With Chris Kuper’s Injury, The Broncos Need To Think Outside The Depth Chart
By Eric Mergens
Call it unbelievably bad luck or a casualty of playing a contact-heavy sport, but Chris Kuper has suffered another broken bone injury. This time it’s his left forearm.
Kuper was on the verge of full recovery from a particularly nasty broken leg he suffered in the regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Just how nasty? Many players were seen diverting their gaze from Kuper’s leg.
The injury will certainly be a setback to the offensive line – a position that might be the gateway to Peyton Manning’s and the team’s overall success. Kuper is expected to be out 3-6 weeks, putting him on track for return prior to the September 30th matchup versus the Oakland Raiders.
No knock to Manny Ramirez, the number two guard on the depth chart, but the Broncos need to be thinking about putting the best eleven players on the field even if it means a bit of unorthodox thinking. Slide Orlando Franklin over to guard and promote Ryan Harris to first-team right tackle. These types of transitions are never easy for players, especially one learning a new style of offense, but Franklin has collegiate experience at guard and Harris was a highly coveted player in 2011 allowing only 4.5 sacks in 34 starts prior the back injury that forced him out of the 2011 season.
Fortunately for the Broncos, there are still four weeks and three preseason games to determine the right blend for the offensive line, but putting your five best in front of Manning is a good start.
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