The Denver Broncos did some tinkering with the roster on Tuesday, adding offensive tackle Adrian Ealy to the practice squad.
The Denver Broncos and general manager George Paton made some depth moves on the practice squad on Tuesday, adding a couple of young guys to the mix who each have some interesting upside.
The team added running back/return specialist Kerrith Whyte Jr. to the practice squad as well as offensive tackle Adrian Ealy, a rookie in the 2021 class who worked out for the team last week.
While Whyte is an elite athlete with impressive overall testing metrics, Adrian Ealy perhaps fell out of the 2021 NFL Draft entirely in part due to his lack of elite athleticism. Still, he’s a player worth monitoring for the Broncos going forward into the future.
Broncos add offensive tackle Adrian Ealy to the practice squad
The Broncos have signed RB Kerrith Whyte Jr. and T Adrian Ealy to their practice squad.
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) November 30, 2021
Details » https://t.co/j7SvfTUSg7 pic.twitter.com/3wDBNIYgBT
Ealy was actually suspended earlier this season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. The Broncos probably had to do some digging on him after the suspension, but clearly, when he was surprisingly released by the Ravens, the Broncos didn’t wait long to bring him in for a workout.
Perhaps this was someone they had prioritized after the 2021 NFL Draft, but couldn’t convince to come to Denver.
Denver’s tackle position has been snake-bitten a bit in recent weeks.
Starting left tackle Garett Bolles suffered an injury a few weeks ago and then had to go on the COVID/reserve list after a positive test, causing him to miss Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
Starting right tackle Bobby Massie has also now had to miss time due to injury.
Even with both starters expected to return this week if all goes well, the Broncos had to fortify their tackle depth with Calvin Anderson suffering an injury that could land him on short-term IR as well. Anderson has done well in Bolles’ place for a few weeks.
As Brandon Thorn shows in this clip, Adrian Ealy did some really nice work at Oklahoma, even with his athletic limitations.
Despite his lack of elite athleticism, Ealy does a good job of keeping pass rushers in front of him with his tremendous length and wide frame.
As his technique continues to improve, he can certainly mask some of his athletic deficiencies with good hand placement, upper body strength, and a strong base.
Denver Broncos studs and duds: Baron Browning shines in big win
The Denver Broncos got a huge victory at home coming out of the bye week over the Los Angeles Chargers. Who stood out in this game whether good or bad?
This is certainly a prospect worth developing at the right tackle position. So long as he stays out of trouble with the league, Ealy is a fine developmental talent and a worthwhile dart throw with the coaches the Broncos have in place in Mike Munchak and Chris Kuper.