s punt protection unit.

Lilā€™Jordan Humphrey over the fleet of undrafted receivers in camp? Payton says all the time that Humphrey makes game-planning easy because they know exactly what he does well. He blocks at the point of attack; heā€™s good in the middle of the field, and he can play wherever you need.

Tycen Anderson as a fifth safety? Heā€™s not a safety, really, but heā€™s a core special teams player and that earned him a spot.

Jordan Turner over Red Murdock? Turnerā€™s played special teams in Denver already, and the Broncos are banking on getting ā€œMr. Irrelevantā€ from Aprilā€™s draft through waivers.

Murdock isnā€™t alone in that regard. It only takes one look at Denverā€™s 2026 draft class to get an idea of the competition up and down the roster.

Fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman is the lone rookie who looks poised to potentially make a splash right away as a complement to fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, Denverā€™s lone Day 2 pick, might make the rotation out of the gate, but will be behind a veteran group that will command much of the playing time. Same for fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey.

From there, the fifth through seventh rounds did not fare well on cutdown day. Three of the four players Denver drafted from the fifth round on —Ā TE Justin Joly, S Miles Scott and Murdock ā€” were waived Sunday. The Broncos hope they can get all three back to the practice squad after 11 a.m. Monday. The only rookie from that stretch to actually make the club was the one perhaps least talked about during training camp: Tight end Dallen Bently.

Likewise, none of Denverā€™s undrafted rookies made the active roster to start, either.

If theyā€™re back in the building Monday afternoon, that¶¶Ņõap terrific. If not? ā€œWeā€™re going to shake their hand, weā€™re going to give them a hug and root for them,ā€ Paton said.

The Broncos pulled out every stop to maximize the numbers they could keep. Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni are not on the 53, but as vested veterans, they have already agreed to start on the practice squad, so theyā€™ll contribute as game-day elevations from the jump. Denver also used its two short-term injured reserve placements allowed Sunday on OL Frank Crum and TE Caleb Lohner.

So, thereā€™s a 53-man roster expanded by four, basically.

ā€œRemember it¶¶Ņõap the right 53 and getting the proper evaluation,ā€ Payton said after Fridayā€™s preseason finale against Minnesota. ā€œI will spend more time concerned with whoā€™s making it as opposed to the ones that maybe possibly arenā€™t. And I just finished saying this in the locker room: Oftentimes in those tough meetings the next two days, within a month, within two months, all of a sudden, a player will be back in your building. That happens.ā€

Nearly all of the players who know theyā€™ll be back with the Broncos as of Sunday night have been here before. Literally.

Overall, there are only seven players on the initial roster who have not played at least threeĀ  games for the Broncos: Star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, QB Sam Ehlinger, Anderson and the four rookie draft picks who made the cut.

Continuity has been a theme. Payton says this team is still young, but really it has some young players amidst a group now steeped in experience, expectation and the Payton Way.

This is a team built for now. It¶¶Ņõap not all-in the way some of Paytonā€™s late New Orleans teams were: Recklessly and without regard for salary cap consequences.

It¶¶Ņõap all in the way Payton, Paton and CEO Greg Penner want to be: With a recognition that the future is a reality but primarily a sense of urgency right now.

Every roster cut this time of year is difficult.

The player sitting across the table wants nothing more than to make the team and to know his NFL career is continuing.

More than 1,200 players were let go in some form or fashion across the league this week.

Not many were tougher than the Broncos letting running back Jaleel McLaughlin know he was being waived on Sunday.

McLaughlin made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2023 but has seen the room change and advance around him.

He was left off Sunday in favor of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, rookie Jonah Coleman and fellow bubble candidate Tyler Badie.

ā€œThat was really tough,ā€ Denver general manager George Paton said Sunday. ā€¦ ā€œJaleel, heā€™s something else. He was really important to this team, the passion, everything he brings.ā€

Renck: Jonathon Cooper’s actions put Broncos in a tough spot against Chiefs in opener

McLaughlin sometimes grew up without a place to sleep at night. His work ethic is the stuff of legend, from pre-dawn hill running and workouts to the time he bought a JUGS machine with his own money to try to improve as a pass-catching option with the Broncos.

In the end, the conversation came down to Badieā€™s ability to pass-protect and his more expansive special teams role, which includes playing on the teamā€™s punt shield.

ā€œWithout getting into details, it was a really hard decision,ā€ Paton said. ā€œObviously, special teams are involved, third-down ability. Thereā€™s a lot involved.

ā€œThat was probably the last decision we made, this fourth runner.ā€

Frank Crum, Caleb Lohner start season on injured reserve

The Broncos will start the season with a pair of potential future contributors on the shelf.

Offensive tackle Frank Crum was injured in the teamā€™s second preseason game against Green Bay and now will miss at least the first four games. Heā€™s a swing tackle, jumbo tight end and even caught a postseason touchdown in January.

The exact nature and severity of his injury are not known, but heā€™s expected to be ready around the time heā€™s eligible to return, sources have told The Post.

Lohner, meanwhile, will be out longer. The second-year tight end drew rave reviews from Payton after the clubā€™s rookie minicamp in May, but then was out for all of OTAs and minicamp with an injury.

He was not put on the physically unable to perform list to start camp and was expected to join quickly, but then sustained another injury. He was seen watching practice with a boot on his left foot and never did get on the field.

Paton on Sunday said Lohner will not be back in the fold until the middle of the season, perhaps in late October.

Gone, but not really

The Broncos donā€™t technically have a fullback or a long snapper on their 53-man roster. Both positions, however, will be used in Week 1 against Kansas City.

Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni are each veteran players and thus not subject to waivers when released. That allowed the Broncos to strike a deal with each to start the season on the practice squad.

They did the same last year with quarterback Sam Ehlinger and he ended up on the 53 anyway later in the week when Malcolm Roach hurt his calf in practice and was put on injured reserve. If something like that happens, one or both of Prentice and Fraboni could be added to the 53 sooner rather than later. Otherwise, they can each be elevated from the practice squad three times. After that, theyā€™ll have to be added to the 53 in order to continue playing.

NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Sunday, which means as soon as Friday night’s preseason finale ends, the process of finalizing the first version of an active roster kicks into high gear.

So many of Denverā€™s starters and key role players return from past years and little doubt exists about their roles.

Still, there are several spots up for grabs and, perhaps more pertinently, there are several levers the Broncos can pull to get as many players back into their building as possible.

The job isnā€™t to pick the best 53 players, necessarily. Head coach Sean Payton always uses the term ā€œthe right 53.ā€

That means some players who are going to be part of Denverā€™s equation this season could start on the practice squad, be cut and re-signed to the 53-man roster a day later, start the season on injured reserve or any number of other machinations.

Having a deep roster means added risk of losing players between Sunday afternoon and the 11 a.m. claiming deadline, after which teams can begin assembling their practice squads.

ā€œI think that gets weighed in a lot,ā€ Payton said of whoā€™s most at risk of getting claimed. ā€œIā€™ll turn to the analytics and a lot of it is what kind of tape the opponents seeing. That gets weighed in a lot. Who do we feel like is more likely to get claimed? Certain positions are more likely to get claimed.

ā€œSo that¶¶Ņõap always a challenge.ā€

A challenge, but one weā€™re taking on one final time. Hereā€™s a last stab at a 53-man roster.

Changes from last weekā€™s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Final call: Taking three quarterbacks is going to cost Denver a player somewhere else, but in the end, that¶¶Ņõap the call here. Ehlinger didnā€™t sound earlier this week like a player who planned on packing his bags any time soon, then he authored a terrific preseason finale. Plus, there arenā€™t any good Payton-experienced quarterbacks out there as practice squad options.

If they take two to start, it¶¶Ņõap most likely because they swung a deal with Ehlinger or found a trade option they liked. Ehlinger is a veteran, so he can sign anywhere if he’s cut. Depending on how much injured reserve activity the Broncos have, they could cut Ehlinger with a promise he’s back on the 53-man roster in a day. Or they could ask him to start the season on the practice squad.Ā The real curveball would be a two-man Nix/Ehlinger room to start.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Final call: The Broncos will press all the buttons to squeeze extra spots out of the roster. In this projection, that means cutting Adam Prentice with the agreement that heā€™ll be signed to the practice squad, elevated three times and/or added back to the 53 when a spot becomes available. Prentice has had a good camp and will be in the mix one way or another.

If Jaleel McLaughlin and/or Tyler Badie clear waivers and return to the practice squad, all the better. Historic odds on players claimed suggest at least one will. Cody Schrader could be a practice squad option, too.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Final call: Joly hasnā€™t had a big training camp, but he finished with a bang on a wide-open 88-yard touchdown Friday night. Caleb Lohner hasnā€™t practiced at all and seems like a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve. They could wait a day and thus save a return designation for now to ensure that Lohner actually does recover and get fully healthy. Canā€™t rule out Dallen Bentley or Lucas Krull nabbing a spot, but they feel like the most likely to get through waivers.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin

Final call: The same five it¶¶Ņõap been all of camp. The sticking point here: Lilā€™Jordan Humphrey is almost certainly going to be part of the plan. In this case, he either starts on the practice squad or is a one-day cut until the Broncos place someone else on injured reserve. Denver will feel fortunate if all of its undrafted rookie receivers get through to the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there around the league, but Cam Ross and/or Kolbe Katsis could factor on special teams at some point in the not-so-distant future and could draw attention from other teams.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Kage Casey, Alex Forsyth, Tyler MillerĀ 

Final call: Let¶¶Ņõap get a little bit wild. In this projection, Frank Crum is placed on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return. Then, thereā€™s the Tyler Miller conversation. The Broncos have lost a developmental tackle each of the past two years at the cutdown. They know the value of such players. If they can get Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart to agree to start the year on the practice squad, this becomes possible. The end goal here: Keep as many of this group as possible for as long as possible.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Saiā€™Vion Jones

Final call: Maybe the Broncos ultimately feel like they have to choose between Jackson and Saiā€™Vion Jones, but this coaching staff and front office have prided themselves on building depth in both trenches. If there are ways around cutting somebody up front, theyā€™ll find them. Jackson is too reliable and Jones too young to part ways with just yet, though the latter has had a relatively quiet camp.

“Every year is different and you really never know,” said Jackson, whose made the 53 each of the past two years. “Five weeks to put in the work I’ve put in. We’ll see how it all comes out.”

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Ron Stone, Jr.

Final call: Time is ticking quickly, but in this version, the projection is that the Broncos will have clarity on Jonathon Cooperā€™s status — a suspension levied by the NFL or (perhaps more likely at the moment) a placement on the commissionerā€™s exempt list — by the time the roster cutdown arrives. Stone makes it as a depth piece, at least to start. The tough call here is what to do with Drew Sanders. Is it injured reserve? They have to use one of eight return designations to put him there Sunday but if they carry him for one day, they can stash him and decide later whether to bring him back. Still, Sanders has played four games in the past two seasons. It may be time for a fresh start. If there’s no decision on Cooper at 4 p.m. Sunday, he’ll be on the roster.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner, Karene ReidĀ 

Final call: The Broncos had a curveball thrown this week when Taylor Rapp left after just one practice. Reid, Turner and Murdock are all special teams staples and it¶¶Ņõap easy to see any of them getting time on defense if either Singleton or Strnad miss time. Murdock has been calling the defense in practice, the type of investment that makes it easy to think Denver wants to keep him around for a while. The question: Are Reid and Turner worthy of among the last spots on the roster. Their special teams work last year and preseason playing time so far this summer suggest yes.

CORNERBACK (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Jaā€™Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Final call: One of the toughest calls to leave off the roster is Reese Taylor. The Broncos are just fortunate to have high-quality depth across the cornerback group, which works against Taylor despite his special teams ability and ability to play in the slot on defense. Heā€™s a player who will likely feel like a little bit of a risk trying to get through waivers. He also sustained a concussion Friday night against the Vikings.

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

Final call: Miles Scott is a nice developmental player, but based on his role and playing time so far in camp, perhaps Denver is hoping they can get that redshirt year done on the practice squad. Tycen Anderson was one of the most conspicuous players not to dress Friday night vs. Minnesota. Those guys are either already on the roster or definitely not making it. The guess here is the latter.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)

Final call: Easy. Theyā€™ve got Luke Bassoā€™s number if they need a long-snapper at any point during the season.

The Broncos finished theirs with a 34-6 shellacking of Minnesota at Empower Field.

If this time of year is about roster depth, Denver boasted a vast superiority to the Vikings essentially from the opening kickoff.

Sean Paytonā€™s team didnā€™t dress 30 players, most of them starters and key contributors, and still dominated. Minnesota, to be sure, also sat its top players, but this was backups on backups crime.

Now, tough roster questions are ahead.

ā€œI look back to my first year here, and we were looking to claim (players),ā€ Payton said Friday night. ā€œAnd it was like that in New Orleans early on. As you build something that gets a little bit more polished, players are — gradually, the quality of your team, it becomes a harder roster to make.

ā€œSo those teams out there that have new coaches that are rebuilding. Theyā€™ll be more active and those are the teams sometimes that can end up with one of your players.ā€

That¶¶Ņõap the focus for the next few days. Then attention turns fully to Week 1 and Denver’s Sept. 14 trip to Kansas City for Monday Night Football.

Here are four takeaways from Friday night:

Sam Ehlinger authored quite a bounce back after a rough start

The Broncos head coach was afraid heā€™d end up in the stat book with a PBU. OK, maybe not quite, but as Payton watched Sam Ehlinger start moving to his left and then sprint back to his right on a fourth-and-3 in the second half Friday, Ehlinger kept getting closer and closer. Finally, he uncorked an off-balance throw to Cody Schrader for a 14-yard touchdown and basically fell into the coachā€™s lap.

That set off a raucous celebration after the second of Ehlingerā€™s three touchdowns on the night.

The Broncos quarterback started his night with an ugly interception.

Then he responded with three touchdowns and finished the night with 233 yards and a 134.5 passer rating.

The touchdown was a thing of beauty.

ā€œI was standing on the white,ā€ Payton said of the sideline. ā€¦ ā€œTwo more feet and my concern was all of a sudden the ball hit my chest and Iā€™m the reason he doesnā€™t throw it. I was excited for him. It was really good.ā€

So was Ehlinger overall.

ā€œThereā€™s one thing he does, Iā€™ve said this to you guys before many times, when youā€™re in practice situations and plays donā€™t finish out, you see ā€˜X,ā€™ā€ Payton said. And then, for him, when youā€™re in a game situation, we donā€™t have to decide whether he was sacked or not. He wasnā€™t. And it was a touchdown pass. That¶¶Ņõap one of the things that I think has served him well in college and when he plays in games.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap hard to simulate some of that. So I was excited for him.ā€

Ehlinger made a bad throw on the first drive and got under-cut on an out-breaker for an interception.

After that, though, he was sharp.

ā€œObviously you donā€™t want to start that way,ā€ Ehlinger said. ā€œBut it was good to get that out of my system and then being able to get in the flow of the game, get the feel for coverages and how the gameā€™s going was really good.ā€

Whether the Broncos keep two or three quarterbacks is among their most intriguing questions as the roster deadline approaches Sunday, but Ehlinger has said for the past week that he has trust in Payton and the Denver staff.

ā€œWhen it comes down to the roster decisions and things of that nature, it¶¶Ņõap completely out of my control,ā€ he said. ā€œI donā€™t derive my confidence from the result of what happens with numbers or things of that nature.

ā€œI have great confidence in this organization and the relationships we have and the way theyā€™ve handled things with me to this point. Iā€™m in a really good spot.ā€

If the Broncos do cut Ehlinger, a vested veteran who is not subject to waivers and thus can sign anywhere at any time, he said heā€™d look around to see what else might be available.

ā€œYeah, you have to look at all your options, right? That¶¶Ņõap what weā€™ll do,ā€ he said. ā€œThat¶¶Ņõap what we did last year and I look forward to whatever opportunity there is.ā€

Heā€™s also got much bigger things happening in his life, too, and soon. Ehlingerā€™s wife is pregnant with their first child and is due Tuesday.

So his upcoming days could well be very different than most of the guys sweating out the cutdown deadline.

“I might be in the hospital having my first son,ā€ he said. ā€œThat’s what it could look like.”

Pat Bryant¶¶Ņõap ascension was on display in absentia Friday night

Payton bristles at categorizations like ā€œthird wide receiverā€ or ā€œsecond running back.ā€ Heā€™s got roles defined for certain players and they fulfill them.

However, Friday night served as a final stamp of approval on a breakout August for second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant.

He didnā€™t need a big stat line to prove it. He did so with a ballcap and tennis shoes.

Payton and the Broncos didnā€™t dress three receivers for the game: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Bryant. That¶¶Ņõap as clear an indication as any that Bryant is going to factor heavily into Denverā€™s offensive plans.

Not that thereā€™s been much doubt since the start of camp.

Bryant has made play after play, day after day.

Every player and every coach whoā€™s been asked about him over the past month has had nothing but raves.

Troy Franklin, meanwhile, was out there playing and so, too, was Marvin Mims Jr. Mims was up mostly because heā€™s been hurt and hasnā€™t had much live action this summer.

Franklin hasnā€™t done anything wrong, either. Heā€™s had a nice camp himself and is a versatile, valuable player.

Bryant, though, has had an undeniable training camp. Heā€™s one of the players fans should be most intrigued to see on the field at Arrowhead Stadium in 16 days.

Marvin Mims Jr.’s camp started fast. It¶¶Ņõap been a slog since.

Not many players were more impressive than Mims during the first week of training camp, n. Since then, it¶¶Ņõap been a slog. He took a couple of weeks to come all the way back from a groin injury. He made his preseason debut Friday against the Vikings and figured to get a couple of series. Instead, Jarrett Stidham overthrew him on his first target of the night and Mims hit the ground along the sideline and rolled over in pain.

Payton described the foot injury as ā€œjust a bruiseā€ after the game and said the club was being cautious with the fourth-year wide receiver.
The veteran head coach also referred to Mims as a ā€œfront-line guy.ā€ That much isnā€™t in question, even if Mimsā€™ ultimate role in this offense is a bit of a mystery at this point.

What¶¶Ņõap also clear is that Mims was frustrated about having to head back to the blue medical tent. He hopped up and tried to jog off, shooing away a trainer. Then he reluctantly ducked into the tent and then headed back to the locker room early in the game.

If Mims plays a big role and has an impact this fall, this night will be quickly forgotten.

But for a guy going into his contract year, the training camp and preseason rigmarole that has cost him time on the practice field and in game action so far this summer could also easily become a source of frustration.

He (probably) wonā€™t make the 53-man roster, but take a bow, Cody Schrader.

The only knock on Cody Schraderā€™s Friday night? After he caught the touchdown from Ehlinger, he threw the ball into the crowd. Brother, donā€™t you want to keep that one?

ā€œI didnā€™t think to keep that thing,ā€ Schrader said. ā€œI was just kind of blacked out in the moment and super excited to get in the end zone.ā€

Schrader, 26, went undrafted in 2024 and bounced around. Like, really bounced around. Heā€™s been cut seven times. At one point last year, he played for three teams in as many weeks, the last of which was Denver. But he stuck on the practice squad down the stretch, got a futures deal and has had a nice training camp. He could well end up on the Broncosā€™ practice squad and is in the mix with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.

Moreover, heā€™s been a needed bell cow in preseason as Denver managed the workload of several other backs.

He carried the ball 24 times over Denverā€™s three preseason games and churned out 74 yards. He also caught all nine of his targets for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Schrader led Broncos backs in snaps, too, in each of the first two games and likely did again Friday against the Vikings.

Schrader, who ran for 1,627 yards his senior year at Missouri, finished with a flourish, too. He had six catches for 90 yards plus 42 rushing for a total of 132 offensive yards and a touchdown.

ā€œIt definitely meant a lot,ā€ Schrader said. ā€œIā€™m so thankful for this organization, just in terms of how they take preseason. They treat it like the regular season and that means a lot to guys like me whoā€™s competing and fighting for every opportunity possible. ā€¦

ā€œWe have a great room. Weā€™re a brotherhood and I think all of us can play in this league.ā€

Schrader did the Broncos well this preseason and probably helped himself in the process, too.

PUP — OL Nick Gargiulo.

IR — DL Matt Henningsen and OL Michael Deiter.

Did not practice — OLB Drew Sanders, C Alex Forsyth, ILB Levelle Bailey, WR Michael Bandy, TE Caleb Lohner.

The Broncos had the same list of players miss practice on Wednesday as the day before. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and center Luke Wattenberg each participated in the early portions of practice but then did conditioning work on the side field during team periods. Given the slow ramp-up for those players, it would be a surprise if they played Friday night against Green Bay. Overall, though, the Broncos appear to be in line to have more players available for their second preseason game than their first. Then it¶¶Ņõap just a matter of the team deciding who plays and who doesnā€™t.

Jaylen Waddle beats his old teammate for a touchdown

Want to know how good Pat Surtain II is?

He gave up one big play in practice Tuesday and most of his chat with reporters afterward included questions about what happened.

Surtain is widely regarded as the best cornerback in football, so the inquiry was more about whether Waddle talked trash and what Surtain tries to take from the rare practice misstep.

ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap practice. At the end of the day, weā€™re out here getting better,ā€ Surtain said. ā€œIt¶¶Ņõap going to be plays like that that happen — youā€™re going to make plays, sometimes plays like that happen. .. It¶¶Ņõap definitely something you can learn from.ā€

The play itself was a beauty for the offense. Quarterback Bo Nix had time to step up in the pocket and pat the ball multiple times before uncorking a rainbow that traveled 50-plus yards in the air up the right sideline to Waddle, who was a full stride past Surtain.

It¶¶Ņõap a reminder, mostly, of the multidimensional threat Waddle provides. He consistently creates separation from defensive backs on underneath and intermediate routes. He stops and starts with the best pass-catchers in football. But he also has the long speed to run away from the fastest corners, too.

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb on Tuesday summed it up easily when asked if Waddle needed more time on the practice field — he missed more than a week with a muscle strain — with Bo Nix to create chemistry before the regular season.

Webb pointed to the time the pair and several others spent in Austin, Texas, this summer, as well as their meeting time, as beneficial for communication.

ā€œTiming-wise, that guyā€™s going to be open and weā€™re going to throw to him,ā€ Webb said.

Waddleā€™s already shown the ability to get open at all levels of the field against a talented Broncos secondary, including its best player, Surtain.

ā€œYeah, I mean, heā€™s fast,ā€ Surtain said. ā€œHeā€™s pretty fast.ā€

Thumbs Up

Sticky fingers. Waddle made the play of the day, but the Broncos defense once again was more than up to the task, broadly speaking. Over the course of practice, the defense continually made life difficult on the offense, stopped a pair of two-minute situations and — in a continuation of a trend throughout training camp — took the ball away.

First, second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson picked off Jarrett Stidham on a pass to the flat that likely would have been returned for a touchdown. Stidham had an offensive lineman pushed back into his lap and couldnā€™t get a clean throw off for Jaleel McLaughlin in the flat.

Later, in the two-minute drill, the situation was end-of-half in a tie game, so the offense was looking for a touchdown but willing to take any points. Sam Ehlinger started a drive in good shape with a 22-yard completion to Cam Ross and a 4-yard gain out of bounds to tight end Nate Adkins.

He tried Adkins down the right sideline on second-and-6 with 30 seconds left, though, and substantially underthrew the ball. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine easily picked the pass off, ending practice.

Thumbs Down

When the No. 1 offense had its turn in the two-minute in the same set of circumstances, the drive quickly turned into a slog. Nix opened the drive with a completion to Waddle, but would likely have been sacked by Nik Bonitto on the next play. Instead, he was credited with a throwaway that stopped the clock. The offense used its last timeout after a 6-yard completion to Adam Trautman, who was tackled in bounds with 33 seconds left. The next completion was also tackled in bounds, but instead of spiking the ball, Nix snapped it again and hit Courtland Sutton for 25 yards down to the 23-yard line. Except without a timeout, the clock ran out before Nix could get another snap off. Two drives for the offense where three points would be a fine outcome, but zero points on the board.

ā€œItā€™ll be good film to look at,ā€ Payton said. ā€¦ ā€œIā€™m anxious to watch the film. Thereā€™s that cutoff with the clock and then the yards (of the play before). Sometimes it¶¶Ņõap impossible. But that was a ā€˜down, downā€™ (for Sutton) and then it¶¶Ņõap a sprint, get set. How fast can we do that and get the ball on the ground?ā€

Odds and Ends

* The plan for Friday against Green Bay is for Nix to play about 14 plays, Payton said Wednesday. Payton had already said last week that Nix was in line to make his debut and that the plan was similar to the one the Broncos had last week in Atlanta for the starters who played.

* One day after the Broncos had a big scuffle — Sean Paytonā€™s term Wednesday — cooler heads prevailed. Payton said he watched the video of the incident after practice and then, in the evening, addressed his team on a related matter. This fall, the New York replay office is able to review fights, scuffles, kerfuffles, and all manner of extracurricular activities and will have the authority to eject players upon review. Payton showed examples of situations and told his players it will be more difficult to get away with being the instigator or with any involvement in a fight.

Then he had a message about the groupā€™s scuffle earlier in the day.

ā€œJust let me know the game where weā€™re fighting and then obviously weā€™re not as concerned about winning that game,ā€ Payton said. ā€œThen I can kind of measure up the (other) head coach, see where we go and we can all get ejected. The games are too important.ā€

* Cornerback Reese Taylor is an interesting conversation in terms of the 53-man roster. The club clearly likes him. He spent the stretch run of the regular season last year on the active roster and became a special teams regular. But the Broncos are also deep in the secondary and have a No. 2 nickel in Jahdae Barron, plus coverage on their outside corners in Barron and Abrams-Draine. Taylor made a heck of a play Wednesday in team drills, knocking a ball away from Cam Ross. It would have been close on whether Ross controlled the catch first, but the defense reacted as if it were a forced fumble.