Denver Broncos: Mike Boone will go on short-term IR to start the season

The Denver Broncos are nearing the 53-man roster limit and are making a move at the running back position. Mike Boone, who is listed as the third-string running back behind Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, will be placed on injured reserve after today’s cut deadline.

Boone injured his quad in a preseason practice with the Minnesota Vikings. When the Broncos released their initial depth chart, what stood out to me was that Boone was the No. 3 guy with Royce Freeman as the fourth-stringer.

This move signifies that Freeman’s roster status is no longer in jeopardy—unless the team finds a trade partner and probably would acquire another running back. The Broncos also have Damarea Crockett as of this article being written.

Since he will be placed on injured reserve, Boone is required to miss three regular season games. That puts him on schedule to return against the Baltimore Ravens. Hypothetically, the team could run the ball quite a bit in this game, with the higher chance of needing to use three running backs. This would keep Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense off the field longer, which would be a key to winning that matchup.

Boone was on the Vikings since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati. He signed a 2-year deal with the Broncos as a free agent this offseason which shook things up at the running back position for Denver.

During training camp, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio hyped Boone up, saying that the running back “wasn’t a guy to sleep on.” He would have contributed on special teams during the preseason and will do so when he returns in no less than three weeks.

Denver Broncos trade for Jonas Griffith to upgrade special teams

The Denver Broncos had to make a move to address their ailing special teams, and they paid a pretty hefty price to trade for Jonas Griffith.

Every team needs to be down to the 53-man roster limit by 4PM eastern time. You can follow along with Denver Broncos cuts at Predominantly Orange by clicking here.