LG LEARY LATE SCRATCH WITH ANKLE INJURY
Broncos left guard Ron Leary was a late scratch before Saturday’s preseason game against Minnesota because of an ankle injury.
Max Garcia started in Leary’s place. Leary was held out of practice earlier in training camp because of the injury.
Nine other Broncos were scratched: Receiver Philly Brown (concussion), safety Su’a Cravens (knee), cornerback Tramaine Brock (hamstring), guard Menelik Watson (pectoral), defensive end Clinton Mcdonald (shoulder), inside linebackers Joseph Jones (foot) and Todd Davis (sternum) and tight ends Jeff Heuerman (knee) and Troy Fumagalli (groin).
The only new addition to the list was Davis, who took a helmet to the chest Wednesday and was held out of team work Thursday.
Linebacker Von Miller was in uniform but was not on the field for the defense’s first series.
Marshall, Thomas leave field. Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall and receiver Demaryius Thomas left the field before the national anthem. Marshall and Thomas came back out via the tunnel behind the Broncos’ bench after the anthem.
If they were acting in protest, Marshall and Thomas will not be subject to NFL discipline because the league has delayed implementing or enforcing anthem-related rules while it has discussions with the NFLPA.
Before last year’s game at Buffalo, 32 Broncos knelt for the anthem.
Cracraft impressing. Broncos receiver River Cracraft has been one of the training camp surprises, working his way into firstteam rotation last week.
Cracraft joined the Broncos’ practice squad last October. In 42 games for Washington State, he had 218 catches and 20 touchdowns.
It’s not a stretch to say Cracraft would make the 53-man roster if it needed to be set.
“I feel like I’m improving and that’s the most important thing,” Cracraft said Wednesday. “Where I was during OTAS and where I am now is a different world.”
Cracraft said receivers coach Zach Azzanni gave him a simple message after minicamp in June.
“Keep ascending,” Cracraft said. “To me, that meant he was going to expect me to bust my butt even more than I did in OTAS. If I can end the day by getting better in the area I focused on at the beginning of the day, I can live with that.”
Cracraft needs to show up on special teams to secure a roster spot.
“If (special-teams coordinator Tom Mcmahon) sees a punt returner, I’ll be a punt returner,” he said “I’ll do whatever takes. I’m not just here to say I was here. I’m here to play ball and win games.”
CFL to NFL. Mark Chapman, a former Central Michigan wide receiver with dual American-canadian citizenship, was the eye of the 2018 CFL draft — selected first by the Hamilton Tiger-cats.
But Chapman held out of contract negotiations waiting for an NFL phone call.
“I was pretty much committed to going to Hamilton to play for the Tiger-cats before I got that call,” Chapman said. “I was ready to reopen negotiations.”
That call came from the Broncos with a training camp invitation after two Denver receivers failed to report to training camp.
Chapman called his decision easy.
“I was on the flight like two hours later to Denver,” he said. “Everything kind of happened really fast. … But it’s a great opportunity and I had to take it — to come out here and compete with high-level athletes.”
Chapman (6-0, 180) averaged at least 13 yards per reception over his last three seasons at CMU with 18 career touchdowns. He’ll face stiff competition in the receivers room for a roster spot, but Chapman has flashed big-play capability.
Running with the 3s during a team period, Chapman hauled in a long touchdown pass from quarterback Chad Kelly on Day 8 of training camp.
OT added. Hours before Saturday’s game, the Broncos claimed rookie offensive tackle Austin Fleer off waivers per ESPN’S Field Yates. The Broncos will have to make a corresponding roster move Sunday. Fleer (6-foot-7, 306 pounds) is from Aurora and played at Colorado Mesa.